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Palais Garnier, Paris. Photo: Thomas Oboe Lee · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsParis & Colmar
Your trip · two grandmothers · Paris + Colmar · 30.11–07.12.2026
A December week in Paris at your own pace, with two nights at the Colmar Christmas markets — no chasing the Tower, no Versailles on a short winter day, and no staircases that argue with your knees.
Your trip on one page
If you only do these, the trip is a success. Everything else is below.
5things most worth it for you
Colmar Christmas marketsRight on your dates (23.11–29.12.2026) — the heart of the trip.
Musée d’OrsayOn Tuesday (the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays) — Impressionism without the pyramid queues.
The 9th arrondissement, slowlyRue des Martyrs, Passage Jouffroy, and small museums close to home.
Jacquemart-André + tea at NélieA museum in a mansion, with chairs — not a marathon of galleries.
The Louvre in a short windowOn Sunday or Wednesday — only what you want to see, not “everything”.
3you can skip
- SkipVersailles in one December day
A short day (~8.5 hours of daylight), queues and a lot of walking. Jacquemart-André + tea gives you a mansion without the punishment.
- SkipThe Eiffel Tower summit queue
Hours standing in the cold. The clock at the Orsay gives you a Seine view without the queue.
2to book now
- Paris→Colmar train, return
TGV from Gare de l’Est, ~2h20–2h40. Prices rise fast for Christmas-market days.
Train tickets →
You wrote “grandmothers”, food, museums, local, shopping and a slow pace — and that is exactly the key to Paris in early December. The sun sets around 16:55, so days are short and evenings belong to the lights, the markets and sit-down restaurants. A base in the 9th puts you near the Opéra, the covered passages and Rue des Martyrs; Colmar lands right in Christmas-market season. These seven nights don’t need to be a marathon — they need to be lovely.
✓ checked = checked against the source, on the date shown. confirm before booking = no official confirmation found for this year.
The trip in 30 seconds
Weather and daylight
Early December in Paris: cool to cold, short days. On 1.12.2026 sunrise ~08:23, sunset ~16:56 (about 8.5 hours of daylight). Until 7.12 sunset stays around 16:53–16:54. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · timeanddate.com
From the airport to the 9th
From CDG: RER B towards Paris to Gare du Nord (~35–45 min), then a short metro or taxi to the 9th. RER B runs roughly 04:50 to ~23:50 from CDG. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · ratp.fr
With suitcases after a flight: a taxi / Uber / Bolt to the door is worth the price. confirm before booking for the fixed taxi fare from CDG on your arrival day.
What to know on these dates
- The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays · open Sun/Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat 09:00–18:00, Wed + Fri until 21:00. Adult EEA resident/citizen €22 · outside the EEA €32 (rates from 14.01.2026). Booking a time slot is strongly recommended. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · louvre.fr
- The Orsay is closed on Mondays · Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00, Thu until 21:45. Online ticket €16 (at the desk €14). ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-orsay.fr
- Colmar Christmas markets · 23.11–29.12.2026 · Sun–Thu 11:00–19:00 · Fri–Sat 10:00–20:00. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · noel-colmar.com
- Gustave Moreau · closed on Tuesdays; there are notices about closures due to staff strikes — check the website on the morning of your visit. No lift (stairs only). ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-moreau.fr
3 things to lock in now
- Train Paris Est ↔ Colmar for 3–5.12 (or 4–6.12) — there and back. SNCF Connect ←
- A Louvre ticket for a slot on 6.12 (Sunday) or 2.12 (Wednesday). Louvre →
- An Orsay ticket for 1.12 (Tuesday). Orsay →
The PAGEAWAY top 5
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Christmas markets · ColmarPhoto: Office de Tourisme de Colmar · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsColmar — the Christmas markets at your pace
Six markets in one small town: Cathedral square, Petite Venise, Place Jeanne d’Arc and more. Not “more stalls” — this is the reason to leave Paris for two days. Short walks between squares, mulled wine, and back to the hotel before your feet protest.
Official dates: 23.11–29.12.2026. Sun–Thu 11:00–19:00 · Fri–Sat 10:00–20:00. Stalls close right on time. The town centre is closed to cars during market hours. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · noel-colmar.com
Train from Paris Gare de l’Est: direct TGV INOUI services (~2h20–2h40). Fares from ~€25–€30 if booked early; they rise fast for market days. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · sncf-connect.com
Must · perfect for youi
Musée dʼOrsayPhoto: Gingiberi Magnus · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Orsay — Tuesday 1.12 (when the Louvre is closed)
Impressionism, a giant clock with a view over the Seine, and galleries where you can take breaks. Perfect for the day the Louvre is closed anyway.
