Between mid-November and mid-January Paris is all Christmas and New Year festivities. The streets are illuminated, children and adults admire the Christmas decorations in the department store windows and the Christmas markets and crèches de Noël (Christmas cribs) display their seasonal products from late November or early December.
There are many good reasons to visit Paris in this period. Strolling through the city at this time of year is a special event.
Check this page regularly. More activities will be added.
Before Christmas
Shop windows The beautiful Christmas windows of the large department stores Lafayette (from November 8), Le Printemps (from November 12), Le Bon Marché and BHV (from November 19) always attract many visitors. At Le Printemps the topic is Russia, in Lafayette the theme is Noël Gourmand (foodie Christmas) and at BHV designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has decorated and illuminated the building.
Illuminations
Many boulevards are lavishy and attractively illuminated. The Champs-Elysées (from November 23 till January 10), boulevard Haussmann, place Royale, place Vendôme (from November 20), rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, place des Victoires, avenue Montaigne, place de la Nation and rue Lepic/rue des Abbesses (from December 1).
But there are many more areas outside the well known shopping districts that are illuminated. Some 125 streets ands squares all over Paris are artfully decorated with Christmas lights, designed by a team of lighting designers: the project Paris illuminates Paris (from December 1 till January 15). On their website you can find the streets that take part in the project. There are five routes and you can get a map at one of the branches of the Office du Tourisme.
Christmas markets The Christmas markets are generally open between 10 and 20 hours. In these markets you will find Christmas decorations, local produce and a real Christmas atmosphere. The most popular are at the following locations:
location
dates
arr.
metro
square René Viviani / quai Montebello
December 16 - 20
5th
Saint-Michel
place Saint-Sulpice
10-20 hours
December 10-24
6th
Saint-Sulpice
place Saint-Germain-des-Prés
10-20 hours
November 28 - December 31
6th
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Port de Suffren (along the Seine near the Eiffel Tower)
December 23 - January 3
7th
Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel
Gare Saint-Lazare (cour de Rome)
December
8th
Saint-Lazare
Champs-Elysées (between the Rond-point and place de la Concorde)
November 20 - December 28
8th
Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau
Maison de l'Alsace (39 avenue des Champs-Elysées)
11-22.30 hours
November 27 - December 23
8th
Franklin D. Roosevelt
in front of the Gare de l'Est
8-20 hours
November 28 - December 12
10th
Gare de l'Est
place de la Nation
10-20 hours
December 1-24
12th
Nation
Tour Montparnasse (place Raoul Dutry)
November 28 - December 29
15th
Montparnasse-Bienvenuë
Auteuil, 40 rue Jean de la Fontaine
December 5-20
16th
Jasmin
Place des Abbesses
November 28 - December 30
18th
Abbesses
parvis de la Défense
11-19.30 hours
November 25 - December 27
Esplanade de la Défense
Design Christmas trees
Thirty Christmas trees, designed by students of the Academy of applied arts L’Ecole Duperré. You can admire these Christmas trees in the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand. The exhibition ‘Sapins de Noël fashion 2009’ takes place in the lounge of the hotel under the glass roof from November 25 till January 4. Entrance is free.
Address: 2 rue Scribe (9th arr.), metro Opéra or Chausée d’Antin Lafayette.
Paris from the Ferris wheel Until December 30 you can view all of Paris from the Ferris wheel on place de la Concorde. 'La Grande Roue', as the french call it, is open between 10 am en 12 pm. Grab your chance and admire the city of lights from the cab of the big wheel, 60 meter off the ground. A spectacle in daytime, it is even better at night when all the lights are on.
Admission: adults 10 Euros, children 5 Euros.
Watch this film for a taste.
Children’s fun Between December 19 and January 3 kids will find a merry-go-round in many places. They can have a free ride from 10 till 19. Almost every arrondissement has one, but the most popular places are the place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the square du Temple (3rd arr.), place de la Madeleine (8th arr.), place de l’Odéon (6th arr.), place Joffre (7th arr.) and place du Trocadéro (16th arr.).
Ice rinks in Paris
From mid-December till March you can skate on one of the two outdoor ice rinks in Paris. You'll find them in front of the Hôtel de Ville and in front of Gare Montparnasse. They will open on December 18. Watch this movie for a preview.
Below is a summary of the details of the ice rinks.
ice rink
arrondissement and metro
opening hours
details
in front of the Hôtel de Ville
4th, metro Hôtel de Ville
December 18 till March 6 2010
mo till fr 12-22, sat, sun and holidays 9-22,
free entrance
toboggan rides for children under 12 (sledges available); skates for rent (5 Euros); free double iron skates for children shoe size up to 27; extra ice rink for children under 6
in front of Gare Montparnasse
14th, metro Montparnasse-Bienvenuë
December 18 till March 6 2010
mo t/m fr 12-22, sat, sun and holidays 9-22,
free entrance
toboggan rides for children under 12 (sledges available); skates for rent (5 Euros); free double iron skates for children shoe size up to 27; extra ice rink for children under 6
Open or closed during the holidays? On three Sundays before Christmas (December 6, 13 and 20), the department stores, malls, large shops and a large number of small shops are open. On Christmas Eve, December 25 and January 1 most shops, restaurants, museums and monuments are closed. But some are open, look at this list to see which. The French celebrate only one day of Christmas.
Although many sites are closed, you can still enjoy yourself those days. In good weather you can take a walk along the Seine or in one of the parks. In bad weather strolling through the 19th century Passages is a good idea.
