Our family’s yearly tradition is to spend the Christmas break and New Year’s Eve in Paris and this year we’ll also be spending a day in Brussels.
I will share our activities during the ten-day break we had in 2023 and will also include a Google list at the end of the post.
The most affordable and convenient days to travel are December 24th and 25th. We always fly out on one of these dates so that we have a quiet rest day upon arrival before we start our adventures.
During our recent vacation, we departed on December 24th and arrived early on December 25th. I packed some Christmas-themed pajamas and a few small gifts for my daughter. To avoid waiting around in the lobby, I always request an early check-in to have time to rest.
After a few hours of rest, we changed into our pajamas and headed to the hotel lobby to enjoy a meal and take pictures in front of the Christmas tree.
I always recommend staying at hotels during cold season travels with kids. This guarantees proper heating systems, as most European buildings are old and do not have built-in heating/cooling systems. We always stay at Novotel Gare Montparnasse.https://all.accor.com/hotel/5060/index.en.shtml?utm_campaign=seo+maps&utm_medium=seo+maps&utm_source=google+Maps
Day 1– Xmas day & a movie
On Christmas day, after resting and having a meal, we watched a movie called “Wish” by Disney. The film was shown at different times in both English and French. Since we speak French, we always prefer to watch movies in French; although my husband does not speak French, he still enjoys and loves the experience. After the movie, we went to a Brasserie located across the street to have some drinks.
Paris is a city that never sleeps, but during the festive season, the grocery stores may close early, usually around 5 pm. However, many privately owned Epicerie convenience shops remain open for longer hours. While some restaurants offer a special Christmas menu, others serve their regular menu. It’s important to note that Google’s open hours may not always be accurate. It’s recommended to either WhatsApp the restaurant or visit their website to ensure they are open before visiting.
The only attraction currently available is La Tour Eiffel, which is likely to be sold out and crowded.https://www.toureiffel.paris/fr
Day 2– Pantheon & Cirque D’Hiver Bourglione
You and especially young kids will be jeetlagged, hydrating and sleeping is the only cure to adapting. I do not suggest meds, just let nature do its thing. It’ll take 2-3 days to adjust to the new time zone.
I wanted to talk about breakfast; my husband always goes out to a local Boulangerie and gets a baguette, croissants, and coffee and stops at Carrefour for fresh orange juice. I only use almond milk so I always just buy it and have it in the room for my coffee.
Pantheon is in a beautiful neighborhood and just an amazing place to visit. It honors the revolution and veterans. For me it is very special where my favorite author is laid to rest in peace Emile Zola. I recommend buying tickets on line, you can wait till you are there and hop on your phone to buy them. The box office line is always long because all Europeans under 26 get in for free to all museums and cultural centers and they have to show a valid ID.https://www.paris-pantheon.fr
We had a fantastic time at the Cirque D’Hiver Bouglione show. The performance included horses, dog shows, live music, magic, acrobats, ballet dancers, and more. It was enchanting and thoroughly enjoyable. I purchased the tickets online as soon as our flight was confirmed. https://www.cirquedhiver.com
Day 3– Xmas Market & Galeries LaFayette
We went to the Christmas market at Jardins de Tuileries, which is the largest one in Paris. There are smaller markets around Notre Dame de Paris, St Germain Des Près, and on the local streets of Paris. Even though we usually avoid sugar, we indulged in a loaded donut. The market offers a variety of food, German delicacies, shopping, and plenty of drink options. The market also has carnival games and rides, so it can get crowded with families and pickpockets. It’s best to avoid using backpacks and instead use fanny packs. For extra safety, I personally wear my shoulder bag under my jacket.
After leaving the main entrance of the gardens, you can take a lovely walk to Concord, a high-end street where you can find the Ritz Carlton. We especially enjoy the holiday decorations.
