7 things to do when traveling to Paris, France this Christmas
Christmas seems to dawn on us earlier and earlier every year, so if you haven’t started your Christmas travels and Christmas shopping, now is probably a good time to. And the good news is, you don’t have to go to the North Pole to experience the Christmas spirit or find Santa Claus for presents – Paris has it all! With multitudinous Christmas activities at your disposal, the French capital may not just be the capitale de la mode, but quite possibly, the capitale de noël, too.
Look no further than the 7 top things to do in Paris this winter:
#1 Visit Christmas markets
The traditional Christmas market is the best place to visit and has been popular since its opening in November. In the atmosphere of warmth and joy, you can find Christmas festive decorations, traditional French food from different regions of France, and a variety of handmade products. Here, you can also buy your gifts for New Year. If you just choose one Christmas market to go to in Paris, make it the Tuileries Garden Christmas market, with hundreds of chalets selling Christmas products, a 1200sqm Christmas skating rink, and all kinds of entertainment equipment.
#2 Admire the Christmas light displays
Christmas light display is another major attraction for tourists and Parisians during the Christmas season. From mid-November, Paris will dress up in her Christmas glory. With twinkling lights strung around the trees and colorful ornaments hung from the streets, from Avenue Montaigne to Champs-Elysées, from Boulevard Saint-Germain to Montmartre, a million sparkling lights will cover street trees, which is a worth-seeing scene if traveling to Paris this Christmas to experience the festive vibe.
#3 Treat yourself to a French Christmas meal
You can taste many traditional French winter dishes and hot drinks at whichever Christmas market you visit, such as hot chocolate, mulled wine, cheese, ham, sausage, and so on. Also don’t miss French specialties for Christmas, like homemade Foie gras (Goose liver paste), which really represents Christmas in France, and also the Cheese Platter with many different kinds of cheese on a board.
#4 Take a Christmas cruise on the Seine River
Spend a celebratory Christmas Eve or Christmas day on an elegant dining cruise down the Seine River, with almost all tourist attractions in Paris such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Musée d'Orsay along the way. To better celebrate the festive moment, you can enjoy a Christmas dinner accompanied by fine wine and live entertainment. Be sure to book that in advance to avoid any disappointment.
#5 Go to Disneyland Paris
Disneyland may be the most glamorous place on earth, but the festive atmosphere of a theme park makes it even more magical during the holidays! From mid-November this year to early January next year, Christmas in Disneyland Paris will feature Disney’s Christmas parade, festive decorations and fireworks, Mickey’s Christmas lights and big bands, and you’ll have the chance to meet Santa! Filled with your favorite Disney characters, Disneyland Paris is the perfect place to get in the Christmas spirit.
#6 Take a photo with the largest Christmas tree in Paris
Another must-do thing when traveling in Paris this Christmas is to take a picture with the largest Christmas tree there. Apart from the above-mentioned destinations including Tuileries Garden Christmas market, Champs-Elysées light display, and Disneyland Paris, there’re also incredible Christmas trees in many of the famous department stores in Paris. During every Christmas vacation, a Christmas tree with a height of over 20 meters is installed in Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, hung with gifts, toys and Santa Claus, which is really a fantastic venue for photos.
#7 Make use of tax-free shopping on top of Christmas sales
As we know, many tourists travel to Paris in winter not only because of the festive atmosphere, but also to enjoy the unique shopping experience in the fashion city of the world. You can buy fashion designer clothes, bags and accessories at the most well-known one for international tourists Galeries Lafayette and the most popular one among local Parisian Le Bon Marché, also get some Christmas gifts, souvenirs and wine at small boutiques in Le Marais.
With the tax-free shopping app Wevat, non-EU residents (including those traveling from the UK because of Brexit) can get a tax refund on eligible purchases made in France and save up to 20% VAT with no minimum spending requirements on each purchase. It applies to clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, technology, wine and spirits and so much more. You can check out the full list on our other blog here.
For more help on using the Wevat app, check out our HOW TO and FAQ page for a step-by-step guide on using the Wevat app. Just make sure you have downloaded the Wevat app and completed the sign-up before heading to France!
About Wevat App:
Wevat - a new digital tax refund app that makes it easy for travellers to save money on their shopping in France! We are a community of people who love travelling, shopping and saving money. Since our launch in 2019, we've helped refund travellers from 88 countries more than €18 million on their shopping!
Compared with in-store VAT refund providers, Wevat gives you up to 23% more VAT back and with no minimum spending requirements on each purchase. With Wevat, you can simply snap a picture of your purchase invoices then generate and scan your barcode when you leave France. There are no paper forms, repeated scanning or dropping off forms required with us. Our super-friendly, multilingual customer support team will be always on hand to support you throughout your trip via our app.
We are fully regulated by both French and UK customs.
Download our app now to start saving money on your shopping in France!
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