This is where I share stories, lessons, and advice from my travels around the world.
Cruising Through The Holidays
Many of the on board activities were linked to the season. Holiday songs were performed in the piano bar, sung in the pub, and played softly in the background in the wine lounge and the dining rooms. On the cruise’s first day, the ship held a tree lighting ceremony at 9:50 PM. The place went dark and then the tree lights popped on. There were so many lights on that tree, that it lit up not just the tree, but the whole area. For those who enjoy playing trivia and games on board, the ship offered, in addition to such usual trivia sessions as true or false trivia or 5 O’clock trivia, several holiday oriented trivia sessions like a Name that Holiday Tune and a Christmas movies visual quiz.
Cruising Through The Holidays
There is nothing like singing Christmas carols in the Caribbean.
When many think about the winter holiday season, they experience both the joy of the season and wonder how they will accomplish all they need to do for the season. To help keep the joyous aspect of the season and to alleviate any worrisome problems related to the season, make an easy choice. Just remove yourself from home and instead send yourself away to paradise on a holiday cruise. Why cruise for Christmas? Because as it turns out cruising and Christmas go together really well. Cruising through the holidays offers you a chance to relax and at the same time experience a beautifully decorated seasonal location with plenty of holiday themed events and other activities. Cruising offers an easy opportunity to gather your family and friends together, but also allows for each person to have their own personal space and time.
Christmas or Hanukkah cruising not only helps make family and friends gatherings easier; it offers you the choice of being engaged with activities and people or simply relaxing alone choosing to do nothing much at all. The wonderful thing about a cruise ship is there are so many activities to do on a cruise. The ship offers something available to engage everyone, no matter what their ages or interests. A cruise ship also offers plenty of places to be where you can chill out and do what you want to do when you want to do it. Cruising allows each person to be as busy as they wish to be, but still allows for quality family or friends gathering time at dinner in the dining room or a casual restaurant. Most ships are beautifully decorated for Christmas so you are in surroundings that contribute to a festive mood, but you did not have to lift a finger to do any of the decorating. For me, that is part of what I like about cruising - its festive, but it is fairly effortless on my part.
Get off the ship and catch some thrills.
Holiday Cruise - Getting Ready To Go
An important aspect for a successful holiday cruise is to prepare for it. While I know that sounds like you just added a layer of more issues to your season prep, it really does not take that much time and effort to get ready for a cruise. You need to decide on certain aspects of your cruise ahead of time so you can have what you want in place when you get on board. Because it is the holiday season, many others also want to get away on a holiday at the same time so often cabins on a ship sell out completely. Since most schools are out for the holidays there will be many families with children on board; however, don’t fret that will ruin your cruise as most smaller children spend their time with their families or in the kid’s club. I’ve gone on two Christmas cruises and while both ships were full, the children on board were not a problem at all. In addition, the cruise ship even when traveling full of passengers, offers so much to do and see, that it never felt really crowded in any one place. I have spoken with several people on a holiday cruise and each one has stated in their own way what a good idea it was since they had extended family members joining them to celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah. Each said that the a holiday cruise was a great opportunity to gather all family members of any age together in one place for a certain period of time, but without anyone having to serve as the host or coordinator for food or activities. So anyway with that in mind, as you get ready to plan your holiday cruise, be prepared to make some choices about what you want and what your expectations are before you go to actually book your cruise.
Choices you need to make include: where to go; how long a cruise you want; how much you want to spend; and whether you want an inside, oceanview, balcony, or suite type cabin. Remember to consider if one cabin can house the number of people in your immediate party or do you need to book more than one cabin? If you need more than one cabin for your family, you might want to book two cabins that have a connecting door between them or maybe consider paying for a larger cabin or suite. All these factors affect how much you need to spend to get what you want.
Once you have made your choices, then take a look at the different cruise lines that offer a ship going where you would like to go. You can do this yourself on the cruise line’s websites or go through a travel agent, either an online agency or at a travel agency near you. One good way to find out about what is offered by each cruise line is to check out some of the large cruise travel agencies online. Doing so will usually give you a good idea of what is offered for the dates on which you can travel. There are many online travel agencies, but you might try these websites to get an idea of prices and itineraries of holiday cruises:
https://www.expedia.com/Cruises
https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseto/
You can also check directly with each of the main cruise lines used by most people in the U.S. to see what they are offering during the holiday season. Try these:
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/
Adventure awaits!
First, decide where you want to go. Somewhere warm is usually the first choice of many holiday cruisers. That generally means somewhere in the sunny Caribbean, but for some it may mean the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, or even South America or the South Pacific. Decide on how long you want to be gone on your cruise and add in at least one pre-cruise night in the port town your cruise is leaving from. Why add that one extra night? It’s because it is winter in North America and you should arrive a day ahead of your cruise departure to help ensure avoiding any inclement weather related airport or driving delays.
Second, choose how long you want your cruise to last. Most holiday cruises last seven days which gives you a chance to both enjoy many activities, different ports, and relax on board. Taking a shorter or longer cruise affects the cruise price. For most groups of families or friends, a seven day cruise offers the best balance between getting away long enough for a real vacation and getting time off from work and/or school.
Third, decide what ports are important for you to see and experience. Decide if you want more ports - a port intensive cruise or if you want fewer port of calls. More ports means you will most likely find yourself off the ship exploring the sights or experiences daily and then returning to the ship for the later afternoon and evening. Fewer ports of call means you can have more cruising at sea days on board enjoying the ship itself, but you will visit fewer places or islands on your trip.
Fourth, decide what type of cabin room you want. An inside cabin is usually the cheapest, but can be small and offers no window to the outside world. If you are intending to be out and about, only wanting to use your cabin to sleep and shower in, then an inside cabin offers you the best price. An oceanview cabin offers you some type of porthole window so you can see outside and is often also offered at a very good price. A cabin that comes with a balcony where you can open the door and walk out onto your own private space to see and smell the ocean is offered at a higher price than either an inside or oceanview cabin. Some type of suite cabin will give you more cabin space and a larger balcony, but these usually come at a much higher price point. Check the prices, cabin sizes, and number of people a cabin can sleep before making your cabin choice. Make sure it can handle the number of people in your party who will stay in the same cabin with you. I’ve stayed in an oceanview, balcony, and a small suite cabin and have enjoyed them all. I find I like the larger space of a suite cabin and balcony, but when the price really matters I am fine with an oceanview cabin because I do like to at least be able to see directly outside.