During our walk, we stumbled upon our daughter’s favorite store called Pain D’Épices. They sell the tiniest toys and other unique items. After visiting the store, we decided to indulge in some pastries at Le Valentin Jouffroy. This little hidden street is filled with souvenir shops and other unique stores. It’s located near the Musée Grévin.
I hope you have your walking shoes on, and maybe even your snow boots, because we went to Les Galeries Lafayette Haussmann to see this year’s decorative theme, and it did not disappoint. The place is quite crowded due to the decorations and the small bridge where people line up around the corner to take photos. However, you can enjoy a coffee like we did at the café upstairs, and take as many pictures as you like. We plan to come back here throughout our trip.
The toys are located on the sixth floor. If you’re in Paris for Christmas and need gift wrapping, all galleries will wrap your purchases for free.
We usually end our day by walking across the street to Le Gourmet for dinner. I also often visit the market on the ground floor to buy chocolates, jams, cheese, and other French products as souvenirs to take back home. I find it the best place to get small presents and souvenirs.
Day 4– Paris to Brussels by train
We had previously spent some time in Brussels during the summer and enjoyed it greatly. As a result, we decided to go there again for a couple of days. Knowing that Brussels and Paris are popular winter break destinations, I booked our train tickets in advance. Eurostar offers several routes, and the journey takes only an hour and a half. There are no security or passport checks required, so it feels like taking a local train. https://www.eurostar.com/us-en
We chose a hotel near the Grand Place to ensure proximity to all major attractions. After checking in and leaving our luggage in the room, we decided to explore the Christmas markets, which were scattered throughout the area. It was easy to find them all by downloading a map. We had a great time indulging in delicious fries, waffles, and beer while enjoying the festive atmosphere.
It was very busy as Brussels welcomes over 3 million visitors every winter break.
We stopped at The Grasshopper, our daughter’s favorite toy store, before enjoying a satisfying dinner at Ommegang Brasserie.
Then we strolled around, walked in to chocolate shops at the Galeries Royales; enjoyed street performers and sang along with them.
Day 5– Brewery Tour & more Chocolate
Despite the rain, we enjoyed our morning strolling through Grand Place. We indulged in waffles while we shopped.
We gifted my husband a brewery tour in Brussels that was family-oriented, with many visitors bringing their kids along. We all had a great time learning about the process of making a local Flemish-owned beer. At the end of the tour, they served beer for adults, juice for the kids, and of course, chocolates. Here’s the link to the tour: https://ermitagenanobrasserie.be/.
Our train back to Paris wasn’t until nighttime, so we had a full day to enjoy Brussels. We checked out the Plaisirs d’Hiver site and visited a few of the activities they set up for kids, such as swings, crafts, dances, and all kinds of fun Christmas activities.
Day 6– Casse Noisette ( The Nutcracker) at the Opéra De Paris
Today, we just relaxed, walked our neighborhood, and shopped. Try and explore by not having a specific destination; you will surprise yourself with how enjoyable it is.
When visiting Paris, it is highly recommended to indulge in the arts, particularly by attending a ballet show. During the holiday season, the Nutcracker is a popular choice, so it is advisable to purchase tickets as soon as you book your flight to avoid missing out. All the seats are great, but I personally prefer the balcony to fully appreciate the performance. My daughter has been attending ballet shows since she was five years old, and this specific show lasts for 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. The Opéra Bastille area boasts several restaurants, so it is recommended to make it an elegant night out by having a fancy dinner (we ate at Bistro Regent Bastille)and dressing up for the occasion. The dress code is not casual, so it’s best to avoid wearing jeans and a casual shirt.
When booking, be sure to select the correct venue: Palais Garnier or Opéra Bastille, as they are located far apart.
https://www.operadeparis.fr/en
Day 7-The Louvre on New Year’s Eve
We stay in Montparnasse, which allows us to walk to our favorite neighborhood for food quickly and to visit local bookstores. https://lescousinsdalice.com/
Then we headed to the Louvre for our daughter’s English Children Tour, here is the link to this specific tour.
