Paris Opera’s Palais Garnier Stage To Close For 5 Years Due To Extended Renovations

The historic 150-year-old Palais Garnier in Paris will close its stage for an extended five-year renovation.

Travelers planning to catch a live ballet or opera performance at Paris’s world-famous Palais Garnier will need to adjust their future itineraries. The [Opéra National de Paris](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/palais-garnier) has confirmed that planned stage renovations at the 151-year-old landmark will now take five years instead of the originally scheduled two, running from summer 2027 through 2032.

The extension stems from strict modern health regulations requiring complete lead decontamination within the theater's massive stage fly tower—a complex undertaking for a building classified as a historical monument since 1923.

Why Is the Renovation Being Extended?

Initial plans announced in 2024 outlined a two-year closure from 2027 to 2029 to modernize aging stage machinery, air treatment, and electrical infrastructure. However, deeper site inspections revealed widespread lead contamination across the entire stage cage.

• Regulatory Requirements: Stricter environmental and worker safety standards demand full, thorough lead remediation rather than localized treatment.
• Preventing Future Closures: Opera leadership opted for a comprehensive overhaul now to protect the longevity of the building and avoid needing another shutdown in the near future.
• Knock-On Schedule Impact: Renovation work at the modern Opéra Bastille—originally set for 2030—will now be pushed back to the 2033–2034 season so the two venues are not closed at the same time.

Can You Still Visit Palais Garnier?

While **stage performances will cease** at Garnier during the five-year window, daytime heritage tours may remain partially accessible:

• Heritage Visits: Public tours of the grand foyer, iconic marble staircase, and public halls are expected to stay open as much as possible, though management noted brief temporary closures (up to two years) may be necessary depending on construction noise and vibration levels.
• Facade Restoration: Exterior restoration work on the building’s grand facade will continue as planned.

Where to Watch Paris Opera Performances (2027–2032)

The Paris Opera will not go dark during the renovation. Instead, choreographic and operatic programming will be hosted across alternative venues:

• Opéra Bastille: The modern house on Place de la Bastille will serve as the primary stage for main-stage productions.
• Partner Theaters: Select ballet and opera performances will move off-site ("hors les murs") to prestige venues across Paris, including the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre de Chaillot, and Théâtre de la Ville.

"It is a choice of responsibility made for the sustainability of the working tool, ensuring we don't have to reopen another major project just a few years later." — Alexander Neef, General Manager of the Paris Opera

The Bottom Line for Travelers

If taking in a performance beneath Marc Chagall's painted ceiling at the Palais Garnier is on your bucket list, try to secure tickets before **summer 2027**. After that, while you can still admire the exterior and likely tour the building's grand public spaces, live ballet and opera shows will be hosted at Opéra Bastille and partner stages across Paris through 2032.

The Premium of Paris: Why Higher Ticket Prices Aren't Deterring Foreigners from the Louvre or Versailles

For years, a quiet economic shift has been taking place across Europe’s most iconic cultural landmarks: differentiated pricing. It’s a strategy where foreign tourists are charged significantly more for admission than local residents or citizens.

While critics initially worried that bumping up prices for international travelers would spark a backlash or drive crowds away, the reality on the ground in France tells a completely different story. Despite paying a premium, foreign tourists are flocking to landmarks like the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles in record numbers.

Here is an inside look at why differentiated ticket pricing isn't deterring global travelers, and why Paris remains an unstoppable tourism juggernaut.

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1. The "Once-in-a-Lifetime" Mindset

For an international traveler flying from New York, Tokyo, or Sydney, the cost of a museum ticket is a drop in the bucket compared to the grand total of their trip.

When a traveler has already spent thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and dining, an extra €10 or €15 on an admission ticket feels negligible. To someone who has dreamed of seeing the Mona Lisa or walking through the Hall of Mirrors their entire life, the experience is functionally price-inelastic. They are going to pay whatever it takes to get through the gates.

2. A Shift Toward Premium, Frictionless Experiences

Tourists today aren't just paying for entry; they are paying for a smoother experience. Landmarks have successfully softened the blow of higher prices by bundling them with improved digital infrastructure:

• Mandatory Time-Slot Booking: Virtually eliminating the infamous multi-hour queues of the past.
• Enhanced Digital Guides: Better apps and interactive maps included or easily added to the premium ticket.
• Exclusive Access: Special evening hours or combined exhibition passes that make the ticket feel like a premium product rather than a standard entry fee.

When travelers feel they are getting an organized, high-quality experience, the sting of a higher price tag vanishes.

3. The Ethical Acceptance of "Subsidizing" Heritage

Interstingly, modern travelers are increasingly conscious of the cost of cultural preservation. There is a growing, widespread acceptance that local tax dollars keep these historic institutions running year-round.

Foreign visitors generally understand that their higher ticket prices help fund massive restoration projects, maintain security, and keep these world treasures preserved for future generations. Rather than feeling exploited, many see it as a fair trade for consuming another country’s cultural heritage.

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The Bottom Line

Landmark	The Draw	Why Price Doesn't Matter
The Louvre	World's largest art museum, home to unrivaled history.	Seeing the Mona Lisa is a non-negotiable bucket-list item.
Versailles	Peak French royal opulence and sprawling gardens.	A full-day excursion where entry cost is secondary to the destination.

As Paris continues to dominate global tourism rankings, the data is clear: travelers value access over economy. Differentiated pricing hasn't dampened the allure of France's greatest treasures—it has simply proven that true cultural icons are genuinely priceless.

