We are renting an apartment in the 4th (Sevigne) for a month beginning Dec 15th. We have made many trips to Paris over the years, but have never been during xmas/new year holidays before.
So I really need the input of a %26#39;native%26#39; if possible as to what will be closed and for how long? Not too concerned about museums etc., but am regarding street markets, supermarkets, bakeries and the like.
Xmas Day is on Monday (as is New Years Day). When will the shops close and re-open.
Also, will restaurants be open Xmas day?
Where would be a good spot for New Years Eve for 2 old farts in their 50%26#39;s who don%26#39;t mind getting down and dirty - nothing fancy - I don%26#39;t pack fancy!
|||
I%26#39;m not a native, but did spend several days in Paris before and after Christmas a few years ago. We didn%26#39;t have a problem finding a restaurant open on Christmas Eve or Christmas. We stayed in the 5th. Not all were open, but enough to choose from. And I remember stopping in a small market quite late on Christmas Eve to pick up juice, etc. We enjoyed the Christmas markets - I remember we found one when we were in the area of La Defense, and I%26#39;m sure there are others. It was a wonderful time to be in Paris - Christmas Eve we went to a movie on the Champs Elysees and then to Notre Dame. On Christmas Day itself we went to Disney Paris (our two teenaged sons were with us.) We weren%26#39;t there for News Year so I can%26#39;t help you there. Wish it was me spending a month in Paris in December!
|||
Quite a few restaurants will offer special dinners (at special prices!) on New Year%26#39;s Eve; you%26#39;ll need to reserve well in advance.
On holidays your best bet would be hotel restaurants, but again, reserve in advance.
|||
Thanks, we%26#39;re not particularly looking for restaurants for New Year%26#39;s Eve - more like, we%26#39;re looking for where the crowds will be celebrating - like Trafalgar Square or Times Square - I presume it%26#39;s the Champs - we can eat anywhere.
I was more concerned about whether to stock up our apartment on a week%26#39;s worth of food before the holidays or whether we can get fresh bread, meat %26amp; veggies during that week.
Thanks for the input.
|||
Stires will close on saturday evening.
Many shops selling only fresh food (bakeries, fruits, ...) and flowers will be open on sunday as usual (maybe close a bit earlier in the afternoon), sunday markets will be running.
On monday some food stores may be openbreiefly in the morning but only for picking up pre-ordered goods.
Champs Elysees on New Year evening is more a no-go area than someting else. parisians celebrate home or have dinner (the weather is generally miserable anyway)
|||
Hit the send button too fast :
You won%26#39;t find the same type of crowd celebrations than in USA : Champs Elysees are populated this night by :
a. Tourists looking for the (non existing) celebrations
b. Suburban youths coming to do some %26#39;noise%26#39;
c. Bunch of diverse drunks
|||
Thanks norween - that%26#39;s exactly what I needed.
We won%26#39;t starve and I guess we%26#39;ll avoid the crowds and look for an alternative.
Will the Jazz clubs around Lombards be open New Year%26#39;s Eve? Reservations required?
Jane
|||
I hate the Champs Elysees during New Years Eve. It is really scary. Many people get pick pocketed, a friend of mine had her camera taken out of her hands and some people totally lost their daughter who they found at a police station hours later-two men had grabbed her and she screamed for help from a policeman. If you go, take no money, nothing that can be taken. I guess it is like Time%26#39;s Square, another place I wouldn%26#39;t go. I just don%26#39;t like crowds. Many people go to the Eiffel Tower area to see fire works. All street markets will continue at their usual times although there probably won%26#39;t be as many carts opened as usual. Many shops are closed on Mondays, even if it isn%26#39;t New Years Day. I would wander into the Marais (St Paul Metro Stop, line 1) as I bet more places will be opened there, starting at 11 AM or so, including some of the many restaurants in that area.
|||
-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-
This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.
To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html
We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Removed on: 1:20 pm, August 23, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment