11 things to see and do in Paris in July

If you travel to Paris in July, you can enjoy exciting and interesting events such as the Tour de France, the huge (and free) Fnac Music Festival at the Hotel de Ville or the Bastille Day fireworks.

There are also parades, fire dances, free open-air film festivals, concerts and art shows. It's definitely a month to enjoy this amazing city to the full.

Booking a trip to Giverny and Monet's gardens from Paris is a must in July if you are a fan of Claude Monet, as the Impressionist artist spent the last half of his life in Giverny.

Giverny is a small town in Normandy about 45 miles**(approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes**) outside Paris, where his famous water lily ponds bloom during the month of July.

Thanks to meticulous restoration, you'll see his house, gardens and water lily pond as they were when he lived there. These are places where he painted some of his best masterpieces. And if you are also interested in this artist and creator of impressionism and your stay in Paris is not so short, you can book your ticket to the Louvre Museum and see some of his best works live.

And if you want to enjoy yourself like a child or if you are going to Paris with your family, July is the perfect time to book your ticket to Aquaboulevard, the largest water park in Paris and one of the most popular in Europe, which has no less than 11 water slides, as well as many other water activities and attractions

. It also has a relaxation area with sauna, jacuzzis and baths to regain your strength and energy.

On your trip to Paris in July you can't miss booking an excursion to Normandy from Paris with a tour of Omaha Beach, cider tasting and lunch, where you will learn about the role of this region in the Second World War with a professional guide who will accompany you throughout the tour and explain all the details about various sites such as:

• Omaha Beach, which is one of the beaches where the American troops landed and where many of the soldiers are buried.
• The American Cemetery, which commemorates the nearly 10,000 Allied soldiers who fought on these beaches with graves, a memorial and the great wall of missing soldiers.
• The Utah Beach Landing Museum, where you will learn, among other things, about the advance preparations of the Allied soldiers, what happened during the battle and how both sides advanced.

The trip will last 14 hours and includes the return trip. You will also enjoy lunch and apple cider tasting.

Since 1990, the Paris Summer Festivalhas been organising artistic and cultural events throughout the city. This annual arts festival presents dance, music and theatre events in various popular neighbourhoods of Paris.

The festival lasts from early July to early August and the arts represented are theatre, dance, circus and music. In addition, you can enjoy various art installations. Most of them are outdoors and outside the traditional entertainment venues.

For more information, feel free to visit the festival's official website. The events are free of charge! You can also become an art protagonist by booking a graffiti workshop in Paris.

Bastille Day is the biggest summer festival in Paris, as well as in the whole of France. It takes place on 14 July, to commemorate the anniversary of the Bastille prison storming, which took place on 14 July 1789 and was a turning point in the French Revolution.

The military ceremonies start at 10am and the parade at 11am. Also key on this day are the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, so if you book your night tickets for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, you'll see it fully illuminated and in tune with Bastille Day. The tower's festival of lights will last about half an hour.

But the best place to see the Bastille Day fireworks is from the Seine River. So, book a dinner cruise on the Seine in Paris, while enjoying the dazzling fireworks, it's priceless!

Paris ' famous summer sales continue until mid-July. For many "savvy" fashion lovers, July marks the sweet spot for shopping, when shops proceed to 2nd and even 3rd markdowns, swapping the sale signs in their windows for 70% or even 80% percentages.

The best places to find bargains? Everywhere! Luxury brands such as Chanel, Valentino and Armani attract huge crowds, as do the Galeries Lafayette, BHV, Bon Marché and Au Printemps, and of course the smaller boutiques and even the global mid-market chains.

Are you a fan of Japan and its culture? If so, you must attend the Japan Expo. This is an exclusive July event featuring martial arts, video games, music and more. The event takes place at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, which is just one RER stop away from Charles de Gaulle airport, so knowing your way around Paris will be crucial, especially by Paris metro.

