LOOKING FOR A GREAT PLACE TO SPEND NEW YEARS EVE IN PARIS. WE ARE STAYING AT THE PRINCE DE GAULLE HOTEL WHICH IS CENTRALLY LOCATED.<BR>WE ARE IN OUR LATE 30'S, WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING TOO FORMAL BUT A PLACE FOR A GREAT DINNER AND DANCING IS WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND.<BR><BR>PLEASE EMAIL IF YOU HAVE ANY GOOD IDEAS.

You are shouting.

I would be interesed in any responses you get as well! We are thinking of going away New Years but don't know where to go or what might be fun.

Here's your first post, Susan.

Susan, What Anon failed to tell you that using all caps on a message board is considered shouting. You might want to avoid that.<BR><BR>My daughter and I were in Paris last New Years. What we found is that the streets were completely filled with revelers. There were festivities at the Place de Concorde and near Notre Dame. Many restaurants had special menus and prices and parties that were on the pricey side. Of course there were a lot of places, particularly in the Latin Quarter, that were just filled with with revellers. Everything was very crowded and the streets were filled with partying people well into the next morning.<BR><BR>There are several places you can look for specific restaurants and parties. Try the Paris Jaune pages (yellow pages) and Timeout Paris. <BR><BR>There are a couple of trip reports posted from last year so you might want to do a search.

Susan, A few things you could do on New Year's Eve in Paris:<BR>1) Eat a gala dinner @ the famous Tour d'Argent restaurant for starters.<BR>2) Tour the Seine River. Perhaps take a dinner cruise?<BR>3) Be at the Eiffel Tower at the stroke of midnight to watch the blaze of fireworks display.

I spent NYE in Paris last year with my boyfriend and some friends (all in our early 30's). We chose to have dinner at Au Pied du Cochon. We made reservations about 1 month in advance. We chose the restuarant based on normal reviews, it being know as a loud fun place and it's location to the Pl. de la Concorde. After dinner we walked to Pont Neuf and popped champagne (had brought it with us in our bags). Then we proceeded to walk up the seine arriving at Pl. de la Concorde at midnight! Took part in the singing and toasting. Walked down the Champs d'Elsyee singing and drinking our champagne. It was a perfect night!<BR><BR>Bonne Annee!

New Year's Eve there is pretty much the same as here. The Champs Elysees near the Arc is closed with a zillion people, like Times Square here. People have parties or go out for dinner. Most restaurants have special menus that night with one or two seatings, prix-fixe with a limited menu, and much more in cost than normally, like here. I always tell people to have a nice dinner, then walk out on a bridge and watch the fireworks coming from the Eiffel Tower, or take a boat ride on the Seine (Bateaux Mouches , Vendettes du Pont Neuf) and watch the fireworks from there. I have recieved many reports of pretty wild stuff going on in the crowds on the Champs, in the metros, so I would plan on a quieter evening. Many people have regretted going to the Champs Elysees – gets pretty rough, firecrackers thrown, pushing and shoving – I don't recommend it. For more Paris information e-mail me: [email protected]

fyi, last New Years the river was exceptionally high and the boat rides were all cancelled. All but a very few couldn't go under the bridges.<BR><BR>Wendy wrote an excellent trip report last year if you can find it.