If you’re wondering what’s open on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day in Paris, don’t despair – there are plenty of things to do, places to eat, and you’re sure to have a great time.

What’s open Xmas Day & New Years

• the free merry-go-rounds
• all three ice rinks (Hôtel de Ville, Montparnasse, Bibliothèque François Mitterrand)
• the Grande Roue Ferris wheel
• the Centre Pompidou
• the Musée Jacquemart André
• this French website – http://www.parisgratuit.com/musee-noel6.html – that gives a list of museums open in Paris and Ile-de-France open on Christmas and New Year’s Eve
• the amazing Eiffel Tower
• and Parisian cemeteries of Paris - Père Lachaise 75011, Montparnasse, Montmartre, Passy, etc.)
• many shops on the Champs-Elysées are open, but may close a bit earlier.
• many shops and cafés around the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais’ Jewish district should be open as usual on Christmas Day (Hanukah is not a major holiday for the Jewish community in Paris)
• well-known brasseries (such as those run by the Brasseries Flo and Frères Blanc) and restaurants remain open for Christmas.
• for smaller restaurants, you simply need to to contact them in advance to avoid disappointment. You will find that some are open and some are not (in many cases they are either open for Chirstmas Eve – OR – Christmas Day – but not both).
• many restaurants have special New Year’s Eve menus (they may not be open on January 1st) – again, contact them in advance to make sure
• if you’re looking for entertainment, there are many shows open, like the Opéra de Paris, Moulin Rouge and Lapin Agile
• if you can read a bit of French visit the great discount ticketing website Ticketac.com for discounts on French shows including circuses, theatre, cabaret and dance.
• movie theatres are open over the holidays. You’ll find the English-language films (“VO”) without French dubbing (“VF”) at the cinemas along the Champs-Elysées and at the Forum des Halles, and all of the MK2 cinemas around Paris
• for smaller cinemas you’ll need to check with each film to see what version they’re showing
• get a copy of the small weekly What’s On guide called Pariscope at any newsstand, they come out every Wednesday when new movies are out.

What’s not open Xmas Day & New Years

• the Christmas markets are not open on Christmas Day and most close before the 31st.

Visit the other Christmas pages

Things to Do at Christmas and restaurant info >>

You should be able to find many things to do on these special days – so have a great time, and Add a Comment below and tell me all about it.

Cheers
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year to you!

Teena!

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