Great Reasons To Enjoy Paris For New Years Eve
We found great reasons to enjoy Paris for New Years Eve. Flying to Paris a few days early, we revisited a few of our favourite sites. Our Tauck river cruise kept us in Paris over New Years Eve before we headed north for our winter Seine river cruise. It was great to return to this wonderful city over the holidays.
Staying Right On The Champs Élysées
We flew from Vancouver with a connecting stop in Montreal to Paris. Our Tauck driver picked us up at the airport and took us right to the Marriott Champs Élysées.
We were escorted to our lovely large room overlooking the Champs Élysées. We got a great view out over the busy street. But even on a lower floor, the new windows kept the room blissfully quiet and the curtains gave us blackout comfort. Our Elite status got us a tasty welcome amenity.
Paris was still all decorated for the holiday season. And we even found a few Christmas markets still open. We were certainly kept in the holiday mood when we returned to our hotel after we explored the city.
We loved that the Marriott Champs Élysées Hotel was right in the middle of a historic district with lots to see and do close by. It was the perfect spot to start our visit to Paris for New Years Eve.
Returning To Notre-Dame Cathedral
We visited Paris many times before. But we last visited Notre-Dame Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Paris) before the disastrous fire that destroyed part of this historic site. So re-visiting Notre-Dame was high on our list of things to do. Paris at Christmas was cold (around freezing), so we bundled up before we headed out. We walked to the closest Metro station for our trip to the church.
Arriving at Notre-Dame Cathedral, we admired the building from outside. We were amazed at how much was repaired. But we found scaffolding and work still underway.
In advance of this visit, we tried many times to get a ticket online for a backstage tour of Notre-Dame to learn more about the reconstruction after the fire. The holiday season made it impossible to get tickets. But as a working church, entrance to Notre-Dame for a self-guided visit was free. And while the lines looked long for entrance, we found it took only about 15 minutes to enter using the quick-moving line.
We joined the slow moving group that moved clockwise around the perimeter of the church. We stopped regularly to admire the chapels, the stained glass and the special holiday displays. The original facets and reconstructed parts blended quite seamlessly.
We were so happy we saw the Notre-Dame Cathedral risen from the fires. It remained an iconic spot to visit on our visit to Paris for New Years Eve.
Getting Inside Sainte Chapelle For The First Time
Every time we visited Paris, the lovely Sainte Chapelle was high on our list. But we kept missing it. So it was something we did not want to miss again. But like Notre-Dame Cathedral, it proved impossible to get advance tickets online for the holiday season.
After we visited Notre-Dame, we walked to Sainte Chapelle and joined a very long, very slowly moving line to see if tickets were available for some time that day. We ultimately gave up when it appeared we would not get in. But luckily, we joined the tour of Sainte Chapelle booked for our Tauck river cruise group.
Sainte Chapelle was the royal chapel in the medieval Palais de la Cité. This was the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century. Today it was not an active church. As such, there was an entrance fee even for a self-guided visit. Tickets provided a timed entrance slot.
We started our tour of Sainte Chapelle on the lower level. Sainte Chapelle originally housed Catholic relics including the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross. Today these are stored in the cathedral treasury of Notre-Dame. Much of this level was restored after fires and floods in the palace. But we saw one of the original panels that was not destroyed.
The wall coverings included both Fleur De Lys and royal symbols that reinforced the divine right of the kings.
We were so happy when we got to visit Sainte Chapelle for the first time when we visited Paris for New Years Eve.
Stunning Stained Glass In Sainte Chapelle
From the lower level we climbed the narrow circular stairs to the upper level of Sainte Chapelle. This was not easy for anyone with mobility challenges or those who were claustrophobic.
But the view as soon as we got to the upper level was well worth the climb for sure! We looked around in wonder. Each wall was filled with detailed stained glass art.
We moved slowly from panel to panel. Each section told a different story. We saw Old and New Testament tales in colourful glass.
The end panel displayed the Rose of the Apocalypse. Embedded in the glass design we found more Fleur De Lys.
We took our time and enjoyed the amazing beauty of Sainte Chapelle. It was a special treat on this visit to Paris for New Years Eve.
