France in December: Christmas Markets, Lyon's Lights and Ski Openings

December is the one winter month when France is busier than in spring. The Christmas markets of Alsace run until December 24 in Strasbourg and December 29 in Colmar, Lyon lights up for the Fête des Lumières from December 5 to 8, 2026, and the Alpine ski resorts open in the first weeks of the month. Expect short, cold days: about eight and a quarter hours of daylight in Paris, highs around 46°F (8°C), and freezing nights in Alsace and the mountains.

We plan Christmas trips in a precise order: the dates of each event first, then the trains, then the hotels, which go fastest.

Three Decembers in one trip

Alsace and its markets

• Strasbourg: November 27 to December 24, 2026, with markets spread across the old town around the cathedral and Place Kléber.
• Colmar: six markets, November 23 to December 29, 2026, in the old town and Little Venice.
• Kaysersberg: weekends only, Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: December 4-6, 11-13 and 18-20.
• Riquewihr and Eguisheim hold their own small markets; their 2026 dates were not yet published when we wrote this.

Weekends in Strasbourg and Colmar are very crowded, and December Saturdays are the busiest days of all. We base travelers in Colmar or a wine village and visit Strasbourg on a weekday. The squares are flat and paved, but crowds make them hard going with a wheelchair or a stroller after 4 p.m., so we plan mornings. Our Alsace Christmas markets guide and our free Christmas markets 2026 planner have the full list.

Lyon's Fête des Lumières, December 5-8, 2026

For four nights, from Saturday to Tuesday, Lyon turns its squares, churches and riverbanks into light installations, and on December 8 residents put candles in their windows, the tradition the festival grew from. It is free and draws very large crowds; some streets become one-way for pedestrians. Lyon hotels sell out for these dates, so book as soon as you decide. Our Lyon Festival of Lights guide explains how we plan the evenings.

The Alps and the first snow

The big resorts open in stages. In 2026: Courchevel on December 4, the full Three Valleys area on December 5, the Grands Montets in Chamonix on December 5, Brévent-Flégère and Balme on December 12, and Les Houches and Saint-Gervais on December 19. The Aiguille du Midi reopens on December 19 after its autumn closure, running 8:10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Val d'Isère and Tignes are already open from late November.

Early December snow is variable at lower altitudes, so for skiing before Christmas we choose high resorts. Christmas week itself (school holidays run from December 19, 2026 to January 4, 2027) is one of the two most expensive periods of the ski year.

Christmas and New Year's: what is open

French Christmas is a family celebration, and the big meal is on the evening of December 24. What that means for travelers:

• December 24: shops close early and many restaurants either close or serve a set "réveillon" menu that must be booked. Chambord closes at 4 p.m.
• December 25: the Louvre, Versailles, Chambord and the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey are closed, as are most shops and museums. Hotel restaurants are the safest bet for lunch or dinner. Midnight Mass on the 24th and services on the 25th are open to all in cathedrals and churches across France.
• December 26 is an ordinary day in most of France but a public holiday in Alsace and Moselle.
• December 31: restaurants serve special New Year's Eve menus, often at fixed prices, and most require booking. In Paris, the Champs-Élysées is traditionally closed to traffic for a light show on the Arc de Triomphe and midnight fireworks; the 2026 program had not been announced when we wrote this.
• January 1: a public holiday, with most museums closed.

Between those dates, most sights run normal or extended holiday hours. Chambord stays open until 6 p.m. from December 19, Chenonceau extends its hours for Christmas week, and Versailles adds a special winter visit, Le Parcours du Roi, from December 12 to January 2. In Marseille, the Foire aux Santons, the fair of Provençal nativity figurines, runs at the Old Port until January 3.

Where it snows, and where it doesn't

Météo-France 1991-2020 normals (Chamonix: 1981-2010):

• Paris: 46°F (8°C) by day and 39°F (3.8°C) at night, with about 11 rainy days. Snow is rare and seldom settles.
• Alsace (Strasbourg): 43°F (5.9°C) by day and 33°F (0.8°C) at night. A light snowfall on the markets happens some years, but most December days are cold and gray.
• Lyon and Burgundy: 46°F (7.7°C) in Lyon and 43°F (6.1°C) in Dijon by day, with nights near freezing.
• The Alps: Chamonix averages 37°F (2.6°C) by day and 22°F (-5.7°C) at night. Bourg-Saint-Maurice, in the valley below Val d'Isère and Les Arcs, gets about 114 mm of precipitation in December, the most of any month, which falls as snow higher up.
• Provence (Carpentras): 52°F (11.3°C) by day, but only 35°F (1.8°C) at night.
• Riviera (Nice): 57°F (14.1°C) by day and 44°F (6.6°C) at night, with about 145 hours of sunshine. A good place to end a Christmas trip in the sun.
• Bordeaux and the Loire: around 52°F (11°C) in Bordeaux and 47°F (8.1°C) in Tours by day, damp and often cloudy.

Mid-December daylight in Paris runs from about 8:35 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. Markets are at their prettiest after dark, so short days are less of a problem than they sound.

Booking and prices

December is two months in one. The first three weeks are mid-season in the cities, with high demand in Alsace, Lyon (for the Fête des Lumières) and Paris on weekends. From December 19, school holidays push ski resorts to their peak rates and fill trains to the Alps. Paris hotels are busy for Christmas and New Year's Eve, while the Riviera stays reasonable outside New Year's Eve.

Book Alsace and Lyon hotels by early fall, and TGV seats as soon as they go on sale for the holiday weeks.

Dressing for icy market squares

• A warm, waterproof coat, thermal layers, gloves, a hat and a scarf.
• Warm, waterproof shoes with good soles: market squares and cobblestones can be icy.
• A tote bag for market purchases, and a reusable cup if you plan to drink mulled wine, since many markets charge a deposit on mugs.
• Something smart for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinners.

Christmas routes we design

Alsace, Lyon and the Alps. Strasbourg and Colmar's markets, the bouchons of Lyon, then a few days of skiing in Val d'Isère, on our French Christmas trip. We time it to the Fête des Lumières when we can.

Belgium, Alsace and Switzerland by train. Brussels, the Alsace markets and the Swiss Alps as far as Zermatt in 10 days, on our Belgium, Alsace and Switzerland trip.

Markets across two countries. Combine Strasbourg and Colmar with German markets across the Rhine; our guide to the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany and France compares them.

For how December compares with the rest of the year, see our best time to visit France guide.

Tell us which markets, lights or slopes you want, and a designer will put the dates in the right order: plan your trip.