As you’re no doubt aware, the Pope will be in Paris on September 25. Among other events, he will celebrate a massive Mass on the Champs-Élysées on Saturday, September 26. The Pope will also travel approximately 2.5 kilometers in the popemobile fromthe Notre-Dame-des-Champs Church to Place Saint-Michel, which will inevitably cause traffic disruptions. Here’s an update!
Roads closed starting Thursday, September 24…
Although Pope Leo XIV will indeed be in Paris on September 25, traffic restrictions have already been in place since early September. In fact, since September 2, it has been impossible to cross Place de la Concorde from north to south in the evening.
Starting September 16, traffic restrictions will be stepped up from 10 p.m. until 12 p.m. on September 28. You will no longer be able to drive along the lower section of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, near the Petit Palais, toward the Champs-Élysées Gardens, or toward the lower end of Rue Royale. From 10:00 p.m. on September 25 until 8:00 p.m. the following day, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées will be a “red zone,” meaning it will be closed to traffic and parking.
Similarly, traffic and parking will be prohibited around the Stade de France from 8 a.m. on September 25 until 1 a.m. on September 26 due to the large prayer service taking place at the stadium that day.
For the Vespers service scheduled for September 25 at Notre-Dame, the Île de la Cité will be closed to traffic… Specifically, parking will be prohibited from 11 a.m. on September 24 until 8 p.m. on September 25. Traffic will also be blocked starting September 24 at 9 p.m. around Notre-Dame, then on September 25 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Île de la Cité, part of the Île Saint-Louis, and several quays along the Seine. So you might as well leave your car in the garage!
Several metro stations are closed…
If you were planning to take the metro to avoid traffic problems, pay close attention to your route. The metro stations Argentine, Charles-de-Gaulle Étoile, George V, Kléber, Iéna, Alma-Marceau, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Champs-Élysées Clémenceau, and Concorde will be closed from 10:00 p.m. on September 25 to 8:00 p.m. on September 26.
On the day of the Pope’s procession in his popemobile, scheduled to take place between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Place Saint-Michel, the Montparnasse, Vavin, Port-Royal, Luxembourg, La Sorbonne, Odéon , and Cité metro stations will be closed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Similarly, the Pont Neuf and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame bridges will also be closed on September 25, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., due to the vigil scheduled at Notre-Dame de Paris for Vespers. Whenever possible, plan your trips in advance to avoid any complications!