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Travelore News: Why Three Iconic Paris Hotels Just Lost Their "Palace" Status

In the world of ultra-luxury travel, there is five-star hospitality, and then there is "Palace" status. Granted exclusively by the French tourism board (Atout France), the Distinction Palace is the holy grail of hotel ratings—a title reserved for establishments that represent the absolute pinnacle of French elegance, history, and flawless service.

But a major seismic shift has just hit the luxury sector. For the first time since the accolade was established in 2010, the Palace Commission has stripped the title from legendary properties.

While the headline-grabbing news focuses on the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and the Mandarin Oriental Paris, a third legendary French property—the historic Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz—was also downgraded. Effectively, the Hyatt group took a double blow, losing two Palace distinctions in a single wave.

Here is a look inside the dramatic shakeup rocking the City of Light's hospitality scene.

The Fallen Icons: What Happened?

To maintain a Palace distinction, hotels are re-evaluated every few years. The standards are unapologetically brutal. If a property slips on maintenance, fails to refresh its guest experience, or stops innovating, the commission will pull the plaque.

The three casualties of the 2026 review failed to meet the required criteria for distinct reasons:

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme: Located on the ultra-prestigious Rue de la Paix, the Park Hyatt has long been a favorite for corporate titans and affluent travelers. However, the commission penalized the property for a lack of renewal and insufficient restoration. Guests and insiders had recently noted that the rooms and tech were beginning to feel dated compared to newer, hyper-polished competitors.

Mandarin Oriental Paris: Situated on Rue Saint-Honoré, the Mandarin Oriental’s situation is a bit different. The hotel is actually closing for over a year to undergo a massive, top-to-bottom transformation of its rooms, suites, public spaces, and spa. Because it will be out of commission and unable to serve guests up to standard during this time, it has lost the status for now—though a play to regain it post-renovation is almost guaranteed.

Hôtel du Palais (Biarritz): Outside of Paris, this imperial palace (originally built by Napoleon III for Empress Eugénie) was downgraded because major parts of the property—specifically the spa, the breakfast room, and the north wing bathrooms—were left out of its recent multi-million-dollar renovation project.

Note: All three properties still retain their prestigious five-star ratings. They are still elite, spectacular hotels—they just no longer belong to the ultra-exclusive "Palace" club.

What It Takes to Be a French "Palace"

The Palace distinction isn't just about having high thread-count sheets. To even apply, a hotel must meet strict baseline metrics:

Rooms must be a minimum of 26 square meters (approx. 280 sq. ft.)—a massive footprint by Parisian standards.

The property must feature a world-class spa, valet parking, and a high ratio of suites.

Once the baseline is met, a 14-member jury from the worlds of art, literature, culture, and business evaluates the "soul" of the hotel. They look for an exceptional location, deep historical heritage, high-level gastronomy (usually Michelin-starred), and highly personalized, bespoke service. ---

The New Shape of Paris Luxury

With the official "Palace Collection" announcement coming on June 2, Paris will temporarily drop from 12 officially recognized Palaces down to 10.

The Remaining Paris PalacesHotel

Vibe / Highlight

Four Seasons George V - Legendary floral displays & multi-Michelin-starred dining

Cheval Blanc Paris - Contemporary Art Deco luxury right on the Seine

Hôtel de Crillon - Historic grandeur overlooking Place de la Concorde

Plaza Athénée - Haute couture energy on Avenue MontaigneLe BristolClassic, old-world Parisian elegance and a famous resident cat

La Réserve Paris - The smallest Palace; feels like an ultra-private club

Other reigning Paris palaces include Le Meurice, The Peninsula, Shangri-La, and the Hôtel Lutetia.

The Lesson: Luxury is Never Permanent

This historic downgrade serves as a stark reminder to the hospitality industry: Prestige is never permanently acquired. The ultra-luxury market in Paris has intensified fiercely over the last decade. With newer, ultra-modern heavyweights like the Cheval Blanc raising the bar, and long-standing rumors that elite properties like The Ritz Paris or the Bvlgari Hotel might be gunning for official Palace status next, no one can afford to rest on their laurels.

In the luxury world, if you aren't constantly evolving, you are falling behind.

Inside The $760M Restoration Of Notre Dame Cathedral

The spire of Notre Dame, crowned by a brand new golden rooster, regained its place in the Paris skyline last week.

As tourists and Parisians gathered outside the UNESCO-listed cathedral to admire the return of one of its most emblematic features — for now, still encased in scaffolding — the Notre Dame worksite remained in full swing. Nearly 500 craftspeople are busy with rebuilding efforts, working to ensure the Parisian landmark is ready for its grand reopening to the public less than a year from now.

“It’s fascinating to see how something of such historical value is being restored,” said Stephan Book, a tourist visiting Paris from Sweden with his daughter and 80-year-old father. “And the ambition to do it all in five years,” he added, “It’s like when Kennedy said (humans) were going to the moon.”

On a recent visit to the construction site, President Emmanuel Macron promised works were “on schedule” for Notre Dame to open to the public on December 8, 2024, five years and seven months after the fire that destroyed large parts of the 860-year-old building in April 2019.

“By the time the Olympic Games come around (in July), we expect to have un-scaffolded the upper part of the spire and completed most of the roofing, so that Parisians and visitors from all over the world can see just how close the cathedral is to reopening,” Philippe Jost of Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris (the public body responsible for the conservation and restoration of the cathedral), told the French parliament on December 13.

