Parisian New Years
Dec 6th, 2007 | 10:19 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 17
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Parisian New Years
I am going to Paris in 21 days and counting (so excited, our first time) to ring in the new year with my DH. I've researched online and on message boards to find fun activities to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but still seem to lack definitive answers. Hopefully you more knowledgeable Fodorites can shed some light.
Numerous posts have already made it clear that there are no fireworks on NYE. We are not interested in celebrating at a restaurant with one of those elaborate, pricy meals, but do want to enjoy a Parisian New Years, if there is such a thing. Different sources have said the Champ de Mars is the place to be, while others say St. Michel or Champ d'Elysses. Some say don’t go to any of them as they get quite rowdy and sometimes destructive (broken bottles, etc).
My basic question is: where is the place to be to celebrate a fun New Years Eve. We are still in our 20s and active so all options are open.
Numerous posts have already made it clear that there are no fireworks on NYE. We are not interested in celebrating at a restaurant with one of those elaborate, pricy meals, but do want to enjoy a Parisian New Years, if there is such a thing. Different sources have said the Champ de Mars is the place to be, while others say St. Michel or Champ d'Elysses. Some say don’t go to any of them as they get quite rowdy and sometimes destructive (broken bottles, etc).
My basic question is: where is the place to be to celebrate a fun New Years Eve. We are still in our 20s and active so all options are open.
Dec 7th, 2007 | 02:28 AM
#2
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 24,040
Likes: 6
As I have said before, the Champs Elysées crowd can get very rowdy, but usually the atmosphere is quite festive until midnight -- most of the problems start later. However, the shops and cafés do not take any chances anymore and by late afternoon on the 31st, almost every single place of business is boarded up, barricaded and closed, from Louis Vuitton and Ladurée to McDonald's, which does not make the area feel very festive.
Crowds also gather near the Eiffel Tower, and I suspect that more than 50% are waiting for the non-existent fireworks, so there must be a certain degree of disappointment at midnight. In the meantime, people throw firecrackers around and shoot off little rockets and roman candles to pass the evening.
Saint Michel and other popular areas will just have people wandering around with bottles, and most of them will be slowing making their way to either the Champs Elysées or the Champ de Mars by about 11:30 pm for lack of a better idea. Those who stay in one place are probably too drunk or too confused to have any sort of a plan.
If I were out on the streets of Paris that night (highly unlikely), my own plan would just be to wander around my favorite areas and people watch. The laughter and antics of the people in the cafés and restaurants are amusing to watch from the outside, and as long as things don't get out of hand, it will infuse you with goodwill and a festive feeling. The metro is free from 6pm to noon the next day and runs all night on the 31st, and there are many extraordinary things that can be seen underground -- the contrast of people wearing totally extravagant flashy party outfits taking the metro alongside people who will be cleaning offices or emptying bedpans in hospitals all night is remarkable. And there will be lots of singing and goofing around, which is a big change from the silence and dour looks that people exchange at ordinary times in the metro.
If I had never seen the Champs Elysées at midnight on the 31st, that's where I would go, but I would go elsewhere by 12:30 to avoid the probable incidents. It should be seen at least once. But as a resident Parisian who has spent New Year's at various places all over the city over the years, I think that the outdoor venue that would appeal to me the most to breathe in the atmosphere of the city during the opening minutes of 2008 would be the steps in front of Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. It is sure to have a rowdy and drunken crowd as well, but from up there, you can see the rest of the city vibrating to its own rhythm, peaceful but very alive.
Crowds also gather near the Eiffel Tower, and I suspect that more than 50% are waiting for the non-existent fireworks, so there must be a certain degree of disappointment at midnight. In the meantime, people throw firecrackers around and shoot off little rockets and roman candles to pass the evening.
Saint Michel and other popular areas will just have people wandering around with bottles, and most of them will be slowing making their way to either the Champs Elysées or the Champ de Mars by about 11:30 pm for lack of a better idea. Those who stay in one place are probably too drunk or too confused to have any sort of a plan.
If I were out on the streets of Paris that night (highly unlikely), my own plan would just be to wander around my favorite areas and people watch. The laughter and antics of the people in the cafés and restaurants are amusing to watch from the outside, and as long as things don't get out of hand, it will infuse you with goodwill and a festive feeling. The metro is free from 6pm to noon the next day and runs all night on the 31st, and there are many extraordinary things that can be seen underground -- the contrast of people wearing totally extravagant flashy party outfits taking the metro alongside people who will be cleaning offices or emptying bedpans in hospitals all night is remarkable. And there will be lots of singing and goofing around, which is a big change from the silence and dour looks that people exchange at ordinary times in the metro.
If I had never seen the Champs Elysées at midnight on the 31st, that's where I would go, but I would go elsewhere by 12:30 to avoid the probable incidents. It should be seen at least once. But as a resident Parisian who has spent New Year's at various places all over the city over the years, I think that the outdoor venue that would appeal to me the most to breathe in the atmosphere of the city during the opening minutes of 2008 would be the steps in front of Sacré Coeur in Montmartre. It is sure to have a rowdy and drunken crowd as well, but from up there, you can see the rest of the city vibrating to its own rhythm, peaceful but very alive.
Dec 7th, 2007 | 05:43 AM
#4
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Joined: Aug 2007
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Kerouac,
Thank you very much for posting such a helpful response. Exactly what I was looking for - the basic facts of what goes on on NYE, not the guide book version of where to be. Your insights will surely help us on our trip.
lmf
Thank you very much for posting such a helpful response. Exactly what I was looking for - the basic facts of what goes on on NYE, not the guide book version of where to be. Your insights will surely help us on our trip.
lmf
Dec 7th, 2007 | 09:38 AM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 35,166
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I think you can assume that in any city, people who wander around the streets in public, drinking, on a holiday tend to be ones that get rowdy. I would never decide to wander around the main area of the city where I live at midnight on NY eve, but to each his own idea of a fun time.
There are also such crowds around place de la Bastille, if you want to head over there.
There are also such crowds around place de la Bastille, if you want to head over there.