Fifth, decide what time you want to dine daily and where you want to dine, at least in general. When you book the cruise you will be usually be asked if you want traditional early (usually 5:30 or 6:00 PM) or late (usually 8:00 or 8:30 PM) dining or anytime/my time dining. If you want to eat at the early time most cruise days, be aware that it is the popular dining time for families with younger children or older adults so sign up for it when booking. If you wait to do so closer to your cruise departure date, this dining time may not be available. The option of anytime or my time dining is also very popular. When you choose this type of dining, you are able to either make daily reservations for your choice of dining time or to go to the dining room to eat without a reserved time and wait until a table is available. It works much like reservations at a restaurant in your hometown does. It means you may have wait for a table to become available and you will often not have the same server or table at every meal. If when you get on board and find that you do not like your table, your seating time, anytime dining or have other dining concerns, be sure to talk to the person at the Food and Beverage Hospitality Desk about it. That person can often make a switch for you between times or tables as needed.
Soak up some vitamin sea.
Boarding Your Ship
Once you have selected your holiday cruise and paid for it, get ready to enjoy the experience. While there may be trouble still out in the greater world and world peace remains elusive, it is with a distinct feeling of seasonal joy that I tramped up the stairs and over the ramp to enter my 2019 Christmas cruise ship. Helping me to feel joyous was the knowledge that I was here in warm San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was about to travel to many other warm and beautiful Caribbean islands. My 2019 Christmas cruise was a port intensive one with stops every day, but one. My family and I went to ports in St. Maarten, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados. Once on board, the ship’s many holiday decorations set the mood for me and everyone to be in a holiday mood and have a festive cruise experience. The extremely large green Christmas tree on the ship’s main gathering place on Deck Five was large enough to soar up several decks. Surrounding the tree were boughs of greenery on the balconies with wreaths and golden ornaments everywhere. The ship looked like several artists had gotten together and decorated it for the season. It was beautiful and I think these decorations set the tone for our holiday season on board the ship. I thought the decorations on my first holiday cruise in 2018 were beautiful and could not be beat. I was wrong, as on this December 25, 2019 holiday cruise, it was obvious that the ship’s crew was into establishing that more was merrier. Everywhere you looked there was something to remind a cruiser that it was the Christmas and Hanukkah season. Even my fellow passengers got into the decorating act by decorating their cabin doors for the season. Some cabin doors were very well done and artistic, while some were more just plain fun or displayed a child’s seasonal art. Looking at some decorated cabin doors I did wonder if this is a really good way to help a cruiser find their own particular cabin after a few drinks around the ship?
As I traveled around the ship exploring its many bars, lounges, sports facilities, and pools, I noticed that holiday decorations were everywhere, not just in the main public spaces. Even the pool areas sported some type of wreaths, greenery, or ornaments. In the main dining room there was more greenery strung around it and its main stairway linking the three dining room floors together was hung heavily with boughs and ornaments. Up in the casual buffet restaurant visitors were treated to a beautiful and very large seasonal snow village display. The village setting was decked out in red, green, and gold with plenty of ‘snow’ spread throughout it. Also provided was a seasonal welcome aboard really large sheet cake for those who came there for their first cruise chow down (lunch). Even as large as it was, that cake was all gone by dinner time. In addition, the casual dining areas, such as the 24 hour cafe, the pizzeria, and other snack areas, were decked out with ribbons, garlands, and many small trees with tiny lights or globes on them. The great decorating effort by the ship’s staff established a holiday seasonal feeling as did much of the music played in the various venues throughout the ship.
You can take a cupcake decorating class!
Activities On The Ship
Many of the on board activities were linked to the season. Holiday songs were performed in the piano bar, sung in the pub, and played softly in the background in the wine lounge and the dining rooms. On the cruise’s first day, the ship held a tree lighting ceremony at 9:50 PM. The place went dark and then the tree lights popped on. There were so many lights on that tree, that it lit up not just the tree, but the whole area. For those who enjoy playing trivia and games on board, the ship offered, in addition to such usual trivia sessions as true or false trivia or 5 O’clock trivia, several holiday oriented trivia sessions like a Name that Holiday Tune and a Christmas movies visual quiz.
One popular program with the cruisers was the 8:00 PM Christmas Eve Caroling sing a long. Led by the ship’s entertainment staff in front of the ship’s large Christmas tree, many people gathered to sing traditional and contemporary seasonal songs. Song books were handed out so that everyone could know the words and follow the tune. While that may sound boring to some, it actually turned out to be fun and a good reminder that this was a season of good cheer and good will to all. Early on Christmas Day at 7:30 AM, that special holiday fellow Santa, arrived beside the Christmas tree. All children on board were invited to meet with Santa and receive a small gift from him which is, of course, really from the cruise line. For those who were still on board at 1:00 in the afternoon and later again at 5:00 PM, there was a Christmas scavenger hunt that I heard many families participated in. Evening entertainment on Christmas included a Christmas Friendly Feud game show, a family elves disco, a name that Christmas tune trivia game in the piano bar, and a holiday PJ movie night of How the Grinch Stole Christmas out beside the main pool. Proving that you can only get as bored as you want to be, cruise entertainment that evening also offered karaoke, dancing under the stars by the pool after the Christmas movie was over, an excellent and must see ice skating show, a cash prize bingo game, and that cruise traditional but funny program, the Love and Marriage Game Show.