Already, those admiring the gothic structure from the outside are excited by the prospect of being able to re-enter the cathedral.

“The first time I came to Paris was 60 years ago, then 40 years ago,” said Stephan’s father, Göran Book, who remembers entering Notre Dame on every one of his previous visits to Paris. “Now I’m 80,” he added. “If I’m still alive next year, I’ll have to come back to see the reopening.”

A monumental effort

According to Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris, there are nearly 250 companies and art workshops across France tasked with “working on the cathedral’s renaissance.” This includes carpenters, stonemasons, scaffolders, sculptors, gilders, glassmakers and even organ builders, who are restoring the 8,000 pipes and 115 stops of Notre Dame’s great organ, the largest in France.

After the 2019 fire, the first two years of work were devoted to securing the building, completing project studies and awarding tenders. The restoration phase then officially began in September 2021.

In recent months, the most visible advances have been made on the restoration of the framework of the roof, the spire and the large upper galleries.

Alban Dubois, who works as a waiter in Cafe Panis, just across the street from Notre Dame, has been observing the daily progress from the windows of his workplace.

He was there, serving tables, on the day of the infamous fire, and remembers watching in shock as the flames grew larger and the windows of his restaurant became progressively hotter. “People gathered (in the restaurant) and looked on helplessly,” he said. “Some people were crying… It was all very sad.”

Now, Dubois looks forward to the cathedral reopening and predicts lots of people will stop by to pay it a visit. “Even though (Notre Dame) has been here for so many years, it’s going to be a bit like an inauguration,” he said.

According to Jost, 14 million visitors are expected to “flock to see the results of (the) restoration.”

Marking the 21st century

While Notre Dame’s original appearance will be restored, President Macron has also expressed a desire for our century to “have its place among the many others that feature in the works of this cathedral.”

Earlier this month, he announced a competition to allow contemporary artists to recreate six of the stained glass windows on the southern side of Notre Dame, in order to “mark this 21st century.”

In similarly commemorative fashion, the name of the French general who had been overseeing the reconstruction of Notre Dame before his death in a mountain accident earlier this year, was engraved in the wood of the spire. Jean-Louis Georgelin “will remain forever” part of Notre Dame, said Macron, who personally took part in the engraving process on December 8, the day that the cathedral’s oak spire regained its place.

The names of others who took part in the reconstruction of Notre Dame have also been made a permanent fixture of the new cathedral. A sealed tube was placed inside the golden rooster mounted atop the spire on December 16, containing a document listing the 2,000 names of those who have been involved in the works.

The cathedral spire’s previous rooster had been found, damaged among the rubble, the day after the fire. Inside it were the relics (the mortal remains) of Saint Denis and Saint Geneviève, as well as a fragment of Christ’s crown of thorns, all of which remained intact and have now been placed inside the new rooster, according to the Diocese of Paris.

The old rooster — alongside the six stained glass windows set to be replaced — will be housed in a new museum dedicated to Notre Dame, the opening of which was announced recently by Macron. “It will be a museum of art, a museum of history, a museum to describe the permanent construction site of Notre Dame de Paris,” he said.

The cost of rebuilding Notre Dame is expected to be approximately 700 million euros ($767 million). In total, 846 million euros ($928 million) were raised in donations from 340,000 donors in 150 countries, according to Rebuilding Notre Dame de Paris.

Jost has said that any donated money that isn’t spent on the reconstruction will likely be used to “benefit the cathedral” in other ways

https://www.cnn.com/

France’s Spectacular Abbey Mont-Saint-Michel Celebrates 1,000th Birthday

France’s beloved abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel has reached a ripe old age. It’s been 1,000 years since the laying of its first stone.

The millennial of the UNESCO World Heritage site and key Normandy tourism magnet is being celebrated until November with exhibits, dance shows and concerts. French President Emmanuel Macron is heading there on Monday.

Macron plans to deliver a speech and to see a new exhibit tracing the Romanesque abbey’s history via 30 objects and pieces, including a restored statue of Saint Michael. Legend has it that the archangel Michael appeared in 708, duly instructing the bishop of nearby Avranches to build him a church on the rocky outcrop.

The exhibit, two years in the making, opened last month. It covers the complex process of building what is considered an architectural jewel on a rocky island linked to the mainland only by a narrow causeway at high tide.

Four crypts were constructed on the granite tip along with a church on top. The exhibit explains how the original structure, built in 966, became too small for pilgrims, spurring on the builders to create the 11th century abbey that stands to this day.

France has spent more than 32 million euros ($34 million) over 15 years to restore the building, and the work is nearing completion. Authorities have also tried in recent years to protect the monument’s surrounding environment from the impact of mass tourism.

One of the most popular French destinations outside Paris, Mont-Saint-Michel island attracted 2.8 million visitors last year, including 1.3 million for the abbey. It was not closed to visitors for the presidential visit, but local authorities were taking measures for it to go as smoothly as possible.

Travelore News: France Bans Short Domestic Flights In Favor Of High-Speed Train Service

City hopping within France is grounded.

Travelers looking to fly within the European country will no longer be able to take a short domestic flight when there’s alternative high-speed rail service, according to a new ban signed into law on Tuesday.

“As we fight relentlessly to decarbonize our lifestyles, how can we justify the use of the plane between the big cities which benefit from regular, fast and efficient connections by train?” Clément Beaune, Minister Delegate for Transport, said in a statement.

