lc4637

Thinking of changing our plans. Has anyone been to paris and/or brittany in december? My daughter would like to visit the christmas markets in paris but had originally planned to visit brittany for 5 days. Will it be cold and miserable? Your input is appreciated.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Northern France is generally cold, gray and damp in the winter months and in the smaller towns dependent on tourists many of the places that cater to tourists will be closed. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go to Brittany around Christmas time. It just means that if you go there then don't expect sunny, warm weather. The sunniest winter time weather in France is most commonly found on the Côte d'Azur but even there it likely won't be warm and even less so if the mistral is blowing.

jamikins

We spent the week of new years 2009/2010 in Paris and just loved it. It was cold and a bit rainy, but there are lots of cafes and places to go inside in Paris. Not sure about Brittany, I think I would prefer to be there in the warmer months.

Here is our trip report and pics from our new years trip to Paris: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...stmas-2009.cfm

klondiketoo

"Will it be cold and miserable?" Yes, more than likely. What was your daughter planning on doing/seeing there?

I lived it Brittany for three years and winters are wet, windy, cold and overcast, generally. Unless you're a hearty soul who likes slogging around bundled up in rubber boots (mud) and slickers (rain) to walk in the countryside or go see the waves crash along the shore, it wouldn't be my first, second, or even 3rd choice...and I am actually very fond of La Bretagne. Most of the historical castles/buildings are made of granite and are damp and cold that time of year IF they're open.

We spent this past Christmas there with friends for 5 days because we went to visit them, not sight-see. Of those 5 days, two were nice enough for us to take an afternoon walk and 3 were spent talking around the fireplace because it was pouring rain and cold out.

Now, Paris, en revanche, even in bitter cold has been magical the two years we've gone at Xmas. Love it, love it, love it.

StuDudley

We were in Paris just before Christmas in '09 & loved it. Here is something I posted after returning.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-was-paris.cfm

Stu Dudley

GeoffHamer

I was in Brittany last Christmas, visiting Rennes, Nantes, Brest and St-Malo. On 27 December, I went to Ouessant for the day. It was milder than in most of France, which is quite common in winter.
The French weather is on www.meteofrance.com. Today, Brittany is cloudy and has temperatures of 10 to 11 degrees; the Cote d'Azur has a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 14. So the south is warmer in the daytime, but nowhere in France is hot in winter.
I have been in the south when the mistral is blowing, and that is a really bitterly cold wind.

denisea

Paris at Christmas is absolutely wonderful...we really enjoyed it; the weather is not that bad and we live in Atlanta, so we aren't cold weather people at all!! Take a look at my T/R from this past Christmas...read the comments of all the people who have also been in Paris @ Christmas and had fond memories...the photos will also let you see a few different weather days! Go, Go, Go...I would love to go back at Christmas. There is also another T/R on Paris & Strasborg at Christmas on this forum. There are also threads on what to wear.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-fantastic.cfm

http://picasaweb.google.com/denisewa...Pf5q5bBvau4Vw#


http://picasaweb.google.com/denisewa...GOorr-m8W3oAE#


http://picasaweb.google.com/denisewa...qr5rrO6cLrzQE#

amyb

I was just in Paris before Christmas. "Cold" is a relative term, but it was definitely not miserable! Coming from Boston, it was downright balmy to us. Click on my name for a trip report. We loved it there that time of year, to the extent that I'd consider going to other places right before Christmas this year.

Judi

We were in Paris from 16 Dec to 5 Jan. We are also from Atlanta and aren't used to the cold but we dressed for it. It was cold but I wouldn't describe it as miserable.

We loved being there over Christmas and New Year's. The shop windows were so interesting!

I didn't do a trip report; thanks to you who did.

lc4637

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Loved seeing the pictures too. We are going to paris for a week, just trying to make up our mind. Would love seeing Brittany, it is so close.

Thanks again
Linda C

FrenchMystiqueTours

If you would really love seeing Brittany (and I love Brittany any time of year) then don't let the weather or time of year hold you back. Go see and do what you want to do and just dress for the weather. Do you have a week total in France or do you have a week in Paris and then time to spend elsewhere? Paris is great but if Brittany interests you more than Paris then spend your vacation there instead. If you only have a week in France maybe you could spend your first and last nights in Paris and the middle portion of your vacation could be in Brittany.