Walking Past The Iconic Sites Of Paris
After we visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral we walked slowly back along the right bank of the Seine past many of the iconic sites in Paris. From many spots along the Seine we got our first glimpses of the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel). It got us excited to see it up close a little later in our visit.
We walked in through the gates at The Louvre Museum (Museé du Louvre). We did not have tickets to enter to view the art on this visit. But we wandered outside and did not miss the pyramid stop.
From there we walked under the arch into the Tuileries Gardens and saw the ferris wheel in the distance. We were sure this was a fun way to get a bird’s eye view of Paris. Along the walk we stopped to look at the classic statues. And some more modern ones too.
At the beginning of the Champs Élysées we found the Egyptian obelisk in the Place De La Concorde. And far down the broad avenue we just made out the Arc De Triomphe.
We saw many of the iconic sites on our interesting walk on this visit to Paris for New Years Eve.
Enjoy Paris For New Years Eve With A Sparkling Eiffel Tower
From our stay at the Marriott Champs Élysées Hotel it was a short walk to the Seine River for a night view of the Eiffel Tower. We walked along the luxurious Avenue George V and admired the buildings. We got our view of the Eiffel Tower at the Flame of Liberty Memorial. We found a spot by the river and waited. The Eiffel Tower “sparkled” on the hour for 5 minutes. Luckily had only 10 minutes to wait. The sparkling tower was worth the cold walk after dark.
We were delighted when we learned that our Tauck river cruise boat sailed close to the Eiffel Tower when we celebrated midnight in Paris for New Years Eve. Everyone on the upper deck ducked down when we cruised under the low bridges.
The ship settled in front of the small island in the middle of the Seine (the Allée des Cygnes) between the Pont de Bir-Harkeim and Pont de Grenelle. The first of 5 Statues of Liberty in Paris was displayed here. The Statue of Liberty that greets visitors to New York in the U.S. was a gift from France. It was fun to see the statue and the Eiffel Tower all lit up.
We counted down to midnight. As the clock turned we raised our champagne as the Eiffel Tower started to sparkle. We hoped that the fireworks set off from the Arc De Triomphe were visible. But we saw just small sparks over the buildings on the side of the Seine. We knew that show was better from our stay at the Marriott Champs Élysées Hotel. But we were delighted with our view from the Seine.
When our Tauck river cruise boat sailed out of Paris, we cruised back to the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower for one final view.
A Day Trip To The Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte
The Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte was located outside of Paris. For a fun day trip, our Tauck team planned a day trip visit and we saw the beautiful Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte. It was said to have been a model for the Versailles Palace.
We enjoyed a visit with the current owner of the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte during a lovely private afternoon tea. And then wandered through the palace. We found the palace decorated for the holiday season with the theme for the year of “Dreams”.
We were sure that the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte was a fascinating place to visit even without the holiday decorations. As we wandered, we caught glimpses of the amazing architecture and decor of the chateau.
After we visited the inside we bundled up and walked around the gardens at the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte. Our visit ended after dark so we were rewarded with a beautiful night light show too.
Our lovely day trip to the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte was the perfect ending to our visit to Paris for New Years Eve.
Eating Our Way Around Paris
No visit to Paris was complete without delicious French food. We had many traditional dishes as we wandered around Paris. Butter and caramel crepes, hot Chocolat Viennois, French Onion Soup, escargot in garlic butter and fresh baguettes topped with melted cheese were just a few of the treats we enjoyed. We found more tasty treats at the Christmas markets we found still open.
When we toured the Latin Quarter with our Tauck guide, she pointed out the Odette pastry shop. She said this was the best spot for classic cream puffs (choux à la crème). After we visited Sainte Chapelle, we wandered back to sample this treat for ourselves. It was hard to choose just one flavour so we got a box of 6. And we wish we bought more. These were the BEST cream puffs we ever tasted!
River cruising with Tauck was always a treat for good food. We never went for more than a few hours before another dining option was available whether we were on the ship or out on tour. On New Year’s Eve we had a multi-course Chef’s Dinner as we waited for midnight to strike.
