Main atrium of the Galeries Lafayette department store at Christmas

What’s Christmas in Paris like?

By Ian Packham

Brightening the otherwise dark days of December, Christmas in Paris is an experience you won’t want to miss. It’s a time when the French capital very much lives up to its nickname of the City of Light, with central boulevards glowing with festive street illuminations and shop window displays.

Christmas markets provide an alternative place for last minute gift-buying and a little indulgence of the culinary variety. Ice rinks pop up across the city for some additional winter fun, whilst many churches host hauntingly beautiful seasonal concerts.

If you want to discover everything there is to know about Christmas in Paris, you’ve come to the right place!

Let there be lights!

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Forget the art nouveau stylings of the city’s metro system, with Christmas around the corner you’ll actually be eager to do battle with Paris’s legendary traffic jams from the window seat of one of its buses instead, in order to take in the wondrous festive lights after dark.

Jump aboard bus route 80 to the École Militaire from Montmartre and your journey will take in the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Champs-Élysées and views of Faubourg St Honoré before crossing the River Seine at Pont de l’Alma to the Champ de Mars opposite the Eiffel Tower.

To be even more certain of seeing its landmark attractions so elegantly lit, a Hop-on Hop-off sightseeing bus tour is another great option. They have the added bonus of most classic routes passing through the Place de la Concorde, where you’ll find one of the largest Christmas trees in Europe.

The Jardin des Plantes botanic garden also gets in on the seasonal action with its annual Festivals of Lights. The 70 acre site is taken over by monumental yet intricately detailed lantern displays based around a different theme in nature each year.

Delight in a range of shopping experiences

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The crowds may not descend onto the streets in a fervor of Christmas shopping like they once did, but Paris at Christmas remains one of the most exciting places to shop anywhere in the world.

The broad avenues of the Champs-Élysées and Boulevard Haussmann take some beating. Their big department stores like Le Bon Marché, Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette – whose central glass-domed multi-level atrium is also renowned for its Christmas tree – go all out on their streetside window displays.

But the cobbled side streets of Montmartre are well worth exploring too, perhaps as part of a Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur walking tour.

Wherever you end up, you can be sure you’re never too far away from a Christmas market. Somewhere between 15 and 20 appear across the city each year, with stalls offering a blend of gift ideas, tree decorations and foods unavailable at any other time.

If you’ve ever fancied sampling freshly-roasted chestnuts, warming mulled wine or France’s version of Yule Log – Bûche de Noël – you can do far worse than the market which takes over the Tuileries Garden beside the Louvre. Other enigmatic locations include the square outside Notre Dame Cathedral and Place des Abbesses in Montmartre.

Ice rinks and funfairs

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Christmas market visits aren’t the only activity to take place during December. Many of the city’s famed locations also become home to temporary ice rinks.

Accessible whatever the weather is the indoor rink at the Grand Palais on the Champ de Mars, which is also one of the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, previous years have seen the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette and the viewing platform of the Grande Arche de la Défense match a turn on the ice with exquisite views over the city.

Filling the gap between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the Musée des Arts Forains (Fairground Museum) in the Bercy neighborhood hosts the Festival du Merveilleux (Festival of Marvels).

During this short window of opportunity visitors are able to ride their collection of vintage fairground attractions, some of which date back to the 1850s. The event is made all the more special by the appearance of magicians, dancers, puppeteers and musicians.

When it comes to adrenaline, there’s only one place to head, and that’s the Christmassy makeover given to Parc Asterix on the outskirts of the city. As well as buckling up for a wild ride on the theme park’s roller coasters, there’s a whole host of special add-ons, from themed shows to indoor toboggan runs.

Chocolate and carol concerts

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Those who enjoy a slower pace won’t be disappointed with Christmas in Paris either. Although most outdoor café tables sit dejectedly in forgotten corners, Paris’s coffee houses are still a prime place to absorb the ambience of the city.

So why not linger over a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a pastry at the Lindt café by the Paris Opera or at Carette’s on Place du Trocadero – two of our favorite places to spend an hour or two away from the hustle and bustle of the streets outside.

