New Years Eve in Paris

We spent this past New Years Eve (December 27th through January 2nd) in Paris and were surprised how crowded it was. All museums were open and the lights at night along the Champs Elysees were beautiful. Note that there are no fireworks (we thought there would be but were told only for Bastille Day), however, the Parisians gather all within view of the Eiffel Tower with champagne in hand and lots of impromptu countdowns. You can see some pics of our trip at www.gadtravel.com, (on the right side under "Getaway Trip Posts" last link is Paris). Have fun!

Cathy, we spent last NYE in Paris. We were told there would be fireworks, but alas, there were not any. At midnight NYE we were on the Pont Neuf with a bunch of other people who were celebrating, drinking and shooting off fireworks. We had a great view of the Eiffel Tower, and it sparkles at the top of the hour (every night, not just NYE). One change for us was that in 2008 the Eiffel Tower was lit with blue lights, but at midnight it changed to the normal white ones. We were in Paris from Dec. 29 - Jan. 8 and did not notice a lot of closures, with the exception of some things being closed on Jan. 1st. The previous year my stepsister was in Paris on NYE and I know they went to a nightclub. We had a great time being out with the people, except it was very cold! Have a great trip!

We spent New Year's Eve on the Champs Élysées about 10 years ago and it was the most fun I had ever had on that over-hyped holiday eve. It was very mild and we sat on the sidewalk, drinking wine and watching the impromptu conga lines, the singing tourists & Parisians drinking champagne (from the bottle!) and the hundreds and hundreds of gendarmes who stood, arms akimbo, smiling and taking it all in. All the benches were occupied by elderly Parisians who had staked out their places earlier in the day. I loved it.

Cathy – everyone is right - spending NYE in Paris is an awesome experience. We spent NYE 2003 there and it was a memorable time. Walking along the Champs Elysees is the place to be before midnight. People start getting there around 9:00 p.m. It gets absolutely packed - great if you don't mind crowds and loud people having a good time. You can see the Eiffel Tower from some places, which lights up with sparkling blue lights at midnight (at least it did in 2003).

There are many places to eat/drink/dance along or near Champs Elysees, just bear in mind that a lot of places charge a cover and require reservations. If you're having dinner, the menus are pre-set and not cheap - but this is typical in most big cities on NYE. The higher-end places also have a dress code (no jeans; sneakers). Having said that, we got lucky (after being turned away at a few places because we had no reservations) and found a very cool, very loud restaurant/bar/club and paid no cover.

Before midnight, we copied the locals and walked to the Eiffel Tower with a bottle of champagne in hand, no glasses. It was very cold, but if you dress in layers, you'll be fine. We walked right under the Tower, which I would not recommend doing. It’s waaay too crowded and teenagers like to set off fireworks everywhere, not seeming to care about people around them. When we reached the center, we saw a lot of smoke and police in full riot gear - so we backtracked a bit and saw the Tower light up from a grassy knoll further away. If you're too tired of walking after midnight, the metro is free on NYE until around 12:30 a.m. It will be packed.

I don't remember any major closures; we spent Jan 1 recuperating... and it snowed! Hope you have a blast!

Thanks so much for the advice. There are 8 of us going on this trip and we're trying to be well prepared.