As a true chocoholic, David was always happy when great dark chocolate was available. Tauck provided a good chocolate and champagne demonstration by a French expert. On the same night when an extensive chocolate buffet was served.
On our day trip to the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte we were treated to a tasty Afternoon Tea. This kept our bellies full before we returned to the river cruise ship for a late buffet dinner.
We ate our way around Paris and were fully satisfied with our French treats when we visited Paris for New Years Eve.
A Quick But Busy Visit To Enjoy Paris For New Years Eve
We were so glad we planned a Seine River cruise with Tauck that included a start in Paris for New Years Eve. It was lovely to re-visit some iconic sites in Paris. We were so happy we finally saw the beautiful Sainte Chapelle. And the holiday season was the perfect time to explore the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte.
On every visit to Paris we see just a little bit more. We know we left many more iconic spots for return stops in this lovely city. And we can never get enough of the tasty French food!
Did you visit Paris for New Years Eve? Was it the treat you expected?
Copyright Notice: All material on this travel blog site is the sole property of RetiredAndTravelling. This includes blog posts, pages, design and all photos (whether watermarked or not). Any use of materials from this site without express written consent will be considered copyright infringement.
Paris sounds like a wonderful place to spend New Year’s! The location of your hotel would be perfect for exploring the city and enjoying the holiday lights and fireworks.
Paris for New Year’s Eve was a real treat. And we did love our hotel location as a base to explore.
Sounds like a wonderful way to spend NYE in Paris. It’s such a wonderful place and I feel you never run out of things to do!
We are happy we are finding new things to see and do on return visits. And I am sure we still have lots more to discover in Paris.
I just returned to Paris after 10 years! I fell in love again. I am so glad that I had time to do neighborhood walking tours, visit the famous art museums, and roam the streets. Your guide reminds everyone why Paris never gets old!
It had also been awhile since we were last in Paris so it was great to be back. Love going back and just wandering as locals.
Paris is great any time of year but so special for New Years !!! Love how much fun you had.
We definitely had a lot of fun visiting Paris over New Year’s Eve.
I liked how you showed the quieter side of New Year’s in Paris instead of just hyping it up. The way you described the atmosphere and just being out in the city felt very real.
Thanks for your comments. It is great to go back to a city you have visited before and not have to be in the rush for busy tourist sites. We loved returning to Paris.
“Restoration” is the word I was looking for! “Renovation” is putting it a little too mildly:).
It was interesting to compare pics we took from our first visit to see what has changed. And to see they still are not done.
This post is full of great information! Thanks for such a complete overview of Paris and things to do. I did not know about the Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte and can’t wait to add that to my travel list.
We love to add one or two new things when we re-visit a great city like Paris.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Paris over the years but have not been since the Notre Dame renovation. Lucky you! And glad you got to see stunning Sainte-Chapelle. Onion soup…The Champs Elysée …the Latin Quarter…Mona Lisa…Thanks for the nostalgia (and good to know iconic Paris is still there when so much changes.)
We were so happy to get back to Paris. And visiting for New Year’s Eve made it extra special.
I have visited Paris multiple times, but never during the New Year. I hope that it was not too crowded and that you enjoyed your time there. I am interested in seeing Notre Dame Cathedral after its restoration in the future. I am also planning to visit Chateau De Vaux Le Vicomte this spring, so your insights are helpful to me. Your photos are consistently impressive.
I am sure you will love visiting Chateau de Vaux Le Vicomte. A great day trip from Paris.
I went to Paris 8 years back and am going again in few months. Fell in love the first time, your guide is def helpful to view it with a different lens and fall in love again!
Glad to provide some suggestions for your return trip to Paris.
I was in Paris two weeks ago. Not my favorite city, tbh. Loud, grey, dirty. I prefer a more quiet experience.
I can understand your feelings about Paris. We found it too busy on early visits but now we move at our own pace and get more out of our experience.
Great post! Sounds like a really fun trip. I’m happy to see Notre Dame is making such progress after the fire and restoration.
We too were very happy we got to see the restoration of Notre Dame. If you had not visited before, you might not really know what has changed.