How to Go to the Paris Bastille Day Celebration

Everyone with French in their blood should attend the Bastille Day Celebration in Paris at least once in their lives. Held every July 14, Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the medieval fortress and prison in 1789, which was one of the most memorable events during the French Revolution. Bastille Day in Paris is marked by grand military parades, feasts and street celebrations.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Passport
• Airfare and hotel accommodations
• Lots of champagne

1. Make your travel plans well in advance when you go to the Bastille Day Celebration in Paris. Literally hundreds of thousands of people travel to Paris and other major cities in France to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14, and you might find it difficult to obtain flights into Charles De Gaulle Airport or locate rooms within the city if you do not plan ahead.
2. Plan out a specific itinerary before you go to the Bastille Day Celebration in France. Map out the specific parades and events you wish to attend, and give yourself plenty of time to move from location to location. However, if you're the spontaneous type, simple flow along with the crowds through the street fairs and feasts at your leisure.
3. Attend the military parades that take place along the Champs-Elysees to feel the spirit of Bastille Day in Paris. These parades start early in the morning, and are watched by tremendous and patriotic French crowds with stunning enthusiasm. In recent years, the French government has invited military troops from around the world to participate in the parades, so you will be able to experience a truly international tone to the festivities.
4. Participate in the many street fairs and feasts when you go to the Bastille Day Celebration in Paris. This is your chance to partake in real French cuisine, topped off with bottle after bottle of fine French champagne. The Fete de la Federation Feast is one of the true highlights of Bastille Day in Paris.
5. Conclude your Bastille Day activities by watching the spectacular firework show held at the Eiffel Tower. For many, this is one of the most impressive pyrotechnics displays in all of the world.

Tips & Warnings

• Bastille Day is the English name for the celebration on July 14. In Paris, however, it is referred to as the Fete de la Federation.
• The Metro, or underground transit system, is shut down for Bastille Day, so it may be very difficult to get around town in a timely manner. Plan on doing a lot of walking through dense crowds.