one night paris before flight. where to stay

I'm sure some of the others will chime in about hotels and transport, but I thought I'd mention something about Champs-Elysées at Christmas.

It's a zoo any time, in my view, with many chain stores readily available at your local shopping mall, but at the end of the year it's a long Christmas market (marché de Noël). If you like that kind of thing, great. If not, consider planning another activity the evening you'll be in Paris. I found it unpleasantly crowded and the air thick with cigarette smoke when we were there at Christmas to meet visitors from the U.S. a few years ago.

Now, I saw an article awhile back indicating that the mayor cancelled the Champs-Elysées marché de Noël in 2017 for some reason, so perhaps it's gone for good -- but be aware that it may be back in 2018. Perhaps some of the residents of Paris who post replies can shed some illumination on plans for Christmas 2018.

Yes, the market in its former state has been permanently cancelled because Paris Powers That Be regarded it as tacky with items mostly Cheap From China for sale.

Plans are afoot to change the Champs Christmas market to something more upscale featuring products from France only. I don't know how far the planning has advanced.

If you do stay near the Champs-Elysees you could use the direct bus service that goes to the airport. I find the bus less stressful than the RER with luggage.

There are a couple of Ibis hotels close to the Gare du Nord which would be fine for one night. If you just want to see the Champs Elysees, take the No. 42 bus from behind the Gare and transfer to the No. 73 at Place de la Concorde. You can get off at the Arc de Triomphe and walk back down the Champs.

Yes, the Champs is crowded for the Christmas market and I hate crowds. But I thought it was great fun. Interesting street food, warm drinks and it’s about the only time of year I could afford a purchase on this tony boulevard! Experience it! Enjoy it! Climb to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for the most fantastic view of Paris at dusk.

We were there 4 years ago. I agree it was very crowded. I use an electric scooter, so with the crowd, it was difficult to get around without running over feet or getting tripped over. With all of that in mind, we enjoyed the night. Sorry it was closed this Christmas. We hope that it will be re-invented in 2018.

In my opinion, the train station, at night, is a bit sketchy. There are a lot of people "hanging around". So, do not sit you suitcase down and turn your back. You might have a lighter load.

Go to this site for a full discussion of travel in Paris by all means of transport.

https://parisbytrain.com/

Hi Dan. What time is your flight? If flight is early morning, best to stay at airport. If flight is late morning or afternoon, then staying in town works well. Some areas of Paris are nicer than others, but virtually all areas are safe. We use the RER to the airport and find it works well. Note that while the RER stops at Gare du Nord, it also stops at other stations, or you can easily connect to the RER via Metro from just about anywhere in Paris, so no need to restrict your hotel choices to near Gare du Nord. Enjoy your trip!