There are also signings, speakers, workshops and masterclasses, where famous artists (animators, illustrators, video game creators, film producers, musicians and composers) will reveal their secrets and tips. There is also room for music, from rock, RnB, J-pop, punk, electro, shamisen, koto, sanshin, to traditional genres. There will also be hands-on workshops to teach the basics of drawing, modelling, ikebana, origami and calligraphy.

And, of course, you can't have a Japanese culture festival without video games. Many video games will be available for free where you can try out the latest releases and participate in tournaments. Game creators will also be there to tell you about their work and give expert advice. There will also be an area dedicated to martial arts where you can learn the basics of Ninjutsu, kendo, judo, aikido and karate.

Free open-air films return to Parc de la Vil lette every summer with the Cinéma en Plein Air (Open-air cinema). During the month of July, from Wednesday to Sunday, you'll see a great mix of classic films and recent hits shown in their original language with French subtitles as soon as it gets dark in Paris.

Bring a blanket to sit on, a picnic dinner and a bottle of wine. Plus, the park is one of the most striking in Paris and one of the largest in the city at 55 hectares, surrounded by theatres, cafes, crèches and several eating spots.

The Fête Foraine des Tuileries takes place in early July in the Tuileries Garden in Paris, which is located between the Louvre Museum and Place de la Concorde. For more information, visit the event's website.

You can enjoy a giant Ferris wheel, carousels, bumper cars, "fun houses", heart-pounding rides for thrill seekers, children's games and much more. This carnival entertains families with children, teenagers and everyone else looking for fun. A perfect plan if you're going to Paris with kids.

And of course, you can also buy candyfloss, waffles, ice cream, fried dough, barbecued dishes and drinks at the various stalls.

Don't miss the free live concerts of up to 30 international artists in front of the Hôtel de Ville (Paris City Hall) from dusk to midnight. This musical event is widely known in Paris, usually lasting around 3 days and usually falls at the beginning of July.

The French company Fnac is the usual sponsor of the concerts and musicals at this event, and up to 100,000 fans attend. The town hall is located very close to the museum area of Paris (between the Louvre Museum and the Carnavalet Museum).

For more information, visit the concert website. If you are going to Paris for 3 days in July and you like the festive atmosphere, rejoice because you already have plans!

Attend one of the annual Firemen's Balls (Bals des Pompiers) on 13 and/or 14 July, as the main firehouse in each arrondissement of Paris opens its barracks and courtyards and welcomes the public to this all-night party that includes music, dancing and drinks. While it is free to attend, food and drink must be paid for.

The Bals des Pompiers usually starts at 9pm and ends at 4am. Depending on the firehouse, the event may take place on 13 or 14 July and in some cases on both dates. For more updates on this event I recommend the following website.

Visiting Paris in July will make for warm evenings as well as cool nights. As such, be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, a hat for the hottest days and lots of light, easy-to-wear clothes. Sandals and shorts are perfect for this kind of weather.

However, it's also important to note that July is also the summer month with the heaviest rainfall, so be sure to pack an umbrella just in case, as well as some waterproof and comfortable shoes.

Summer sales in shops all over town will make you want to reserve a little space in your suitcase to bring home a couple of souvenirs. Known as 'les soldes', the sales in France are regulated by the state and can only be held twice a year; once at the end of July, and once at Christmas time in Paris.

For those looking for a bargain while in France, this is the time to shop!

If you're looking for summer accommodation in the city, then it's worth bearing in mind that prices may be a little higher than usual as there tends to be a lot of demand.

However, there are still plenty of places to stay in Paris, as well as options to suit all budgets - just be sure that the earlier you plan your trip to Paris in July the cheaper it will be!

The summer months bring many long, hot days. As such, July is the perfect weather to enjoy the Parisian café culture, where bar seats and striped chairs spill out onto the wide boulevards making the aroma of coffee always waft through the streets.

For the month of July, Paris weather tends to fluctuate between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius, with an average of 20 degrees, providing the perfect climate to explore all that the city has to offer. That said, evenings can be a little cooler, so you'll want to keep a light jacket handy for when you feel like exploring Paris at night.