Another place to escape the crowds are in Paris’s religious spaces. Its churches are decorated with nativity scenes from the start of Advent (four Sundays before Christmas Day) alongside a schedule of Christmas concerts.

Tickets for those at the Church of Sainte-Chapelle are well sought after given the combination of stirring sounds and the 16 massive stained-glass windows that dominate the chapel’s appearance. But churches including those in the Saint-Germain des Prés area and the American Church in Paris are popular alternatives with Parisians looking to get in the Christmas spirit whatever their religious leanings.

Celebrating Christmas in Paris

As a visitor, you’re not going to be disappointed by all the things to do in Paris at Christmas. A plethora of lights provide the necessary festive backdrop whether you’re keen to tick off the last of the gifts you need, take in the Christmas markets, grab a pair of ice skates or delight in a seasonal concert.

At the same time, don’t forget about the landmark attractions that have made Paris a bucket list destination since before bucket lists even existed. Explore with Go City and you can visit many of them whilst making great savings on admission compared to purchasing on the day, alongside other advantages including pre-payment – helping make your vacation budgeting all the easier!

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A row of colourful Eiffel Tower keyrings on display in a shop
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Best Paris Souvenirs

Did you know the word souvenir derives from the French term for memory or remembrance? What could be more appropriate, then, than to take a memento of your visit to the City of Love home with you? Read on for our guide to the best Paris souvenirs, and where to find them. From the Ubiquitous to the Unique No Paris souvenir is more emblematic or ubiquitous than the humble Eiffel Tower. You’ll find reproductions of The Iron Lady absolutely everywhere, from kitsch souvenir booths and street stalls to the high-end jewelry stores that line the Champs-Élysées. Tacky? Perhaps. But you’re guaranteed a reminder of that wonderful weekend you spent in Paris each and every time you look at it. The tower comes as – deep breath – a fridge magnet, bottle opener, wine-stopper, mug, cuddly toy, bedside lamp, keyring and pen. You’ll see it on t-shirts and tea-towels and inside snow globes. It comes in every shape, color, size and format imaginable, with or without flashing lights. But you can’t really beat a simple metal replica. These tiny, faithful reproduction ornaments can be found in the Eiffel Tower’s gift shops and, well, just about everywhere else. Looking for something a little more unique to you? Paris is home to some of the finest perfumers on the planet, with many offering unique custom fragrances. Scent magicians Fragonard have a workshop in which you can design and create your very own mini eau de toilette to take home. Alternatively – should you have deep enough pockets – you can engage the services of celebrated Paris perfumer Stéphanie de Bruijn, who will personally oversee the creation of your very own signature scent. Or head to Place du Tertre in Montmartre where, on a picturesque cobbled square against the stunning backdrop of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, local artists will create perhaps the ultimate Paris keepsake: a portrait or caricature of your own beautiful face, captured for posterity. And you don’t get much more unique than that! Souvenirs for Culture Vultures Paris boasts literally hundreds of museums and art galleries. And where there’s a museum or gallery, there’s a gift shop. Hit up the Louvre for all your Mona Lisa mug and tote bag requirements. Of course, as befits the world’s most-visited museum, there’s much more to the Louvre’s beautiful wood-clad boutique than da Vinci knick-knacks alone. Think intricately detailed maps of pre and post-Haussmannian Paris, replica period jewelry and hundreds of prints of masterpieces from the museum's vast art collection. Gift shops at the Rodin and Picasso museums also merit a visit in