From May this year, the legendary Champs-Elysees Paris will be pedestrianised 1st Sunday of each month.
Paris city authorities announced in February 2016 that from May 2016, one of the most famous avenues in the world will go traffic free on the first Sunday of the month.
From Sunday 8th May visitors will find the Champs-Elysees the perfect place to wander and admire the buildings and the views from the Arc du Triomphe right down to the bottom of this long avenue.
The first Sunday of each month is also “Museum Day” in France, with many museums opening to the public for free though some of the bigger venues, such as the Louvre only operate this scheme out of high season.
The council of Paris is planning a further nine areas named “Paris Respire” comprised of pedestrian streets to be available on Sundays and national holidays. There are already 13 pedestrianised areas and it is hoped that the new areas will be read for summer 2016.
Throughout the year, the “Paris Respire” programme allows neighbourhood to breathe in the following arrondissements (shown in numbers):
Banks of the Seine (1st / 4th): Along the banks of the Seine on Sundays and public holidays, from 9h to 17h, all year. On the right bank, Georges Pompidou road from the entrance of the underground Tuileries (1st) to the Charles de Gaulle bridge (12th).
Quartier Sentier (2e) (2nd): On Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 18pm all year until 19h in summer.
Marais district (3rd / 4th): Every Sunday from 10am to 18pm all year, until 19:30 in summer. Read more about the Marais District.
Quartier Mouffetard (5th): On Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 18pm all year.
Rue des Martyrs district (9th): Every Sunday from 10h to 14h all year.
Trudaine Avenue district (9th): Every Sunday and holidays from 14h to 18h until 19h in summer.
District Canal Saint-Martin (10th): On Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 18pm all year until 20h in summer.
Quartier Aligre (12th): Every Sunday from 10h to 14h, all year
Bois de Vincennes (12th): Every Sunday and holidays from 9 am to 18 pm all year until 20h in summer.
Rue Daguerre district (14th): On Sundays and public holidays from 10am to 18pm all year.
Bois de Boulogne (16th): Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 9am to 18pm all year. Quartier rue du Poteau (18th): Every Sunday from 10h to 14h, all year. (Check website below for details).
Quartier Montmartre (18th): On Sundays and public holidays from 11h to 18h all year.
Find out more about “Paris Respire” with maps showing pedestrianised areas.
Museums in France free on the first Sunday of the month (with some exceptions in peak tourist season)
History of the Champs-Elysees – not that long ago, this famous road was fields where royalty hunted.
