https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed After the success of the swimming spots in the River Seine last year, Paris authorities have confirmed that the open-water swimming areas will return in the summer of 2026, starting July 4th. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260511/seine-swimming-to-return-to-paris-this-summer Mon, 11 May 2026 09:46:37 +0200 seine-swimming-to-return-to-paris-this-summer Travellers looking for a cheaper, albeit slower, option for travelling between Paris and Amsterdam will soon have a new alternative to Eurostar, with Dutch start-up GoVolta set to launch a daily train service. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260604/new-paris-amsterdam-train-launches-with-tickets-from-e19 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:53:50 +0200 new-paris-amsterdam-train-launches-with-tickets-from-e19 Six luxury hotels in France have been awarded the country's "Palace" designation, joining one of the most exclusive groups in the hospitality industry. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260602/six-new-hotels-awarded-frances-prestigious-palace-status Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:54:39 +0200 six-new-hotels-awarded-frances-prestigious-palace-status Paper tickets for the Paris Metro have now been fully phased out - so how do tourists or visitors to the capital travel on the public transport system? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260528/navigo-easy-or-phone-tickets-the-best-paris-metro-passes-for-visitors Thu, 28 May 2026 13:03:58 +0200 navigo-easy-or-phone-tickets-the-best-paris-metro-passes-for-visitors Paris-based cinema club Lost in Frenchlation celebrates Pride Month with 11 screenings of films with LGBTQ themes, from classics to recent releases. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260513/french-films-with-english-subtitles-to-watch-in-june-2026 Wed, 13 May 2026 16:41:55 +0200 french-films-with-english-subtitles-to-watch-in-june-2026 A start date has been agreed for the long-awaited direct train linking Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport with the city centre - although the cost of a ticket continues to cause controversy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260427/start-date-set-for-new-paris-airport-link Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:24:01 +0200 start-date-set-for-new-paris-airport-link Newly elected Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has unveiled his plans to increase pedestrian areas and improve safety, as well as beautify up to 1,000 'blackspots' in the city. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260521/paris-mayor-promises-a-right-to-beauty-in-all-neighbourhoods Thu, 21 May 2026 11:25:59 +0200 paris-mayor-promises-a-right-to-beauty-in-all-neighbourhoods A video of what claims to be the smallest apartment in Paris has gone viral - but is this really how things are in the French capital's housing market? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260522/video-is-this-really-the-smallest-apartment-in-paris Fri, 22 May 2026 15:59:45 +0200 video-is-this-really-the-smallest-apartment-in-paris Sixty five people were arrested after trouble flared in Paris on Thursday night between football supporters ahead of the final of the Coup de France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260522/65-arrested-and-6-injured-in-brawls-in-paris-ahead-of-football-cup-final Fri, 22 May 2026 09:42:49 +0200 65-arrested-and-6-injured-in-brawls-in-paris-ahead-of-football-cup-final Tourists and Parisians goggled at the sight of the French capital's oldest bridge transformed into a giant "cave" on Thursday, a spectacular new public work by the street artist JR. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260521/french-banksy-and-daft-punk-star-turn-paris-bridge-into-alpine-cave Thu, 21 May 2026 14:43:46 +0200 french-banksy-and-daft-punk-star-turn-paris-bridge-into-alpine-cave An elegant, white-haired Parisian savours a biscuity cloud of cream and apple down to the last crumb at one of the French capital's many bakeries – but this client has four legs not two. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260520/bone-appetit-paris-pups-lap-up-treats-at-dog-centric-spots Wed, 20 May 2026 08:47:46 +0200 bone-appetit-paris-pups-lap-up-treats-at-dog-centric-spots After a very popular launch in 2025, swimming in the River Seine in Paris will return this summer - here's what you need to know about the practicalities. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260511/everything-you-need-to-know-about-swimming-in-the-seine-in-summer-2026 Mon, 11 May 2026 11:25:40 +0200 everything-you-need-to-know-about-swimming-in-the-seine-in-summer-2026 Parisian authorities have remanded in custody 95 people, including nine minors, following unrest in the French capital after Paris Saint-Germain reached the Champions League final, the public prosecutor's office said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260507/scores-arrested-in-paris-after-psg-reach-champions-league-final Thu, 07 May 2026 11:18:27 +0200 scores-arrested-in-paris-after-psg-reach-champions-league-final Pope Leo, leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, could journey to France in late September, French bishops said Wednesday, on what would likely be a state visit. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260507/pope-leo-could-visit-france-in-september Thu, 07 May 2026 08:17:46 +0200 pope-leo-could-visit-france-in-september Paris has a taste of Nigeria’s film industry with the start of the Nollywood Week festival, with movies exploring love, family and duty, shorts and documentaries. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260506/paris-gets-taste-of-nigerias-nollywood Wed, 06 May 2026 16:16:15 +0200 paris-gets-taste-of-nigerias-nollywood Four people were rescued from the River Seine near Paris on Thursday after a bus driven by a trainee driver collided with a parked vehicle before plunging into the water, officials said. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260430/four-rescued-after-bus-plunges-into-seine-near-paris Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:37:44 +0200 four-rescued-after-bus-plunges-into-seine-near-paris A marathon, parks, footpaths and cycle lanes - Paris’s famously traffic-snarled périphérique could look very different in the future if the new mayor has his way. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260422/is-the-paris-mayor-really-going-to-turn-the-ring-road-into-a-park Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:26:00 +0200 is-the-paris-mayor-really-going-to-turn-the-ring-road-into-a-park It's the original and - we dare to say - will always remain the best, so here's a few things you might not know about the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260417/11-things-to-know-about-frances-arc-de-triomphe Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:29:50 +0200 11-things-to-know-about-frances-arc-de-triomphe Courts in Paris have handed out a fine of almost €600,000 to the owners of an SCI property that was being illegally rented on Airbnb, part of an ongoing crackdown of an estimated 25,000 illegal tourist rentals in the French capital. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260420/paris-continues-airbnb-crackdown-with-e600k-fine-for-landlord Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:32 +0200 paris-continues-airbnb-crackdown-with-e600k-fine-for-landlord Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled underground detonation of a World War II explosive near Paris on Sunday, after authorities evacuated over 1,000 residents. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260419/experts-carry-out-controlled-blast-of-wwii-bomb-near-paris Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:18:18 +0200 experts-carry-out-controlled-blast-of-wwii-bomb-near-paris