It can be very windy sometimes in December. All atractions and most restaurants are closed on Christmas Day but Paris is so gorgeous around Christmas/New Year. Dress in layers and go. I would

A ditto to the above. I have been there in early december and late january. IN the early december visit, rained every day, but only for about half an hour each time. Bring an umbrella in case. I like that fact that things seem less crowded, there is a certain 'solemness' to the city, with all of the greenery dead, darker mornings and shorter days, I found it a nice change from the bright summer days. Pace is a little slower, cafes more warm and inviting. In my january trip, sunny every day, every day was close to, but above freezing. From where I come from (Toronto) this was all very pleasant. Check out the main shopping areas and the skating rink at City Hall.
In summary..do go, you get another perspective on Parisian life.

I beg to differ about the "no lines" comments. We encoutered incredibly long lines at the Eiffel Tower because so many families (maybe local) were off on Christmas break. We wanted well over an hour in very cold temps. The louvre was packed as well.

that should be "we waited well over an hour"...

I agree with sandi_travelnut, the Christmas/New Year holiday is a very busy time in Paris with long lines and crowds but it is a very special time to be there. Have a great time. If you want to stay at a specific hotel, make your reservations soon

I think we had no lines because we went before Christmas and left the day after.

we were there Dec.17-21 when we experienced the long lines.

I was giving thought to go to Paris over the Christmas holidays, however the flights are so expensive. On NWA it is over $1500.

from where Madison?

Sandi - LAX to CDG.

we will be there Jan 17 -24 and I'm interested to know about the crowds? Does anyone know if that is usually a quieter time? Don't mind the cold, hope its freezing!! just adds to the whole experience.

Madison,

Since I don't the exact dates of your trip I put in Dec.18-Jan2 and got $851. RT with 1 stop in London.

http://www.sidestep.com/air/select_d...iqueId=1436127

I like to start with sidestep.com

ooops it was actually $816. per person.

I, too, was there over the holidays in 2003. It was spectacular. The weather varied from 50's and sunny (we ate outside!) to snow (on New Year's Day), with cold rain one day, and one raw day as well. Nothing detracted! Yes, warm jacket/coat, gloves, even a hat, and layers of clothes worked well.

As for lines, they were, indeed, very long. (One day at the Musee d'Orsay, the line snaked for blocks). This made the museum card invaluable (you don't have to wait in the line).

If you like performances, the cultural season is in full swing--ballet, opera, Comedie Francaise. Early New Year's Eve we went to a wonderful concert (Mozart's Requiem) in the Madeleine.

Finally, we were able to travel on Christmas Eve for substantially cheaper than on some other days at that time. If that's feasible for you, check it out.

Good luck!

Here's another, "yes it's great" from someone who spent Christmas 2003 in Paris. I'm from SF and was really only a little unbearably cold one particular night. Coat, hat, gloves, scarf. We probably took taxis in the evening more than we would have had it been another season.

Sounds like the trick to avoiding long lines is to do what SharonG did, go before Christmas and not in between Christmas and New Years. I love NYC too but would never go there that week, too crowded and crazy.

You know the lines thing is so strange: we never encountered any, not even at the Louvre and we were there from a few days before Christmas to a few days after. This is not to say that there weren't any but we managed to avoid them. This was just luck because we went where we wanted when we wanted, little-to-no itinerary planning.

We also didn't have problems finding things to do on Xmas Day: the Beaubourg is open and so were many shops in the Marais.

Sandi - Thank you for your help. the days I wanted to go was Dec. 26th - Jan 2nd.

Unfortunately, we've had a change of plans and Paris will have to wait just awhile longer. What an addictive city it is.