December is always a tricky month to travel, usually weather-wise: the probability of rain or snow (depending on the destination) is high, it’s cold, you have to wear thick clothes, and so on. Still, December is the Christmas month, and who wouldn’t want to see in real life all those beautiful Christmassy pictures and postcards seen on the Internet? I certainly am one of these people, that’s why I went to Paris in December and stayed there for Christmas.
So, should you travel to Paris in December? Below are my thoughts and observations: some things are good, some things are bad, but the decision is always yours 🙂
Weather in Paris in December
I guess the weather aspect is the most interesting one for any traveller. The thing is that weather differs year by year, and there is a probability that next year it will be different to the previous one. Nevertheless, let’s talk about it.
When I was in Paris, it rained very often, almost every day. If it didn’t rain, then it was cloudy, gloomy and foggy. Actually, I remember just one sunny day, and it was the day before I had to leave Paris. And the sun showed for a couple of minutes on another day when I was queuing for the Louvre. That was all my luck during a week in the city.
Now, like I said, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have the same weather, but the chances are very high: after all, December is considered the rainiest month of Paris. But, maybe, you will get more sunny days than I did.
The question is: will this stop you from travelling to this stunning city?
Queues in Paris in December
I like to think that December isn’t such a popular month for travel because of the weather and people willing to spend Christmas at home with their families. Well, I am often mistaken, people travel a lot during this period, which inevitably leads to queues at tourist attractions.
Again, it depends on the attraction. The lines were particularly long at the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles; getting into Sainte-Chapelle took quite some time as well, but I didn’t have to wait more than a minute at the Hotel de la Marine and the Conciergerie. And, naturally, famous attractions are packed full inside.
Still, thanks to having a fast-track ticket because I had a Paris Pass, I didn’t have to wait as long as people who didn’t have tickets, so think about purchasing one: it really helps to save money. I wrote more about it here.
My assumptions about people not travelling in December led to a huge mistake: I missed a place I really wanted to see. You see, some attractions in Paris require booking a specific time slot: it’s true for the Louvre, Conciergerie, Sainte-Chapelle, some other places, and the Musee de l’Orangerie in the Tuileries Garden. And it is the latter one that I missed. If you don’t know, the Musee de l’Orangerie exhibits eight huge water lilies paintings by Claude Monet. Somehow I assumed that it wasn’t very popular and I didn’t need to hurry with booking a slot, so, by the time I was ready to do it, everything for my dates was gone.
Conclusion: low season doesn’t mean much fewer tourists in Paris, so book slots in advance.
Christmas in Paris
I travelled to Rome in December 2019 for exactly the same reason: to experience the Christmas atmosphere. I was disappointed as Rome is nothing like the postcards and pictures I saw on the Internet, though, to be fair, those pictures never said anything about Rome. Still, I assumed that any European city, especially a capital, especially with the Vatican on its territory, should have beautiful Christmas decorations. I was wrong, and I hoped Paris would be different.
Frankly, I can’t say that Paris is much more festive than Rome. Still, there were lots of fairs, bigger and smaller, around the city. There was a small and lovely fair in front of the City Hall, another one, really small, was at the exit from the Abbesses subway station, but the really big and festive one was in the Tuileries Gardens: there were dozens of stalls with various food, with cheese being the king, wine and souvenirs, and amusement rides for kids, it was a lively place full of people. And my clothes smelled of fried food for days after visiting it 🙂
Other than that there was nothing really reminiscent of the Christmas atmosphere, just some lights at night. I expect so much from Champs-Élysées, but it was disappointing as well. Again, it’s all because of my unrealistic expectations, I guess.
Closing times in Paris in December
Winter is considered a low season in Paris, as in many other places around the world: it is cold and it gets dark earlier. This is reflected in the closing times of tourist attractions. If in summer they can be open till 7 pm, in winter they close earlier. For example, Sainte-Chapelle closes two hours earlier than in summer, and for the Palace of Versailles it’s one hour difference. It is inconvenient in my case as I prefer to sleep in in the morning, which leaves me less time to explore attractions, and the early closing doesn’t help it 🙂
Not all attractions do it, so you will have to check the website and plan accordingly. This information is useful to consider if you plan to visit many attractions in a day, so make sure you actually manage to do it.
Prices in Paris in December
Paris is expensive: accommodation, transportation, food, tickets to attractions, everything is very pricey. You can buy a Paris Pass to save on entrance fees, but the majority of these expenses don’t depend on the time of your travel, except one: accommodation.
Because December is considered low season, hotels are much-much cheaper. For example, during my stay at Hotel Inn Design Paris Place d’Italie I paid around 123 EUR per night, and I have just checked its price for September, and it’s 274 per night: the difference is huge!
Another thing you can save money on is flight tickets. At least in my country tickets are cheaper in cold months, I think November and February are the cheapest, though they go higher around Christmas, but still they are much more affordable than in the warmer period of the year.
Packing for Paris in December
I am sure by now you understand that you definitely have to pack a thick coat and an umbrella. Of course, some other thick clothes like jumpers and trousers with boots for the weather will be nice as well. Frankly, if your coat is thick enough, you won’t need anything too thick to put on underneath. But comfortable boots are a must.
As you see, there are both advantages and disadvantages in travelling to Paris in December. The only reason I travelled to Paris in December is because I wanted to see Christmas decorations and the fairs. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have chosen this period but opted for May or October to still save money on tickets and accommodation.
