helrot

I would like to travel to Paris and London the second or third week of December to see the Xmas lights and decorations. My husband would rather travel in November because he fears the weather will be awful. We were in Paris mid November last year and did not see any decorations. When do they go up, and will the weather be that terrible in Dec?

Christina

I don't know how different the weather will be within a few weeks (not predictable, probably), but I know that in Paris, some of the Christmas lights start going up the last week in November, and some more at the beginning of December. I think they all would be up by the second week in December. I don't feel very Christmasy in November myself, regardless.

YOu can check the official dates of lights and Christmas markets on the Paris Tourist Office web site under "events" but they don't have them listed yet for Christmas.

Underhill

We were in Paris the week of Thanksgiving 2001, and all the big department stores and many shops and restaurants had decorations up. Trees were being installed on the Champs-Elysées and in the Place Vendôme; so I think you'd be fine around the end of November.

PatrickLondon

My understanding is that the 'official' dates for London are that Oxford Street has its big event to switch on the lights (though they always seem a bit disappointing to me) around the third week in November (21st last year), and the big Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square is switched on around December 1st. However, many shops start putting up Christmas decorations a bit earlier.

Chatters

We were in Paris the week of Thanksgiving 2003 and the big department store Le Samaritaine had already gorgeous Christmas- decorated windows and the Eiffel Tower had started the twinkle lights show every hour on the hour. We actually bought beautiful Christmas ornaments while there.

m_kingdom2

In London's it some time towards to end of November. Really, it's quite pathetic travelling to London because you want to see Christmas lights, that are far from spectacular. The same applies to Paris, Christmas illuminations can never ever be spectacular. Perhaps you're a fairy light fetishist, who knows? You should be looking to go to London/Paris in September/October, this a great time of year to visit these cities!

smacknmo

I was in London over Christmas and New Years six years ago and expected it to be something out of "Dickens". The decorations there are very understated. I had a fabulous vacation, but I wouldn't choose London if you are gong there expecting "storybook" decorations. The only indication in our hotel that it was Xmas was a decorated tree. Our hotel was a a large Thistle hotel. Our weather was very nice in late Dec./early Jan. Temps were more mild than here in the States but still brisk. I got along quite well with a lined raincoat and ended up taking out the liner b/c of my heavy sweaters. If you layer your clothes you will be ok. We only had rain the day we left. I was there in March of this year and it was very cold and rainy. Like here I guess you just never know but can only plan your trip based on weather trends. Usually London is a few degrees warmer in the winter due to the Jet stream. Have a wonderful time whenever you go!

tod

helrot - if it's the actual decorations and twinkling lights you specifically want to enjoy, but not cold blustry conditions which are all associated with a Northern hemisphere Xmas, take the previous advice from posters and not bother with Paris or London - instead head for Singapore! The weather is at its coolest during Nov/Dec/Jan and believe me Xmas is a knockout! The main street of Orchard Road and Scotts Road are a Fantasy Land of out-of-this-world decorations, lights, and carol singers.
We have been back on 2 occasions and have never experienced a Xmas like it anywhere.
All the hotels have either a mini orchestra or groups of singers performing night after night. One hotel, I think the Sheraton, stripped a Jumbo 747 Jet of all it's seats and flew in a Xmas tree from Norway to decorate in the foyer !
Not many people think that the Far East makes such a big fuss over Xmas. You will be blown away!

flanneruk

The most reliable and efficient way to see good Christmas lights in London is to take a cheapo flight to New York. And, as tod says, even cities like Saigon had more spectacular lights than us this past year.

But to answer your questions:

1. Stores have their Christmas set-up finished somewhere between the last Saturday in October (which, though people with short memories are in denial about this, has been the first day of Christmas grottoes in department stores for at least 40 years) and the second Sat in November.
2. Official lights go up from the first week of November (Regent Street), through roundabout Nov 20 (Oxford Street), late November (Somerset House, possibly the best bit) to around Dec 4(Trafalgar Square). Though Trafalgar Square is undramatic, it has a quiet dignity and personally I don't think it's all got together till the Traf Sq tree is lit.
3. It's unusual for weather to be significantly different in December from November, unless you really are averse to temperatures that occasionally dip below the 40s. Obviously, the closer to December 21, the earlier it gets dark, and therefore more atmospheric. And there aren't any carol concerts or the like till Advent.

Incidentally, my experience - usually rushing through for a meeting or whatever - is that bits of German medium-sized towns, like Nuremburg, feel more like the traditional Christmas.

Kayb95

We went to London last December (second week) when British Airways had a really good airfare sale. We had always wanted to see London at Christmas time. Not just for the lights, but for the whole city, hustle-bustle Christmas atmosphere.

It was a wonderful trip. The weather was 40-ish, rainy, the shopping crowds on Oxford Street and Convent Garden were horrendous but it was still a great experience. We looked at the department store Christmas window displays (Fortnum & Mason and Hamleys were our favorites), enjoyed strolling through the beautifully decorated arcades (Princes, Piccadillly and Burlington) listening to the groups of Christmas Carolers, watching the ice skaters at Somerset house (even saw a performance of two Olympic skaters.) The Christmas lights aren't as spectacular as you see in many US cities, but we still enjoyed strolling along Regents and Oxford Streets after dark (which starts around 4:30 PM in December.)

We enjoyed our Christmas trip to London - so if you want to do it, don't let others discourage you.

Underhill

We've been in London for Christmas three times and enjoyed every visit. Things feel less commercial than they do here, and there's nothing like Midnight Mass at Westminster Abbey for a sense of histsory.