Paris

Paris Christmas Market at La Defense

Paris Christmas Market at La Defense

Metro: La Defense
Dates: late November to late December
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 20:00, Friday 11:00 to 21:00, Saturday 10:00 to 21:00

The Paris Christmas Market at La Defense has ten thousand square meters of Christmas market stalls and is lit up beautifully at night.

The Christmas market stalls at La Defense sell everything from sausages to palella, wood carvings to glass ornaments.

There is live musical entertainment at the market, and plenty of places to stop for a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate. If your feet get tired, there are plenty of large wooden chalets with tables where you can stop and rest while eating or drinking.

The Paris Christmas market at La Defense is one of the largest of its kind in the city, and is worth a trip out to the end of the metro line.

Velib’ Free Bike Rentals in Paris

Velib’ is the free bike rental service in Paris that sparked a trend across many countries in Europe.

Throughout the city there are stations where Velib’ bikes are docked. When you are visiting Paris, you can purchase a pass for a small fee and then use the Velib’ bikes to get around. If you travel to Paris frequently, it is worth the time to get a yearly pass for Velib’ so you don’t have to wait in line at the payment machine. You can link the Velib’ pass to a Navigo metro pass for ease of use, too.

Bikes from one Velib’ station can be returned at any other Velib’ station, so it’s a great way to do your Paris sightseeing. Velib’ is especially helpful when the Paris metro and buses go on strike (not uncommon!).

When you rent a Velib’ bike in Paris, make sure to inspect the bike for damage, as some of the bikes are old or not in good condition.

Velib’ schemes also operate in other French cities, including Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Lyon.

Le Palais des Thes, Paris

Le Palais des Thes

Le Palais des Thes is a tea shop and tea tasting school with many locations in Paris and throughout the world. Store locations of Le Palais des Thes include Paris, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Lille, and Strasbourg. The addresses of the Paris locations are as follows.

64, rue Vieille du Temple, 75003, Paris, France
61, rue du Cherche Midi, 75006, Paris, France
25, rue Raymond Losserand, 75014, Paris, France
21, rue de l’Annonciation, 75016, Paris, France
36, rue de Levis, 75017, Paris, France

There are also several international locations of Le Palais de Thes, including Brussels and Tokyo.

Le Palais des Thes’ tea tasting school offers courses designed to teach tea enthusiasts more about the basics of tea. Its locations also have tea shops for those looking for high quality teas and herbal infusions.