Metro, RER and buses in Paris: which stations are closed today for the Pope’s visit

Pope Leo XIV is due in the capital for two days filled with public engagements, from strolling through Paris to meeting with young people and a grand Mass. On Friday, September 25, one of the day’s highlights will unfold between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., with a papamobile tour covering about 2.5 km from Notre-Dame-des-Champs to Place Saint-Michel.

But this route won't be the only disruption to transport. In the afternoon, the Pope's visit to UNESCO's headquarters and his various trips around Paris will trigger station closures and restricted access from the morning.

Pope’s arrival in Paris this Friday, September 25: the streets and neighborhoods to avoid by car
Papamobile, UNESCO, Invalides… several areas will be closed or heavily restricted on Friday. Here are the affected times and routes. [Read more]

Closures scheduled for 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

First closures of the day: Alma-Marceau and Iéna will be closed from 9 a.m. on Friday, September 25. They will also be affected by the arrangements for Saturday, September 26.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 25, the City of Paris and the RATP announce the closure of the following stations and stops:

Vavin
Odéon
Cité
Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame
Cluny–La Sorbonne
Duroc
Saint-François-Xavier
Port-Royal
Luxembourg

The Saint-Michel station on line 4 is already closed since September 14 and will remain shut until December 19, 2026 due to modernization work.

Note, however, a discrepancy in the official information currently published. In its section dedicated to the papamobile route, the City of Paris still lists Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Saint-Placide among stations closed from 10 a.m. But those two stations no longer appear in the updated general list of transport closures, nor in the RATP bulletin. It’s best to double-check their status before heading out on Friday.

Access closed at Montparnasse-Bienvenüe and Pont-Neuf

Not all affected stations will shut down completely. From 10:00 a.m., several entrances will be blocked: Montparnasse-Bienvenüe: entrances 5, 6 and 8 and Pont-Neuf: entrances 2 and 3. Other entrances at these stations will remain usable for now, subject to any changes to the security arrangements.

Around UNESCO, several stations were also closed

The pope's visit to UNESCO's headquarters will also entail several closures in the 7th arrondissement. The arrangements have evolved since the initial announcements:

Duroc (lines 10 and 13): will be closed from 10:00 a.m.
Saint-François-Xavier (line 13): will be closed from 10:00 a.m.
École Militaire (line 8): will be closed from 1:00 p.m.
Ségur (line 10): will be closed from 1:00 p.m.

These closures affect a different area than the papamobile route and come on top of the stations that have been shut down around Montparnasse, Port-Royal, the Latin Quarter, and Saint-Michel.

Key timings to note for September 25

To get a clearer picture:

as early as 9 a.m.: closure of Alma-Marceau and Iéna;
as early as 10 a.m.: closures of Vavin, Odéon, Cité, Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame, Cluny–La Sorbonne, Duroc, Saint-François-Xavier, Port-Royal and Luxembourg;
as early as 10 a.m.: closure of access points No. 5, 6 and 8 at Montparnasse-Bienvenüe and No. 2 and 3 at Pont-Neuf;
as early as 1 p.m.: closure of École Militaire and Ségur;
from 4 p.m.: the pope’s papamobile parade between Notre-Dame-des-Champs and Place Saint-Michel.

In closed stations, trains will run through without stopping and no connections will be provided. Reopening will require authorization from the Police Prefecture.

The visit of Leo XIV will continue on Saturday, September 26, with, notably, a solemn Mass scheduled for 3 p.m. at Place de la Concorde and along the Champs-Élysées, which will also entail restrictions in central Paris.

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