Enjoy the 2013 Holiday Season in Paris!

Paris is beautiful at any time of the year, but there’s something extra special about visiting the City of Lights during Holiday Season! From mid-November until mid-January, Paris becomes a magical place filled with sparkling lights, outdoor ice-skating rinks and Christmas markets. Furthermore, there’s Christmas shopping at the Galeries Lafayette and an Enchanted Christmas at Disneyland Paris!

In this article, we’ve categorized our favorite holiday season activities, so you can easily create your own travel itinerary for your visit to Paris in the fall or winter of 2013!

Paris Market and Fairs

Paris is known for its many amazing food and antique markets throughout the year. However, come Holiday Season the city steps it up a notch with the Parisian Christmas markets! These amazing outdoor markets feature anything from Christmas gifts to seasonal culinary delights, and can be found all over the city. The following are some of our favorites.

• The Champs Elysées Christmas Market is the largest Christmas market in Paris. It runs from the Place de la Concorde all the way up to the Champs Elysées roundabout. From November 15th to January 5th, you can enjoy mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and more on one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. Of course, this is also a great place to get some serious Christmas shopping done. Have a look at Visit the Champs Elysées in Paris for more information about the shops.

• The Christmas Village at La Défense is another huge Christmas market in Paris. Located on the big square right next to the modern Grand Arch of the business district, this market boasts over 300 wooden chalets selling everything from art to gifts. This year, the Christmas market will run from November 22nd to December 29th.

• Santa’s Village at Saint Germain des Prés is a picturesque Christmas market along the Boulevard Saint-Germain. The market features 30 stalls, and is a great place to enjoy delicious seasonal food. The Christmas market will start on December 6th and close on January 2nd.

• It comes as no surprise that picturesque Montmartre hosts one of the coziest Christmas markets in Paris. The Montmartre Christmas Market takes place in December, and can be found on Place des Abbesses near the Sacre Coeur. This small market offers some delicious comfort food and drinks, as well as arts and crafts.

Lastly, there are several amazing food markets in Paris where you can stock up on ingredients to prepare your own delicious Christmas dinner! Check out our Top 5 Shopping Spots in Paris for some of the best food markets in town.

Ice Skating in Paris

If you’re looking for an activity for a romantic date in Paris, you’re not short of options. However, ice skating has to be one of the most romantic activities in the holiday season. There are several open-air ice-skating rinks in the City of Lights, and the following are some of our favorites!

• The Ice-Skating Rink at the Hôtel de Ville is absolutely enormous, and one of the most popular rinks in town. The rink usually occupies the square in front of City Hall from December until March. There is no entrance fee for the rink, and if you don’t own skates you can rent them for just €5. Try to go after sunset if you’re on a date, as the Hôtel de Ville lights up beautifully at night.

• For an ice-skating rink with a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower, head to the Trocadéro Ice-Skating Rink & Christmas Market. This amazing rink is located on the elevated terrace of the Esplanade du Trocadéro, and also doesn’t have an entrance fee. Skates can be rented for €5. The rink and market will run sometime between December and January. Enjoy some hot cocoa or mulled wine with a view of the Eiffel Tower at the market when you’re done skating.

Holiday Season Events

During Holiday Season in Paris you not only get to celebrate traditional events such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but also typical French events such as Beaujolais Nouveau Day. Check out the season’s biggest events!

• In the States, the holiday season really kicks in with Thanksgiving, but in Paris it is celebrated a week earlier on Beaujolais Nouveau Day. This day marks the release of the famous French wine Beaujolais, which always takes place on the third Thursday of November. On November 21st, you can attend one of the parties held in Paris, or simply buy one of the coveted bottles and toast to the day in your own apartment. Coincidence or not, it is said the wine is particularly well paired with turkey.

• Usually in the same week as Beaujolais Nouveau Day, the Christmas lights are lit on the Champs Elysées. Every year, 200 plain trees are decorated with glittering lights along the Champs Elysées. If you visit the avenue in December you can be sure to see the glowing greenery!

• The Champs Elysées is also the place to be on New Year’s Eve in Paris! Every year, over 100,000 people head to the Champs Elysées in the evening on December 31st, to celebrate the New Year. At midnight, the Eiffel Tower lights up the sky with a beautiful display. Bring a bottle of champagne to the avenue to toast with your friends!

• Once the New Year kicks in, it’s time for the January Sales in Paris! From small boutique stores to big department stores such as Printemps, you’ll find deals all over Paris. While the main sale events are held in January, the prices are dropped again in February, so don’t worry about missing anything!

• End the season like a true Parisian by baking a Galette des Rois on the holiday of Epiphany. It’s a tradition to bake a Galette des Rois, or King cake, on January 6th each year. Alternatively, you can also buy the puff pastry filled with frangipane in a Parisian bakery.

Celebrate the Holiday Season with your Family in a Paris Apartment

If your mind is set on baking a Galette des Rois or a delicious Christmas dinner for your family in Paris, you’re going to need a good kitchen. Our vacation rental apartments in Paris have fully equipped kitchens where foodies will find everything they need to enjoy the Holiday Season in Paris. Additionally, all apartments have proper living rooms. You can choose an apartment with as many bedrooms as you like, so your family can all stay together in one apartment.

Things to See & Do in Paris During Holiday Season

There’s always something amazing to see and do in Paris: the following are our favorite Holiday Season activities!

• The famous department store Galeries Lafayette turns into one big winter wonderland during Holiday Season. Admire the beautiful window displays, and step inside to gawp at the sparkling Christmas tree that you’ll find at the center of the atrium. When you’re done admiring the beautiful decorations, you can enjoy Christmas shopping!

• Head to Disneyland Paris for an activity that is great fun for the whole family. Starting November 10th and ending January 6th, you can enjoy Disney’s Enchanted Christmas! The kids will have a chance to meat Santa, while the adults will enjoy the beautiful snow-covered village from Disney’s Beauty & the Beast.

• For a more affordable thrill, check out the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Place de la Concorde! The entire wheel is covered in glittering lights, and you’ll get an amazing view of Paris from the top.

• Lastly, the Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most beautiful places to attend mass on Christmas Eve. The Midnight Mass at the Notre Dame is most popular, but there’s also an international mass you can attend at 8 pm.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of activities for the Holiday Season in Paris! What’s your favorite spot in Paris in winter?