My favorite holiday trip was one I took, almost on a whim. A new Icelandic airline started to fly trips from select US airports to Europe and I could score a flight for less than $300 from Baltimore to Paris! I recruited an acquaintance through Facebook and she and I scored an even better deal for a two bedroom apartment just blocks from the Opera House. The whole trip was less than $600 for flight and room. I am heading back to Paris and greater France in June of next year and while my deals may not be as killer, traveling on an Icelandic airline certainly fits the budget if you are savvy. Just make sure to watch for those “extras” but even with them, they are forcing the major airlines to lower costs to compete with their deals. It’s a win-win.
It wasn’t the deals motivating me to write this post. I am writing because Paris, while not the typical city you think to go to for Christmas markets and holiday spectacle, has the type of charm that makes one feel like they are the kid climbing down the stairs on Christmas morning wondering how the magic worked to get the presents under the tree. The Christmas markets and lights on the Champs-Elysees, were so fun to peruse. I picked up many homemade gifts and tasted amazing food from all over France. The best were the large copper vats of gooey cheesy potatoes (au gratin) and the smoked salmon wired shut to large cedar planks over an open fire. I bought delicate wooden carved ornaments for my mother and some kitch Eiffel Tower miniatures for my co-workers.
What Paris does best at Christmas, and what makes it a must see destination are department store decorations and window displays. They are miniature works of art (except for the Galleries D’Lafayette with it’s five plus story tall tree; nothing miniature about that). The beauty and detail are just awe-inspiring. Watching the small children ogling the windows while repeatedly looking back to make sure mommy or daddy were seeing the same magical display as them left a smile on my face and made the experience that much richer. Spending the evening walking along to see the displays and then hopping into a cafe for a late night coffee or better yet, a fancy martini to have alongside your dessert, made for a wonderful time. If you are on a budget, this is the ticket. No worries about entrance fees or lines, you just walk along the street to take it in. Of course, if you have the money, a trip inside for fancy lingerie or Parisian perfume, will take your Holiday shopping experience up a notch!
Next time you might have some time around the holidays to take off and enjoy, spend some time in a place like Paris, your experience will be much more than you expect. You won’t be just a tourist, but a holiday fun seeker.