i've heard lots of about Christmas markets throughout Europe but I haven't heard much about special Christmas activities/events in Paris.
Does anyone know of Christmas activities or events in Paris or southern France from mid-November to Christmas day?
And does it usually snow in Paris around Christmastime?
Thanks

Thomo - as background you might read Australian John Baxter's entertaining and informative French Christmas memoir <i>Cooking for Claudine; How I Cooked My Way to the Heart of a Formidable French Family</i>.

Have been there several times pretty cold very festive
"Papa Noel" (Santa) spirit is everywhere I like it.It
does not USUALLY snow luzern.org Pilatus for a "white
christmas".

One time in the mid ninties I was there and it snowed
it was cold but beautiful I jogged all over the city
almost it was amazing but the combo of snow and dog
poop land mines made for very slippery conditions.

en.parisinfo.com/show-exhibition/996077/christmas-market

Thanks farrermog, sounds familiar I'll look for it!

and thanks again qwovadis, I've searched the web for climate grapsh etc but they're not very helpful re snow. You're jogging in the snow sounded beautiful 'til I read the next bit!

We were in Paris in 2005 for Christmas and New Years, and it did snow one day. Not alot, but enough that we saw kids collecting it in boxes!

Also, a day of sleet that was cold and raw.

The day we arrived was warm enough to sit in a cafe in the sun without a coat.

Layers is the answer.

Christmas lights along Champs Elysee. Christmas windows at the major stores (Lafayette, Printemps) along with street lighting.

There are Christmas markets all over Paris, from the larger ones at the bottom of the Champs Elysee and at Defense, to the smaller ones in neighborhoods like near St. Sulpice. It can rain or snow. The week before we went last year in early December, they got quite a bit of snow, which hade mleted by the time we arrived. I wrote a trip report about our long weekend there, which you can get by clicking my name.

We went several markets around St Sulpice last year. We did get snow also, but not sure if that is the usual weather.

You can search for my trip reports (posted under denisea) or the main T/R is "Christmas in Paris was Fantastic"

WE loved Paris at Christmas!

Thankyou all for the feedback, I'm having a lovely hot choc and reading those trip reports. Thanks for the snow reports too, I'll be taking lots of layers I think, and looking forward to the lights and markets, cheers

Thankyou all for the feedback, I'm having a lovely hot choc and reading those trip reports. Thanks for the snow reports too, I'll be taking lots of layers I think, and looking forward to the lights and markets, cheers