Paris at Christmas
Paris at Christmas is always a good idea, actually Paris at any time of the year is a good idea which is why I just returned from my third trip to the City of Lights, my second visit during the holiday season. This particular visit was more of a stopover on my way to the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, but of course I had to stop at a few of the Christmas markets in Paris while I was there. A girl cannot get enough mulled wine, or Gluhwein as the Germans call it.
Baby Erin, circa March 2011 along the Seine. The shades, the cheeks!
While on a search for hotels in Paris, I came across Hotel Saint Paul Rive Gauche, located in the Latin Quarter. It is a boutique hotel with beautifully curated rooms at a great price point. The location is superb, there are so many incredible cafes and restaurants within walking distance and a quick walk to jump on the metro. I spent the first two nights in France here.
Thanks to jet lag, I was up bright and early Monday morning and had to wait until cafes started opening and the first light of day to appear. A quick ten minute walk among the still glistening lights had me at a Parisian founded chain, Paul Bakery, for a cappuccino and chocolate croissant to officially start my day. Caffeinated and ready to take on the metro, I ventured to Monmarte, one of my favorite areas of Paris to walk around.
Since it was early when I arrived there weren’t many people around yet. I took in the sights crowd free before settling into a seat at Au Cadet de Gascogne for another cappuccino and people watching as the artists slowly meandered in to setup up their stations for the day.
Basilica Sacre Coeur
After the morning at Monmarte, I met up with my friend and we made our way to Cafe Marley (reservations required) at the Louvre for a late lunch. Everything was delicious and the only photo I remembered to take was of my pumpkin soup, so here you go!
The afternoon was filled with strolling through the Christmas markets at Jardin des Tuileries and the Notre-Dame Christmas Market at Square Viviani. Of course a stop in to Shakespeare and Co was a must where I picked up a book for my daughter for Christmas.
Performers at Paris Notre-Dame Christmas Market at Square Viviani
Paris Notre-Dame Christmas Market at Square Viviani. Restoration from the fire at Notre Dame continues and is slated for completion in time for the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris.
Since we had a large lunch, we opted for a charcuterie dinner with adult bevies and I found a great spot while looking for wine bars near our hotel. Freddy’s is famed for being a top five wine and tapas bar frequented by locals in Paris and it was a ten minute walk from our hotel, win. We arrived just before the evening rush and grabbed two seats at the main bar. Dinner consisted of freshly sliced ham, chorizo and an assortment of cheeses. The beverage of choice that evening was a fabulous Moscow mule. The rustic stone walls emanated warmth which paired perfectly with the cool, damp weather outside.
Though full, on the walk home I was lured into a banana and Nutella crepe by a nearby stand. You can’t go to Paris and not have a crepe (and I walked 10 miles that day so that counts for something, right?). Completely satiated and exhausted, I collapsed into bed that evening, ready for another full day in France which would take me by train to Strasbourg and Colmar for the Christmas markets.
Since this was my third trip to Paris, I have previously visited a lot of the popular sites so this post is more of a recap of the full day I was able to enjoy in Paris on this particular trip. If you haven’t been to Paris before, there is so much to see and it’s truly hard to fit into one trip. I would recommend checking out the major sites such as the Louvre, Musee de Orsay, the Catacombs, Eiffel Tower/Trocadero (go at sunrise), Arc de Triomphe, Les Invalides, Versailles (day trip), The Dali Museum, Moulin Rouge, Opera Garnier and more. One of the best ways to see many of the sites is via a boat ride and it’s really stunning at night when everything is lit up.
Paris Details
Hotels
1) Hotel Saint Paul RG in the Latin Quarter. Fantastic location with so much around. Rooms start at approximately 174 euros/night (vary by time).
2) Boutique Hotel Adele & Jules -located in the 9th Arrondissement. I found this trendy boutique hotel after a while of searching and my husband surprised me by booking a suite for my birthday to finish out the last evening of my trip. This hotel was top notch, the service was impeccable and there was complementary tea in the afternoons. Breakfast in the morning offered a variety of pastries, charcuterie, yogurt and eggs along with sausage and bacon. My stay here was the perfect way to end the week in France.
Image courtesy of Hotel Adele & Jules. Pictured-the Capital Junior Suite where I stayed.
Food
1) Cafe Marley-Upscale dining located at the Louvre, reservations required and elegant dress requested. You can request the patio for dining with views of the Louvre or be seated inside the dining room.
3) Au Cadet de Gascogne- for prime artist and people watching in Monmarte. Grab an Irish coffee or cappuccino to warm up on a cold winter day.
Flight
I flew directly from Seoul to Paris via Air France to stay with a SkyTeam carrier. Paris has dedicated lines at immigration and check in/security for SkyTeam priority members. We are still undecided if we will stay with Delta after their recent changes were announced, but I will update if we do change frequent flyer programs.
Transportation
1) The metro is fantastic and really easy to navigate, especially with Google Maps.
2) Download Bolt or Uber for requesting cars. The metro is sometimes a quicker option due to the road construction everywhere before the Olympics.
3) Bring comfortable shoes and prepare to walk a lot, Paris a is a very walkable city.
If you want to enjoy a few more images from my walk around Paris, check out this post! Questions about photography or travel, I am always available via email at erin@erinhendersonmedia.com or you can find my socials below.
