Nadia Ragozhina
Live page editor

Not only is today the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, it’s also a key date for Parisians to begin their month-long summer break.

The month of August is sacred to Parisians. You can forget getting an appointment with your accountant, or booking a table at your favourite local restaurant.

Many streets will be deserted while the inhabitants of the French capital head to the countryside, the beach or the mountains.

And the grand départ begins today, prompting the boss of the rail network, the SNCF, to call today a “day of sadness” and “an attack on the French”.

While the French are away, it’s the tourists who take over the city, many choosing to enjoy Paris while it’s eerily empty.

Today, of course, is different.

Thousands of athletes are set to sail through central Paris tonight for the Olympic Games opening ceremony in front of over 300,000 spectators and an audience of VIPs and celebrities from around the world.

Many French people would have also been trying to get to the city to enjoy the Olympic Games being staged in their capital.