their own right. The Rodin Museum boutique is where you’ll find note-perfect ornamental replicas of the French sculptor’s most famous works, including The Kiss and The Thinker. While the Musée Picasso boutique in the Marais is your one-stop-shop for decorative houseware, pottery, bags, artful cushions and more, all designed to pay tasteful homage to the father of Cubism. The stretch between Quai Voltaire and Quai de la Tournelle on the Seine’s Left Bank is a bonanza for book lovers. Stroll the pretty embankment, enjoying glorious views of Notre-Dame and the bateaux that bob along the river, as you browse the wares of the Bouquinistes. This is the place for books of all shapes and sizes sold from stalls that line the riverside. Think literary classics, graphic novels, dusty antiquarian doorstops, childrens’ books, art, poetry... it’s all here, and then some. Budding philatelists and deltiologists are also well catered for by the Bouquinistes, with many selling antique French stamps and postcards alongside their books. At the eastern end of this stretch, on the edge of the Latin Quarter, is also where you’ll find beloved English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company. Within this labyrinthine treasure trove of groaning shelves and teetering piles lies the perfect souvenir or gift idea for the bookworm in your life: a beautiful book of your choice, stamped with the shop’s famous logo on its flyleaf. Wearable and Edible Paris Souvenirs If you’re lucky enough to be able to rock the beret-and-marinière look like the couple in the picture above, we recommend splashing out on these traditional Gallic fashions in a store with French-made goods, rather than picking up the cheap knock-off versions that are ubiquitous in the high-street souvenir shops (and that are liable to fall apart the minute you get them home). Try La Cerise sur le Chapeau for your chic headgear and Armor-Lux for your Breton striped shirt. Neither will break the bank and both have branches throughout Paris. What might break the bank, however, is a visit to the flagship Louis Vuitton megastore on the Champs-Élysées, the biggest in the world. Seven stories of eye-wateringly expensive accessories await you in this palace of pleasure. It’s worth visiting purely to ogle at its many wonders but, if you can afford it, what an absolutely perfect souvenir that magnificent little purse would make. Food, glorious food... Given that France can stake a reasonable claim to having the finest cuisine on the planet, it would be remiss if you fail to take home something edible: an exquisite little jar of the yellow stuff from the Maille boutique on Place de la Madeleine, perhaps. Or some powdered hot chocolate from the legendary Café Angelina. Paris is also crammed with delightful fromageries and caves à vin for all your cheese and wine needs. Follow your nose to quaint Rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest streets in Paris and home to The House of Androuet, its highly decorative exterior tempting you inside to where hundreds of fragrant French fromages await. Head to Galerie Vivienne for an old-fashioned wine-shopping experience at Legrand Filles et Fil. Beneath the grand glass canopy of this 19th-century arcade, you’ll find a wonderland of wines from Bordeaux to Burgundy and beyond. And finally, it’s impossible to talk about edible souvenirs without mentioning macarons, those colorful little meringue confections so beloved of Parisians and Instagrammers everywhere. You can pick these up from any Paris pâtisserie worth its salt, but for a truly decadent souvenir or gift, treat yourself to a box of beautifully presented macarons from the opulent Ladurée store. Or visit rival Pierre Hermé, whose must-try signature flavors include Ispahan (raspberry, lychee and rosewater) and Mogador (chocolate and passion fruit). You’ll find both of these fine establishments on (where else?) the Champs-Élysées. Save on things to do in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Children looking at a map by the Eiffel Tower
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Things to do in Paris With Kids