The move is part of the country’s larger commitment to decarbonize transport, which accounts for 30% of emissions, according to the statement.

The decree bans short-haul flights when the train journey takes less than two and a half hours.

Which flights are affected?

So far, only three routes, not including connecting flights, have been affected: Paris-Orly airport between Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyon.

In three years the country will evaluate the decree’s success and possibly ban more routes.

Some question the actual impact of the ban. According to Europe-based nonprofit organization Transport & Environment, the three banned routes only represent 3% of France’s mainland domestic flight emissions.

Europe has been working on improving its transport infrastructure as part of the recent TEN-T project, including faster, more efficient rail service.

In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested domestic flights of less than four hours to be banned if someone could just take the train. The current two-and-a-half-hour ban was introduced in 2021 after pushback from groups such as airline Air France-KLM.

By Kathleen Wong for USA TODAY

One Of Paris’ Most Popular Attractions, The Centre Pompidou, Is Closing For Five Years

The third most visited cultural site in Paris needs a makeover. After enchanting art and architecture fans for 50 years with its inside-out construction, the Centre Pompidou is to close for five years for an overhaul.

The center, which contains galleries, a library and a restaurant within its groundbreaking exterior of pipes and conduits, will be shuttered from 2025 to 2030 to undergo repairs and construction work that officials say are needed to ensure the unusual building’s future.

France’s minister of culture, Rima Abdul Malak, announced the work earlier this month saying that the modernization and asbestos removal project, estimated to cost 260 million euros ($282 million), will “perpetuate its survival.”

The closure was initially expected to take place from September 2023, but has been postponed until after the Summer Olympics to be staged in Paris in 2024.

Located in the heart of Paris, the Pompidou – named after former French President Georges Pompidou – attracts several millions of visitors a year. The Pompidou also offers one of the best views of the city.

The refurbishment aims to reinvent the “original utopia” of the Centre Pompidou while responding to the cultural, societal and environmental challenges of the coming years, Laurent Le Bon, the landmark’s president, told CNN.

One of the highlights of the renovation will be a brand new 1,500-square-meter terrace with vistas over the west of the city. The work will also help reduce the center’s energy bill by 60%. “We are probably one of the most energy-consuming buildings in France so this is rather good news,” Le Bon said.

In the meantime, visitors will still be able to access some of the Centre Pompidou’s highlights. The 400,000 books of its public library will move to Le Lumière, a temporary site in Paris’s Bercy district, while artworks from its National Modern Art Museum, will be exhibited across Paris, wider France and abroad.

Designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers – who both went on to create some of the most famous buildings of the past 50 years – the Centre Pompidou was built on a former parking lot. Pompidou himself was inspired by art museums across the Atlantic.

“I would like, passionately, for Paris to have a cultural center such as they have tried to create in the United States with unequal success so far, which would be both a museum and a center of creation,” he said in an interview with Le Monde newspaper in 1972.

But when architectural plans featuring external tubes and pipes were drawn up, the president was faced with skepticism. Critics said its blue, red and green pipes and nautical architecture would clash with the classic Haussmannian look of the City of Lights.

“It was nicknamed the ocean liner, the refinery, Our Lady of the Pipes,” recalls Laurent Le Bon. “When it came out of the ground in the heart of Paris – we’re really in historic Paris, in the Marais – it caused an aesthetic shock.”

Yet, the building that French poet Francis Ponge described as “a heart, a muscle, a pump breathing in and out in continuous beats” became a national landmark in the span of half a century. A space meant to live and breathe with its time, “not so much a monument, more, to invent a word, a moviment,” he wrote in his booklet “L’Écrit Beaubourg” in 1977.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/

The Rouen Armada, France. The World's Leading Tall Ship Festival Returns From 8 To 18 June 2023

Fifty tall ships from all over the world will be moored along the 7 kilometres of the Seine quay in Rouen for 10 days.

Held every four years, the Rouen Armada is a unique international maritime event with 6 million visitors, more than 30 nationalities and nearly 7,000 sailors

A tourist festival in the heart of Normandy: From 8 to 18 June, the tall ships can be visited free of charge and everyone can attend numerous events including the sailors' parade in the city centre, the sailors' race, the "boat" race, street performances, concerts, fireworks, the grand parade and much more.

A business destination: the Armada is also an opportunity for companies to rent the most prestigious sailing ships in the evening as venues for professional events.

The economic impact of the Armada is estimated at 50 million euros for the Normandy region

Environmental protection: thanks to a charter signed with its partners and rigorous management of its commitments, the 2023 Armada will be an event with zero non-recycled waste and zero plastic pollution.

At the same time, the event will use its popularity to raise awareness about environmental issues related to oceans and rivers. First started in 2022, an annual scientific symposium is organised on World Oceans Day, 8 June, in partnership with the Ocean Institute of the Sorbonne University Alliance.

A cultural event: culture is also in the spotlight for this edition under the patronage of Michel Bussi, a famous French author translated into 37 languages.

The Rouen Armada is in essence a popular cultural event in the heart of Normandy, promoting maritime culture in the birthplace of Impressionism.

There will be street artists performing shows with a connection to maritime history and the Armada will help inspire exclusive short stories.

Travelore News: Flights Disrupted As French Air Traffic Controllers Walk Out

Many domestic and some international flights were canceled in France Friday as air traffic controllers went on a national strike over pay and recruitment issues.

