During the summer, the French population splits into two clearly defined groups, the juilletistes and the aoûtiens, otherwise known as July and August vacationers. It is because of this division that administrative work all over the country suffers delays: half the staff are away in July so the other half struggle with the workload until they are back, and when they do return, the July vacationers often cannot catch up with the backlog until the August vacationers return. Things go slowly in the summer months, and deals will not be clinched swiftly.

If you’re planning a romantic visit to the capital, however, this can be to your advantage. Workers who didn’t take any breaks in the first part of the summer will definitely want to get away to the countryside before the back-to-school-back-to-work atmosphere of la rentrée (the start of the fall semester), so the city tends to be quieter than in July…becoming the secret Paris we’ve all been looking for.

If you want activity, there’s still plenty to do, with almost daily free outdoor concerts, open-air movies in the parks, street entertainment for young and old, and the last few weeks of the urban beach event known as Paris-Plage. The city is more laidback-you don’t have to jostle for space on the buses and métro, you can get those perfect shots of sunsets over the Seine, and find a free bench by Notre Dame. And the Parisians who stay on in the city will have more time for you.

And the argument that everything shuts down just doesn’t wash these days-contrary to popular belief, only a few of the restaurants de quartier (local eateries that probably won’t be in your guidebooks), top-starred establishments like the Carré des Feuillants, and a handful of the local shops and dry cleaners will be closed. If you’re in romance mode, this should not affect your plans substantially.

P.S. Beware the spontaneous trip to the City of Light in September. If you haven’t made a hotel reservation well in advance you may have to invest considerable time-and expense-in reserving a room. September is a lovely month, it’s true, but it’s also fashion month. All the best-value hotel rooms will have been snapped up months ago, if not the previous year. Be warned, and be prepared! If you want Paris to yourself, come in August.