We have visited the Louvre many times before, but this time it was very exciting for our daughter to be part of an exploring group with a guide. On this particular day, the Louvre closed at 4pm. Surprisingly, it was not crowded due to most people gathering in Champs Élysées for the NYE celebrations and fireworks.
If you’re planning to spend New Year’s Eve at Champs Élysées, please keep in mind that it’s not a family-friendly environment and may not be suitable for young children. The area is usually very crowded, and incidents of theft and fights are not uncommon. Additionally, it may take you until morning to get back to your hotel due to the heavy traffic caused by road closures. While public transportation is free on that day, it could be quite busy. Lastly, please note that alcohol is not permitted in the area.
If you want to enjoy the fireworks, plan ahead and book a hotel or find a spot with a view. Also, the Eiffel Tour does a concert but not fireworks.
We went to the St. Germain neighborhood for a lovely French dinner. Still, many restaurants were already fully booked due to reservations, especially those with live music or that turn into a party after dinner. Make sure to call ahead and ask if the restaurant is family-friendly, as some may have male and female dancers.
Day 8– New Year’s Day in Paris- La Tour Eiffel
Today, many places are closed, except for La Tour Eiffel, movie theaters, some restaurants, pharmacies, and grocery stores, which may have limited hours. However, the good news is that Boulangeries are open and available for you.
We had the same breakfast: fresh orange juice from the market and baguette, croissants from the local boulangerie. You’ll find one on every corner, just like Starbucks in the US.
We watched a movie and then went to La Tour Eiffel. The transportation was running as usual. It was very crowded at the tower and very windy on the top, so we went up to the second floor. The view was beautiful at night. I bought the tickets the day before since we weren’t planning on it, but our daughter asked to go. When you visit Paris like we did, you can get tired of tourist attractions.
https://www.pathe.fr/cinemas/cinema-pathe-parnasse
Day 9– My first Nutcracker- Mon Premier Casse Noisette
During this time of the year, Paris can be pretty cold and rainy, so we always carry our rain jackets and ponchos in our backpacks. We enjoyed exploring the city on foot and didn’t mind getting lost. We followed the locals and shopped for the best deals at Printemps, Les Galeries De LaFayette, and other boutiques. We stopped by a sandwich place for a quick lunch.
We went to see the 2 pm show at the Mogador Theater. We had seen the black swan show there the previous year and enjoyed it very much. To keep up-to-date with show releases, you can sign up for notifications on their website or follow them on Instagram. Typically, tickets are released in September. This ballet is perfect for kids and is a shorter version of the full-length ballet. Please note that families and children rather than couples mainly attend the show.
We ended the day by a wonderful dinner at the beautiful Triadou Haussmann.
https://www.theatremogador.com
Day 10- The last day of our winter vacay
We are a family that loves the arts. Our daughter enjoys singing, dancing, and anything related to musicals, as well as visiting art galleries and theaters. On our last day, we packed our bags in the morning, had lunch and then walked to see the Snow White show at the Gaite Theater, which was perfect for families. The kids had a wonderful time.https://gaite.com
Then we had a very local dinner at a bistro and took a stroll around the Montparnasse neighborhood where we always stay.
When visiting Paris, there are many things to do. My family and I visit yearly and have already checked off the must-see attractions such as Disneyland Paris and Chateau Versailles. Buying tickets in advance is best to avoid long lines if you plan on visiting famous tourist attractions. However, if you prefer to wait, you can purchase tickets at the box office on the day of your visit. Remember that it might be better to avoid big purchases since kids can get sick unexpectedly.
We always take an Uber to the airport since it is easier, or we stay the night before at a Hilton by the airport if we have a very early morning flight.
http://Paris · Amal https://maps.app.goo.gl/qt1UKZ2bNswUotCz9?g_st=i
http://Brussels · Amal https://maps.app.goo.gl/fENonkH8e39Rrky38?g_st=i
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