French civil aviation authority DGAC warned that domestic traffic would be “severely disrupted” with many flights canceled and other experiencing long delays. Travelers have been advised to postpone their trip if possible.

Air France said it has canceled 55% of its short- and medium-haul flights and 10% of its long-haul flights. The company could not rule out further delays and last-minute cancellations, it said in a statement.

Other companies operating in France, including Ryanair, Easyjet and Volotea, have also canceled flights.

Mamadou Souré, 42, arrived Friday morning at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport from Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

“We were supposed to take a flight to Milan at 9:30 a.m. but it was canceled, but thank God we found a flight at 1:30 p.m. for Turin. We’ll see if we can make it to Milan from there,” he said.

Maria Oudon, from Orlando, Florida, was relieved to see her flight mentioned as “on time” on the airport’s board. “We did spend all night worrying about it because they said to possibly change your flight or have other options. And we still came because we had to take our daughter to school,” she said.

France’s main union of air traffic controllers, the SNCTA, called the one-day strike to demand higher pay amid soaring inflation and demanding more staff to be hired in the coming years.

French Tourism Better Than Pre-COVID, Despite Climate Woes

Tourism came back with a vengeance to France this summer, sending revenues over pre-pandemic levels, according to government estimates released this week.

Crowds packed Paris landmarks and Riviera beaches, notably thanks to an influx of Americans benefiting from the weak euro, but also British and other European visitors reveling in the end of pandemic restrictions.

“It’s beautiful to go again to travel,” said Serena Veronese, a tourist from Lago Maggiore in Italy soaking in the view of the Eiffel Tower. She and her husband work for an airline and “suffered a lot” as the COVID-19 crisis grounded planes worldwide. “Now people have to go traveling again, they have to.”

The summer surge came despite exceptionally hot weather in France and around Europe, record drought and devastating wildfires. The season saw chaos in European airports and rising prices that hit tourists, too.

Spending on tourism in France reached pre-pandemic levels and has even surpassed it in some areas, Tourism Minister Olivia Gregoire told reporters.

According to the government’s preliminary estimates, tourism spending in France this summer was 10% higher than 2019, based on data from bank card use and lodging and restaurant revenues.

All that is important for an industry that accounts for 8% of the French economy and 2 million jobs.

Tourist visits are expected to ebb as autumn kicks in, but the summer influx was so big that the French government is considering ways to make tourism of the future more sustainable, such as imposing crowd limits in popular spots and drawing travelers to less-famous sites.

France saw 90 million tourists in 2019, and could eventually hit 100 million a year as tourism rebounds and as France hosts global events like next year’s Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, Gregoire said.

“We can’t necessarily follow the same practices in 10, 20 years, given the climate episodes we are facing,” Gregoire told reporters.

As concerns resurface about the impact of overtourism, Gregoire said France is aiming to “rethink tourism today and tomorrow” to provide better quality experiences, take climate and emissions into account and ensure that people of all incomes can enjoy tourist experiences.

About three out of every 10 French people didn’t take a summer vacation, mainly because they couldn’t afford to.

Of the foreigners who visited France this summer, there was a “big return” of British tourists and “the Americans came back in force,” along with Dutch, German and Belgian visitors, said Hugo Alvarez, head of French tourism development agency Atout France.

Overlooking the Seine River, Lucrecia Evans of Houston said: “Our dollar is a lot stronger for us. We have done a lot more shopping, I am taking out more euros to take home for my next trip, because the dollar is stronger to the euro right now which is normally not the case.”

American and European visitors made up for a notable absence of Asian tourists in France, kept home by continued virus restrictions in some countries. France has lifted nearly all COVID rules.

“We were here just before the COVID crisis the last time,” said Ainsley Taylor, visiting Paris from Banbury, England. “It’s great to be back.”

By JADE LE DELEY and NICOLAS GARRIGA

France In Midst Of 4th Heat Wave Amid Historic Drought

France was in the midst of its fourth heat wave of the year Monday as the country faces what the government warned is its worst drought on record.

Sunflowers suffer from lack of water, as Europe is under an unusually extreme heat wave, in Ury, 112 miles south of Paris, France, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. France is this week going through its fourth heatwave of the year as the government warned last week that the country is faced with the most severe drought ever recorded. Some farmers have started to see a decrease in production especially in fields of soy, sunflowers and corn. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

National weather agency Meteo France said the heat wave began in the south and is expected to spread across the country and last until the weekend.

Overall, the southern half of France expects daytime temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) ad won’t drop at night below 20 C (68 F).

The high temperatures aren’t helping firefighters battling a wildfire in the Chartreuse Mountains near the Alps in eastern France, where authorities have evacuated around 140 people.

Meteo France said this week’s heat wave will not be as intense as the one last month, when several regions experienced record-breaking temperatures. But the high temperatures come during the most severe drought ever recorded, according to the government. Last month was the driest July since measurements began in 1959.

Some French farmers have started to see a drops in production especially in soy, sunflower and corn yields.

Water restrictions in place range from daytime irrigation bans to limiting water usage to people, livestock and to keep aquatic species alive.

The government said last week that more than 100 municipalities can’t provide drinking water through taps and need water truck supplies.

The heat also forced energy giant EDF to temporarily cut power generation at some of its nuclear plants, which use river water to cool reactors.

With Hospitalizations Up, France Weighs Return To Masks

Tourism is booming again in France — and so is COVID-19. French officials have “invited” or “recommended” people to go back to using face masks but stopped short of renewing restrictions that would scare visitors away or revive antigovernment protests.

