Paris itself is one of the most romantic cities in the world. But the Christmas atmosphere can make it even more so. Richly decorated streets and shop windows, lots of lights and small and large Christmas markets all over the city. Paris is dressed in lights and Christmas decorations before Advent begins, every year at the end of November. And I can’t deny that I really loved this one. In this article, I’m primarily focusing on Christmas in Paris and the Christmas markets, but of course if you’re going to be there, you’ll probably be interested in the year-round sights and experiences available, you’ll find them in my in-depth article on Paris.
Where to stay in Paris at Christmas
At Christmas, the centre around the Louvre, Notre-Dame and the Marais has the best atmosphere. Lights are on everywhere, shop windows are decorated, and every corner smells of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. The Marais is lively, full of cafés and markets, while Saint-Germain-des-Prés feels more refined and quiet, perfect for slow walks along the Seine waterfront. From the centre, you’re close to the Christmas markets at the Tuileries or the decor of the Haussmann Boulevard with the Galeries Lafayette.
For a quieter, but still Christmassy stay, Montmartre is a good choice, with a beautiful view of the lit-up city, or Canal Saint-Martin, where there is less bustle and more of a local atmosphere. In the evenings, you can go to bistros or wine bars that have festive menus, and you can sample cheese raclette or hot cidre at the markets in the area. The metro is also open during the holidays, so it’s easy to move between neighbourhoods and soak up Christmas Paris to the full.
Tips for accommodation in Paris
- La Bellevue – nice apartment with kitchen, 20 minutes to the centre by metro without transfer. Still a good price for Paris.
- B Montmartre – beautiful hotel in a great location, a short walk to the metro and bus.
- Motel One Paris-Porte Dorée – a cheaper option in the quieter 12th arrondissement.
How to spend Advent in Paris
Don’t delay in planning your holiday in Paris at Christmas time, as Christmas and the run-up to Christmas is the peak season in Paris next to summer, and this pushes prices up considerably. Ideally, you should deal with this in the spring; if you’re deciding in October or November, be sure not to speculate on getting cheaper flights or cheaper accommodation and book as soon as you find something that suits you.
Paris is a really popular destination for both French and other tourists at Christmas, so you’d better book your tickets in advance to be sure you don’t have to stand in long queues. Here are the main Paris attractions:
- Eiffel Tower (2nd floor, elevator)
- Cruise on the Seine (1 hour)
- Louvre ticket (skip the line)
- Roof of the Arc de Triomphe (overlooking the Eiffel Tower)
- Montparnasse observation tower
I stress that before you buy a ticket during this period, make sure you get suitable accommodation (and vice versa). The cheapest deals are booked months in advance. On the other hand, I didn’t start planning Christmas in Paris until December and that worked out too.
How restaurants and shops are open in Paris at Christmas and New Year’s Eve
In Paris, life is practically non-stop. I had a whole list of places I wanted to visit in Paris and yes, unfortunately some of them were closed. But there were always plenty of others in the area that were open. I didn’t have a problem on New Year’s Eve or Christmas Eve (but in both cases I just went to eat, and for a special night, a festive dinner and program, or a special place, it’s definitely a good idea to have reservations).
The boulangeries and patisseries are also open into the evening, with long queues, especially on New Year’s Eve, as Parisians buy fresh food at the last minute. The situation is probably worst on the first of January. You can still get a good meal, but there are plenty of places closed and often boulangeries too.
Christmas markets in Paris
At the Parisian Christmas markets (Marché de Noël) you will find artisanal products, just like everywhere else in the world. Gingerbread, warm socks, jewellery and souvenirs. Provençal nougat (Turkish honey), cheeses and macaroons are sold here. To drink, you can drink mulled wine (vin chaud), punch or hot chocolate (chocolat chaud). For food, there is the typical onion soup, fresh oysters, crêpes, raclette or Savoyard tartiflette (baked potatoes with onions, bacon and reblochon cheese). The market often includes a children’s carousel.
- Marché de Noël de l’Hôtel de Ville – the market in front of the illuminated Hôtel de Ville building is probably my favourite
- Tuleries Gardens – around the “Paris Eye”, almost to the Place de la Concorde, there are large markets with perhaps the largest variety of food and drink. There’s also a small children’s ice rink.
- under the Eiffel Tower – at the end of the Pont d’Iéna bridge to the corner on the upper quay
- at Notredam – a tiny market in René Viviani Square
- at the monastery of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Montparnasse
- Trocadéro
- La Défense
But Christmas decorations are literally everywhere in Paris, with many restaurants and cafes decorated on the outside and Christmas lights lit up in many streets.
What to taste at the Christmas markets in Paris
Of the more common classics, vin chaud – a French mulled wine, often more fragrant and milder than German wine – is sure to be everywhere. There are crêpes with chocolate or chestnut cream, gaufres (waffles) and of course marrons grillés, the roasted chestnuts that smell all over Paris.
But if you want to enjoy it the Parisian way, try raclette – melted cheese on potatoes and sausages, or tartiflette, baked potatoes with Reblochon cheese, onions and bacon. Foie gras on toast, huîtres (oysters) with wine and bûche de Noël, a log-shaped Christmas roll, are also often sold. And those who want something to warm them up other than wine can have cidre chaud, warm apple cider with spices.
Christmas on the Champs-Elysées
It’s beautifully decorated all along the Champs-Elysées, with luxury shops decked out in Christmas lights and decorated trees.
I definitely recommend going for a walk along the Champs-Elysées after sunset (unless you want to visit the shops at the same time, it’s better to go in the morning and avoid the big queues).
Christmas meals
Foie gras or oysters are most often served as a starter for Christmas dinner, but lobster is no exception. Before Christmas Eve, you will often see outdoor oyster stands, similar to our carp vats. The main course is turkey stuffed with chestnut stuffing.
And the dessert is the bûche de Noël, a Christmas log. It’s a roll decorated to look like a wooden log, usually with chocolate cream. They are sold in portions of 4 or 6 or even larger, but you can also get a very small log as a dessert to taste.
New Year’s Eve in Paris
On New Year’s Eve, from the afternoon until the first at noon, the metro in Paris is free and the turnstiles are open. I originally thought it was so that the huge crowds heading into the city centre wouldn’t be delayed by the clicking of tickets and thus create queues, but it might have something to do with the fact that for security reasons some metro stations close at night and who wants to pay when they have to walk. For example, on line 1, which goes through Champs-Elysees, the metro was closed from Palais Royal to Porte Maillot, the train just passed through the stations.
The main event takes place at the Arc de Triomphe, where a light show is projected before midnight. At midnight, fireworks go off above it. Several hundred thousand people arrive on the Champs-Elysées. The crowds also head to the Sacre Coeur, where you can’t see the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, but you can see the whole of Paris. However, Sacre Coeur is quite far above the centre and therefore the big fireworks are not visible from here.
New Year in Paris
Starting in the New Year and practically throughout January in French patisseries and boulangeries, you will see the three-crust cake, Galette des rois. The Parisian version is made of puff pastry and inside is a filling of almond cream, called frangipane. In southern France, especially in Provence, it is often prepared as a brioche made of sweet yeast dough in the shape of a crown (circle), decorated with candied fruit.
A figure known as a fève (bean) is baked into this puff pastry cake, and whoever finds the figure in their piece after cutting the cake is king or queen and can wear a crown (these cakes are often sold with paper crowns as well) and make a new cake next year.