Other activities to consider on board your cruise is seeing the ice skating show and/or diving show if your ship offers them. Both are excellent and it is amazing what can be done by a performer when the ship is moving at sea. Usually there is at least one or two theatre production shows. These can be either good or not so good, but you can leave anytime you find yourself not really enjoying the show. If there is a comedian or a magician, consider seeing those shows as they are usually quite good. Many professional entertainers cycle through cruise ships and their performances are often enjoyable. On this 2019 holiday cruise there was a late night adult comedy performance offered, but I found I was too tired that evening to actually make it to that show. One show I did get to see was by a magician named Jasen Magic. I made it to his performance despite having spent the day on St. Kitts hiking up and down the 3,792 foot tall Mount Liamuiga volcano. Jasen was extremely funny and involved the audience in his magic tricks and humor. His show was fast paced and included improv humor along with mystifying tricks. He was well worth making time to go see. I recommend going to any show you see associated with his name.
The main dining hall is a great option for your holiday meal.
Holiday Dining
On Christmas Day the main dining room menu featured that traditional holiday meal standard - roast turkey with dressing, several different types of potatoes and vegetables, along with pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie a la mode. Also offered was a ham dish along with a vegetarian option.
On this cruise I did not dine in any of the extra charge specialty dining restaurants on board; however, each of those featured a holiday menu based on their specialty food types. On my previous holiday cruise I did dine in the specialty steakhouse restaurant. There the dinner started off with a glass of champagne and proceeded to offer a large variety of entrees and sides. Both years, in the specialty dining restaurant and in the main ship’s dining room, one of the desserts offered to everyone was a tasty traditional French yule log, a Bûche de Noël.
If you are interested in dining in the ship’s extra charge specialty restaurants, then try to make reservations for them prior to getting on board. Doing so helps to ensure you can get the dining restaurant and time you prefer. Go to your cruise line’s website as soon as possible and find where you can look at its cruise planner section. Depending on your cruise line you may need to have your cruise confirmation number and sign in to access it your particular cruise or you may be able to take a general look at the dining offerings without signing in. Once on the site, take a look at the cruise dining venues and the dining packages and places offered. Specialty restaurants do have a per person charge, although they can be somewhat cheaper if you book them in a package such as committing to dining in three of them during your cruise. Be aware that even if you book a specialty dining package for all the evenings of your cruise, that it will not usually include dinner on Christmas Day. If you want to book a Christmas Day meal at a specialty restaurant, then do so prior to your cruise. In my experience, Christmas Day meals are usually sold as separate tickets outside of a package and they do cost more than the regular specialty meal charge. That said, if you board without any specialty restaurant reservations and decide you want to give one a try, you can check at the specialty restaurant itself and make your purchase arrangements then for what is available. You may not get the cheapest price point on it, but you can usually get into the specialty restaurant of your choice. If you decide to not try a specialty restaurant or cannot get a time at the place you want, remember the main dining room is still a very nice place to eat and that there are usually several other non-charge venues to eat at on the ship.
As an aside to the more traditional holiday seasonal dining on board, I believe nothing says Christmas more than learning how to make a good spicy guacamole and a great margarita with alcohol included. This cruise offered a fun class on how to make both of these. It included a complete lunch and drinks. The guacamole was prepared by the participants for their tables. I enjoyed having the ability to make the guacamole as spicy or not spicy as I wanted. A word of warning, if you are going to make it spicy, do a good job of mixing up the guacamole ingredients, so one poor soul doesn’t get hit with all the heat while taking one bite. As for the holiday season since guacamole is based on an avocado, the guacamole was green and my margarita had streaks of red in it. Since these two products contained both red and green colors, I considered these to be part of my seasonal celebration.
Keeping old traditions while starting new ones.
Your Own Cabin
One great way to bring the season closer into your life on board is to decorate your cabin for the holiday. Come prepared to personalize it by jazzing it up for the season. This doesn’t really take much effort, just a bit of prior preparation. On a previous cruise I saw a cabin where someone had wrapped up the cabin’s pictures on the wall in colorful wrapping paper and added ribbons and a bow. It made them into your own personal presents hanging on the cabin wall. If you like that, take it further and consider wrapping your whole cabin door.
I recommend to really personalize the holiday season in your cabin that you find a space somewhere in it and set up a small tree you brought with you. I know cabin space can sometimes be cramped, but there is usually some type of nook or place where you can add a tree. I purchased a small fake green tree and a small light-up plastic tree. I put both these onto a ledge in my cabin. Underneath it, I put out some small wrapped presents brought with me to open up on the actual holiday. If you don’t think you have space in your suitcase to bring gifts with you, see if you can find some type of gifts to purchase at a port of call stop before Christmas. These don’t need to be large or expensive, just some small things that you think your family or cabin mates might like. Then put them underneath your cabin tree. Put some window clings onto the mirror in your cabin or try some magnet decorating on the walls (they are metal). On your cabin door consider decorating it with a Santa figure or some holly with berries or maybe a seasonal card. Before your cruise, you can cut out a Christmas card or scene and paste it onto a flat magnet to arrange for your own personal holiday design you can place on the cabin door. As I noted before, a holiday design of some type on the door does make your cabin distinctive from all the others lining the hallway.
This drawing by a Spanish Captain was made as he was being held at Castillo de San Cristobal on mutiny charges.
Shore Excursions and Activities On Board
Check your cruise line’s shore excursions before you go on the cruise. You can find these listed in the planning section of your cruise line’s website. Check what is available for each stop and think about whether you and any others you are with would enjoy that excursion. Be aware that many cruise line shore excursions can get crowded so think about whether it is the right choice for you. If you are worried about getting back to the ship before the all on board time, then choose a ship shore excursion. If it comes back late, the ship will wait for you. If you want a different or less crowded shore excursion, then you have some other choices to make. You can research a destination and then arrange for another private shore excursion company’s tour, hire a taxi once on the location’s pier to take you on a tour or to a specific destination, or perhaps rent your own car at the destination if car rental is easily available. If you just want to walk around a port or town, you can do that too on your own. Just be sure to have a map with you or your cell phone’s GPS activated so you don’t get too lost. At all times, remember to be back on board by the posted on board time. Always keep your watch or cell phone on ship’s time, not the local destination’s time. You don’t want to miss the sailing or be one of the “pier runners” that everyone watches and hoots at from their balconies or higher public decks.
