Christmas and New Year in Europe - London or Paris?

[KitKat]

Hi everyone,
Planning to spend the holidays - about 2 weeks at the end of the year in Europe.
Should I spend the time in Paris or London during Xmas-New Year? - considering most attractions would be closed during this time.
Seems from my brief google search, more attractions are closed in London longer over the holiday period, and therefore am more inclined to be in Paris for the greater part of the hols. Interested to know what AFFs think. Thanks

 

[Andyzx]

A couple of years ago spent some time at christmas in the UK and a little time in London.

Pre Christmas in the shops e.g. Regent St is something very special, its cold, really really cold but the sights are fantastic. Recommend Harrord's the diamond encursted dog collar about 20,000 pounds was well worth..... a look:mrgreen:

I think that New Year in Paris looks fantastic too. Around the Aweful tower fireworks, almost as good as Sydney.

But if you dont like crowds dont go. it takes twice as long as usualy and daylight is 10am to 3pm

 

[Misha]

I would avoid both

My pick would be Rome or Barcelona. If you could handle the cold, Moscow is great. NYE is wonderful with parades, and if you are there for 7th Jan that is when they celebrate Christmas - which means you could have Xmas (on 25th) in Rome/Paris/wherever and do it again in Eastern Europe

 

[Smackbum]

Pre-Christmas in London, Christmas in the Lakes District (if you don't have any family or friends to share it with), and Hogmanay in Edinburgh.

That's what I did last year and it was fabulous. Paris is better in Spring or Autumn.

 

[TonyHancock]

Paris is better in Spring or Autumn.

...and given the current state of things with Libya there is a chance France may have surrendered to Gaddafi by Christmas.* ^

Actually London prior to Christmas is a good place to be as long as you don't mind crowds. The atmosphere around Oxford and Regent Streets is fantastic, the lights are amazing. By a quirk of fate I have had a couple of pre Christmas trips to London in the last five years.

I have never been to Edinburgh for Hogmonay (new year) but it something I would love to do. Again it is supposed to be an great atmosphere.

*Please note that this bigoted stereotypical view of the great nation that is France is for comic, well alleged comic, effect only, the author of this post fully expects France to hold out until Easter 2012 before surrendering.

^ The author of this post will now run very quickly away, shouting "run away" in a pythonesque voice, from the blue touch paper he/she has set alight in the hope that Francophiles will simply call him/her a "rosbif"and make several claims that he/she does not wash or shower enough....oh and the Norman invasion of Britain was the best thing that ever happened to Britain.