An efficient public transport system, a relatively compact center and oodles of parks, museums and family friendly hotels and restaurants make Paris a great choice for a city break with your little adventurers. We’ve put together a selection of our favorite things to do in Paris with kids, from climbing the Eiffel Tower to magic shows beneath the streets. Park life With over 400 green spaces, you’re never very far from a park in Paris. Many are close to major attractions like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, providing ideal opportunities to break up your sightseeing itinerary with some ultra-kid-friendly activities. The Jardin du Luxembourg’s central location is far from being its only draw. Over 56 acres kids can enjoy pony rides, puppet shows and one of the city’s biggest playgrounds. The Grand Bassin lake in front of the Palais de Luxembourg is particularly charming. Here, kids can rent old-fashioned toy wooden sailing boats and push them out into the water. On Sundays, members of the Luxembourg Nautical Club add their eclectic selection of (silent) motor boats, sailing vessels and submarines to the mix. On the banks of the Seine, the Jardin des Plantes is home to the Ménagerie – one of the oldest zoos in the world. Its 600+ inhabitants include ferociously cute red pandas and endangered species such as snow leopards and giant Aldabra tortoises. Wander the wooded pathways to spot the animals in their log-cabin homes. If the Ménagerie’s critters are feeling particularly camera-shy during your visit, there's always the Grande Galerie de l’Evolution, a natural history museum on the edge of the park, where taxidermy beasts share space with giant dinosaur fossils, meteorites and thousands of plant species. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is a little off the beaten track in the 19th arrondissement, but well worth the pilgrimage. Less crowded than the city center parks, it contains 60+ acres of hilly terrain and woodland that’s perfect for little explorers. Kids can feed the ducks in the pond, enjoy a picnic with superb city views, run the 63-meter length of the Eiffel-designed suspension bridge and discover the secret grotto with its magical (albeit artificial) waterfall. Natural highs Kids love to climb, right? Great news! Paris is full of opportunities for natural highs that will keep them entertained. Why take the lift all the way up the Eiffel Tower when there’s a perfectly good set of stairs that goes all the way up to the second floor? That’s 674 steps in total: a dream come true for energetic kids everywhere. Footsore parents will be relieved to learn there’s a glass elevator to shoot you the rest of the way up to the observation deck on level three. And a bar when you get there. The Arc de Triomphe is a little more forgiving, with a mere 284 steps to reach the summit. Up here, kids can get snap-happy with arguably some of the finest photo opportunities in Paris, including uninterrupted views down the broad Champs-Élysées boulevard to Place de la Concorde. There are also great views of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Cœur basilica, balanced like a little fondant-icing decoration atop Montmartre. To reach the basilica, take the easy way up: Montmartre’s funicular railway takes you all the way to the top in just 90 seconds and your kids will love it! Once at the top, grab a well-earned chocolate crêpe and sit on the steps watching the street entertainers and admiring the views. Kids can also pick up a unique souvenir here: a caricature of themselves by a local portrait artist. Also recommended is a short tour of Montmartre’s atmospheric streets aboard the adorable petit train: kids love it and it’s an absolute godsend for foot-weary parents. Museums and shops Paris has a number of dedicated children’s museums. Musée de la Magie is a mesmerizing treasure trove of magic and illusion in the Marais district. It's set in the cellars of the Marquis de Sade’s former home, but don’t let that put you off! Kids will love the weird and wonderful exhibits and free magic show. Entry also includes access to the adjacent Musée des Automates, with its fascinating (and occasionally creepy) collection of around 250 antique automated puppets and toys. The Cité des Sciences (CSI) is Europe’s biggest science museum and counts a planetarium, an IMAX theater, and even a submarine among its many attractions. Here, kids from as young as four or five years old can get involved in fun interactive exhibits and play areas across six thematic zones. You could easily spend a day here and in the surrounding Parc de la Villette. This sprawling playground has dozens of sculptures and themed gardens to explore, as well as open-air cinema and live music in the summer months. The higgledy-piggledy high shelves and Harry Potter-esque interiors of iconic English-language bookstore Shakespeare and Company will appeal to little bookworms everywhere. A huge and eclectic selection of books for kids, teenagers and young adults means there’s something for everyone here. Continue the, ahem, educational theme with a trip to Le Bonbon au Palais, a classroom-themed candy store in the 5th arrondissement. Here, presented in apothecary-style jars, are tempting French candies in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. Children will be like, well, kids in a candy shop. It’s a guaranteed hit and may just provide the sugar boost everyone requires to get back to the hotel without a toddler-style meltdown. Save on things to do in Paris with kids Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
A tourist studying her map in front of the Eiffel Tower
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Is Paris Safe?

