General Qs: Trip to Germany/Paris end of December - early January

Oops, I forgot to mention that I have similar questions re spending the first few days of 2013 in Paris. Thanks for any help!

"Any suggestions for New Year's Eve in St. Goar? We aren't looking for anything fancy and probably will be tired from traveling or walking all day. I know there are fireworks over the Rhine..." Fireworks in St. Goar? There will be some in Mainz at midnight - but you won't see those from St. Goar. There are party boats that depart from towns just south of St. Goar - Assmannshausen, Rüdesheim and Bingen - and cruise to Mainz for these fireworks. Tickets include a buffet dinner, wine, beer, and a dance band: http://www.silvesterfahrt.de/silvester-mainz-rhein/index.html But maybe it would be wise to stay in Mainz instead, not just for the fireworks, but because small villages like St. Goar are essentially deadsville in winter. You could do NYE on your own there, or join one of the hotel parties: http://www.mainz.de/WGAPublisher/online/html/default/HTHN-6K9CSE.DE.0 Sorry it's in only German. Try an online translator if curious.

Kathi, only you can answer the boots question. What you need is shoes with rubber soles, corrugated for traction. The shoe needs to keep your feet dry. It can be leather sneakers with a good sole... and sports socks.

"I know there are fireworks over the Rhine, will we be able to see them from St. Goar?" It seems like every single citizen of the Federal Republic simultaneously launches their own personal arsenal when the clock strikes 12. There may or may not be any official show at St. Goar (or across the river at St. Goarhausen), but enough residents should set off their own fireworks that you'll have plenty to see.

For New Year's Eve, you should make a restaurant reservation now. Most restaurants have a set menu then and fill up months ahead of time. Perhaps your hotel can find you a place. Expect crowds at the markets. Typically just regular tennis shoes are fine, but right now we have 6 inches of snow on the ground and it's below freezing. When it starts to thaw in a few days it'll be oodles of slush, so I suggest something waterproof.

The day after Christmas is also a holiday in Germany and stores are not open yet. You'll want to have all your 'provisions" bought by the 23rd or the morning of the 24th (many stores shut down around 2pm). St. Goar is pretty small, so even more may be closed - I would consider staying in Mainz for the convienence factor as well, even if it's not as quaint. I think your feet will be more comfortable in boots. There's snow on the ground in south western Germany right now. If there's still some on the ground when you're going, regular tennis shoes will get cold and wet quickly. And ice is a serious problem obviously, you'll need boots with traction. The Rathaus (City Hall) and Genermenmarkt Christmas Markets are very nice. I wasn't that impressed with the Kaiser Wilhelm church one, I wouldn't go out of my way to see it specifically. Genermenmarkt is one of the most beautiful - and fanciest - I've ever seen, there's a slight fee to get in, it's worth it though.

Thanks for the great advice! I will come prepared somehow for snow or slush. We've had so little snow here in Michigan over the last few years that I haven't even thought about boots or waterproof shoes. I'm glad I asked! I had the brochures for the cruise boats in German and since I can only muddle through German, I did misunderstand that the boats were going to see the fireworks in Mainz. Thank you for sorting that out for me!!! My daughter wants to stay in St Goar and have a quiet evening. So, I'll start looking for dinner reservations there and we'll hope to either see some informal fireworks or call home at midnight. Thanks too for the run down on the Christmas markets. I will plan to see them all - Genermenmarket and Rathaus because of the recommendation here and Kaiser Wilhelm because we'll probably pass it anyway. I'd still appreciate any other tidbits anyone can think of!

In my winter trips to Europe I always wear a gortex boot which is comfy and keeps my feet dry from snow/rain. That time of the year seems to be rainy/snowy. I usually wear layers of silk or light weight ski clothes and a ski jacket. Not always the most fashionable but at least my GF can find me in the crowd of dark color jackets most Europeans seem to favor. Obviously this is from a guy's perspective but I know my GF was glad when she went shopping and the sales lady was originally from Germany and led her to buy Gortex outerwear and silk tops and bottoms to keep you warm. I would strongly recommend getting a chip/signature credit card (such as the Chase Hyatt or the Chase British Air cards which also have no foreign transaction fees on them). We almost had a major problem getting RER tickets late one night in Paris but thankfully we had the credit card. Our other cards didn't work and the machine only accept coins and not bills. Dress warmly since it will be chilly/cold/windy/rainy/snowy and you don't want to ruin the trip by being cold and wet.

