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New Year in Paris

post #1 of 16
4/2/08 at 2:21am
Thread Starter 
My wife and I are thinking about heading out to Paris to ring in 2009. Any thoughts on this idea? What exactly does one do in Paris to celebrate New Year Day/Eve? I'm thinking it's going to be really expensive, but what the hell...

Anyway, any thoughts are welcome.
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post #2 of 16
4/2/08 at 9:23am
You eat foie gras and have champagne. People turn out onto the Champs-Elysees, but most people seem to just go to friends' places for parties. But it's Paris, and at that time of year it's gloriously romantic. Stroll around town and make your own fun.
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post #3 of 16
4/2/08 at 11:23am
+1

I was there the year before last with the GF. Very romantic.
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post #4 of 16
4/2/08 at 11:27am
I was there for the turn to 2008, very nice. I'd stay away from the Champs and instead hang out around Notre Dame and watch the tower light up from afar. There are no fireworks like in NYC and elsewhere...just champange and songs.
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post #5 of 16
4/2/08 at 11:39am
nice Odor.....we did Paris for 08 NYE.....besides just trolling around town we decided to do the "touristy" thing and go to the Eiffel Tower. As said, there are no fireworks, they just light up the Eiffel Tower and it blinks a lot like it's having a spazz attack. It's cool. That's pretty much where all the tourists are, and for that reason you might want to avoid or just stay for about 20min like we did

Seemed like buying candies is a big deal as we dropped in a market that afternoon and everyone was buying shitloads of candies. Fauchon (the big candy/chocolatier) on Place de Madeleine was PACKED with the line coming out the doors like it was a Disneyland ride. Altho we went back the next day and all their truffle boxes were buy 1 get 1 free so we stocked up on friends gifts.

Walk along the Seine on the 1st and see all the broken champagne bottles in the little alcoves that are along the various bridges crosing the river!!

The weather was great when we went, no rain, mostly sunny with a bit of cloudiness here/there. Daytime high around 37-40 degrees.

We're going back to London that time of year to ring in 09 in the land of suss.
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post #6 of 16
4/2/08 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys - sounds like it's a good idea. In fact, I kind of like GS's system of visiting different cities worldwide on New Years. I might start doing that if this Paris thing works out.
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post #7 of 16
4/2/08 at 12:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Get Smart View Post
nice Odor.....we did Paris for 08 NYE.....besides just trolling around town we decided to do the "touristy" thing and go to the Eiffel Tower. As said, there are no fireworks, they just light up the Eiffel Tower and it blinks a lot like it's having a spazz attack. It's cool. That's pretty much where all the tourists are, and for that reason you might want to avoid or just stay for about 20min like we did

Seemed like buying candies is a big deal as we dropped in a market that afternoon and everyone was buying shitloads of candies. Fauchon (the big candy/chocolatier) on Place de Madeleine was PACKED with the line coming out the doors like it was a Disneyland ride. Altho we went back the next day and all their truffle boxes were buy 1 get 1 free so we stocked up on friends gifts.

Walk along the Seine on the 1st and see all the broken champagne bottles in the little alcoves that are along the various bridges crosing the river!!

The weather was great when we went, no rain, mostly sunny with a bit of cloudiness here/there. Daytime high around 37-40 degrees.

We're going back to London that time of year to ring in 09 in the land of suss.


GS - you had a thread about this last year, didn't you? I am sure somebody did.


I don't think I have been for new years in Paris, but I ahve been in the winter a lot. my take would be a nice resteraunt, although not one of the mind blowing ones - I am guessing that NYE isn't the best night to get good food/service for your money. and walking around, maybe a jazz club

have fun
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post #8 of 16
4/2/08 at 5:03pm
There is a great party at the top of the Centre Pompidou. At 8 stories, it has one of the best views around. If that doesn't sound good, make dinner plans early, and expect to spend a lot.... I saw places serving 80 Euro cheeseburgers on NYE when I was there.
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post #9 of 16
4/2/08 at 5:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagoRon View Post
There is a great party at the top of the Centre Pompidou. At 8 stories, it has one of the best views around. If that doesn't sound good, make dinner plans early, and expect to spend a lot.... I saw places serving 80 Euro cheeseburgers on NYE when I was there.

They have cheeseburgers in France? Sweet!
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post #10 of 16
4/3/08 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by odoreater View Post
They have cheeseburgers in France? Sweet!

make sure you get Le Royal avec Fromage.

the best thing about the french is that they realize Ranch dressing is the superior french fry condiment, not ketchup. Of course they don't call it Ranch, but "pomme des frites sauce"
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post #11 of 16
4/3/08 at 12:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Get Smart View Post
make sure you get Le Royal avec Fromage. the best thing about the french is that they realize Ranch dressing is the superior french fry condiment, not ketchup. Of course they don't call it Ranch, but "pomme des frites sauce"
"they f*cking drown them in that sh*t!" - Vincent Vega
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post #12 of 16
4/3/08 at 7:47pm
I highly recommend going to a restaurant for NYE.

My wife and I spent NYE in Paris in 2003. I read up a lot about it in advance on travel message boards and the consensus was that most Parisians go out to dinner, which we ended up doing. Expect to make a full evening of dinner and plan to be in the restaurant at midnight. Yes the prices are raised at all restaurants on NYE, but so is the quality of the meal. Most places have special prix fixe menus that are more gourmet than their normal menu. We ate at a small restaurant on a side street and it was the best meal I've had to date. It was quite intimate among all of the patrons and their was a communal celebration at midnight. I can't remember the exact price, but it was around $250 US including the bottle of wine we shared. Yes it was expensive, but the food truly was gourmet and it was a rare type of meal for us. My wife and I both thought it well worth it.

Reservations prior to your trip are a must, we made ours in the beginning of December but the more popular restaurants fill up during the Fall. Your hotel may have recommendations for a restaurant or you can check out some of the more established travel forums (I'd name them, but I'm not sure if that is allowed).
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post #13 of 16
4/4/08 at 10:47am
If you want to check out a travel forum, Flyertalk.com is one of my favorites. If you want to find a restaurant, you can use Zagat, but understand that Zagat in the US had severely inflated ratings so you should probably lower your search requirements a little in Paris. If money is no object, I'm sure the hotel restaurants (Le IV, AD @ Plaza Athenee, L'atelier de JR) or the Jules Verne (on le tour eiffel) will be awesome, or a club like le Man Ray for a hipper richer crowd.
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post #14 of 16
4/4/08 at 12:45pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChicagoRon View Post

If money is no object, I'm sure the hotel restaurants (Le IV, AD @ Plaza Athenee, L'atelier de JR) or the Jules Verne (on le tour eiffel) will be awesome, or a club like le Man Ray for a hipper richer crowd.

Is this one of those things where if I have to ask what "if money is no object" means then money is an object?
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post #15 of 16
4/4/08 at 2:41pm
No....not that exorbitant .... but outlandish for dinner...maybe 500-1000 euro. Like judgesmails (welcome, by the way) said....everyplace is prix fixe and more expensive than they are on a usual night (hence the 80 euro cheeseburger).
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