This seems like an April Fool’s joke. But no. From this Monday, and until October, each year, the Acropolis of Athens will REALLY be bookable as a private tour of up to five people for the tidy sum of 5,000 euros, between 7 and 9 a.m. or between 8 and 8 p.m. 10 p.m. (for late risers).
Even if it means making a bad joke – and because we can afford it on April 1st – we have drawn up a list of 10 places in the world (and elsewhere) that we would be happy to have just for ourselves, if there is never 5,000 euros lying around. By car !
The A6 motorway
The place : Who has never taken the A6 motorway, heading for the beach, the holidays and the South? The only problem with this promise of happiness: you are generally not the only one to have had the ingenious idea of going swimming in July-August, and you spend your first days of vacation stuck in traffic jams.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
In this year 2024 when the gray seems to have taken over the sky, how can we not fall for the “sun” highway? Just to have a piece of azure (we are told that in the South, the weather is often lousy at the moment, but let us dream).
Significant bonus for the most music lovers: by privatizing a highway, you can shoot your music video there, Fianso style.
Chatelet-les-Halles
The place : “Hell is other people, and particularly in Châtelet” Jean-Paul Sartre is said to have declared when making a change between the RER A and metro 14. It’s difficult to find a more iconic anthill (apart from New Delhi, but it’s a bit further).
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Imagine finally having the time – and space – to understand where exit 24 is located, to identify the most direct path to go from line 1 to line 7 (if you already know, please let us know ), or to be able to explore each artery of this urban labyrinth. You will then be the holder of unique knowledge on Earth, a big plus for your CV.
The Oval Office of the White House
The place : Mythical office where calculating advisors/worried scientists/narrow-minded military men debate the next election/impending earthquake/alien invasion with the US president in any movie.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Being president of the United States, the leading world power, is still not bad, even if only for two hours. You can slip into Joe Biden’s costume (meh). Or in that of Donald Trump (yuck). Or that of Barack Obama (cool).
Disneyland Paris
The place : Nostalgia alert, childhood magic and thrills. The most visited place in France (yes, yes) offers a shot of innocence and candor even to hearts of stone, but has some disadvantages: endless queues, families arguing, kids bawling, and visitors who squat the purple cup even though it is the one that goes the fastest in the attraction.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Given the increasingly crazy price of tickets in amusement parks, 5,000 bucks doesn’t seem that expensive. And then Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Space Mountain or the mine train just for you, isn’t that the dream of every big child?
The Parc des princes (or the Vélodrome, depending on your region)
The place : Your favorite team’s favorite stadium. Obviously infinitely available with all teams (yes, even Roazhon Park in Rennes), and even all fields of all sports. Wimbledon or Roland-Garros for tennis lovers, the Mayol stadium, Twickenham or Ernest-Wallon for rugby…
Why is it cool to privatize it?
So of course, you lose the chants of the supporters and the vision of your favorite players (which, for 5,000 euros, can do a lot). However, it’s the flat-footed-safety payment: you’ll enter your favorite stadium with the certainty of not being disappointed with your team. Which, for all the broken sporting hearts (ha, this France-Argentina), is still a great assurance.
The south of France
The place : Yes, we have a little southern tropism, the author of these lines being born in Perpignan. But rest assured, as for the stadium, it comes with your own region: privatized Brittany, privatized Auvergne, or Corrèze, “this little piece of land, where my father still lives”, as he would sing Three gourmet coffees.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
It seems that France’s only problem is the French. So once you get rid of them, it really must be the most beautiful country in the world. Beyond this unflattering proverb, anyone who has spent their vacation in the South in July/August has a very clear idea of overtourism and the obvious benefit of having the region to themselves. And no shame in showing off in a swimsuit, too.
Mount Ventoux
The place : One of the most epic climbs of the Tour de France, with its 20 kilometer climb with several passages at 9% all the same. Enough to break many legs, but also to consecrate many heroes and write the most beautiful pages of the Tour.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Alone facing the mountain, that assures us a French winner, which has not happened since Thibaut Pinot in 2015. And because it still remains less ambitious as an ascent than Everest (already squatted by Inoxtag in addition).
The Lion King’s Rock
The place : With the castle, undoubtedly the most iconic place in the Disney universe (yes, as with the South, the author of his lines has a Disney tropism, but we are not going to talk about me in every paragraph). The rock contains the two most legendary scenes of the story – sorry, Hakuna Matata –: the opening with Simba’s baptism, and his redemption in the rain at the very end, when he finally assumes his place in the great cycle of the life.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Because we all wanted to be Rafiki so we could proudly brandish something in front of the world (and be cheered by a herd of wildebeest). And because it’s the best cartoon in history (come on, ok for the debate with Toy Story 3).
The “Millennium Falcon” in Star Wars
The place : The fastest ship (or “junk pile,” according to Luke Skywalker) in the galaxy. And we’ll stop there for the description, because with the Star Wars universe, we are not safe from harassment from a purist fan if we give erroneous information about the Millennium Falcon (“gnagnagna, one says Millennium Falcon “).
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Sorry to be so blunt, but as an Earthling, you do not master the Force, the inhabitants of the blue planet having a midichlorian level of 0. So you can never be a Jedi. So if you don’t have a lightsaber, you might as well pilot the coolest ship in the saga.
The Hogwarts common room
The place : The most famous room in the most famous school of the most famous wizard, sound good to you? A large room where breakfasts, mail delivery, ceremonies, Albus Dumbledore’s speeches, the designation of houses for new arrivals and banquets take place.
Why is it cool to privatize it?
Food all to yourself, of course. But above all, if the sorting hat sends you to a lousy house, like Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, you are the only one who will hear it. You can then make believe that you are destined for a truly great institution (Gryffindor or Slytherin, we let you choose).