Paris Ghost TownBy Nichole / August 18, 2009 Want to hear a lighthearted report on why Parisians vacation in August? Click the link. If you walk around Paris these days, you’ll see tourists, but not many Parisians. French people are on vacation, and the streets are deserted. But the emptying of the capital is not entirely voluntary. Many French people are obliged to take the bulk of their holidays in August, because their workplaces are closed.