New Year in Paris 2024 – is it worth visiting? Weather, what to wear, prices in hotels and on tours. What to do in Paris on New Year’s Eve and later, do they give fireworks, does Disneyland open, can you enter the Paris Metro at night, is it free? About all this – in the review of good Time for Trip.
In the understanding of most, Paris is a real city of dreams. A place where you want to go again and again, both in good weather and in perfect off-season. There is nothing to say about the holidays – anyone dreams of plunging into such an enthusiastic joyful atmosphere.
Therefore, even a sober-minded traveler who takes into account the generally non-ideal situation in the French capital: a large number of migrants and tourists, will still not refuse the opportunity to visit there again.
Often it does not matter that this voyage will be the third or fifth. And all the main sights of Paris have already been visited earlier.
After all, the capital of France is like a magnet. And you don’t want to, but you’re going anyway!
Spring and autumn enjoy overwhelming popularity among understanding travelers. The first is late, and the second is early.
After all, Paris is rainy in May, but it is so fresh that you are blooming yourself. Well, September in the capital of France, among the buildings blackened by history and the foliage beginning to turn golden, is the best time to enjoy the very fact of existence.
On
New Year’s Eve
Paris is literally the personification of the holiday. Stormy, bright, cheerful. Inspiring hope that next year will be the same: easy and full of pleasant events.
Reality, of course, doesn’t always meet expectations. In particular, prices in Paris hotels during New Year’s festive will hurt any average wallet. And it is better not to count on some festive events that are familiar to many tourists.
For example, contrary to widespread opinion, there are no fireworks in Paris on New Year’s Eve now. Instead, reach light and music performances are held in the French capital.
Many tourists are often disappointed, because they are waiting for fireworks organized by the municipality, near the Eiffel Tower, on the Trocadero or on the Champs-Elysees. But – without success.
Private initiative in this regard is punishable! The sale of fireworks in Paris on New Year’s Eve is prohibited, and a citizen caught with them will be fined an impressive amount – newyearseve.paris/en-fireworks-paris,2.html.
However, this circumstance is unlikely to scare away those who intend to cheerfully and noisily celebrate the New Year in Paris. Because even without fireworks in the “City of Light” there is something to cheer yourself up! Although, of course
Weather in Paris during New Year’s
sometimes tend to dissuade tourists from the idea of spending even a few days here. After all, at the junction of December and January in Paris it is usually cold and damp. Humidity also exceeds the 80% mark, and is not inclined to return to healthier values.
There are no special hopes to see a thick snow cover in Paris on New Year’s Eve, and even mild frosts are short-lived. But the porridge of wet snow on the sidewalks and constantly wet shoes is a common thing.
The standard air temperature in Paris on December 31 in recent years is +8-12 °C. Colder times also happen, but this option will not please you either. Because there may be sub-zero temperatures at night, and the streets thaw during the day.
As for cars, their drivers are happy if they manage to slow down, avoiding a collision.
In recent years, however, a truly autumnal weather has been established in the French capital at Christmas, the week before and the week after. The air temperature reaches +15-18 °C during the day, and at night it does not hurry to fall below +10 °C.
If it also happens at the end of 2023, then Paris will celebrate the New Year in a completely non-winter atmosphere. That is, without snow, although under the festive winking of Christmas tree garlands.
Cloudy weather is very likely. Although, for example, in 2021, December 31 in Paris passed under the bright sun, and the air temperature reached +15 °C. The probability of rain is 50 percent.
Most
Prices 2023/2024
It is completely wrong to count on a certain discount at this time. So get ready to pay the maximum price equally for tickets, hotel accommodation, entertainment program and tours.
If you book rooms much in advance, at the end of summer or September, you will still be able to find decent options not for fantastic money. But a spontaneous decision to stay in Paris on New Year’s Eve is guaranteed to punch a hole in the tourist budget.
In general, focus on the level above 200 € per day for two. And be happy if you managed to find a room in a nice hotel or decent apartments cheaper.
For our part, we recommend paying attention to the Ibis Styles Paris Place d’Italie – Butte Aux Cailles in the 13th arrondissement. After all, here you can rent a (small) room for New Year’s dates for less than 500 € in 3 days.
