As the temperature drops and Paris Fashion Week becomes a distant memory (did Vogue’s Anna Wintour really fall off a bench at Balenciaga?) life in the City of Lights is moving indoors. There is no denying that Paris is glorious in the spring when cafés start to spill onto the pavements, or during the summer when Jardin du Luxembourg is chock-a-block. But there is a certain magic to visiting in the winter too. Wintertime Paris is quieter for one, so you’re much more likely to catch a glimpse of everyday life rather than wading through crowds of map-toting tourists. And then there are those dark bars with crackling fires and mulled wine, cafés where you can huddle for a hot chocolate and a pastry, and the excuse to eat and eat and eat – you’ll need the extra insulation in the colder months afterall.

There are however, a couple of disadvantages to Paris travel at this time of year though. Principle among them (but of course I would say that) is the fact that, like many tour companies, My Parisian Tour will be taking it down a notch until the new year. Largely because of the weather and smaller visitor numbers, some of our tours will be running less frequently and others are on hiatus completely until the sun comes back out. We’ll be using the time to soak up any feedback you gave us and to plan bigger and better things for next year – more tours, more times, more languages and more special features.

We'll be in the Louvre come rain, hail or snow

Our most popular and season-independent tours will be running the same as always, so we’ll still be guiding groups though The Louvre, Notre Dame and Pere Lachaise cemetery much as we have all summer. Bring your coats and scarves because we will also keep ticking along with our favourite night time tour, wandering the icy streets of Paris telling gruesome stories on our Dark Heart of Paris tour. It brings a whole other level of meaning to the phrase “shivers down your spine” but on the upside, we’ll have the city to ourselves.

On the other hand we will be running restricted tours to The Paris Catacombs, which we will only visit on a Tuesday throughout winter. Sadly from the end of October we won’t see the Loire Valley Castles and Wine Tour until next year. Granted the branches and vines will be bare and the animals will be hibernating but how toasty would those castles be when the wind is biting and the fire is roaring? Another tour we will be bidding a sad adieu to at the end of this month until spring is the Versailles Palace & Gardens tour. We were game to keep going through the winter but apparently it’s “cruel” to demand that orchestras perform for us in the olive groves when they run the risk of being buried by snow.

Imagine the heating bills in Chambord

And so as we shop for woollies and bunk down to hibernate for the winter, we’re hoping that you can give us some food for thought. How do you think our tours could be improved? Are there any places in Paris you think are in need of skip the line access tours? Or is there a walking route just crying out for a guide to add some context? Tell us your thoughts on how we can improve before next season by leaving a comment on this page, dropping us a line on our Facebook page or tweeting us @darkrometours.

If you’re visiting during winter, have a look at our hardy year-round tours by clicking here or if you’ll be here before the end of the month, catch our seasonal tours before they close at the end of October. It’s not quite winter yet so get the most out of the next few weeks!