Something to do in Paris on Christmas Day

Are you sure that "swimming briefs" doesn't just mean swimming trunks, as opposed to, say, shorts? There are fitted suits that aren't bikini-type Speedos.

Maybe that is why I have a question mark next to the word Speedos? And they say briefs not trunks.

Tom, I am going with the assumption that sights and activities that are normally opened on a Wednesday will be opened on Dec 26th. I do not think that the French have a Boxer's Day like Britain. (Again, speculation) Though I'm sure there will be someone to let us know otherwise. There are some restaurants that are closed during Christmas week but not enough to worry. As I research for things opened on Christmas, I'll keep Dec 26th on my mind.

I just used the word "trunks" instead of "suits". I wasn't referring to a particular style. The website I saw said they required "fitted" suits, not shorts-type.

The book I have says swimming briefs. And the point of this thread is to tell people definitively that there is something opened on Christmas Day.

How about attending a church service? Sounds crazy I know, but churches also are open on Christmas day. Celebrating the birth of Jesus is "a great activity to do with kids".

I do understand that RS posters/readers are potentially non-Christian. So some are looking for things to do on that day. When I was in Spain earlier this summer, I went through several mosques, cathedrals(I am not Catholic), etc. It's part of exploring and learning about where you are travelling.

Darlene, That's only for a few hours or even the night before. I can't image my kids or husband wanting to spend the entire day at any church. There were a few, myself included, who did not know what else is opened. There was alot of speculation out there. I started this post to let interested persons know that this is definitely opened on Christmas Day. Thanks you for reminding me about churches being opened.

Changing the subject slightly... I might elect to spend a few days in Paris, starting on December 26th. Are restaurants and museums open in this time period, or is Paris more like London, where everything shuts down for the holidays?

I think you mean Boxing Day, not Boxer's Day. I'm curious why so many people (several different posts) make plans to go to another country over a holiday like Christmas and not know if things will be open at that time.

Well, I for one am traveling to Europe over the holidays to visit my in-laws in Belgium, not necessarily for sight-seeing. I just thought I'd tack on a few days afterwards to visit Paris for the first time.

That makes sense, Tom. It seems, though, that many people plan vacations for that time of year (maybe because kids are out of school?) and don't take into account that it's a holiday there, too, and things could be closed.

Dan, Yes I meant Boxing Day. Thank you for the correction.

Now for your 2nd statement, during my 45 yrs of living, my husband’s 50+ yrs, and my children’s lives, we have spent Christmas Day waking up, opening the presents, going to Mass, and spending time with the extended family. After all these yrs of doing the same thing, I thought we needed a change. As a Catholic, what better way to celebrate Christ’s birth, then to participate in the Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most beautiful places of worship in the world. There is something to be said about attending Mass at such a place; it’s quite uplifting and awe inspiring. You may not understand this but I hope you can appreciate it. This was the main reason for me to take my family to Paris during the Christmas holidays.

Dan, Also my children are school age, so I was limited on time choices. The only thing I was worried about was the restaurants or food. I think I got that covered. I thought at first we would play things by ear; all of us would be recovering from jetlag. How wrong I was. Dan, if you don’t have children, I can personally tell you that their attention span is quite small. An hour and ½ service does not cover the entire day no matter how tired one is. I started my research and wanted to share with those who are in similar circumstances as me. I think Rick Steve’s Helpline is a great place to share my new found information. Don’t you agree?

I do have children (grown now), and we are experienced travelers. I am familiar with how awe-inspiring Notre Dame is, and how short the attention spans of children are. And as I mentioned above, I know that school schedules can be a consideration. I merely wondered why some people don't seem to take into account the fact that major holidays are also major holidays in Europe. Some people seem surprised to find out that their options for activities and restaurants might be limited during that time. And sure, it's great to share what you have discovered.

I think they do. You might be interpreting incorrectly.

Dan, we were just happy to soak up the atmosphere when we were away last Christmas, but I do agree with you that perhaps some people don't realise things are different to what they are used to.

The place I live is doesn't have anything that opens on Sunday. The closest major town has just gone to Sunday trading and it's created a big to do with people not wanting to work. People who live in towns with Sunday trading probably don't realise that there are places that don't have it.

Our first stop was London and there were lots of signs advertising "having Christmas dinner with them". So I thought "oh maybe it'll be the same in Italy, and of course how wrong I was.

Jeannine whilst we were in Rome, with two teenagers, we opened our couple of presents we had bought along the way, breakfasted, went to Church (not our usual behaviour, wandered the streets of Rome, had late dinner, wandered back to the hotel, watched tv and went to bed. I think all the walking tired us out!

Dan, I deliberately chose to go to Paris for Christmas this year. I've always been curious to see how the holiday is celebrated outside the US (have seen it in Mexico). My husband is dead and the kids live in another state and have their own plans so I'm free to explore on my own. I'm also a writer and think I'll have a blast wandering around and observing. Have been to Paris many times and don't need to hit the tourist places and I'm not too crazy about looking for hot restaurants and clubs by myself during a family time. Part of the fun of travel is not to be overly scheduled. The best things happen when you just let yourself go. Now if i could just mentally prepare myself for the cold. LOL