From Paris commuters to tourists on the French Riviera, many people seem to welcome the government’s light touch, while some worry that required prevention measures may be needed.

Virus-related hospitalizations rose quickly in France over the past two weeks, with nearly 1,000 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized per day, according to government data. Infections are also rising across Europe and the United States, but France has an exceptionally high proportion of people in the hospital, according to Our World in Data estimates.

French government spokesperson Olivia Gregoire has said there are no plans to reintroduce national regulations that limit or set conditions for gathering indoors and other activities.

“The French people are sick of restrictions,” she said Wednesday on channel BFMTV. “We are confident that people will behave responsibly.”

France’s parliamentary elections last month resulted in President Emmanuel Macron losing his majority in the national legislature, while parties on the far right and the far left that had protested his government’s earlier vaccine and mask rules gained seats.

By BARBARA SURK and JADE LE DELEY

Carnival Returns To French Riviera, As Virus Fears Recede

NICE, France (AP) — Two years after the pandemic shut down the Carnival in the French Riviera city of Nice, artists, florists, actors, technicians and drivers are putting the final touches on their costumes, lavish flower arrangements and giant floats set to roll down the city’s famed boulevards and squares on Friday.

It will be a loud, rich and crowded chain of events over the next two weeks. The Carnival’s 149th edition is led by the King of Animals, celebrating nature, light, human connection and life itself after months of lockdowns, silence, social distancing and banned public gatherings.

“It’s rejuvenation,” said Nicole Bravi, the director of the florist association, La Nouvelle Vague, that has been designing flower arrangements for the Carnival floats for 20 years. Flowers are a prominent part of the Nice Carnival and feature in their own parade known as the Battle of Flowers. Traditionally, people throw flowers at the spectators but this year they decided to hand them out to people.

“It’s to express our desire to reconnect with people,” Bravi said. “There has been so much grief and nostalgia and melancholy that we just want to give people some beauty back.”

The Nice Carnival is part of a European medieval carnival tradition, and the city’s two-week festival of excess in costumes, food and music is one of the world biggest, after those in Venice, Rio de Janeiro and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Public celebrations in the city on the French Mediterranean coast started in the early 19th century to honor visiting nobility. There were street battles in which people pelted one another with flour and eggs. By the late 1800s a modern version of the Carnival emerged after the local painter, Alexis Mossa designed grotesque characters and put them on floats.

The Carnival is a rare event in the French republic that offers a chance for royalty to return. In line with this year’s theme, the king and queen have human faces perched on animal bodies — and giant crowns, of course. They will be overseeing their subjects in the city’s main Massena Square until the end of the month when they will be burned and buried.

French political leaders need not feel shunned. Candidates for April’s presidential election are featured as well. Their giant faces are perched on the bodies of crabs.

“They are in a basket of crabs,” said Pierre Povigna, a fourth generation “carnivalier” from Nice, whose family has designed the royal floats for decades. “It’s a famous dish, le panier des crabes, a crab basket,” Povigna explained. But before serving it, crabs are put in a basket and they turn on one another, they go after one another with their claws, he said.

The city will be divided into carnival zones for the next two weeks and while Nice celebrates “a return to life,” according to Povigna, residents and tourists will only be allowed to access the festivities with a vaccination pass in line with national health regulations. Masks are recommended, but not mandatory outdoors.

However, city officials are expected to announces new rules at the opening ceremony Friday evening.

In a sign that Nice, like the rest of France, is ready to turn the page and its back to the pandemic, a journalist reporting from the decorated and illuminated Massena Square for BFM television ended her report by taking off her surgical mask and covering her eyes with a Venetian mask instead. “I urge you to do the same,” she said.

France Eases Rule For Vaccinated Travelers From South Africa

France is allowing vaccinated travelers from South Africa to enter its territory without having to observe a coronavirus quarantine.

The French government published a decree Thursday that removed South Africa from the list of places subject to highly restricted travel rules.

Unvaccinated people coming from South Africa still must quarantine in France for 10 days under supervision from local authorities.

France almost completely banned travel to and from South Africa after the first COVID-19 cases involving the omicron variant were detected in South Africa in November.

The highly contagious variant has since spread around the world, causing record daily cases in the United States and parts of Europe.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said Thursday that omicron is now estimated to represent 70% to 80% of all infections in France.

France, which has one of Europe’s most-vaccinated populations, reported more than 332,000 new virus cases on Wednesday. The number set a European record for the highest single-day national count of confirmed cases.

France Seeks To Avoid A Lockdown With Tougher Vaccine Rules

Facing a jump in COVID-19 hospitalizations, France’s government is trying to push through a law requiring vaccination to enter any restaurant and many other public places, and warning of tougher measures if the current surge of infections doesn’t recede.

The government on Tuesday dropped efforts to require a health pass for all workplaces, however, amid opposition from unions and employers..

French Prime Minister Jean Castex spent the day Tuesday meeting with French mayors and lawmakers to persuade them to support tougher vaccine rules.

French travelers and families, meanwhile, were flocking to virus testing tents ahead of the holidays.

France’s virus hospitalization numbers have shot up in recent weeks, with some 16,000 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 60% of the country’s ICU beds occupied by virus patients, according to the state health agency. Confirmed weekly virus infections are at the highest level in France since the pandemic began.

Most are infected with the delta variant, but more than one in three new cases in the Paris region is the fast-spreading omicron variant, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.