Paris is one of the most-visited cities on the planet, with millions of tourists pouring in every year. And it’s not difficult to understand why: beautiful parks, world-class museums, gourmet dining and Instagrammable monuments galore mean it’s packed with great things to see and do. Never mind that it's simply one of the most romantic places on earth. But is Paris safe for tourists to visit? Find out in our guide below. How Safe is Paris? Paris, like most major cities, has its fair share of petty crime, with pickpocketing and bag-snatching highest on the list of things to watch out for. Tourists and newcomers to the city are, of course, far more likely to be targeted than locals, especially those who appear lost, disoriented or confused by their surroundings, or who generally stick out like a sore thumb. So it’s important to know what to look out for to stay safe and ensure you enjoy an incident-free break. Opportunistic thieves tend to ply their questionable trade in and around major attractions, where large crowds of tourists can make for easy pickings. So it makes sense that the places you’re most likely to be relieved of your cash and possessions are around the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and Notre-Dame Cathedral, as well as in popular neighborhoods including Montmartre, the Marais and the Latin Quarter. Avoid flashing around large sums of cash, keep your bags zipped up and be aware of your surroundings when, for example, using your phone or taking money out of an ATM. Thankfully, violent crime against tourists is relatively low in Paris. So the best response if you do fall victim to petty theft on the streets is not to give chase and instead report the incident to local police as soon as possible. And remember that, as long as you take sensible precautions like keeping an eye on your belongings and not falling for obvious scams, it’s likely the very worst thing that will happen to you in Paris is having to endure your waiter’s scorn when you order your steak well-done. Common Scams in Paris Thieves in Paris employ a quite extraordinary range of techniques to part you from your belongings. All are designed to fluster or otherwise bamboozle you for just long enough to get what they want and melt back into the crowd. A common trick is for the thief to pose as a lost tourist and approach you when you’re sitting at a café or restaurant table on the street. Placing an oversized city map on your table they will, on departing, pocket the map as well as whatever else was underneath it: your purse, your phone, and so on. Avoid this by keeping items in your pocket or a secured bag rather than in full view of opportunists. Also be wary of anyone who approaches you to sign a petition, or to donate to a charity: it’s highly likely these are not legit. Likewise someone who spills a messy liquid – coffee, ketchup, etc – on you, then makes a show of helping you clean up. These are distraction techniques pure and simple, so secure your belongings and walk away. Gold rings and roses are some of the other common scams that many visitors to Paris fall foul of – especially hopeless romantics. In the first of these, the the tinkle of metal hitting concrete is rapidly followed by a lady asking you if you have dropped your ring. When you say it isn’t yours she will then insist you take it as a lucky charm. But take care: as soon as you agree she will aggressively demand payment for the item. Beware also of men bearing flowers. These will be held out for you to take, but are never, ever free of charge. So only accept one if you’re happy to line this particular scammer’s pockets. The game of bonneteau – also known as find the lady and three-card monte – has been operating on the streets of Paris for centuries. Simply keep your eye on your chosen color of ball as it disappears beneath one of three cups, correctly identify the cup and hey presto, you win! Right? Wrong: it’s a confidence trick and you are the dupe. Keep your cash in your pocket and walk away. Is Paris Safe for Solo and Female Travelers? Not only is Paris safe for solo and female travelers, there are also loads of great things you can do on your own here, from learning to make macarons to seeing the city by bike and joining one of the city’s fab weekly rollerskating events. Otherwise the rules are much the same as for everyone else: take sensible precautions like letting family and friends know your plans if you’re going out alone at night and avoid trouble hotspots like quiet streets and late-night trains. A night out in Paris can of course be a lot of fun, with its buzzing nightlife and great entertainment scene: think world-class opera, high-kicking cabaret shows, and late-night bars and clubs. It’s always safer to politely decline offers of drinks from strangers and indeed to go out in a group if you can. Drink in moderation and ideally take a cab home rather than using public transport at night. Apps like Uber operate in Paris, or you can hail a Taxi Parisien, identifiable by the name on their cab light. The cab will also have a meter and display a badge with the driver’s license number. Note that if you do opt to take the Paris Métro, you should only buy your tickets from an authorized vendor or ticket machine in the station. Do not pay touts in and around the station for what might appear to be bargain tickets – you are most likely being scammed. Follow these simple tips and chances are your holiday in Paris will be every bit as fun and trouble-free as it is for the millions of tourists who visit and fall in love with the city every year. Save on things to do in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak

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