France in December/January

I enjoy travelling to European cities in the winter, though I haven't been over Christmas as it sounds like you will be. Since there is so much to do indoors in cities, I don't find the weather a big problem. Sure, it's nice to have good weather and sit outside in parks and take long walks in the sun, etc, but you'll have to plan to come back in spring or early fall for that. :) I'll take fewer crowds but poorer weather anyday.

We were in Paris from late Dec. to early Jan. to celebrate New Years 08/09. It was very cold. In the 10 days we were there it never got warmer than 33 degrees. It was often colder than that, and at night it was usually in the teens and low 20's. If you are prepared for the cold you should be okay. As someone else said, because of the very reduced hours of daylight it can affect your sightseeing. I figured we did about as much in 10 days as we could have done in the summer in 5. We still enjoyed the trip, but I don't think I will do winter again.

All the holiday lights were beautiful. The only thing that was closed during our time there was the two upper levels of the Eiffel Tower. They were not allowing people above the first level because of the freezing temps. Over the holidays you will still find crowds. We have also been there in August and the lines were similar. At that time of year it will be too cold to enjoy the outdoor cafes and activities besides walking to get from one place to another.

I have not been to the South of France (yet!), so I can't offer an opinion of that.

Have a fantastic trip, whenever you decide to go!

We were in Paris over New Years a few years ago. Paris is about as far north as the Canadian border. The days are short, temp in the mid 40s/50 on a good day. Nearly everyday was overcast often with a little rain in late PM. The sun was weak. It was chilly and damp. Paris was pretty with all the lights and everything we want to see was open and crowds were so so but it was the New Years period. We were also in Nice just prior to Paris and it was more pleasant but still a touch cool. No rain for us. The climate would be closer to North/South Carolina coast at that time and not like Florida or San Diego.

Ditto what Frank said about Paris... the one caveat is that the last two winters have been harsher than normal in NW Europe. Damp, overcast, and cool but not cold are the norm.

Although the tourist sites are not quite as packed as summer, during the holiday break, Paris does see a significant increase in visitors. Not much (if anything) is closed, although opening hours may be shorter than the summer.

Thanks for the information everyone - it helps us to make a decision on when to go!

"At that time of year it will be too cold to enjoy the outdoor cafes". Throughout Europe, most outdoor cafes have heat lamps. Although not toasty, it's warm enough for the most likely winter temperatures (noting once again that the last two winters were much colder than normal).

Was in Paris and the Loire Valley in December just before Christmas a few years ago, was lucky - had crisp sunny days. We had the chateaux in the Loire Valley almost to ourselves. No lines at the Louvre but long lines still at Notre Dame. The Sainte-Chapelle church is stone-cold inside, so wrap up warmly if you're going there! There might be shorter opening hours at some attractions, so check before you go. I thought that Paris was very atmospheric at that time of year.