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PODCAST: The story of Brittany's killer algae and where you can avoid the tourists in France

PODCAST: The story of Brittany's killer algae and where you can avoid the tourists in France

Local France26-06-2025
Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield for all the latest news and talking points from France.
We start with the toxic algae that is spreading in Brittany and is, a court has ruled, responsible for the death of a local jogger - it's a verdict that potentially has big implications for the region, and for France's farmers.
You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify or Apple, download it
here
or listen on the link below
Following successful Olympic trials last summer, swimming in the Seine will be opened up to the general public - we're explaining how you can take a dip in the river, and the conditions for doing so.
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Champagne might be a luxury product, but there is a definite dark side to the industry, as an ongoing human trafficking trial has exposed.
And France broke its own tourism records last year and is set to do so again this year - there's no doubt the country is massively popular as a holiday destination, but how has it managed to avoid protests against over-tourism like those seen in Spain, Italy and Portugal?
We finish off with a list of France's most over-crowded sites, with our recommendations for alternatives that are just as good (perhaps even better) but less well known.
Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of members of The Local - you can find out more about becoming a member
here
. If you like the podcast you can also help us to keep it going by subscribing, writing a nice review or just telling a friend about it.
Extra reading:
Green algae found along French coastline responsible for jogger's death, rules court
10 alternatives to France's overcrowded tourist hotspots
French champagne makers face human trafficking trial
Everything you need to know about swimming in the Seine in Paris this summer
How has France avoided Europe's anti-tourism protests?
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August is the holiday month in France when many people pack up and decamp to the beach for several weeks. While it's not quite true that everyone is on holiday this month , you are certainly likely to encounter quite a few out-of-office replies if you try emailing a French company during this period, while you'll also likely see quite a few shops that have a notice on the door explaining that they are closed while staff take their annual leave. Here's a look at what is open and what's closed, and how to find alternatives. Healthcare This is a vital service, and emergency healthcare of course continues through the summer - ambulances are available, hospitals work as normal and Urgènces (emergency departments) are open to walk-ins. Anecdotal evidence suggests that waiting times in the emergency departments are longer for non-urgent cases during the summer due to staff holidays, but you will be seen eventually. Advertisement However you might find that your doctor or dentist's cabinet closes for a few weeks over the summer, especially if there are just one or two doctors working there. If you cannot wait until your regular doctor's return, you can see another nearby doctor if there is one available, or you can use out-of-hours service SOS Medécins - full details here . Pharmacies remain open and operate the pharmacie de garde system, which ensures that there is at least one open in each area - find your nearest one by Googling pharmacie de garde plus the name of your commune. Transport Public transport continues to run as normal over August, although the country's train system is usually very busy as people take the train to and from their holidays. Booking in advance is highly recommended as many trains sell out, especially over the weekends. City public transport continues to run, although in Paris the transport operator RATP takes advantage of the quieter season to schedule maintenance and repair work, so you will find that some Metro, tram and RER lines are closed or running a reduced service over August in order to accommodate engineering works. Full details here . Be aware that autoroutes and main roads in and out of tourist hotspots are usually very busy in August. Offices, banks and public administration Banks close only on Sundays and public holidays, of which there is one in August - Assumption on August 15th, which this year is a Friday. However, some local branches may close for a week in August. If they do, then they typically send a letter to clients informing them ahead of time. Public administration offices such as the préfecture or mairie only close on public holidays. However, as many staff will be on holiday it's likely that any admin tasks will be slower to be dealt with over August. The offices of private businesses often close completely for at least a couple of weeks over August so that the staff can go on holiday. Even if the office isn't closed, you'll find that plenty of employees are away, and it's normal for any emails to generate an out-of-office reply telling you that the person is away and will deal with your query when they return. Advertisement Shops The big shops, multi-nationals, supermarket chains etc open as normal during August, with the possible exception of August when they might have altered opening hours. However it is common for small, independent businesses such as boulangeries , florists or clothes boutiques to close for several weeks in August. They will likely have a hand-written notice on the door informing customers that they are on holiday over specified dates. Boulangeries used to be bound by a law that required at least one in each area to stay open over the summer. That's no longer a case for legislation, but in practice if there is more than one in a town they usually coordinate their holidays to ensure that they aren't both closed at the same time. Bars, cafés and restaurants This really depends on whether you are in a tourist area or not - for tourist businesses, August is their peak time so they will all remain open. In areas less popular with tourists, you might find that cafés, bars and restaurants also close up for a couple of weeks so that their staff can go on holiday. As with shops, they will likely have a hand-written sign listing their closure period. Tourist attractions and leisure facilities Naturally, tourist attractions remain open during August, although you may have to book in advance for the most popular ones. Leisure centres, swimming pools, adventure playgrounds and theme parks also stay open. Gyms, leisure centres and pools usually have a 'summer holiday timetable' that covers July and August, when French schoolchildren are on holiday. Some leisure centres are also used to house holiday camps and various other holiday activities for children, so they may have altered opening hours.

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