Tour in Christmas spirit
How about a bus tour through illuminated Paris in Christmas spirit? The Open Tour buses drive along the Opéra, place Vendôme, place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées, the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, the Louvre, and the big department stores. You can watch the illuminations and the Christmas decorations and listen to Christmas music.
The tours start December 11 and end January 3 (no tours on December 24 and 31) and last 1,5 hours. Prices are 19 Euros for adults and 9 Euros for children. Advance booking is possible on the site of L’Open Tour.
Christmas cake by Kenzo
Each year the Parisian luxury confectioner Lenôtre produces a special Christmas cake, a ‘bûche de Noël’, designed by a famous fashion designer.
Last year the cake was made up by Givenchy, this year it is the turn of fashion designer Kenzo Takada. He designed a "cake" that looks like three bamboo sticks with a golden bow around it. Inside are almond paste and green tea.
You will need some money to buy this cake: 98 Euros, but it is big enough for 8-10 people. If you like it, you can order the bûche from December 9 and pick it up in one of the shops of Lenôtre between December 18 and 25.
Festivities around the New Year
Lots of events around the New Year in Paris: . A circus and fairground show in the Grand Palais. . Ice sculptures on the Champs-Elysées near the Christmas
market. .Countdown at the Champs-Elysées at midnight, 31st December;
don’t forget your
champagne. . Sound and light show at the Eiffel Tower on New Year’s Eve at
23 hours. Or watch it at 31decembreaparis.com. . Grande Parade on January 1st at 14.30 hours on Trocadéro,
opposite the Eiffel Tower: a parade of old and new cars, music bands, choirs and artists
from all over the world.
Circus and fairground show in the Grand Palais
The Grand Palais offers a great circus and fairground show from December 18 to January 1 in the nef, the large middle part of the building. Swings, a Ferris wheel, circus performances for young and old, and a section for children including carousels and other fairground attractions. Museum pieces of fairground attractions are on display from the Musée des Arts Forains (the Fair Museum). Each day a music band will be playing jazz à la Django Reinhardt and gypsy music.
Prices: adults 5 Euros, children under 10 years 3 Euros. These prices cover the exhibition of the Musée des Arts Forains, the music concerts and the children's section, but not the use of the fairground attractions, for which you have to pay between 2 and 4 Euros. Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., on December 31 and 24, however, closing time is at 8 p.m. www.grandpalais.fr
Winter village in the stadium
The Charléty stadium in southern Paris will change into ski village ‘Charléty sur Neige’ from December 19 till 31 with winter fun for children and adults.
There are ski and toboggan runs, Christmas spruces, a climbing wall, trampolines, a snowboard slope, a cableway and a snow garden (for children 4-6 years). Admission is free for children 3-17 years.
Metro/tram: RER B:- Cité Universitaire, Tramway T3: Stade Charléty. Open Monday till Friday from 13.30-18 (closed on December 25th), Saturday and Sunday from 13-18.
Au revoir, 2009!
The Champs-Elysées is the place to be on New Year's Eve. Thousands of people will be wishing wish each other a happy New Year at midnight and drink champagne. The Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars and the Trocadéro are also popular spots. From 23 hours, the Eiffel Tower has a sound and lights experience until midnight. It is quite an experience! But if you don't like crowds, you 'd better find a quiet spot to wait for 2010.
Christmas in Disneyland
From November 8 till January 6, 2010 Disneyland is all Christmas. There is a Christmas parade, Belle’s Christmas village, there are beautiful Christmas lights everywhere, it snows on Main Street and there is a huge Christmas tree. The Sleeping Beauty Castle is transformed into an ice palace. You can take a picture with Santa Claus and there are special Mickey and Minnie Christmas shows.
On New Year's Eve the park closes at 01.00 and at midnight there are large fireworks.
Children up to 6 years sleep for free in a hotel and they need no entrance tickets for Disneyland.
Free transport at New Year's Eve
You will not need a ticket for metro, bus or tram from December 31, 5 p.m. till January 1, at midday.
Public transport ends at the regular time (about 02.00 a.m. on January 1), except for 6 metro lines that keep working all night: lines 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 14. Keep in mind that especially the metro cars can be packed up till 01.00 a.m.
On December 25 public transport schedules are as on a public holiday.
Between mid-November and mid-January Paris is all Christmas and New Year festivities. The streets are illuminated, children and adults admire the Christmas decorations in the department store windows and the Christmas markets and crèches de Noël (Christmas cribs) display their seasonal products from late November or early December. 
There are many good reasons to visit Paris in this period. Strolling through the city at this time of year is a special event. 
But there are many more areas outside the well known shopping districts that are illuminated. Some 125 streets ands squares all over Paris are artfully decorated with Christmas lights, designed by a team of lighting designers: the project 
Design Christmas trees
Grab your chance and admire the city of lights from the cab of the big wheel, 60 meter off the ground. A spectacle in daytime, it is even better at night when all the lights are on. 
Ice rinks in Paris 
Although many sites are closed, you can still enjoy yourself those days. In good weather you can take a walk along the Seine or in one of the 
You will need some money to buy this cake: 98 Euros, but it is big enough for 8-10 people. If you like it, you can order the bûche from December 9 and pick it up in one of the shops of 
the nef, the large middle part of the building. Swings, a Ferris wheel, circus performances for young and old, and a section for children including carousels and other fairground attractions. Museum pieces of fairground attractions are on display from the 
everywhere, it snows on Main Street and there is a huge Christmas tree. The Sleeping Beauty Castle is transformed into an ice palace. You can take a picture with Santa Claus and there are special Mickey and Minnie Christmas shows.