“We don’t have a second to lose,” he told reporters. “The situation in the hospitals is tense.”

The French government wants a law passed by Jan. 15 requiring vaccination to enter restaurants and many public venues, he said. Currently a “health pass” is required to enter all such spaces in France, but people can get the pass with either a vaccination certificate, a negative virus test or proof of recent recovery from COVID-19.

France also is ramping up vaccination and booster efforts, with doses made available to all children 5-11 starting Wednesday. More than 89% of French people 12 and over have had at least two vaccine shots, and about 40% of adults have had three doses, Attal said.

France To Restrict Travel From Britain To Fight Omicron

PARIS (AP) — France will sharply restrict travel to and from Britain because of fast-spreading cases of the omicron coronavirus variant, putting limits on reasons for traveling and requiring 48-hour isolation upon arrival, the government said Thursday.

The move suddenly disrupted travel plans for families and others on both sides of the English Channel. Travelers questioned whether the measures were politically driven, and U.K. officials suggested they were pointless.

With omicron now seeded around the world, “red list” travel bans “wouldn’t be effective or proportionate,” said Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Max Blain. He said Johnson hadn’t spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the move, and that Britain doesn’t plan to take a reciprocal measure.

The new French measures will take effect first thing Saturday, just after midnight, “in the face of the extremely rapid spread of the omicron variant in the U.K.”, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said in a statement.

The French government is holding a special virus security meeting Friday that will address growing pressure on hospitals in France from rising infections in recent weeks. Delta remains the dominant variant in France, but omicron is spreading so fast in Britain that it’s raising concerns across the Channel.

French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on BFM television that tourism and business travel to and from Britain will be strongly curtrailed, and all those arriving from Britain will need to have a negative virus test less than 24 hours old, and to test again upon arrival and isolate “in a place they choose” for at least 48 hours pending the result.

The measures will apply to vaccinated travelers as well as unvaccinated travelers.

U.K. travel industry officials expressed dismay at the French restrictions, describing the new rules as a hammer blow to the industry. Travel officials demanded government help for battered businesses.

“The winter sports and school travel markets are particularly exposed, and the government must now bring forward a support package if we are not to see company failures and job losses,” said Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel and trade association Abta.

Tanzer said the sector has had little opportunity to make money since the start of the pandemic nearly two years ago, and will now be faced with another wave of cancellations.

There are several hundred flights scheduled between Britain and France over the week leading up to Christmas, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. That’s the equivalent of more than 90,000 seats, though the new restrictions mean they are likely to be largely empty.

The U.K. recorded the highest number of confirmed new COVID-19 infections Wednesday since the pandemic began, and England’s chief medical officer warned the situation is likely to get worse as the omicron variant drives a new wave of illness during the Christmas holidays.

According to France’s new measures, citizens of any EU country can still enter France from Britain, in addition to non-EU citizens with a long-term EU residency permit or long-term visa, and some other categories of people including truckers who are only transiting France, diplomats and health care workers. All other foreigners are not allowed in.

People will only be allowed to leave France for Britain if they aren’t French, or if they have an urgent health or legal reason to travel.

The abrupt move comes after weeks of political tensions between France and Britain over post-Brexit fishing rights and how to deal with migration in dangerous small boats across the English Channel.

It also comes as France’s government is desperately trying to avoid a new lockdown or stricter measures that would hurt the economy and cloud President Emmanuel Macron’s expected campaign for the April presidential election.

France Adds Russia To List Of Banned Countries

France is adding Russia to its “red list” of countries from which travels are banned unless it is for urgent reasons as they are struggling with virus surges and worrisome variants.

French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said Wednesday that Russia, Namibia and Seychelles are being added to the list of now 21 countries.

The “red list” notably includes India, South Africa and Brazil and implies that vaccinated travelers arriving in France must justify their trip, show a negative test and self-isolate for a week. Those not vaccinated must go on a quarantine for 10 days, risking a 1000-euro fine, equivalent to $1,194.

Attal also called for enhanced vigilance about the more contagious delta variant, first identified in India.

The delta variant is estimated to represent 9 to 10% overall in France, he said. But authorities are closely monitoring the situation in a region of southwestern France, the Landes, where 70% of confirmed infections are due to the delta variant, he added.

The epidemic situation in France has rapidly improved in recent weeks, with about 2,300 new daily infections reported each day, down from 35,000 in the March-April peak.

French Tourism Seeks New Boost With Disneyland Reopening

PARIS (AP) — France’s tourism sector is taking a further step toward normality with the reopening of Disneyland Paris, two weeks after the country reopened its borders to vaccinated visitors from across the world.

Europe’s most frequented theme park in Marne-la-Vallee, east of the French capital, opened its doors on Thursday after nearly eight months of closure.

A crowd of smiling visitors was welcomed by Disney characters dancing to the sound of joyful music.

“Amazing,” said Debbie Tater. The Delaware resident travelled from the United States to visit her family, including her daughter and two granddaughters, who live in France and whom she hadn’t seen for a year and a half.

“Happiest place on earth,” she said, with tears in her eyes.

“We couldn’t miss the reopening,” said Elodie Piedfort, from Haute-Loire region in central France. “Because I’m a nurse it’s been a very difficult year and being here, together with my son, is great. And the reopening, moving on is great as well.”

Visitors must wear masks inside the park and other measures are in place, including a cap on visitor numbers to ensure distancing.