A nice Parisian quarter, relatively close to the center, 5 minutes from the metro, friendly staff – these days such values sometimes cost a lot more! By the way, hearty breakfasts are included in the indicated price list.
Somewhat more expensive is the Hôtel Chopin in the 9th arrondissement. But, firstly, it is located in the old Passage much closer to the main attractions of Paris. And secondly, it allows you to stay with pets.
Prices
For Tours
in Paris slightly depend on the season. Having arrived to visit Paris in December, you have the right, of course, to count on some cut price, but during the New Year period it is already good if regular prices do not grow.
And they – at least on December 31, do it. For example, an extremely busy sightseeing tour of Paris on New Year’s Eve accompanied by an experienced guide will cost 70-75 € per person. But acquaintance with only one quarter of Montmartre costs half of this amount.
A cruise on the Seine is valued at 16-24 € per person, and for 35-40 € you will be able to take a trip to the city together with a guide on ordinary or electric bicycles.
Transport
Before proceeding to the story of what you can do in such a significant period of time, we will answer the questions: does the Paris metro work on New Year’s Eve and is it really free?
The answer to both the first and the second question is “Yes”!
All Paris metro lines will operate until 02.15 hours on January 1. And the RER trains will run until 00.30.
After this time, only individual lines and stations will continue to work. Detailed information on this topic can be found here – parisbytrain.com/paris-metro-rer-operating-hours/.
Travel on the Paris metro, RER trains, as well as any other form of public transport will be free from 17.00 on December 31, 2023 to 12.00 on January 1, 2024.
What to Do in Paris on New Year’s
Many people, especially those who come to Paris with children, spend New Year’s Eve at Disneyland. As this theme park presents a special festive program on holidays, works until 14.00 on December 31. And is open even on January 1 – unlike most other entertainment establishments in France.
On New Year’s Eve, the Municipality of Paris organizes a relatively modest light show with video projections on the facade of the Arc de Triomphe. Which, as we explained above, will not be followed by a rich fireworks display.
However, up to a couple of hundred thousand people gather to watch the laser action at the same time. So the Champs-Elysees will be guaranteed to be crowded with people.
Very popular locations on New Year’s Eve: the Champ de Mars, the Trocadero and the staircase near the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre. The latter is for an obvious reason – most of the light shows that will be held in Paris are perfectly visible from the steps.
It is customary to spend New Year’s Eve in the French capital not only on the street, chanting “Bonne Annee” or “Happy New Year”, but also in some club or restaurant. Those establishments whose areas allow it, prepare a special festive program with dinner and drinks.
Tourists who do not crave a stormy fun, book a table in advance in one of the world-famous
Restaurants
The most romantic and certainly not poor natures do it in the establishments of the Eiffel Tower: 58 Tour Eiffel or Le Jules Verne. A memorable event will surely be a glass of champagne on the third tier of the iron “cuttlefish” (276 meters), in the Champagne Bar.
For aesthetes, New Year’s cruises on the Seine are organized, with a dinner corresponding to the event right on board the ship. The pleasure will cost at least 200 € per adult passenger…
Best Places to Go
If you are visited Paris on New Year’s Day, you can do a lot of things. For instance: to climb Eiffel Tower or have fun in open Disneyland Paris. But the Louvre on January 1, unfortunately, is closed. On the first day of 2024, another famous Paris museum, Orsay, will not work either – it is closed on Mondays.
The list of other places worth visiting in Paris, regardless of what time you are going to arrive, can be studied in our detailed material. We recommend not to focus on the most popular and therefore crowded, but to explore and poorly known to most tourists. Like the Isle of Saint-Denis or the back streets of the Latin Quarter near the Sorbonne.
Note that the January weather in Ile-de-France usually allows you to make 1-2 long trips from Paris. For example, to Mont-Saint-Michel or to the castles in the Loire Valley.
You can also easily go to Amsterdam. It’s not too difficult to get from Paris to Nice – and who wouldn’t want to be on the Mediterranean coast in the middle of winter?!
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