December in France is three different trips. Alsace runs the oldest Christmas markets in the country, Lyon stages the Fête des Lumières around 8 December and turns its whole centre into a light installation, and the Alps open for the ski season. Paris sits at about 8°C with the Champs-Élysées lit and the department-store windows doing what they have done since the 1900s.
The Alsace Christmas markets
Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik has run since 1570 and is the oldest in France, spread across several squares with the great tree in the Place Kléber. Around it, Colmar, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Obernai and Eguisheim hold smaller markets in half-timbered towns that look engineered for the purpose.
Practical notes: they run from late November to about 24 December, with a few continuing to the 30th – check each town, because dates differ. Strasbourg operates bag checks and restricted vehicle access around the market perimeter. Weekends are extremely busy and accommodation books months ahead; weekday visits are dramatically better, and staying in Colmar or Obernai and travelling in is a standard tactic.
The Fête des Lumières, Lyon
Held over four nights around 8 December, Lyon’s festival of lights began as a religious thanksgiving in 1852, when residents put candles in their windows. It is now one of the largest light festivals in the world: video mapping onto the cathedral and the Place des Terreaux, installations through the Vieux Lyon and the Presqu’île, and around two million visitors.
It is free. Lyon books out completely, the crowds are enormous and the metro runs extended hours. The residents still put candles – lumignons – on their windowsills, which is the best part of it.
Weather by region
- Paris and the north – about 8°C by day and 4°C at night, with roughly 62 mm – the wettest month of the Paris year. Grey, damp and dark by 17:00; snow is rare.
- Alsace – the coldest region, often below freezing, which is exactly what the markets want.
- The Alps – the season opens progressively; most major resorts are reliably running by mid-December.
- Provence and the Riviera – 13–15°C, the mildest winter on the mainland, with bright days between the storms.
- Brittany and Normandy – mild, wet and windy.
Christmas in France
- Friday 24 December – the réveillon de Noël is the main event: a long family meal on Christmas Eve, traditionally after midnight mass. Oysters, foie gras, capon or seafood, and the bûche de Noël.
- Saturday 25 December – Noël, a public holiday and a quieter day than the 24th. Almost everything closes.
- In Provence, the treize desserts – thirteen desserts served after the Christmas Eve meal – and the santons, painted clay nativity figures sold at the Marseille and Aix santon fairs through December.
- Friday 31 December – the réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, with restaurant set menus at high fixed prices booked weeks ahead, and fireworks or a light show on the Champs-Élysées.
- 26 December is a public holiday only in Alsace and Moselle, not in the rest of France.
Prices and crowds
Three phases. The first three weeks are moderate in the cities and expensive in Alsace at weekends. From about 19 December the Christmas and New Year period lifts everything, and the Alps reach their most expensive week of the entire season. The gap to aim for is 1 to 18 December, when the lights and markets are running but the holiday pricing has not started.
See what a trip to France costs.
What to pack
A warm waterproof coat, layers, gloves and a hat for Alsace and Lyon – both involve standing outside at night in the cold. Proper ski gear for the Alps. Shoes with grip for wet cobbles. See what to pack for France.
The December 2027 calendar
- 1–18 December – the best value window: lights and markets running, no holiday pricing.
- Around 8 December – the Fête des Lumières in Lyon, over four nights; the city books out.
- Through December – the Alsace markets in Strasbourg, Colmar, Riquewihr and Kaysersberg, most ending about 24 December.
- Mid December – the French ski season is reliably open at the major resorts.
- Friday 24 December – the réveillon de Noël, the main family meal of the French Christmas.
- Saturday 25 December – Noël, a public holiday; almost everything closed.
- Friday 31 December – the Saint-Sylvestre réveillon; restaurant set menus booked weeks ahead.
Read alongside
- France in November – the quietest month and the best restaurants.
- France in January – the sales and the best snow.
- Best time to visit France – all twelve months compared.
- Paris in December – the city-level version of this month.
- Trip to France cost – holiday-season numbers.
- France travel guide – regions and how to combine them.
- What to pack for France – the winter list.
Frequently asked
When are the Alsace Christmas markets?
From late November to about 24 December, with a few towns continuing to the 30th – dates differ by town, so check each one. Strasbourg’s has run since 1570 and is the oldest in France.
When is the Fête des Lumières in Lyon?
Over four nights around 8 December. It is free, draws around two million visitors, and the city books out completely, so reserve well ahead and expect extended metro hours.
Is December a good time to visit France?
For markets, lights and skiing, yes – particularly from 1 to 18 December, when everything is running but the holiday pricing has not started. From the 19th, prices lift sharply everywhere.
How cold is France in December?
Paris averages about 8°C by day and 4°C at night, with roughly 62 mm – its wettest month – and dark by 17:00. Alsace is often below freezing, and the Riviera holds 13–15°C.
Is 26 December a holiday in France?
Only in Alsace and Moselle, which kept it from their period under German administration. In the rest of France, 26 December is an ordinary working day.
What happens on Christmas Eve in France?
The réveillon de Noël, a long family meal on the evening of the 24th – oysters, foie gras, capon or seafood and a bûche de Noël. It is the main event, and Christmas Day itself is quieter.
Is the ski season open in December?
Progressively. The major French resorts are reliably running by mid-December, and the Christmas-to-New-Year fortnight is the most expensive week of the entire season.
When is the cheapest week in December?
The first eighteen days. The Christmas lights and markets are already running, the Alps have opened, and the holiday premium has not yet started.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