Open Tue–Sun 09:30–18:00 · Thu until 21:45 · closed Monday. Online ticket €16. Last entry ~1 hour before closing. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-orsay.fr
Must · book nowi
Rue des Martyrs · 9th arrondissementPhoto: Karibo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe 9th — your base, not just a place to sleep
Food shops, bakeries, the covered Passage Jouffroy / Verdeau (perfect in the rain), and the Opéra Garnier a short walk away. “Local + shopping” without crossing the city.
Suggested walk: Rue des Martyrs → Passage Jouffroy → Grands Boulevards. Stop for coffee halfway.
Must · at your pacei
Musée Jacquemart-AndréPhoto: Gerda Arendt · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsJacquemart-André — a mansion + tea
A museum in a mansion on Boulevard Haussmann (8th arrondissement, a short metro ride from the 9th). The “Timeless Tintoretto” exhibition runs until 24.01.2027, and there’s the Nélie tea room — exactly the kind of visit grandmothers love: art, a chair, cake.
Sun–Thu 10:00–18:00 · Fri until ~21:00/22:00 · Sat–Sun until 19:00. Full exhibition ticket €19 · 65+ €18. Lift access. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-jacquemart-andre.com ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-jacquemart-andre.com
Worth it · perfect for youi
Île de la Cité · around the LouvrePhoto: Gerda Arendt · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Louvre — one window, not a whole day
Pick one wing (you each know what you want to see), two to three hours, then out to lunch. Not “conquering the museum”.
Closed Tuesday. Sun/Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat 09:00–18:00 · Wed + Fri until 21:00. EEA €22 · outside the EEA €32. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · louvre.fr
Worth it · book nowEveryone rushes to Versailles in December. We’d send you to Colmar for two days instead.
Versailles on a day with a 16:55 sunset is a race through queues and cold, empty gardens. Colmar on your dates is right in the official market season — and a ~2.5-hour train from Gare de l’Est. That’s what makes this trip different, not another photo in a French garden. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · noel-colmar.com ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · sncf-connect.com
Food — what’s really worth it for you
What to eat here
Your Paris: a classic bouillon, sitting down; a morning pastry in the 9th; and one proper sit-down dinner. In Colmar: warm Alsatian food (choucroute, tarte flambée, mulled wine) between the markets — not hours on your feet.
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Bouillon ChartierPhoto: Benoît Prieur · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsBouillon Chartier — Grands Boulevards
A classic Parisian bouillon close to your base (9th / Grands Boulevards): a simple menu, friendly prices, an old-time feel. Good for lunch after the passages or before a rest.
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Galeries Lafayette HaussmannPhoto: Pveverdingen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsGaleries Lafayette — shopping + a view
The famous dome, food floors and shopping under one roof. “Shopping” without running between boutiques in the rain. Go up to the rooftop terrace if it’s open on your day.
One sit-down evening + something sweet
Pick one restaurant around the 9th / Opéra with comfortable chairs. Don’t save your only evening for “snacking while walking in the cold”. In Colmar: hot soup or tarte flambée after one round of the market, not three.
confirm before booking to book a table — names and prices change; check by phone or on the restaurant’s website close to the date.
Museums at your pace
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Musée de la Vie RomantiquePhoto: Alex Sirac · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMusée de la Vie Romantique — free, close to home
A house with a garden on Rue Chaptal (9th). The permanent collection is free; temporary exhibitions are paid. Perfect for a short morning with no queue.
Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 · closed Mondays and public holidays (1.1, 1.5, 25.12). ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · museevieromantique.paris.fr
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Musée Gustave MoreauPhoto: Photo: Andreas Praefcke · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsGustave Moreau — only if your knees agree
The painter’s house-studio in the 9th. Beautiful and rare — but there’s no lift, only stairs. If that’s not comfortable, skip it without guilt and go to the Vie Romantique instead.
Open except Tuesday 10:00–18:00 · adult €8. Check for temporary closures in the morning. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-moreau.fr
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Palais GarnierPhoto: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsPalais Garnier — from outside or a short tour
The opera house is right by you. Even without a show ticket: walk around the square and take photos. An inside tour only if you have the energy and a ticket in advance.
What’s on during your dates
- Christmas markets · Colmar · 23.11–29.12.2026 · hours above · the main event of the trip. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · noel-colmar.com
- Eguisheim / Alsace villages · seasonal markets (Eguisheim from 27.11). An optional day from Colmar if you have the energy — not a must. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · noel-colmar.com
- Timeless Tintoretto · Jacquemart-André · until 24.01.2027. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · musee-jacquemart-andre.com
- No blocking public holiday between 30.11–7.12.2026 in France (1.11 and 11.11 are past; 25.12 is after you leave).
- Christmas markets in Paris · there are several around the city in December; nice for an evening near home, not a must like Colmar. confirm before booking for an up-to-date list on parisinfo.com
Colmar + within an hour of your base
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Petite Venise · ColmarPhoto: Krzysztof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsPetite Venise + central Colmar
- Getting there: TGV from Paris Est → Colmar. From Colmar station, walk or take a short shuttle to the centre (during the markets the centre is pedestrian-only in opening hours).
