Pope Leo XIV's visit: which streets are closed and where parking is forbidden today in Paris

On Friday, September 25, several zones in Paris will be difficult, or even impossible, to drive through. The restrictions affect both the Élysée Palace in the 8th arrondissement, the papal motorcade route between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Place Saint-Michel and its movements in the 7th arrondissement, notably around UNESCO.

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Traffic restrictions on September 25

Around the Élysée Palace

The morning is set to be already tricky in the 8th arrondissement, where Léon XIV must report to the Élysée Palace. On Friday, September 25, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., vehicle traffic will be banned within a wide radius around the presidential residence. The area is bounded in particular by:

Penthièvre Street;
Roquépine Street;
Malesherbes Boulevard;
Boissy-d’Anglas Street;
Place de la Concorde;
Avenue des Champs-Élysées;
Avenue Matignon.

A SILT protection perimeter will also be in effect from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Pedestrian access to buildings in the area remains possible, but those entering the perimeter may be subject to security checks. Motor vehicle traffic will be prohibited throughout this period.

The shops, restaurants, bars and take-away outlets located on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, between Avenue Matignon and Rue d’Aguesseau, will also have to close from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Around the papamobile route

Traffic will be banned from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. within the perimeter set up around the route between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Saint-Michel Square.

Préfecture de Police

The sector in question encompasses, in particular:

Montparnasse Boulevard;
Observatory Avenue;
Saint-Michel Boulevard;
Saint-Michel Square;
Palais Boulevard.

A security perimeter will also be in place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m..

Around UNESCO and the Invalides

In the 7th arrondissement, several routes will be closed to vehicular traffic this afternoon.

From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., no motor vehicles will be allowed on:

Suffren Avenue, between Joffre Square and Garibaldi Boulevard;
Lowendal Avenue, from Suffren Avenue to Duquesne Avenue;
Estrées Street, between Fontenoy Square and Duquesne Avenue;
Ségur Avenue, from Suffren Avenue to Duquesne Avenue;
Saxe Avenue, from Lowendal Avenue to Breteuil Square;
The streets José-Maria-de-Heredia, Pérignon, Albert-de-Lapparent, and Léon-Vaudoyer.

In the 15th arrondissement, several streets adjacent to the 7th will also be closed to traffic from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.:

Bouchut Street;
César-Franck Street;
Valentin-Haüy Street;
Bellart Street;
Rosa-Bonheur Street;
Barthélémy Street.

From 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., a second perimeter will be closed around the Invalides :

Boulevard des Invalides, between Rue de Grenelle and Rue de Sèvres;
Avenue de Tourville;
Vauban Square;
Avenue de Ségur, between Vauban Square and Avenue Duquesne;
Avenue de Villars;
Avenue de Breteuil, between Vauban Square and Rue d’Estrées;
Rue d’Estrées, between Avenue de Villars and Avenue de Breteuil;
President Mithouard Square;
Avenue de Lowendal, between Avenue de Tourville and Avenue Duquesne;
Rue Bixio;
Avenue Duquesne, between Place de l’École militaire and Avenue de Ségur;
Rue Eblé, between Avenue Duquesne and Boulevard des Invalides;
Rue Oudinot, between Boulevard des Invalides and Rue Monsieur;
Rue Duroc, between Boulevard des Invalides and Rue Masseran;
Avenues Constant-Coquelin and Daniel-Lesueur;
Rue de Sèvres, between Rue Rousselet and Rue Maurice-de-la-Sizeranne.

This measure also directly affects the Montparnasse district. From 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the following streets will be closed in particular:

Rue de Rennes, between Blaise-Desgoffe Street and Boulevard du Montparnasse;
Place du 18-Juin-1940;
Avenue du Maine, between Rue de l'Arrivée and Rue Antoine-Bourdelle;
Boulevard du Montparnasse, between Place du 18-Juin-1940 and Rue du Départ.

Parking restrictions on September 25

Around the papamobile route

On Boulevard Montparnasse, there are two sets of timings to note:

Between Léon-Paul-Fargue Square and 18 June 1940 Square: no parking from Thursday, September 24 at 11:00 a.m. to Friday, September 25 at 4:30 p.m.
Between 18 June 1940 Square and Avenue de l’Observatoire: no parking from Thursday, September 24 at 11:00 a.m. to Friday, September 25 at 8:00 p.m.

On Saint-Michel Boulevard, parking is prohibited from Thursday, September 24 at 11 a.m. to Friday, September 25 at 8 p.m. This same time window also affects a number of adjacent streets along the route between Montparnasse, Port-Royal and Saint-Michel.

Around UNESCO and the Invalides

Two periods to note:

from Thursday, September 24 at 11:00 a.m. to Friday, September 25 at 4:30 p.m. No parking on Boulevard des Invalides, Avenue de Tourville, Place Vauban, Avenue de Ségur, Avenue de Villars, Avenue de Breteuil, Rue d’Estrées, Place du Président-Mithouard, Avenue de Lowendal and Rue Bixio, for the sections covered by the scheme;
from Thursday, September 24 at 10:00 p.m. to Friday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m. No parking on Avenue de Suffren, Avenue de Lowendal, Rue d’Estrées and Avenue de Ségur, for the portions around UNESCO.

Key Timings to Remember

For easier navigation:

September 24 at 11:00: the start of several parking prohibitions around the route and the Invalides;
September 24 at 22:00: the start of parking bans around the Élysée Palace and UNESCO;
September 25 at 06:00: the start of traffic restrictions around the papamobile route;
September 25 from 08:00 to 14:00: no car traffic and a protective perimeter around the Élysée Palace;
September 25 from 10:00 to 14:00: closures of certain shops and restaurants on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré;
September 25 at 10:00: establishment of the protective perimeter around the papamobile route;
September 25 from 13:00 to 18:00: restrictions around UNESCO, in the 7th arrondissement and on several adjacent streets in the 15th;
September 25 from 14:30 to 16:30: additional restrictions around the Invalides and Montparnasse, notably Rue de Rennes, Place du 18-Juin-1940 and Avenue du Maine;
September 25 at 20:00: end of the main measures around the route.

If you’ll be driving through the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, or 15th districts on Friday, September 25, it’s wise to plan ahead and steer clear of the affected areas during the stated windows. The 8th arrondissement will be especially tricky from the morning around the Élysée, before the main restrictions shift toward Montparnasse, Saint-Michel, UNESCO, and the Invalides in the afternoon.

The measures may still be adjusted to meet security requirements. The information above reflects the official framework as it is known to date.

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