On Christmas Day, you should consider whether you wish to go ashore or stay on board the ship. Both are good options and offer different ways for you and your family or friends to celebrate the holiday. Depending on where your ship docks on Christmas Day the shore excursions offered by the cruise line will differ; however, most warm weather cruises will have a choice of several beach excursions and several types of land explorations. If you want more variety or fewer people on your shore excursion, consider exploring the options of a private vendor’s tours. Book your chosen shore excursion as far ahead of time as possible to ensure you get what you want. You may also select to go to a public beach and see if you can grab a taxi to and from your selected destination. Another relatively easy option would be to go to a resort for a day, but again I recommend booking your resort day pass before you leave for cruise to ensure your ability to use it as planned on the holiday. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that many destinations often will not offer all the open stores, businesses, restaurants, and government services that you would usually find. Taxis may not be plentiful as usual and public bus transportation may be limited or not offered at all. Factor all this into your decision about what to do for the holiday. This year my family decided to make things easier by booking a ship’s shore excursion for us all to an Antigua beach which included transportation to and from the beach, a full lunch, drinks, and loungers with umbrellas. It was not the greatest shore excursion I have ever been on, but we were at a beach on Christmas with plenty of food, drinks, and someplace to relax without much effort on our part. The reason I say it was not the greatest was that many other cruisers apparently wanted the same easy kind of visit and the beach was way more crowded than I liked. Still, it did make for a warm on the beach day and we were back on the ship later in the day with enough time to enjoy some of the ship’s holiday activities. Another option to consider is to just stay on board for the entire day. Your ship will usually provide an entertaining array of things to do throughout the day. Choices offered on my ship this Christmas Day included: raffles and games in the Casino; spa services with special massages; various bar and trivia games, wine tasting; a cake decorating class; a Jenga competition; two different Christmas scavenger hunts; pool games; table tennis competitions; a Bachata dance class; and various Christmas movies on your cabin TV, on the big pool side screen, and in the theatre. All these were in addition to the more usual cruise ship on board activities like the Belly Flop contest, hot tubs and pools, different venues with live music performers, karaoke, dancing on the deck in the evening, and a Love and Marriage game show in the middle of the evening made for one packed day. Staying on board means you won’t lack for things to do. It also means you can relax by the pool, on the decks feeling the sea breeze, or in your cabin or on your cabin’s balcony if you have one. Whatever you and your family and friends chose to do, it is important to remember it is your day to celebrate the season and be happy for the chance to be together.
Christmas in Paris
If you could go anywhere in the world for Christmas, where would you go? Consider giving Paris a shot. Having spent the winter holiday there, I can honestly say if you are looking for a truly wonderful place to experience Christmas outside of your own hometown, consider Paris. Experiencing French culture and traditions of the Christmas season in Paris is a true delight.
Christmas In Paris
Notre Dame was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
If you could go anywhere in the world for Christmas, where would you go? Consider giving Paris a shot. Having spent the winter holiday there, I can honestly say if you are looking for a truly wonderful place to experience Christmas outside of your own hometown, consider Paris. Experiencing French culture and traditions of the Christmas season in Paris is a true delight. There is still something to the sight of Notre Dame, even after the fire, with a lighted Christmas tree in front of it that inspires me to give thanks for everything and enjoy the holiday. The city somehow gives off an old world charm and celebrates its own traditions for the holiday while seamlessly incorporating modern culture.
Once you make your decision to go to Paris and arrange for your flights, then you have to decide where to stay. This decision is an important one since it influences what you are able to see and do during your visit. Remember, it is likely to be chilly in Paris (it usually is about 37°F to 46°F on average) during the holidays so you want to be sure you find a place that fits your budget, is comfortable, and close enough to most of what you want to see. That way when the weather is fine, you can go outdoors and explore around. When the weather is not so great, you can either get quickly to your destination or, if need be, get to your selected transportation.
Now that is my kind of welcome package!
Choosing Your Parisian Home
As you consider the choices of what area of Paris to make your temporary home away from home and the choice of accommodation type, consider your finances. Balance what you have to spend with what you want to experience. Remember that you have been saving probably for some time to be on this special vacation. It’s okay to spend that money on some priceless experiences. As long as you’re reasonably sure that you know how you want to spend your money, then you won’t regret it later. Take transportation needs into this consideration. Often it is not a good decision to pay less by staying further out from the center of historic Paris in one of the outer arrondissements. If you do, then you must factor in the cost of both your travel time and transportation cost to get to the sights you want to see. People often forget about the time lost traveling. That is time you could spend sitting at a cafe watching life pass you by, staring at the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, gazing at the twinkling holiday lights up and down the Champs Élysées or contemplating the skill that was needed to produce a painting by one of the masters. However, the closer to the center of Paris, the more likely your hotel or other accommodations’ cost will increase. It is worth it since being in the center of Paris puts you so much closer to the big sights and still offers you a choice of interesting Parisian neighborhoods to experience.
Choose your Parisian neighborhood carefully. Each neighborhood is known for different things. Picking the right neighborhood for you can pay off big as you wander the streets around your selected temporary home. Going out for meals in Paris can be ridiculously expensive. Consider choosing a place to stay with some type of kitchen access. That allows you to save a lot of money on your meals. You might even create some memories about finding your own favorite local shops for such things as bread, croissants, cheeses, pastilles, macarons, and foods.
If you are going to stay in Paris for four or more days (I recommend between four to seven nights), consider either using a service such as AirBnB for individual accommodations in the area you want to stay in or use an apartment rental service. These options will usually result in a cheaper accommodation for a longer stay. However, the trade off is you probably won’t have any cleaning services, so if you want clean towels you will need to launder them yourself. Still an apartment can offer a better feeling of being part of a neighborhood, kitchen facilities to help keep costs down, and provide privacy when you want or need it. There are at least nine or more well known short stay apartment rental businesses in Paris. I used Cobblestone Paris Rentals which is American owned, but Paris based. Cobblestone offered several different Paris locations, apartments sizes, and price ranges. They were informative, prompt, and very helpful throughout my time in Paris. Check them out at https://cobblestoneparis.com/ Some other recommended apartment services include Paris Perfect at https://www.parisperfect.com/ Paris for Rent at https://www.parisforrent.com/ ; and Cross-Pollinate Paris at https://www.cross-pollinate.com/paris/p/1. I have not personally used these three services, but I have read good things about them.