- What to do: one market in the morning, a rest, a second market in the afternoon, an early evening. Don’t try to cover six markets in one day.
- Hours: Sun–Thu 11–19 · Fri–Sat 10–20. ✓ checked 19.10.2026 · noel-colmar.com
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EguisheimPhoto: Dennis Yang from San Francisco, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsEguisheim — only if you fancy a village day
- A pretty village with a seasonal Christmas market (from 27.11 according to the regional site).
- For the grandmothers: only if the day in Colmar itself felt easy. Otherwise, another stroll in Petite Venise is better.
- confirm before booking for the bus / taxi on the day.
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Passages couvertsPhoto: Jeanne Menjoulet from Paris, France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCovered passages near home
- Passage Jouffroy + Verdeau + Panoramas — shops and bakeries under a glass roof.
- The perfect rain plan, instead of “another giant museum”.
Day by day
Suggested pace: one “big” morning, an afternoon rest, a short evening. Two nights in Colmar mid-week (suggested: 3–5.12, as in the plan below). You can shift by a day if the trains suit you better.
- Morning / midday · land at CDG → the 9th. Unpack, shower, a light meal.
- Afternoon · a short stroll on Rue des Martyrs / coffee. No heavy museum on a flight day.
- Evening · a sit-down dinner near your base. Early night.
- If it rains · the covered Passage Jouffroy.
- 10:00 · Musée d’Orsay (open; the Louvre is closed today).
- 13:30 · lunch on the Left Bank / back to the 9th for a rest.
- Evening · light shopping at Galeries Lafayette or rest at the hotel.
- Alternative · if you’re tired from yesterday: the free Vie Romantique instead of the Orsay.
- Morning · Vie Romantique and/or the passages + Chartier for lunch.
- Rest · a must. Sunset ~16:55.
- Optional evening · the Louvre until 21:00 (Wednesday = late opening) — only if you want a short window. Otherwise keep the Louvre for Sunday.
- Morning · breakfast in Paris, leave from Gare de l’Est (choose a midday / early-afternoon train, ~2h20–2h40).
- Afternoon · check in in Colmar, a short rest.
- 16:00–19:00 · one or two markets (Sun–Thu until 19:00). Soup / mulled wine. Back to the hotel.
- 10:00 · morning market (Friday opens at 10:00). Petite Venise, slowly.
- Lunch · Alsatian food, sitting down.
- Afternoon · a second market / shops. Option: Eguisheim, only if it feels easy.
- Evening · the markets until 20:00, then sleep.
- Morning · a last short stroll + coffee.
- Midday / afternoon · train back to Paris Est.
- Evening · a relaxed dinner in the 9th. No heavy plans.
- Option A · the Louvre 09:30–12:30 (time slot) → lunch → rest.
- Option B · Jacquemart-André + tea at Nélie (until 19:00 at weekends) — more relaxed.
- Evening · a farewell dinner. Some packing.
- Morning · depending on your flight: leave for CDG with time to spare (RER B or taxi). Sunrise ~08:30 — don’t cut it fine.
- If you have a free morning · a last coffee in the 9th, not a new attraction.
Worth it / skip
| What | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Colmar markets (2 nights) | Must | Lands right in the season |
| The Orsay on Tuesday | Must | Louvre closed; fits your pace |
| The 9th + passages | Must | Food, shopping, rain |
| Jacquemart-André + tea | Worth it | A mansion without the rush |
| The Louvre in a short window | Worth it | Not a whole day |
| Vie Romantique | Worth it | Free and close to home |
| Versailles in one day | Skip | Short day + December queues |
| Eiffel summit queue | Skip | Standing in the cold; there are other views |
| Sacré-Cœur by the stairs | Skip | A climb; the 9th is enough |
| Moreau, with stairs | Only if comfortable | there’s no lift |
Book now
- Paris Est ↔ Colmar train (return, for market days)Must
- A hotel / apartment in Colmar for 2 nightsMust
- The Louvre — a time slotNow
- The Orsay — a ticket for 1.12Now
- Jacquemart-André — if you choose the exhibitionRecommended
Save this page
- Emergencies in France: 112 Europe-wide · 15 medical · 17 police · 18 fire
- Getting around Paris: the Île-de-France Mobilités / Bonjour RATP app · metro + RER. confirm before booking for a Navigo Easy / Ticket t+ at the current price
- Trains: SNCF Connect — save the PDF/QR offline
- Weather: short days; plan museums / passages after 16:30
- Accessibility: Moreau has no lift · Jacquemart-André has a lift · the Louvre / Orsay have accessibility arrangements (check their websites first)
- Useful phrases: Bonjour · Sʼil vous plaît · Lʼaddition, sʼil vous plaît · Où sont les toilettes ?
- Strikes: in France, transport or national museums can close at short notice — check the operator’s website a week before and on the day
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