Winter in Paris

Written by Susan Payton on 19 December 2010

Bonjour! Susan here, reporting live from Paris! Since my son had 5 weeks off for Christmas break, we decided to spend a month in the City of Lights. We’ll be taking side trips to Barcelona and Amsterdam.

Good Time of Year to Go

While initially we were reluctant to be here in the winter (we’re from San Diego, so we don’t “do” cold!), I’m glad we did. It seems to be off-season, so hotels are cheaper, and there are fewer (fellow) tourists.

Activity-wise, there are plenty of holiday related things to do, such as: Visit Christmas markets for hot wine, waffles and carousel rides; Enjoy holiday themed window displays on Champs-Elysees; Celebrate the New Year at the Eiffel Tower’s fantastic fireworks display; Eat your weight in holiday treats!

Lodging

Whenever we stay somewhere for a long time, we prefer to rent an apartment. I found one for a reasonable price in the 18th Arrondissement in Monmartre, very near the Sacre Coeur church on HomeAway.com, a vacation rental site I recommend.

Our apartment is small but perfect for the 3 of us. The kitchen is tiny (as all Parisian ones are) but it’s warm and cozy, and if you crane your neck you can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

The Neighborhood

We’re upstairs on the fourth floor (that was a fun luggage haul) above two restaurants, on a street filled with every nationality food you can imagine, and some you can’t. We’re just far enough from the tourist area not to get ripped off in every store, but close enough that we’re spoiled for choice and have more bakeries, cheese shops, wine stores, gift shops and clothing boutiques than we have time to explore.

Our first trek out took us to Sacre Coeur, one of the best known churches in the city. It’s the most beautiful, in my mind, and has been standing tall for 125 years. Even if you’re not Catholic or even Christian, I encourage you to visit a few of Paris’ cathedrals to admire the mosaic art and sculptures.

My son and I decided to go to the top of the dome (see photos). We were in for a surprise! After feeding the machine 5 Euro each (about $12) we mounted no less than 300 stairs in a tiny turret-style staircase. It’s not for the weak-hearted (or my mother)!

But at the top, we were rewarded with an amazing view of the city. Stretching out all around us were ancient buildings where millions of people went about their daily lives. The Eiffel Tower greeted us in the distance. It was breathtaking, and not just because the hike up the stairs left me breathless.

We’ve got more adventures coming up, so I hope you enjoy them!

Susan Payton is President of Egg Marketing & Public Relations and writes the blog The Marketing Eggspert.