Be sure and visit the local cafes for lunch.
Parisian Arrondissements for value and convenience
The 4th Arrondissement, Le Marais, runs about from the Pompidou Center to the Bastille. There are several small hotels located in this area which can offer reasonable rates for being so close to the center of Paris. This is also a great area to consider renting a short stay apartment if you visit for four days or more. For my week long stay during the holidays, I rented a one bedroom apartment from Cobblestone Paris in a historic old building. It was located on a small side street just two blocks from the Pompidou Center. The apartment I rented had all the necessary things to make a trip comfortable and easier, including a small kitchen with a working stove, dishwasher, fridge, and microwave. The bathroom was also small, but it was modern with all the amenities in great shape, including a washer/dryer. Everything was included in the rental such as cable TV, internet, towels, bedding, dishes, silverware, cooking utensils, spices, cookbooks, Paris guidebooks, and even a bottle of wine. I found the apartment’s centrally located Marais location great since it was so easy to get around Paris from there, there were many choices of neighborhood streets to easily wander around, and shopkeepers and locals around there were helpful whenever I had questions. For a hotel stay in the Marais, consider staying at the Hotel Beaubourg, 11 Rue Simon le Franc, 75003 Paris. It offers good comfort, reasonable hotel prices for such a great central city location, and a very helpful staff.
The Marais is filled with jumbled up old medieval based streets where Parisians still live, work, and shop. The architecture here reflects its mixed heritage and includes old stone mansions, small boutique shop like buildings, and even some newer more up to date buildings here and there. In the Marais you can enjoy walking around a neighborhood that makes you feel like you are part of a very old European town and also at the same time part of a lively up to date trendy area. This part of town contains interesting sights like: the Carnavalet Museum covering the history of Paris and France; the Pompidou Center with its great collection of modern art and a wonderful view across the rooftops of Paris; Victor Hugo’s house set on one of the most historic squares in old Paris - the Place des Vosges; and the Picasso Museum. If you stay close to the Pompidou Center, you are also located within a short walking distance of Notre Dame, Sainte-Chappelle, Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall), the Jewish Art and History Museum, and the Conciergerie where Marie Antoinette was jailed and tried before being beheaded during the French Revolution. Transportation around Paris from the Marais is good. I found the Hotel de Ville Metro stop allowed me to easily connect to wherever I wanted to go in Paris. Another close by and handy Metro stop was the Rambuteau.
The 7th Arrondissement, the Left Bank of the Seine, is across the river from the Eiffel Tower. The Rue Cler neighborhood here is popular and contains wide streets, many old apartment buildings, a pedestrian only shopping street, and is bordered by the river, the Eiffel Tower, and Les Invalides. If you stay here, you can easily walk to the Eiffel Tower, the French Musée d l’Armee and Napoleon’s Tomb in Les Invalides, the Musée de Orsay, and Musée Rodin. Also close is the beautiful and elegant famous Parisian boulevard for strolling along and people watching, the Champs-Elysées. That boulevard leads you right to the Arc de Triomphe, a must see Paris historic monument.
While in this area, consider eating at the Cafe Constant in the 7th located at 139 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris. The food is tasty with changing daily specials. Try whatever the special for the day is as it will be good and reasonably priced. http://www.cafe-constant.com/fr/ Another place to sample some good, but for Paris inexpensive, food is the Brasserie Aux PTT at 54 Rue Cler, 75007 Paris.
On the Place de Breteuil in the 7th is the Saxe-Breteuil Market. Go to this food market when it is open on Thursday and Saturday mornings and shop for fresh produce and flowers like the locals do. If you can’t make Thursday and Saturday morning at Saxe-Breteuil Market, then shop the Rue Cler street open air produce stands and its shops to put together what you need for a meal or picnic.
On good weather days, you could take your picnic at the park by the Eiffel Tower or across the Seine to the Jardins du Trocadéro (gardens created in 1937). See the garden’s Warsaw fountains with 20 water cannons. These cannons provide a great water display during the daytime and during summer in the evenings they are illuminated. Transportation around Paris is good from the 7th Arrondissement. The main Metro stops in the 7th are Ecole Militaire, La Tour Maubourg, and Invalides. Also the RER line C has stops at the Pont de l’Alma and Invalides stations which can take you across town quickly and even out to Versailles.
The 5th and 6th Arrondissements, The Luxembourg Garden Area. While many places to stay here in these two Left Bank arrondissements are most likely more expensive than those in the 4th and 7th Arrondissements, they still offer that close in to the center of town location. Also, the Luxembourg Garden is a beautiful classic Parisian spot to see and enjoy its beauty with nearby sights such as St. Sulpice Church and the Pantheon, shopping, and many good cafes for eating and relaxing in. The Boulevard St. Germain, the Cluny Musée, and the Latin Quarter are all close by the gardens. For a reasonably priced hotel in this area consider the Hotel Bonaparte, 61 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris. Commit to staying there for five nights or more and get a reduction in price.
For reasonable prices and good food, check out the many cafes of the Boulevard St. Germain, Rue de Buci, Rue des Canettes, Place de la Sorbonne, and Place de la Contrescarpe. Try the crepes at La Crepe Rit du Clown at 6 Rue des Canettes, 75006 Paris or for making sure you get to see an original Art Nouveau place in Paris, check out the menu at Brasserie Bouillion Racine, 3 Rue Racine, 75006 Paris. The foods good, relatively reasonably priced, there is Belgian beer on tap, and the restaurant itself is a feast for your eyes (if you like Art Nouveau or if you just want to see what it must have been like in Paris back in the early 1900’s).