Everyone in Paris wears boots. They are stylish. Leather, fur lined, or Uggs are popular. You need warm shoes. Thin tennis or athletic shoes don't work to keep out the cold. It may not be snowing, but is likely to be damp. Try to pack the most lightweight, yet warm clothes possible. Recently we had highs in the low 30's during the day, but now it has gone up into the 40's and may reach 50 soon, which is much more comfortable. Not sure how long it will last though. At least some of the Xmas markets in Paris will be continuing after Xmas day.
I don't believe stores in Paris have after Xmas sales like the US. The time for sales is mid-January in France -- if you will still be here then though, you will enjoy good bargains!

Having just returned from a snowy time in Germany, I can tell you that you want waterproof footwear. With only a couple of inches of dry, powdery snow, the tops of my shoes got well covered and started to melt - even outside, but mostly with every indoor visit. And when the weather warmed up a bit and the hard-packed snow got slushy, it got pretty slippery too.

There is no post-Christmas sales rush in France. All sale days are regulated by the government. According to a website, the official winter 2013 sales begin January 9th and last about six weeks.

Thanks again for all the information! Since I'm a skier, I own silk long underwear but I never thought to pack it for this trip. It's now packed. Thanks! I went to Italy two years ago and came back with plantar fasciitis. I also have slight knee arthritis, so I have been trying to find the right shoe or boot per everyone's advice, but I need one that also has support. My daughter and I plan to do a lot of walking. I have three shoes that I am considering bringing - a brand new pair of plain black Dansko "duck" shoes (that my daughter thinks are ugly but that I could wear in a restaurant), my tried and true ankle high Gortex hiking boots and tennis shoes. Will I feel out of place wearing hiking boots? They are pretty good in snow and rain. I'd love to bring only two of the above since we are bringing only carry on luggage. I've never tried Dansko shoes before, but they feel great. What would work best? One more piece of advice - what is the best way to get from the Paris Est train station to a hotel near the Arc de Triomphe at night? Is there an easy subway and is it safe at night?

I personally would not use a new pair of shoes on a trip. I took only my good boots and my tennis shoes because I love to wear my tennis shoes. I also never worried about what shoes I wore in a restaurant but was not going into high class places. If you are traveling light, see no need for three pair of shoes.

In St. Goar we stayed at Hotel Zum Golden Lowen tel 06741 16 74 right before Thanksgiving. Charming and great - right on river. 85 EU including b'fast. Very quite and had the only restaurant that was open in town. Chilly, foggy and did not wear my hiking boats once. I like trail running type shoes. You are probably on the plane now. Have a great trip - we used our points to fly back 1st class and had the whole upper level of a 747 to ourselves - highly recommended.

I'm not on the plane quite yet. I'm just double checking my packing - silk long underwear, warm clothes, waterproof jacket, debit card with good exchange rate and waterproof shoes - thanks to all of you for the suggestions! Neil - we are staying at the same hotel in St. Goar!!! I am so glad to hear you liked it. If you have time and any specific advice about that hotel or sights/restaurants/shops/other towns near it, I would be interested in hearing them. I hope to be able to check e-mail and this website from Berlin. Thanks to everyone!

That's very cool - I think they might be the only one open at this time of the season. Nice elderly couple run it - only speak German. You can charge the room but the restaurant is euros only. Nice little town and probably really crowded in summer. Not all castles are open off season and tourist office can tell you which ones are. You can walk to the one in St. Goar which is nice even if it is closed. May be foggy and overcast but still neat. We did not see many boats running but I saw on the websites that they run New Years eve cruises which may be the best bet - Bingen-Rudesheimer, Loerley-Line and Hebelelline - can I go? We drove up to Koebelz and turned around and drove back down when we hit traffic in Koeleltz.