Paris after the attack: useful information for tourists

According to turizmusonline.hu, the French government has declared a state of emergency and introduced exceptional measures after the November 13 attacks. Here is the information of the French Tourism Office on when the main touristic attractions reopen and what happens to the public transport.

Tourist attractions reopen at the following times (source:http://uk.france.fr)

Cultural sites

• Since the afternoon of Monday 16 November, public cultural sites in Paris and the Île-de-France region have re-opened to the general public.
• The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame cathedral are now open.
• Louvre Museum (usual weekly closing on Tuesday), the Philharmonie de Paris, the Grand Palais and Centre Georges Pompidou are all open.
• The Château de Versailles is now open.

Attractions

• The Lido de Paris, Crazy Horse, Bateaux Parisiens and Moulin Rouge re-opened on Tuesday 17 November.
• Disneyland
• Paris, Vincennes Zoo and Paris Aquarium are re-opening today, Wednesday 18 November.
• The Christmas Market on the Champs-Élysées and the Big Wheel on Place de la Concorde will re-open at 2pm on Wednesday.

Shopping

The city’s major department stores and main shopping centers re-opened their doors on Monday November 16.

Events

The switching on of the Christmas illuminations on the Champs-Élysées, scheduled for Wednesday 18 November, has been postponed.

The “Saint-Germain des Neiges” winter event has been cancelled.

The United Nations COP21 Climate Change Conference will still take place from 30 November to 11 December.

Transport

Systematic checks will take place at all entry points into France for passengers arriving by road, rail, sea and air.

Flights

Airports in Paris are operating normally, including all domestic and international flights. Pre-boarding checks have been tightened so please allow for additional delays.

Trains

The SNCF is operating a normal service to destinations around France and abroad. Please allow extra time for additional checks for international services.

Metro and bus services in Paris

The city’s metro system, buses, trams and RER rail network are operating normally and stations are open.

Three people died and five people were arrested in a police action

Three people died and five people were arrested in the wake of last week’s bombings in Paris on Wednesday morning, during the police action initiated in Saint Denis, which is located north of Paris – the Paris prosecutor and other sources said.

The action was launched after 4 am at a flat located on a pedestrian street of the small town in less than a kilometer away from the stadium Stade de France. The target was the suspected main organizer of last Friday’s Paris attacks, the 28-year-old Belgian citizen called Abdelhamid Abaaoud. The man joined the ISIS in Syria in 2013, and he became one of the most well-known face and executioner of the organization.

Police sources say a woman blew herself up and two other terrorists died or were killed by the commandos.

Three additional people, who barricaded themselves in the apartment, have been arrested, but according to the prosecutor’s office report in the early morning the action has not been over yet. The media says there has been silence in the closed area for a long time. Two other people caught by the police, they were not in the flat, turizmusonline.hu wrote.

According to official statements, last Friday’s terrorist attacks were committed by three terrorist commandos in seven locations, the attacks had 129 victims and an additional seven bombers died – six of them blew themselves up, one was killed by the commandos. Five attackers have been identified, at least three of them fought as jihadist in Syria. An international arrest warrant has been issued against the 8^th suspected attacker, Salah Abdeslam, and a 9^th suspected assailant has been also looked for since Tuesday night, but his/her identity has not been revealed yet.

President Francois Hollande said “the act of war was planned in Syria, organized in Belgium and carried out in France”.

based on the article of turizmusonline.hu
translated by BA

Source: http://www.turizmusonline.hu