There is a good street market to check out nearby on the south end of Rue Mouffetard. It’s about five to six blocks south of Place de la Contrescarpe and you can also use the Metro stop, Place Monge to reach it. Open hours vary, but usually the market is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM until 1 PM and 4 PM until 7 PM, and Sundays from 10 AM until 1 PM, and is closed on Mondays. Transportation around Paris through the Metro is good from this area. Metro stops are Cluny-La Sorbonne, Mabillon, Odeon, and St. Sulpice. The RER-B line from the Luxembourg station has direct service to Cheles de Gaule airport and the Gare du Nord trains.
You need to figure out early how you plan to see all the spots that you want to visit.
Paris Transportation
When it comes to getting around Paris, your transportation choices are excellent. Paris’ public transportation is generally reliable, easy to use, and reasonably inexpensive. If at all possible, make walking your first choice for getting around Paris. Walking gives you the best opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of Paris first hand. However, If walking won’t get you there fast enough or where you want to go is far enough away you do not want to walk there, then take the Metro. The Metro can take you to most places around Paris at a reasonable cost and is fast.
I don’t recommend walking for long distances unless you want to look like this.
Walking
Walking around should be your first choice. If like me, you came to experience Paris, then you should walk through its streets. Enjoy the sounds and the sights. Even in the cold December weather, there were musicians out in front of the Pompidou Center, in the streets of the left bank people were gathered here and there, and in front of Notre Dame there were some performance artists. Talk to shopkeepers and others willing to stop for a moment to offer directions or other help. Contrary to what many believe about Parisians, I never found anyone there to be rude or unhelpful. The people I talked to tried their best to understand my few words of French or hand signals; indeed, many spoke English and were both polite and helpful. The historic neighborhoods of Paris are great places to wonder and to admire the beautiful architecture of its buildings. Take the time to check out the beauty of the oldest square in Paris, the Place des Vosges, which also is where Victor Hugo’s historic house can be found. Another great place to take a stroll in the evening is along the Champs Elysées to experience the coordinated and beautiful light display during the holiday season along the avenue. I think that one of the great things about Paris is that the areas most people want to visit when they come to the city are usually within walking distance of each other. Plus, it is hard to get too lost in Paris since the Seine and the Eiffel Tower are usually within sight to help you orient yourself.
All of the Metro stops are clearly marked.
2. Metro
The Metro is Paris’ main transport system. It is actually fairly easy to understand and is reasonably priced. The Metro runs trains underground with times ranging from about every five minutes to every fifteen minutes. Using the Metro gets you to pretty much wherever you want to go. It has over 300 stations spread throughout the city. Although the Paris Metro is divided into zones, most of the sights people want to see are within zones 1 and 2. The Metro system service hours are good and rarely change. It starts running most days at 5:30 AM and does not close until 12:40 AM or 1:40 AM on weekends and holidays. Please note that it is possible an event such a strike can shut down the Metro at times. Check these websites for the most up to date information at https://www.ratp.fr/en/visite-paris/english/visiting-paris-and-its-surrounding-areas or https://www.transilien.com/en
Buy your Metro tickets at the ticket booths inside many, but not all, stations or try using the ticket vending machines. The kiosk machines accept Euro coins or smart chip credit cards. Non-smart chip credit cards are not accepted. If you do not have a smart chip card, then use Euros to buy your Metro tickets. The most basic Metro ticket of 1.90€ covers travel for two hours going one way. Instead of trying to figure out the cost of individual use tickets, I recommend you buy a book of ten tickets called a carnet. Buy the Navigo Easy card for 2€ and the discounted ten ticket carnet for 14.90€. That makes each ticket less than 1.50€. Buy the Navigo Easy card at any Paris Metro or RER ticket booth. Ask the ticket agent for a “Navigo Easy avec un carnet.” That way the agent loads the10 tickets right onto the card for you and it can be used immediately. Buying your Metro tickets this way makes the day less stressful than if you had to stand in front of the machines to buy tickets as you go. The downside to Navigo Easy card use is while you can use it on the Roissybus and the Orlybus when buying those tickets as separate fare purchases, you cannot use it to take the RER to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), Disneyland Paris, or for Paris-Versailles. That may change at any time, so check these two websites for more information https://www.ratp.fr/en or https://www.transilien.com/en
While using the Metro, remember sortie means exit and that there can be several sorties within one Metro station. Look at the Neighborhood Map posted inside each station, find where you want to go on the map, and then take the closest sortie to reach your destination. And if you can, try to avoid Metro rush hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 10:00 AM and 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Also, note that currently the Metro is undergoing construction as it works to adapt for disabled access. Some stations may close while this work is going on so check here https://www.ratp.fr/en/informations for up to date information about closings or for further information about holiday service hours.
If you are lucky enough to be in Paris this year for New Year’s Eve, the Metro has a “Free transportation during New Year’s Eve” program for New Year’s Eve in Paris. The Metro will work all night working in cooperation with the buses, trams, and RER trains from December 31, 2019 at 5:00 PM through January 1, 2020 at 12:00 PM. During that time, the Paris Metro will run all lines until 2:15 AM. After that only some lines will be work, but they may not stop at all the metro stations. Metro lines during this special service time are: 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 14.
The Paris Pass is your ticket to get into many places.
3. Paris Pass
Another method to cover your Metro travel is to consider buying a Paris Pass. That way is more expensive than just buying Metro tickets or the Paris Museum Pass, but it covers many attractions and historic sights entry fees and unlimited travel on the Metro, bus, tram, and RER within Paris. It even includes a one day hop on-hop off bus pass. Check its website for more information https://www.parispass.com/ Even for budget travelers the time saved by not having to purchase individual tickets to museums and attractions plus skipping some long lines to get into them, can make the Paris Pass worth the extra money. Consider what you want to see in Paris, then make a comparison of individually bought entry fees and Metro, bus, and other transportation costs to the cost of the Paris Pass for the number of days when you are in the city. For me, one of the best benefits of the Paris Pass turned out to be the ability to skip the long lines at some attractions like the Louvre and the Arch de Triumphe. On one very cold day when I went to visit the Arch de Triumphe that was a great benefit. Instead of standing outside in the long line which snaked around its base, I got to skip right to the entrance kiosk and start up the stairs.
