Paris at Christmas Time

Have you ever dreamed of Paris at Christmas time?  Well I have and this year I actually got to experience the dream first hand.  My family and I once again ditched the camper for a plane and flew over "the pond" to Paris. 

Christmas Markets by the Eiffel Tower

We weren't exactly sure what to expect weather wise.  It made us a little nervous that it would be too cold since we usually go somewhere warm in December for vacation.  It was cold but we had sunshine everyday that we didn't even really notice.  Besides, I wouldn't have had it any other way.  It just wouldn't have been the same walking through the Christmas markets without a scarf, hat and gloves on.  I did a lot of reading before our trip and everyone suggested layers.   So we took the advice layered up and were just fine.  Wool knee high socks were the trick for me.  I went one day without them and realized they were the one thing was keeping my whole body nice and toasty.

If you have a little one I suggest a weather protector for your stroller.  It was the best thing we did for our little guy.  It kept him dry the few times it rained and nice and warm.  We would throw a blanket over him, put on the protector and was more than comfortable all day long.  This is what ours looks like.

I am going to start with transportation advice.  My husband and I decided cabs were too easy and we wanted a bit of a challenge.  So we opted to take the train from the airport to our hotel.  It was super easy to do and a 1/4 of what a cab would cost you.  It would have been a lot easier if I would have email the hotel beforehand to ask what line we should take.  All of the train employees were very helpful and willing to help out a few lost American tourist.  If we can do it with a large suitcase and a stroller anyone can. 

The trip from the airport was the only time we took the train.  We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get around the city by foot.  We must have walked miles each day but the exercise was welcomed after escargot and creme brulee every night for dinner.  My husband made a good point that if you are underground in a train you miss out on a lot and you most likely won't stumble on unique little neighborhoods like this one we stumbled on.

 

We did all of the normal tourist things like the Louvre, Notre Dame and of course the Eiffel Tower, but our favorites were the unexpected things around every corner.  One fun thing was walking along the shop windows like Chanel's. Their Christmas window displays are phenomenal and must take months to put together.  There are hundreds of people gathered around all of the windows to get a glimpse.  

We started each morning, afternoon and some evenings with an espresso and a chocolate croissant. Almost every dinner began with an order of escargot.  To some it might sound kind of gross but to us the delicacy is simply delicious.  Every dinner was rounded off nicely with an order of creme brulee.  Like I said, walking was a must after all that.   Don't fear if you do not speak French, as soon as the server figures that out they will bring you an English menu.

One of my favorite spontaneous stops for cafe creme and a chocolate eclair to die for.

  After a few wonderful days in Paris we were off to Amsterdam...