10 Reasons to Visit Paris in the Winter Time
There's Magic in the Air
It's no secret that Paris is known as the City of Light and the City of Romance. So during the holiday season, when they add even more lights to the city, is one of the best times to visit. Sure it's not always ideal with the cold weather and all the rain, oh man all that rain, it's worth braving the elements to see.10. Ice skating: I mean how many people get to say that they ice skated on the Champs Élysées? And maybe I'm partial to ice skating because it's a family tradition during the holidays, you have to admit, it does sound like a fun thing to do in Paris. And you can only do it in the winter time.
9. Cheaper flights and hotels: it's always better to travel in the off season, but with work schedules it's hard to do that, so coming during the winter break is the better time of the two options because flights are going to be cheaper and same with hotels. But make sure that you book in advance because people are catching on to the price differences.
8. There are less tourists than in the summer: there's more tourists here than there were for the last two months, but it is so much better than in the summer. So the streets and museums are less crowded because there are less people. That and it's so cold out that people are just not venturing outside as much as in the summer.
7. Sales: France doesn't have sales often, but when they do, they're big. So during the winter time is one of the biggest sales of the year. So if you're coming to Paris to do some shopping, think about doing it in the winter. Just be careful to not go during a weekend around Christmas, that's just asking for problems. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's worse than Black Friday. So go during the week or a little before Christmas.
6. The Christmas market: no this market isn't the best in Europe, and it's not the best in France. But for an American that isn't used to any kind of Christmas market, this is pretty amazing. If you want food, they got really good food. Same goes with the deserts. And if you want to do some gift shopping, they got that too. And this market only happens once a year.
5. Easier to get food: if you want to get something from those places that are always recommended in the guidebooks, winter time is the best time. Less tourists means that shops aren't out of macaroons and that lines for ice cream at Berthillon are less long. If you're a foodie, then winter time in France is a good time to take full advantage without pushing and shoving your way through.
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| The Madeleine |
4. Deserts: I personally think that the deserts get better during the winter time. Maybe because there are heartier chocolate cakes rather than light fruity tarts. Both are amazing, but my favorite is the bûche de noël, which will have its own post very soon!
3. French comfort food: meat, potatoes, and cheese. The French know how to make some good comfort food. And I think their specialty cheese melted over something, usually meat and potatoes. Yep these are some pretty hearty dishes, but it's ok because winter time and packing away the potatoes is something that can be forgiven.
2. Christmas lights: in the US we go to certain houses to see some Christmas lights. In France it's entire streets full of those lights. And whether you celebrate Christmas or not it's a beautiful sight to see Paris' streets illuminated with so many lights at night.
1. Magic in the air: I guess there's nothing quite like the crisp Parisian air while walking down the cobble stone streets with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Maybe it's because walking by a bakery offers some of the best smells, that and getting lost in the Latin Quarter are some of the best smelling parts of Paris. There's just something magical about Paris in the winter that the summer just doesn't have.
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