The RER is comfortable and somewhat easy to use.
4. RER
The RER is the regional express network for Paris and its surrounding areas. It is a rapid transit type system of trains that serves the suburbs of Paris and also provides fast transport like a subway train through the city itself. It has five lines, A through E, and is operated by a different company than the Metro. RER trains run on scheduled times, unlike the Metro’s every so many minutes, and you can purchase tickets for a specific journey on the RER. Some Metro stations are also RER access stations, but remember that if you want to use a RER train you must use a RER station. A station served by a RER train will say on its sign RER and include the specific RER lines served inside a circle. Buy your RER tickets either online, at the RER station kiosk machines, put your RER ticket onto a Navigo card, or use a Paris Pass to cover your trip. Once you have your ticket, navigated through the right RER turnstile, and gotten to your train’s platform, you need to know that theRER train doors do not open automatically. To get on and off a RER train, you have to activate the doors through a button located on the handle near the middle of the double doors. Check the websites https://www.ratp.fr/en and https://www.transilien.com/en for more information.
Many streets have a bus lane to avoid traffic.
5. Busses
Bus routes criss-cross Paris and can take you on a sightseeing journey for a fraction of what a tour would cost. I also found out one day that a bus route would take me from the Eiffel Tower up to another part of the city directly instead of having to go through several transfers on the Metro. Even better than skipping the transfer stops on the Metro was the fact that I could sightsee along the Paris streets through the bus window as I traveled. Busses use the same tickets and passes as the Metro and the RER. A Zone 1 ticket buys you a bus ride to anywhere inside central Paris. Paris bus stops all have route maps, a schedule of stops information, an end of the line direction and stop name, and a small layout of the neighborhood of the stop. You can buy your single ticket on board the bus or use your Metro Navigo Easy pass. When using the bus make sure you get on the right one. Ask the driver if it goes where you want or check the sign on the front of the bus which displays its end of the line stop. Enter the bus through the front door. When ready to exit use the red button to let the driver know you want to get off and then exit through the rear door. Try a bus ride as an exploration of central Paris, you might find something in the city you did not know about before, or learn you can enjoy traveling about the city like a local.
Getting around by car isn't a bad way to go when you aren’t driving.
6. Taxis, Uber, Lyft, etc.
These all operate throughout Paris. They make the most sense when you are traveling as a group of four or more or with a lot of bags. Using these transportation services will cost more than using the Metro, so I recommend whenever possible travel through Paris like the locals do-walk or use the Metro. If you need an English speaking taxi service try https://www.paristaxi1.com/ I used them to get to CDG airport in time for my departure plane when my previously scheduled airport transport did not show. I called them for a taxi early in the morning before dawn. They were quick and efficient. At the time my ride cost was approximately 51€ and the driver preferred it in Euros, not on a credit card.
Uber and Lyft work in Paris just like they do in other cities and can be cheaper than a taxi, but in most cases they will not be cheaper than using the Metro or RER.
Spare yourself the stress and don’t drive.
7. Cars
Simply put - I do not recommend driving in Paris. If you have ever observed the traffic circle around the Arch de Triumphe, you really would say there is no need to join in at all. Public transportation is so cheap and covers the city so well that access through that transportation is easier and cheaper than having a car in the city. Save some money and stress. Have someone else do the driving.
Sightseeing with a touch of class
8. Seine boat cruises
I recommend you do at least one of these. There are at least three or more companies providing these boat cruises. Usual cruise offerings range from about 45 minutes to one and a half hours. The cruises leave and return to the same spot where they departed from. The only difference is the where they leave from and how far down the Seine they go. A cruise down the Seine may seem touristy, but I highly recommend it even in winter. Most boats offer inside glass window viewing seating which is warmer than being outside. However, to really see and feel that you are on the river I think you should go outside. Once outside, it can be windy and cold, but the view is really beautiful. You can smell the river and see the flags waving around while taking photos or waving to the people on shore. You can see many famous sights of Paris from a short river cruise, such as the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee d’ Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower. There are also lunch and dinner cruises on the Seine. These are mostly aimed at tourists, but since you are a visitor, why not enjoy it? It gives you a different view of the city as you glide down and up the river. I took a Christmas lunch cruise for a leisurely ride down the Seine complete with a good meal and plenty of champagne. It was relaxing, offered good sightseeing from inside the boat and outside from the top of the boat, holiday music played, there was a traditional French yule log, and it was a warm way to spend a portion of Christmas day. Listed are just two of the companies offering a Seine river cruise. One company is Bateaux Mouches, cost 14€ website www.bateaux-mouches.fr Another company is Bateaux Parisiens with medium sized one level boats, cost 15€. Note that currently Paris Pass holders have a Bateaux Parisiens river cruise included as part of the pass by collecting the free ticket from the company’s Eiffel Tower departure point window at Pier 3. Be sure and check the Paris Pass website for up to date information on the river cruise at www.bateauxparisiens.com
Notre Dame decorated for Christmas was a sight to behold.
Christmas Services
Christmas Eve in Paris is the bigger event of the two days, Christmas Eve and Christmas. Nothing will probably make you feel more like you are in Paris than attending a Christmas Eve service at one of its many historic Catholic churches, large or small. Although the services are in French, you can still recognize the many traditional hymns. Since this is Paris, there is probably a church located near to your temporary stay neighborhood home. Some larger Paris churches with Christmas Eve services include: Madeleine Church; Basilica of Sacre Coeur; Saint Sulpice Church; and Saint Eustache Church. Since at present Notre Dame is undergoing repairs, it is not available for services this year. If instead you would prefer a service in English, there are several churches that have them. The American Cathedral (Episcopal) at 23 Avenue George V (Metro: Alma Marceau), offers a 5:00 PM Christmas Eve family service and a 10:30 PM Christmas Eve Midnight Mass with a Christmas Day service at 11:00 AM. St. Michael’s Church (Anglican) at 5 Rue d’ Aguesseau (Metro: Madeleine) offers a Christmas Eve service at 11:00 PM and a Christmas Day service at 10:30 AM. Or you could check out the American Church (inter-denominational Protestant), at 65 Quai d’ Orsay, (Metro: Invalides) as it offers a Christmas Eve family service at 4:00 PM and a Prelude Candlelight service at 7:00 PM (opens doors at 6:45 PM) and again at 9:30 PM. For the American Church up to date information check their website at https://www.acparis.org/
Buy your tickets to the Eiffel Tower as early as possible.
