Welcome to Paris Discovery Guide's new "Ask Me Anything: Paris Travel Questions Answered" feature for subscribers to my free weekly Paris Discoveries newsletter. 

And big thanks for sending me some great questions for this first Q&A session. I'll answer more next week.

This week's question topics include:

Please note:  I've lightly edited the questions for brevity.

Top photo:  Arc de Triomphe at night, (c) Paris Discovery Guide

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Paris Travel Advice: Answers to This Week's Top Questions

Open-Top Christmas Bus Tour & Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Tootbus Open Top Christmas tour - we were on Boulevard Haussmann
Here's a photo I took while on the Tootbus Open Top Christmas tour - we were on Boulevard Haussmann with the luxury Printemps department store in front us on the right - we'd just passed Galeries Lafayette

John's question: 

Should I book the Paris Tootbus Open-Top Christmas Bus Tour for the evening when my wife and I arrive in Paris?  It departs at 6pm.  And should we take the Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off the next morning? We are staying at Hotel Pullman Paris Montparnasse. 

For the following day, we have booked the Montmartre Cheese, Wine, and Pastry Guided Walking Tour.

Susan's answer: 

Christmas Lights Open-Top Bus Tour

I've taken the open-top Christmas Lights bus tour a couple of times on my first evening in Paris when arriving at this time of the year, and loved it both times. 

It's the perfect antidote to jet lag if you've arrived from another time zone, as well as a lovely way to soak up the beauty of the city's holiday lights including the famous ones along Champs Elysees, see a few famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, and experience several different Right Bank and Left Bank neighborhoods. 

Plus by departing at 6pm, you'll arrive back in time to head to dinner, or even stroll around and see more lights.  Or to bed, whatever your level of jet lag is dictating.

Tip #1 for the Bus Tour - Dress warmly - and then add another layer or two.  You'll feel noticeably colder at the top of the bus than at street-level, plus the bus will be moving and thus creating a slight breeze.

Tip #2 - The fastest way to get from your hotel to the tour departure point on Boulevard des Capucines is by metro, but if you feel jet lagged and don't want to deal with getting tickets, etc, you can also take an Uber or taxi - but allow lots more time than you can possibly imagine would be necessary because traffic in Paris is always slow and at any time close to rush hour, it will barely crawl.


The tour ends up where it began on Boulevard des Capucines, so if you'd like to see more holiday lights, here's a short itinerary you can follow:

1. Walk down Rue Daunou, and turn left onto Rue de la Paix, known for its gorgeous street decorations and store windows. 

2. In a couple of short blocks, you'll reach Place Vendome, famous for its spectacular Christmas trees.  A nearby kiosk serves delicious hot chocolate. 

3.  Once you leave the square, walk half a block and then turn left onto Rue Saint-Honoré to see more lights. 

4. As you walk along Rue Saint Honoré, you'll see a gigantic brightly-lit Ferris wheel.  It's in the big Tuileries Garden Christmas market - so you can also stop by there if you want.  If you're hungry, the market has several chalets with casual winter food such as raclette (melted cheese on bread) and tarteflette (melted cheese with potatoes and sometimes ham), and of course hot mulled wine (vin chaud) and a Champagne bar that's sort of shaped like an igloo.

5.  Walk the length of the Tuileries Marché de Noel from east to west, and you'll end up at Place de la Concorde where you can hop on the metro (look for the station on Rue de Rivoli) back to your hotel in Montparnasse. 

Hop-On Hop-Off Paris Bus Tours

Hop-on hop-off buses give you the perfect way to get an overview of Paris, see some of the top monuments, and get a sense of the city's layout. 

The tickets give you access for a full day (or two, but one day is usually enough).  You might want to consider riding the bus for the entire circuit first, and then on the second round, get off at all the places where you want to explore.

Another somewhat similar option is the Batobus, a hop on hop off bus that goes up and down the Seine River, with 9 different stops.  A "pro" to the boat is that it doesn't get slowed down by street traffic - but a "con" is that not all monuments are along the river so if, for example, you want to see the Arc de Triomphe or Champs Elysees, you'll need to get off the boat and walk to it (maybe a 10-minute walk).

Montmartre Cheese, Wine, and Pastry Tour

This popular food tour is a fantastic way to explore Montmartre while sampling many delicious things - one of my own personal favorites.  Enjoy!!!

After the tour, you might want to explore the small but charming Abbesses Christmas Market by the Abbesses metro station. 

And of course, also walk over to Sacre Coeur Basilica and maybe also walk around Place du Tertre, just to the west.  It's not too crowded this time of the year, which means you can actually see the artists' drawings and paintings. 

Chez Louisette Cafe at Les Puces:  Still Open?

The old Chez Louisette at Les Puces, photographed a few years ago
The old Chez Louisette at Les Puces, photographed a few years ago

Berne's question: 

Is Chez Louisette Cafe still open in the middle of the Paris Flea Market?  They used to have a woman who sang Edith Piaf songs.  Merci. 

Susan's answer: 

No, Chez Louisette at the Les Puces flea market is currently closed, and at this point, it's demise appears to be permanent.  

When I visited the market about a year ago, I noticed that the entrance seemed to be barricaded so I asked a nearby guide what happened.

She told me the original owners had died and initial rumors about their children keeping it open no longer appeared to be true.  "Everything changes, even here," she said, giving a "c'est la vie" kind of shrug. 

Sad - it had been there since 1967.

Where to Eat on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day?

The old Chez Louisette at Les Puces, photographed a few years ago
Christmas lights and shoppers along Champs-Elysees

Linda's question: 

We will be in Paris on Christmas Eve & Day, staying near Champs Elysees.  Will we have a problem finding restaurants open?  We're thinking shops and some tour possibilities may not be open, so any suggestions on what to do, please?

Susan's answer: 

You are definitely wise to be thinking ahead of time about where to go for dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as both days present challenges (and opportunities), although of somewhat different types.  And there are also definitely closures too - so good to plan ahead for activities.

Christmas Eve is when Parisians (as well as people in the rest of France) typically have their biggest holiday meal, la Réveillon - a huge feast traditionally including raw oysters, foie gras, many courses, much Champagne, wine, and cognac.

Many restaurants do close for the evening so that their owners and staff can go home and celebrate, while others host private dinners and parties.

However, especially in the central, more touristic neighborhoods including the Champs Elysees area, a number stay open and offer special prix-fixe menus - often at a significantly higher-than-normal price point because of the expensive ingredients (such as high-quality foie gras) in the elaborate dishes.

Finding a place that's open on Christmas Day can be even more challenging, although hotels with onsite restaurants are usually a good bet.

For more specific ideas, especially if you don't want a huge expensive meal, take a look at the tips in my Christmas in Paris article on the website and check out the suggestions in Section 7. 

Also, if you're staying in a hotel, ask the concierge or reception staff for suggestions at various price points and once you select a spot, let them make reservations (which you'll need in all but the most casual places) for you. 

More ideas:

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