The majority of shops are open all day from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Some smaller shops may close over lunchtime between midday and 2pm, or all day on Monday. Sunday and public holidays are the usual closing days, although there are some exceptions ...
Most shops, some restaurants and cafés are closed, but all the churches are open with services and music. With less traffic, this may be the day to rent and ride a Velib' (bicycle).
Sunday is a Funday for restaurant workers (it's their day off!), but for most of us, Sunday is a problem. Paris restaurants are usually closed two days every week, and most take off Saturday/Sunday or Sunday/Monday. That doesn't leave a lot of options open on Dimanche.
FRENCH VLOG PARIS / A typical Sunday in PARIS + French vocabulary 🇫🇷
Is Paris quiet on a Sunday?
As with most European cities, Paris quietens down on a Sunday. The city takes on a more relaxed pace, the streets are quieter, and shops are boarded up for a day of rest. But not to worry if you are in Paris on a Sunday — there are still many amazing things that you can do.
Mark a star in your diaries for every first Sunday of the month in Paris. On this day, the city's national museums (with the exception of the Grand Palais, but including such behemoths as the Louvre and the Orsay and offbeat treasures like the Musée Albert Kahn) open their doors to the public for absolutely no charge.
The standard timings for champs elysees in Paris is from morning 10 am till evening 8 pm. However, Saturdays and Fridays are the most visited days, so shops remain open till 10 pm on these days. Avoid visiting on Sundays and any public holidays as the place remains closed.
Traditionally speaking, shops do not open in France on Sundays; however the rules have changed in recent years, and now across France you will find supermarkets, DIY and gardening shops open on Sunday morning. In tourist areas the rules are more flexible, and all sorts of shops can now stay open all day.
Sunday is traditionally a day for prayer and repose. Despite being one of Europe's most secular nations, the French Sunday is renowned as a day for spending time with family and doing absolutely nothing (other than church) because everything is closed (as the shop-owners are doing the same).
Shops and department stores are closed on Sundays, except for certain neighborhoods (Le Marais, Beaubourg...). Please also note that some shops are closed on Mondays.
Covering a total surface area of 575 hectares, Paris's 12 International Tourist Zones offer plenty of opportunities to indulge in a little retail therapy, even on a Sunday! More than 3,000 retail outlets are open for business in different parts of the city.
Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days of the week. When it is not peak season, school vacation or a public holiday, attendance is usually lowest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Eiffel Tower is open on Tuesdays, unlike museums in Paris.
The metro service starts every day – including public holidays – around 6am and ends around 12:45am (Sunday to Thursday) or 1:45am (Friday and Saturday). The metro's frequency varies according to the times and the days: at peak times, the metro runs every 2 minutes.
What should you say when you enter a store in France?
Upon entering a shop – When you first walk in, scan the shop to see if you can spot the proprietor. When you do, immediately smile and greet him or her with a pleasant “Bonjour Monsieur/Madame,” and also nod to include in your greeting any other customers that may be in the store within earshot.
The Tower lights and beacon are lit up every evening from dusk until 11.45pm. As soon as it gets dark, the Eiffel Tower's golden lighting switches on automatically within less than 10 minutes, thanks to light-sensitive twilight sensors.
Since 1906, Sunday has been deemed a collective day of rest in the country, and French law only allows stores to open on Sundays under very specific conditions — for example, if they're in a high tourist area. Sunday work is also tightly controlled.
Did you know that the majority of Paris restaurants are closed on Sunday? There are still plenty of great options, but it helps to have a guide to where to eat on Sunday in Paris.
Paris's National Museums (with the exception of the Grand Palais) allow free admission to their permanent exhibitions on the first Sunday of each month, these include: Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Pompidou Center and two of my favorites the Rodin museum and the Orangerie museum in the Tuilleries Gardens.
The Champs-Élysées is a truly lovely avenue: a picture postcard scene. Nearly 2 kilometres in length, this historic thoroughfare runs from Place de la Concorde to the majestic Arc de Triomphe. But though it has since become 'the world's most beautiful avenue', the Champs-Élysées was once a swamp.
the Champs-Elyséss is well known for its expensive boutiques and restaurants; however, there are many quaint, less expensive areas to eat, as well as shop. You can walk it from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, or you can take the bus for a nice view.
There is no Notre Dame Cathedral entrance fee if one just wants to enter the cathedral. Free admission is allowed to both adults and children. However, visitors need to pay EUR 10 to access the Tower and Crypt in Notre Dame.
Admission is free to the Musée du Louvre and the Musée Eugène-Delacroix for the following visitors (valid proof required): all visitors under the age of 18 and 18-25 year-old residents of the European Economic Area (EU, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) holders of a valid 'Pass Education' card.
Entrance to the Arc de Triomphe is free for all visitors on the first Sunday of the month of January, February, March and December. Also during the "Journées du Patrimoine", the European Heritage Days, which takes place on the 3rd weekend of September, entrance is free for everyone.