Eiffel Tower on Christmas Day
The Eiffel Tower is open on Christmas Day. Buy your tickets ahead of time, but be aware that even with an advance ticket purchase you will still stand in an outside security line for some time. Also, be aware that there are always crowds at the Eiffel Tower and you will be visiting it with many of your new BFF’s. Mingling in with the crowds around the Tower are some who are not your friends; pickpockets are here even on Christmas. Be mindful of your valuables. Dress warmly, you will be outside most of your time on the tower and it is very windy up on the second and top levels. One thing that makes getting to the Eiffel Tower easy - you can see it from anywhere around Paris since it is so tall.
For public transportation to the Eiffel Tower, you can use the Metro, the RER, or busses.
There are three Metro and one RER commuter stations nearby to the Eiffel Tower: Bir-Hakeim (line 6 Nation - Charles de Gaulle Etoile) which is an eight minute walk to the tower; Trocadero (line 9 Pont de Sevres - Mairie de Montreuil) which is a 12 minute walk; Ecole Militaire (Line 8 Balard - Creteil) which is a 15 minute walk; and the RER Line C stop at the Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel which is a 7 minute walk.
Getting to the Eiffel Tower by public bus offers you several stops nearby: Bus 82 with stops “tour Eiffel” or “Champ de Mars” about a 5 minute walk; Bus 42 with stop “tour Eiffel” a 5 minute walk; Bus 87 with stop “Champ de Mars” a 6 minute walk; and Bus 69 with stop “Champ de Mars” a 6 minute walk.
Once you are ready to begin your Eiffel Tower journey, you can choose to go up to the first floor by the stairs or by using the elevators. If using the elevator, you should start your journey up by going to the highest level you bought a ticket for. I recommend buying a ticket for the top level since if you do not like it you can always leave and go down to the second level, but you cannot go higher if you did not buy that top level ticket. Go up to the top level and enjoy the view with the birds from far above the earth. Follow the line of the river to help you orient yourself to where you are in Paris. Take some photos! It will be beautiful up there whether it is daytime or nighttime. At Christmas time it will also be cold and windy so bundle up. When you are done enjoying the top level, take the elevator down to the second level. The second level observation platform offers stunning views of Paris. I think it is easier here to pick out specific sights. This level also offers a gift shop and a place to get coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, or some snacks. After spending time at the top level, I highly recommend a hot chocolate and a macaroon or two! Currently the price to go all the way up to the top by elevator is 25.50€ for adults. You cannot climb the stairs to the top of the Eiffel Tower as they are not open beyond the second level. A ticket to the second floor as your top level to visit by using the elevator costs less. I recommend you do not use the stairs at all during the winter and it is possible that the stairs may not be open due to weather conditions. Buy your Christmas Eve or Christmas Day tickets in advance to avoid the longer lines at the ticket booths at the base of the tower. Use https://ticket.toureiffel.paris/ to purchase your advance tickets.
I recommend stopping by Cafe Richard for some hot chocolate or coffee.
Holiday Windows Displays
A free activity at this time of the year is to browse the holiday window displays at the large department stores in Paris. On Christmas Eve or Christmas make a trek to see the displays and stop to have hot chocolate at a cafe in between each of your viewing stops. Every year the Paris stores go all out to decorate for Christmas with a different theme at each store. Displays include multiple window displays which have lights, animated features, and plenty of sparkle and cheer. Planning for a store’s window starts right after they take down the previous year’s decorations so a lot of effort goes into these windows and it shows. When the store is open, Galeries Lafayette has a giant tree underneath the building’s central dome; but you can check out their windows at any time. Le Printemps offers another well known store window display. Use Metro stop Chausee d’Antin to get to the Boulevard Haussmann to see both of those stores. Use the Metro stop Sevres-Babylone to get to Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche at 24 Rue de Sevres. Another store with windows worth going to see is at the BHV Marais at 52 Rue de Rivoli. Use the Metro stop Hotel de Ville to reach it.
The Christmas markets are well worth the crowds.
Christmas Markets
Another fun thing to do while in Paris is to visit one or two of its many Marchés de Noël or Christmas Markets. These are temporary market places filled with stalls selling handmade decorations and foods like cheeses, meats, and candy. They often have a place to stop and see Père Noël or Father Christmas. You might find a great gift at the market or not, but you can enjoy being there and hearing French spoken all around you. The one I went to was located close to Les Halles, the Starry Christmas market in Place Joachim-du-Bellay. Les Halles is just a few blocks beyond the Pompidou Center and is easy to find. Keep walking past the Pompidou entrance straight toward the lights and noise. That will lead you right to that Christmas Market and just beyond it, to Les Halles. Les Halles is a modern shopping center which is mostly underground, but also has three outdoor levels. Les Halles also has an outdoor, but covered stage area where free performances are offered. You can also get to Les Halles by the Metro stop Chatelet-Les Halles and the RER lines A, B, and D stop there at the Chatelet-Les Halles station. This year the largest Christmas Market is out at La Defense which lies outside of historic central Paris, but is easily reached using the Metro line 1 at the La Defense stop. Just be aware that it is located in zone 3. That is northwest outside of the central Paris Metro zones 1 and 2. RER line 3 also will take you there. For more information about the Christmas Markets including days and times open check the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau website https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/major-events/christmas-in-paris/christmas-markets-in-paris/christmas-markets-in-paris
I used this guide book and phrase book during my trip to Paris.
The following links are Amazon affiliate links.
Frommer’s Paris day by day: https://amzn.to/35ckbSA
Barron’s French at a Glance: https://amzn.to/2VLewjb