Paris in the second half of November was a perfect mix of seasons. Autumn foliage and festive Christmas lights. Less is not more in some cases. More days in Paris the better. And I like traveling to new and old places. If it’s the same for you, keep reading.
In Paris I enjoyed the autumn foliage first in Place des Vosges in Le Marais, followed by Jardin du Palais-Royal, Montmartre and Jardin du Luxembourg. Ate well and walked a lot along the Seine. Plus I got to explore early the Christmas themes across Paris this year through the city’s iconic department stores —Galeries Lafayette, Printemps Haussmann, La Samaritaine and Le Bon Marché— all had facades already sparkling with lights and Christmas decorations.
Especially outside Galleries Lafayette – the windows displays are beautiful, and the 2025 Christmas theme is “The loveliest of gifts” (Le Plus Beau des Cadeaux), according to parisjetaime.com. By illustrator Jeanne Detallante, it shows a Christmas workshop were elves are wrapping presents. While nearby Printemps Haussmann theme this year is “Christmas in New York”, inspired by Manhattan, celebrating the opening of the first Printemps store in America.
Inside Galleries Lafayette, under the iconic Art Nouveau dome, there was a 16‑metre Christmas tree, decorated with red ribbons and lights, resembling a giant present. I also made it up to the rooftop terrace of the Galleries, which offers beautiful views over Paris and the Eiffel Tower—especially at sunset. Expectations to be realistic though (mine were not) —absolutely everywhere was crowded.
Architecture became another thread of the trip. From the Art Nouveau of Galleries Lafayette to Art Deco of La Samaritaine, still on the Right Bank (Rive Droite). The 2025 Christmas theme is “Paris M’Emballe” (Paris Wraps Me), built also around the ribbon as a universal symbol of gifting by artist Elsa Tomkowiak. Inside La Samaritaine, beyond the decorations, I spent time admiring the building itself—its restored Art Deco iron details and staircases.
Not to be missed after walking in Jardin du Luxembourg, in the elegant Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood: Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche (Left Bank) store transformed into a Christmas village, with wooden chalet‑style structures, titled “A dreamy, enchanted Christmas”. There, la Grande Épicerie de Bon Marché is on the pricey side, but is a good stop for a quick lunch, food souvenirs, and Christmas presents.
Lastly, I followed my own walk through Paris, revisiting an itinerary from October that I wrote in 2019 titled Perfect Paris. The pictures in that post were very pretty also. Starting from the Opéra and Galleries Lafayette, I wandered through the 2nd arrondissement’s covered passages—now fully dressed for Christmas – Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy, Passage Verdeau—and stopped at elegant glass-roofed Galerie Vivienne, that ends perfectly at the Jardin du Palais-Royal.
Similar as I wrote then – no city is perfect, but for me those moments by every Christmas metric have been parfait. Voilà! Even though I found myself returning to some familiar cities this year, it was exactly what I needed. Less is not more in this case. The more days in Paris the better.
Christmas past editions
Berlin- Four Christmas Markets & a Palace
Travel Journal 