• Paris is great, but I prefer Bordeaux in the winter because it's less crowded and magical.
• The city is two hours south of Paris and has incredible holiday markets, shops, and food.
• Bordeaux has great wine and is a day trip away from famous spots like Saint-Émilion or Margaux.

As the oft-repeated saying goes, Paris is always a good idea. And although that's true, it can feel crowded and congested, especially during Christmastime.

That's why I now prefer to go to Bordeaux, the wine capital of the world, during the busy winter season.

This elegant city, just two hours south of Paris by train, is a real stunner filled with classic Haussmanian buildings, dramatic 18th-century neoclassical architecture, and picturesque cobblestone streets.

At less than half the size of Paris, Bordeaux gets a fraction of its millions of tourists a year, which makes it the perfect place to enjoy French esprit de Noël without feeling overwhelmed.

Bordeaux starts to get fully festive in November

In late November, Bordeaux transforms into a winter wonderland with festive lights and illuminated backdrops.

The season officially kicks off with a concert at the Opéra National de Bordeaux on Place de la Comédie, followed by the lighting of a 36-foot-high Christmas tree made of steel and glass.

For a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city, start your trip with the Les Caneles Cruise, an hour-and-15-minute ride up and down the Garonne River.

You'll learn about the city's fascinating (and troubling) history, architecture, and culture while sipping wine and munching on canelés, a famous local pastry. It's the perfect way to acclimate to Bordeaux.

The city has great seasonal shopping and eats

If holiday shopping and sampling local culinary specialties tops your list of must-dos, grab a cup of vin chaud (mulled wine) or chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and wander through over 100 petite wooden chalets at the Grand Marché de Noël in Bordeaux's city center.

At this holiday market, local purveyors sell everything from hand-poured candles to grilled chestnuts. This year, the market has several workshops where you can make your own candles, maple butter, cosmetics, and more.

Or head to Darwin, the right bank's eco-district, for an alternative Christmas market featuring handcrafted goods, art, live music, organic food, and more. It's where all the cool kids hang out.

You can also wander along Rue Sainte-Catherine, Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street.

Maybe visit the posh Chartrons district north of the city center, where you'll find Rue Notre Dame, one of my favorite streets in Bordeaux.

It's filled with hip boutiques like the Do You Speak Francaise concept store, antique shops, restaurants, and my favorite place for canelés — Micheline and Paulette Bakery.

Warm up with wine, culture, and art

Bordeaux isn't called the wine capital of the world for nothing. There are wine bars are everywhere, serving the best vintages from the region.

Two of my top picks are Yarra Wine Bar and Le Bar à Vin. The latter is in a magnificent 18th-century building across from the Bordeaux Tourism office.

Here, you can order affordable regional wines by the glass and cheese plates, charcuterie, and other snacks. A top-notch glass of bubbly will only set you back about four euros.

If the weather isn't cooperating, you can always wander through the city's many museums, including the must-see Cité du Vin, an immersive wine museum, or Bassins des Lumières, the largest digital art center in the world located in a former submarine base.

Plus, it's in a prime location if you want to explore other parts of France

Another reason to spend the winter holidays in Bordeaux is you can easily visit nearby villages without having to elbow your way through hordes of tourists.

Weather and time permitting, you can take a half-day or full-day chateaux or winery tour to Saint-Émilion or Margaux, two of the world's most famous wine destinations.

I look forward to returning to Bordeaux this year to experience even more holiday joy and the city's many charms. Maybe I'll see you there?

• I hit middle age and regretted not seeing more of the world.
• My mother's death inspired me to go outside my comfort zone and take steps to live more fearlessly.
• Now, my husband and I spend nearly half a year in France.

I woke up in a panic a few years ago when I realized that at 53, I had spent most of my adult life living in one place. Sure, I'd traveled over the years, but I hadn't lived outside the DC area since moving back here from Chicago at 26.

I thought it would be a quick stopover on my way somewhere else — perhaps to New York to work in magazine publishing or to California to work in the entertainment business. It never happened.

Soon after I got back to DC, my whole world turned upside down when my mother was diagnosed with a rare fatal disease. My family was devastated, and I put my plans of moving away on hold to be with her. She was sick for 13 years, and even though I don't regret the decision to spend that time with her, I often wonder how my life would have been different if I'd moved elsewhere.

I met my husband and reevaluated my life

Even after my mom was gone, I couldn't bring myself to pull up roots and start over somewhere else. What was holding me back? Fear of change? Fear of loneliness? Fear of failure? Probably all of those things. Or maybe I had used my mother's illness as an excuse to avoid taking risks because it was easier than facing the unknown.

I met my husband two months after my mom died, so staying in DC had a big silver lining. But I was never able to shake my intense wanderlust. The pandemic, of course, made lots of people rethink their lives and priorities, and I was no different.

During lockdown, I'd spend hours walking around our neighborhood listening to Rick Steves talk about his adventure across the globe, and I swore that once we could travel again, we would make it a priority. I'm happy to say that this time, I made good on that promise.

Putting my no-regrets plan in motion

By the spring of 2023, my husband and I had lost our beloved pets, and for the first time in our 13 years together, we were "empty nesters." Nothing, except for fear of the unknown, stopped us from making a big change. In my heart, I felt like it was now or never, and I was determined not to let anything get in the way.

We started talking about the possibility of living part-time in France, a place we both love and how to put our plan in motion. The idea of picking up and moving was too overwhelming, so we started with baby steps. Last winter, we spent three weeks living like locals in Bordeaux and Toulouse, and this past spring, we spent nearly two months in Paris, the Loire Valley, and Brittany.

Each trip has been eye-opening, and we've met new people, made connections, and tapped into a world of expats and wanna-be expats on Facebook and elsewhere. My French isn't very good but I do my best to speak it as much as I can, or at least try. Every time we go, I'm energized, and even when it's stressful, simply being somewhere new gives me an unexpected lift and fills me with possibility. I know I'm incredibly fortunate and privileged to be able to have this adventure and to finally explore more of the world.