In Paris, tour buses spark growing debate over the impact of tourism

Tour buses parked in Paris, France, March 27, 2025. BRUNO LEVESQUE/IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP

On a November afternoon, along a small stretch of Boulevard de la Madeleine in Paris, five tour buses stood double-parked in the lane reserved for buses. The drivers had left after switching off the engines of their vehicles, which bore license plates from France, Croatia, Portugal and Poland. One could imagine their passengers wandering through the nearby department stores. As a result, other buses, cyclists and taxis had to shift into the main, heavily trafficked lane.

The same scene played out on Boulevard des Italiens, where coaches were parked right in the street, just a few meters from restaurant tables. "The Opéra neighborhood is the worst in Paris," complained Bertrand Bernini, director of the company Viabus, which works with tour operators from around the world. "There are very few places to park, and a lot of groups want to come here. Many drivers end up dropping passengers off wherever they can. And more and more fines are being handed out."

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