Christmas with Kids in Paris 2019
Paris is a magical city through the eyes of children and even more so at Christmas time. Twinkling lights along the iconic boulevards like the Champs-Elysées, whimsical displays in department store windows, and classic Christmas markets all around the city make the French capital an excellent choice for your family holiday destination. Here are some of our ideas for how to spend Christmas in Paris if you’re traveling with kids!
Paris Christmas Tour
This season, we have curated a special Christmas Tour, during which you and your family will visit a Parisian Christmas Market and then explore Saint Germain-des-Prés, getting a chance to try all of the French Christmas specialities. Throughout your visit, your guide will also tell children all about French Christmas Traditions.
Les Grands Magasins
Two iconic Parisian department stores, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, have long traditions of showing off their incredible holiday window displays. These dream like miniature worlds feature marionettes, animated figures, and beautiful scenery created by master decorators. Every year the themes are different and continue to enchant children. This year, Printemps’ decorations are all dedicated to whimsical animals. In addition to the beautiful window displays lighting up Boulevard Haussmann, the insides of the department stores are completely decked out.
You can bring your children inside Galeries Lafayette to admire the Christmas tree under their famous Art Nouveau coupole. The tree becomes animated every 30 minutes with bees flying around it, as this year Galeries Lafayette’s theme is ruche de Noel (Christmas beehive), a word play on the French “buche de noel” Christmas dessert.
Ice Skating
If you head up to the top of Galeries Lafayette there is an ice-skating rink on the roof deck, open from 10 am to 8pm. Getting to ice-skate with a beautiful view of Paris is certainly a Christmas memory that your children will not forget, and best of all: it is free!
Speaking of ice skating, from December 13th to January 8th, the biggest indoor skating rink in Europe will be installed under the glass roof of the Grand Palais. Ice skating is open from 10am to 8pm, and costs are 25 euros for adults and 12 euros for children. There are also skating rinks installed at the Christmas markets in the Tuileries Gardens as well as under the Grand Arche at La Defense.
Kid-friendly Museums & Shows in Paris
Always a great choice for visiting with children, the Jardin des Plantes, in the 5th arrondissement is comprised of a zoo, a museum of natural history and a gallery of mineralogy. This holiday season they are putting on a special exhibition with monumental light structures that will light up the gardens until the 19th of January.
The Grand Rex, the iconic movie theatre and concert venue, is showing Frozen 2 with a special 15 minute light and fountain show before the beginning of the movie. The film will be shown in its French version, but if your kids have already seen it in English, it could be a fun idea for them to learn a bit of French!
Day Trips Outside of Paris
If you’re up for venturing a bit outside the city, some of the most beautiful castles in the region have special Christmas festivities. For the first time, the Royal Domaine of Chantilly is putting on a special holiday event where the chateau will be illuminated with Christmas lights and decorations, including a 12 meter long dining table adorned with special trimmings. There is also a special Christmas equestrian show featuring children’s fairytale themes. Christmas at Chantilly will go until the 5th of January. The Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte will also be illuminated with Christmas lights and decorations and light shows that are projected onto the castle’s walls, these events will go on until the 5th of January as well.
Of course, a great day trip from Paris when you’re travelling with children is Disneyland Paris, where they are celebrating the holidays with their “Enchanted Christmas” festivities.
However you decide to spend your holiday vacation in Paris, we wish you and your family un Joyeux Noel!
Click here to book online now your Private Family Paris Christmas Tour!
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