mgtr

We are considering a trip to London, Paris and Rome or just to Paris and Rome.
Our options (due to work schedules) are either arriving the week before Thanksgiving or the week before Christmas.
I wanted a bit of advice on which would be better. Things I would like to consider are
Weather? Which would be best?
Would tourist spots overly crowded (I was worried about crowds around christmas)

nytraveler

I would go for November. The weather should be somewhat better and everything will be open and operating.

In Europe Christmas is very much a family holiday - many things shut down for a couple of days including many restaurants and sights - so you would have a significant amount of down time over the holiday.

sandi_travelnut

I did mid-Dec thru Jan.1st for all of those locations and the temps ranged from low 40s to high 20s..rain and even snow at times. Of course there's no way to tell what the weather will be for you but I can say that if I have the option, I wouldn't go in Decemeber again because I spend most of the time outside and it was very uncomfortable. I even had silk longjohns, a wool coat, hat and gloves. I would choose Novem
ber.

Leely

For those cities either time would be great. I might lean toward right around Christmas to see the lights, decos, markets, special masses, etc. But of course weather might be warmer and days a bit longer in November.

kgh8m

In 2004, we spent the week before Thanksgiving in Paris, and in 2005, we spent the week before Thanksgiving in London. Each time, we flew home on Thanksgiving Day. I think we'll vacation this way for the next several years (the airports are empty on Thanksgiving Day, and then you get a few days to recuperate without having to take additional days off work).

In Paris, the temperature was mid 40's to mid 50's each day, mid 30's at night. There was sunshine only 1.5 days of our weeklong trip, but it wasn't a steady rain on the other days - more like heavily cloudy or arainy mist. It actually wasn't bad for walking around Paris - never got hot walking around, and a fleece jacket over a layer or two was enough in the daytime. Wrapped the fleece around my waist in the museums. At night, we wore our wool coats.

In London last year, the temperature was mid 40's each day, but pretty sunny each day - only partly cloudy a couple of days, with no rain that I can remember.

As for tourists, we waited in line only at (i) Notre Dame (to climb the stairs), and it was only a 30 minute wait, and (ii) Eiffel Tower (they only had one ticket booth open - 15 minute long line). Plus, in this week, both cities turn on a lot of their Christmas lights, so you get the pre-Christmas feel without the crowds.

We'll probably do Rome in that week this year. I think Rome, like Paris, is rainier in November than most months.

nessundorma

Short days in December are fine if you are planning a lot of indoor activities, but a problem if you like outdoor sightseeing as well. I would lean toward November.

If you like shopping abroad, you might find it a crush in London especially the week before Christmas. Perhaps Paris, too. But that is the only place you are likely to encounter thick crowds.

sandi_travelnut

to add to my earlier comment about being in Paris at Christmas..the line for the Eiffel Tower was amazingly long. We spent well over an hour and it was just above freezing outside. Seems that there were far more French families there than other tourists.

tcreath

We've been to Paris in November and Rome in December (and London in February) so we are used to traveling during those times.

Paris was lovely in November. A little chilly, but nothing that a scarf and a delicious cup of hot chocolate couldn't cure. Rome was wonderful in December. The weather was much more temperate than I'm used to during that time of year (I live in St. Louis) and we visited the nice Christmas market in Piazza Navona. Both places had fewer crowds, and I would do either trip again in a hearteat. That being said, I think that November would be better for Paris, so I would probably do November.

Tracy

jay

I agree with most of the other posters. we have done London, Paris and Rome all at christmas. You will love Rome at Christmas and the weather is pretty temperate. London will be much cooler usually and Paris is hit or miss. We really enjoyed Paris also but there were times like at the Eiffel where the wind was hurricane strength.

Belledame

I just did Paris the week before Christmas. It was fairly good weather. I'd say it was in the 50s mostly. Wool sweater and trench coat with lining did me well. Sometimes the sun broke out and it was quite nicely warm, then it would get chilly again.

The crowds weren't bad anywhere really. Sometimes the line for the Eiffel was long and sometimes it wasn't bad. I found it a very pleasant time to visit the city. Christmas Day things were closed, but the Eiffel was open, there was a street market and lots of tourists gravitated to the Arc de Triomphe for tour buses and river cruises.

The Parisians were in great spirits.