Libbie

We have the opportunity to make our first-ever trip to Paris around Dec. 27, staying thru Jan. 2 or 3. If you could be there then, what would you do for New Year's Eve? Where would you dine (money is not unlimited!)? Where would you stay? Where in the city would you want to be at midnight? Will the city be dead or crowded or neither during that week? Will the museums be open? <BR> <BR>Libbie

Ursula

Libbie: I spent a couple of days in Paris just after Christmas last year but left on December 30 (PS: weather was real miserable). I would definitely splurge in a very nice restaurant on December 31. Be sure to book months ahead once you have decided where. <BR>Also suggest you go to concert in a church these days (Madeleine, Ste-Chapelle, St.Germain-des-Prés, St.Séverin, etc.). Check with www.pariscope.fr before you leave. You can get tickets at the Tourist Office at Champs-Elysées , at FNAC bookstore, Rue de Rennes, at Le Bon Marché, 6th, or in churches before the concerts. <BR>Where to stay? Well, you can stay in a lot areas in Paris. Suggest, St. Germain-des-Prés, Montparnasse, Marais. At midnight: anywhere, but with a bunch of friends and a couple of bottles of champagne. The Champs-Elysées are usually crowded. A lot of traffic around too.The city over these days is quite full with tourists and Parisians (esp. the stores). A lot of people take off during that week. Museums are open. Check the specific pages for detailled info before you leave. Here are some: <BR>www.paris-touristoffice.com <BR>www.parisavenue.com <BR>www.paris.org <BR>www.louvre.fr <BR>www.centrepompidou.fr <BR> <BR>Have fun and Happy 2002! ;-) <BR>

Ursula

Sorry, forgot to add: Museums are usually closed on Tuesdays. As January 1 IS a Tuesday, the are very likely to be closed that day as well.

Meg

My Christmas present last year was a week-end in Paris for New Year's. It was a quick trip, but I'll never forget bringing in the New Year sitting under the Eiffel Tower. We stayed in the 7th so that we were a 5 minute walk away from the Tower because I knew that's where I wanted to be at midnight. We made dinner reservations in advance at a very forgettable place. Be advised that most of the restaurants I checked into had fixed price menus for that night. We had an early dinner off the Champs Elysees then caught the metro back to our hotel. We changed into jeans and bundled up, grabbed our bottle of Cristal and walked down the Champs du Mars and found a bench close to the Tower. There were a lot of pedestrians and lots of cars lining the streets. A lot of people just sat in their cars without even parking until midnight then drove off. There were small fireworks - nothing like the 1999-2000 celebration. The lights on the tower twinkled blue at midnight - just beautiful. I was told beforehand that the Champs Elysees and the Boule Mich turn into pedestrian thoroughfares that night. There was also a big laser light show at Place de la Concorde that night. The metro was free until 5 a.m. It was very crowded when we rode it around 10 p.m. that night, so I was glad we were able to walk the rest of the night. I hope you have a great time.

Jean J.

Hi Libbie, <BR> <BR>I was in Paris (my first time) Dec.26 -Jan. 1, 1999 and loved it. It was a little dreary and chilly in the 40s and sometimes rainy but the upside was the beautiful animated Christmas scenes in La Samaritaine's windows and other places and lack of crowds in the museums. I had the best meal I've ever eaten- I think about 7 courses at Le Bistroit de Paris (www.le-bistrot-de-paris.fr) for New Years eve and they also had a couple singing. We booked when we were in France and it seemed alot of the crowd was Parisians. What could be nicer than New Year's eve in Paris and I got great airfare and a good off-season hotel rate. I stayed at hotel St. Jacques (2 star)in the Latin Quarter and enjoyed it-free Leonidas chocolates in the lobby and beautiful hand painted murals in the lobby and breakfast room. The staff does speak English and you might request a bigger room (as they vary in size). We had a good size room w/ a double bed and a view of the Pantheon to the westw/an adjoining very small room w/ a twin bed as part of our room.

Libbie

Thanks to all of you for your replies. Can you suggest a hotel or two, not too expensive, that I could look up on the web? I'd like to make reservations pretty soon. Thanks! <BR> <BR>Libbie