Pauline Baudouin, a Disney fan from Angouleme in western France, said: “We were missing the magic, because it was already a complicated period and we needed to recharge our batteries in this magical world.”

Prime Minister Jean Castex said Wednesday that France is returning to “a form of normal life again,” as he announced that people won’t have to wear masks outdoors any more, except in crowded places.

The government confirmed children can remove masks in school playgrounds — yet they remain compulsory in class for those aged 6 and above.

The 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will be lifted on Sunday.

On Thursday, Health Minister Olivier Veran said night clubs will be able to reopen in July under strict regulations — a first since the France’s initial lockdown in March last year, The French tourist industry hopes to rebound over the summer as the country welcomes foreign visitors again — on condition they have received one of the four EU-approved vaccines. Travelers are banned from 16 countries, including India, South Africa and Brazil, that are wrestling with virus surges and worrisome variants.

France started gradually reopening its economy last month. Monuments and museums, including major sites like the Louvre and Versailles, are open, as well as hotels, cafes and restaurants.

Tourists will still have to wait for the Eiffel Tower, set to reopen on July 16 after major renovation work.

The government said the easing of restrictions is due to a drop in daily infections and to a vaccination campaign that has seen more than 59% of France’s adult population receive at least one shot. The country opened this week vaccination to those aged 12 to 18.

France Reopens Borders To American Tourists, Others

PARIS (AP) — After “a very bad year,” Paris tour operator Marc Vernhet sees a ray of light with the promised return of tourists from the United States and elsewhere who are welcome in France as of Wednesday if they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

His agency, 2CVParisTour.com, is starting to get bookings again from Americans for its sightseeing tours conducted in quirky, bug-eyed Citroen cars. June is still very lean, but July is looking better, Vernhet said as France took the first steps toward rebuilding its position as a top destination for foreign tourists.

Before the pandemic, Vernhet ran three or four tours of the capital per day. The work dried up when France locked down, and he’s only doing around three tours per week now, nearly exclusively for French visitors. Vernhet hailed the reopening of France’s borders for vaccinated tourists as “excellent news” but said it is going to take a few more weeks for business to pick up and that “I’m not expecting to work correctly before mid-July.”

“We’ve been waiting for this for months and months,” he said.

To be allowed in for tourism, Americans and other visitors from most countries outside of Europe will need to show that they have been fully inoculated against the coronavirus with vaccines approved by the European Union’s medicines agency.

France’s acceptance of only the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines means tourism isn’t immediately coming back from the lucrative markets of China and Russia, which use vaccines not approved by the European Medicines Agency.

Without one of the those four vaccines, most non-EU visitors will still need to prove that they have a compelling reason to visit France and must quarantine on arrival.

But European visitors and those from a handful of low-risk countries are being welcomed back with open arms, even if they are not vaccinated. These so-called “green” countries include Japan, South Korea and Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, Lebanon and Israel. All EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are also “green.” Vaccinated tourists from these countries can waltz right in; the unvaccinated need a recent negative test.

“Treat yourself, reserve now,” France’s tourism minister, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, said in a video message Wednesday.

“We want to hear Dutch, German, English, Italian, Spanish being spoken everywhere in the country,” he said. “We miss it. We miss you.”

As well as reopening to tourists, France from Wednesday also allowed restaurants and cafes to resume indoor service and for people to work out in gyms, its latest reopening steps as vaccinations make headway after 110,000 COVID-related deaths.

For 16 countries deemed high-risk, because they are battling coronavirus surges and worrisome variants, France remains off-limits as a tourist destination, even for would-be travelers who are vaccinated.

These so-called “red” countries include India and some of its neighbors, Brazil and some of its neighbors, as well as Chili, Bahrain, South Africa and Turkey.

Would-be tourists from so-called “orange” countries — which includes most of the rest of the world outside Europe, including the United States and Britain — still need a recent negative PCR or antigen test as well as proof of vaccination.

If unvaccinated, or inoculated with jabs not approved in Europe, would-be visitors from orange countries are not allowed to enter France unless they have a compelling professional or other reason. Sightseeing isn’t one of them.

Fifteen months after he last took American tourists on one of his Paris walking tours, guide and blogger Richard Nahem now has two bookings for July.

“People definitely want to come back,” said the former New Yorker, who’s been living in the capital since 2005.

UK And U.S. travellers Must Be Vaccinated To Enter France

People travelling to France from countries where the COVID-19 risk is rated "orange", such as Britain and the United States, will have to be vaccinated and show a recent negative test result, European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune said on Friday.

Under new rules set to take effect from June 9, people coming from orange countries who have not been vaccinated will need to prove they have an imperative reason to travel to France - such a a legal case or child care - and will also have to show a recent negative COVID-19 test, Beaune said.

Countries classified as orange in terms of COVID-19 risk are countries where the rate of virus circulation remains high or which have a high level of new virus variants, such as the UK. Any country not classified as green or red is classified orange, Beaune said on RTL radio.

Entry requirements are lower for countries which France classifies as "green", which includes all European Union member states plus a number of countries where the virus is considered to be under control, notably Australia, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand and Singapore.

"If you come from a green country and you are vaccinated, you are welcome to come and enjoy France. If you are not vaccinated, you will need a recent negative test to enter French territory, he said.

People from countries classified as red, including South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, India and Turkey, can only come to France with an imperative reason, whether they are vaccinated or not.

Beaune said that French residents would only have to take a test to enter the country, even if they were arriving from counties classified as red or orange.

Source: Reuters