The City of Lights
(NC)-While historians would have you believe that Paris was so
named The City of Light due to its early adoption of street
lamps, a Christmastime visit will soon convince you
otherwise.
The famous Champs-Élysées, notable for its broad, tree-lined
boulevards, fashionable boutiques, cafes and restaurants, is
ablaze with thousands of glittering white lights, giving the
city a festive atmosphere beyond compare.
Paris is also home to traditional Christmas Markets, common
throughout Europe, where you'll find one-of-a-kind ornaments
and hand-made gifts reminiscent of an earlier time. You can
also ice skate in front of the Hotel de Ville and there's a
holiday air throughout the entire city.
In order to enjoy this magical city to its fullest at Christmas
time, location plays an important role.
The Hotel Best Western Victor Hugo is ideally situated within
the 16th district, within easy reach of the Arc de Triomphe,
the Seine, the Champs-Élysées and, one of Paris's most dramatic
landmarks at Christmas, the Eiffel Tower. Located close to the
subway, shopping and restaurants, this 75-room hotel is ideal
for a Paris getaway. This Christmas, experience the holidays
the French way.
Transat Holidays offers flights from Montreal and Toronto to
Paris, Charles de Gaulle airport. Contact your travel agent for
full details.
A magic time in London
As winter descends upon London, seasonal spirit simply sweeps
the streets. Come the end of November red-cheeked shoppers,
carol singers and merry revellers bustle across the city
wrapped in scarves and hats. 
To celebrate, London will be engulfed by a welcome array of
festive activities and fun.  You can sample a great
British tradition and catch a riotous pantomime or hit the West
End and take in a show. Christmas classics like The Nutcracker
and The Snowman will once again be lighting up the London
stage.
There are lots of traditional treats on offer too. Grab a set
of skates and glide across one of the many outdoor ice rinks.
Gather around the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square and sing
carols. Or explore the wealth of Yuletide fairs for Christmas
pressies.  Don't forget London's plethora of shops. You
can find gifts for all - stocking fillers, boys' toys and
plenty of girlie goodies.
Christmas is also an atmospheric time for sightseeing. Take in
the landmarks of London on foot, by coach, or from a boat on
the Thames.
With carols ringing out from the churches and the sweet smell
of roasted chestnuts floating in the air, London is one of the
most magical places on Earth for festive fun. 
Vienna for New Year's
The last days of the year become a whirl of concerts and
entertainment in Vienna, Austria.
While the Vienna Symphony traditionally performs Beethoven's
Ninth Symphony on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the Vienna
Philharmonic is playing a selection of waltzes, polkas and
operetta tunes, and its festive New Year's Day concert is a big
social event (tickets are obtainable only through a miracle,
but there are several concerts by other orchestras that offer
the same kind of music and are more easily accessible).
(This great event is broadcast every year on the PBS network
and hosted by Walter Cronkite. On both evenings, the State
Opera and the Volksoper give gala performances of Johann
Strauss' Die Fledermaus.)
Vienna also turns the inner city into one big
celebration.  Starting at 2 pm on Dec. 31 until 2 am on
Jan. 1 enjoy concerts on the streets of Vienna. Dance to the
everpresent sound of the waltz and experience the fireworks.
Vienna offers grand celebrations for everybody.
There are, by the way, quite a few package arrangements on the
North American market that offer Christmas in Salzburg or
Innsbruck and New Year's in Vienna.
