SemiMike

Will be there on July 14 for the first time this year, on my 20-somethingth trip to the city. For the 11 AM parade, the suggestion given to me is not to try to get on the main parade route along the Champs-Elysees, but to go near the Pont de la Concorde where the parade officially ends, and watch the somewhat more casual line-up at that point from near the Assemblee Nationale. Has anyone done one or the other?

For the evening festivities, I understand that the Champs de Mars fill up very early, and what I am most interested in is the 11 PM fireworks in any case. I am thinking of coming later, and viewing from the steps along the Trocadero Gardens on the other side of the Seine. I would guess that the views from bridges like Alma, Invalides, and Alexandre III are probably not bad also. Suggestions here would also be appreciated. Thanks.

kerouac

My own recommendation for the parade is to go to Rond Point des Champs Elysées. After all, do you want to see a parade or a parade that just ended? Don't forget that all of the metro stations along the Champs Elysées will be closed. Due to the new security conditions, there will only be a few access points for the public, so keep this in mind as well. Since Donald Trump will be at Place de la Concorde, security will be the strictest there.

As for the fireworks, they are actually shot from the Trocadero Gardens for the most part, so that area is completely closed off. They are designed to be seen from the Champ de Mars with a big concert being held at 9pm for the waiting public. There is also a big sound system there for the musical accompaniment to the fireworks. You don't get any of this if you are on one of those bridges. Lots of people say they saw the fireworks from a bridge and "it was great" but they didn't see the real show.

Robert2016

It looks like this year will be bigh as the city gears up for the celebration, and the possible appearance of the dreaded DJT.

If he does decide to attend the celebration, can we expect protests on a grand scale ?

kerouac

Probably not, because half of France will already be away on summer vacation, and that is much more important than political protest.

fuzzbucket

Do as Kerouac suggested for the parade but get there early.
Go to Champs de Mars in the late afternoon if you want to find a place to sit down.
Be prepared to walk home - you'll have plenty of company.

Christina

I've been there several times, including just last year. I always get out at Kleber metro stop and go within the first few blocks of the Arc. And I don't go hours ahead of time, maybe 30-45 minutes. Sure, there are a couple people deep lining the street, but I see enough and enjoy it, you can usually get a between view or whatever. If you were tall, it wouldn't be a problem.

I don't know who suggested you just go to the endpoint, as some said, do you want to see the parade or don't you? I really think it's a grand spectacle, I think there are hundreds on horseback, for example. And anyone can see the flyovers. I wouldn't even be that interested in just going for the endpoint myself. Who wants to see a "line up"? Not to mention seeing all the historic tanks rolling. I love seeing the gendarmarie, some with their dogs, also. Really, the entire point of the defile is to actually see the troops and contingents of various kinds all going down the Champs-Elysees in mass, it is breathtaking.

Take a look at some of these photos near the top, do you want to miss that?
https://fr.123rf.com/photo_23355719_...JuZTZxS3F4dz09

YOU will be searched upon some entry points near the Champs-Elysees, though, they had police with barriers and everyone was searched. Now personally I think any terrorist could have gotten a bomb by them as it was pretty quick and superficial, they mainly made you throw out water bottles, actually, which was a bummer.

Christina

oh, I think some of the troops don't enter right near the Arc, but a couple blocks down, so you do miss a little near the Arc but that's probably why it's not as crowded (I think this is the situation). I loved the cavalerie, nothing like seeing 300 cuirassiers coming down the avenue!

bilboburgler

Note that Trump may well be in Paris that day, in which case assume a plague of boils and hail of frogs (sorry Kerouac, couldn't resist) will fall on the country. Maybe catch a train to Reims for the night?

kerouac

A lot of the motorised troops arrive from Avenue George V, so one should always be "below" that point if you want to see everything.

IMDonehere

I was there a few years ago. Many restaurants were closed and I was stayed near the Place de la Bastille and there wasn't even a loud, "Yipppeeee!" there.

I was surprised by how militaristic the parade was.

massimop

I was in Paris for Bastille Day so long ago my experience should be kept in that perspective but I experienced an absolute CRUSH of people in the areas with good sight lines for fireworks, and an absolute CRUSH of people using the metro after the fireworks were over. I actually got separated from other people in my traveling party. It was more alarming than fun.

Had I to do it all over again I would look for an out-of-the-way neighborhood celebration with purely local fun.

Carlux

One more thing - in France it is never called Bastille Day. Either La Fete Nationale, or just le quatorze juillet.

Carlux

One more thing - in France it is never called Bastille Day. Either La Fete Nationale, or just le quatorze juillet.

kerouac

I am a terminology purist as well, but it is obviously totally fine to call it Bastille Day with other anglophones, because that's what all anglophones call it for some reason. French workers in the tourist industry will also understand you if you say that, but they may smirk. If you talk to an "ordinary" French person, they probably will not understand what you are talking about and give you directions to go to Place de la Bastille.

Christina

Even the French tourism office uses the term Bastille Day, actually, in some of their promotional ads for it. I don't call it that in France but it's not an offensive term. And the French tourism office is in France. And the French Embassy in Washington calls it Bastille Day, also, as does the Alliance Francaise.

https://franceintheus.org/spip.php?p...pcoming-events

Obviously Anglophones aren't going to call it "le quatorze juillet" , and I guess they needed a catchy term rather than "National Day" or Federation Day.

I don't know who started calling it that but obviously the term came from the taking of the Bastille and that was talked about and reenacted during the early years of that holiday when it was declared, and put on posters (about the Bastille). I suspect it was the British who invented the term, they are always doing things like that. I have never figured out why they add "s" to the end of the name of some French cities, either. I think it has something to do with Latin but I'm not sure (ie, Lyons).

fuzzbucket

We went to Trocadero one year, and thought - stupidly - that there would be room to sit down and have a picnic, because travel forums like this told us we could do that. Not so.

There is a crush of humanity that makes it impossible to see anything, if you are not taller than Manute Bol.

My advice is to get in the vicinity of Champs de Mars and just deal with it. The fireworks start around 11:40 and end at midnight.

As for the parade, some people like to see the tanks and soldiers lining up, some prefer to see the whole parade. You do get to pet the horses, sometimes, if you prefer to watch them lining up.