Bucket list experience:
Bastille Day
Paris, Ile-de-France, France
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France’s national holiday marks the 1789 French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille prison with huge festivities in Paris – with a mixture of fun and formality.
Partying starts on the 13th July, with discos run by the fire brigade at local fire stations. On the 14th July there’s a grand military parade of troops and tanks and a fly-over down the Champs-Elysees. In the evening, fireworks are set off from the Trocadero – best seen from the Champ de Mars.
Getting there & doing it
This is a non-ticketed, non-bookable event. Get to the Champs-Elysees well before the military parade begins at 10am on the 14th July if you want to be in with the chance of a decent view – note that the metro stops along the avenue itself will be closed, so get to the nearest one you can and walk from there. Expect big crowds on the Champs-Elysees, but that’s all part of the fun.
When to do it
The festival is held on the 14th July each year.