New Years Eve in Paris

New Year’s Eve Paris. Seeing in the New Year in Europe’s most romantic city seems like the perfect plan, but a dream New Year’s Eve can soon turn into a disaster without a little forward planning and research. Traditionally Parisians tend to eat their evening meal in a restaurant or at home with the family before descending on the streets to count down the New Year. Be forewarned: not all restaurants are open on New Years Eve and many will be fully booked weeks, if not months before the night. Most restaurants will have a set meal for New Years Eve at a much higher rate than usual, so look carefully and book as soon as possible. From your Paris apartment you can enjoy all that the city has to offer, no matter what your tastes.

Where to celebrate?: The most obvious place to assemble to see in the opening moments of the New Year is the Champs-Elysées. Count down the quatre, trois, deux, un, bonne année with the thousands of locals and tourists who line the streets. As midnight approaches, most of the city congregates in Paris’ most famous boulevard, well-dressed and clutching bottles of champagne to pop on the stroke of midnight. Contrary to popular belief, there is no regular fireworks display by the Eiffel Tower, but the second the clock strikes twelve, the Eiffel Tower bursts into a blaze of illumination which remains for around 30 minutes, lighting up the night sky of the New Year.

For those seeking to escape the crowds of the Champs-Elysées, the Sacré Coeur plaza is an appealing alternative. From the top of the hill you can enjoy spectacular views over the entire panorama of the Paris skyline and flashes of colour from firework displays all around. The Montmartre area offers a much more laid back atmosphere in which to see in the New Year.

Alternatively, if your budget has no upper limit, why not splash out on one of the spectacular New Year shows such as at the Moulin Rouge, the most famous cabaret in the world. A champagne dinner followed by a show and dinner-dance will set you back 520 euros for the evening, while a gala dinner night at the Lido will cost a staggering 560 euros per person. For a slightly more intimate, but equally extravagant experience, there are many Seine dinner cruises on offer for around 200-250 euros per person, passing by the illuminated Eiffel Tower just after midnight.