If you're flying to Paris this weekend, your flight should be fine, but the city won't be running normally on Saturday. With France bracing for another day of protests, the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and other major museums will close on Saturday, October 24, and about two dozen metro stations will shut for most of the day. Here's what the Paris protests mean for travelers, and how to get to and from the airport.
Why Paris Is Closing Things
France has been hit by weeks of anti-government protests over the cost of living and planned budget cuts. Last Saturday's demonstrations turned into the most violent unrest the country has seen in years, with fires, looting and clashes with police. Authorities are deploying 70,000 police officers and gendarmes nationwide this Saturday.
In Paris, an approved march will run between Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation, starting around 2 p.m. Other unapproved gatherings have been banned in parts of the city center.
France · Travel Alert
Paris on Saturday, October 24
Contrail
What's Closed Saturday
France's culture ministry told museums under its authority to protect visitors, staff and artworks, and several of the city's biggest names are shutting for the day:
- The Louvre, where Saturday tickets are being refunded automatically
- The Musée d'Orsay
- The Picasso Museum
- The Musée de l'Orangerie
- Fondation Louis Vuitton
- Art Basel Paris at the Grand Palais, which ended its run early and is closed to the public all weekend
More places could be added, so check a venue's website before you go.
Getting Around the City
Paris's metro operator, RATP, will close about two dozen stations from 9 a.m. Saturday, stretching from the Champs-Élysées to the Latin Quarter. They include Concorde, Odéon and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Trains will pass through without stopping, and the stations will only reopen once police say so.
Parts of three lines are also suspended. Line 2 won't run between Barbès–Rochechouart and Nation, Line 6 is out between Kléber and Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, and Line 12 is stopped between Madeleine and Notre-Dame-des-Champs.
One thing that trips up visitors: the closed Charles de Gaulle–Étoile station is the one at the Arc de Triomphe, not the airport.
There's also an overnight curfew through the weekend, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., around Place de la République and part of Les Halles. If your hotel is there, you'll need to plan your evenings around it.
Getting to the Airport
Flights to and from Paris's airports are running normally, according to the city's official tourism office. The bigger question is getting there.
The RER B train, the main rail link to Charles de Gaulle, already has disruption from ongoing works between central Paris and the airport, so check the RATP app before you set out. If you're leaving Saturday, give yourself extra time, avoid routes near Bastille and Nation in the afternoon, and consider a taxi or rideshare if your nearest metro station is closed.
Looking Ahead
This may not be the last disruption. French unions have called a nationwide strike for November 5 over the 2027 budget. Nothing has been announced yet for airports or air traffic control, but if controllers join in, it could ground flights across France and to the rest of Europe. We'll keep watching.
