Paris in Winter – What to Do When It Rains (Even with Kids)

Many people prefer not to travel toParis During the winter, because it is a cold and rainy period. This is a real shame, because it is precisely in the months of January-March that you can find Hotels וVacation Rental At prices that are tens of percent cheaper than in the spring and fall. Add to that reasonable flight prices, and you'll discover that even though Paris isn't cheap, your vacation suddenly costs you a lot less than you thought. Therefore, Paris in the winter is not a bad option at all, especially forA traveler who wants to save money without going broke.

Speaking of dogs, you're probably saying: "But what if it rains on us? We'll be in the hotel all day?" With the right partner, it's not such a bad idea. On the other hand, you can do this in Israel too. So what do you do if you're in Paris and the rain doesn't stop dripping?

In this article you will find several good options for rainy days (including What to do with kids in Paris in winter).

What is recommended to do in winter in Paris?

Visiting the museums and churches of Paris: maximum culture – minimum humidity

In Paris there are Dozens of museums, palaces and churches. Some are completely free and some cost money, but all of them are a great alternative for rainy hours of the day. Before we continue, I have just one warning for you: no more than one large museum and one small museum a day, otherwise you will get art poisoning. As for the churches, there is no limit because they are smaller and more spread out anyway, so you have enough time to freshen up and experience other things before entering the next church.

Where can I find information about museums and churches in Paris?

• Information about the museums and palaces can be found atParis attractions page. My tip: Buy all your tickets in advance. You don't want to stand in line for a long time, especially when it's rainy and cold.
• Want to know what the most interesting temporary exhibitions are that will be taking place during the time you will be in Paris? All you have to do is go to the pageRecommended exhibitions Site.
• And finally, since Paris has nearly 40 churches and quite a few other religious buildings, I decided to create a list for you of 10 must-see churches in ParisTry to check if these churches will also be hosting concerts while you are there, then you will benefit not only from a visual experience but also from a musical one.

Passages Tour – A Combination of History and Shopping

The arcades were created in the late 18th century to protect Parisians from the rain and cold, and they still do an excellent job today. Tour the arcades, which are mostly In the 2th arrondissement And b9th District It is a fascinating journey through time combined with a shopping experience. You won't find brands and all sorts of nonsense here that you can find in Primark or any other shopping mall.

Instead of the banal, you'll find tiny shops selling old books, designer clothes, doorknobs, and even umbrellas (which can definitely help you in the winter). Add to that some pretty good restaurants (for example, Passage Choiseul has some simply great Asian restaurants) and you'll have a few hours of indoor entertainment with minimal exposure to the rain as you move from passage to passage.

Two options for a passage trip

• The first option is the “do it yourself” method. For those who want to see the passages at their own pace, I have created A walking tour through the most beautiful passages of Paris.
• Another option is to take guided tour And let a certified guide not only show you the most beautiful passageways of Paris but also tell you their story.

The Catacombs of Paris

The Catacombs of Paris Cool all year round, with a temperature of about 14 degrees, but it's quite warm compared to winter, and besides – they are an excellent shelter from snow and rain. Because in winter there are fewer tourists, there are fewer queues and everything is more pleasant and spacious.

During the tour, you will find information stations that provide historical details and explanations about the catacombs and the area. The stations include interactive displays and information signs.

In addition to the burial chambers, the catacombs also have rooms used for art exhibitions and special displays. Contemporary artists present works inspired by the place, giving a new and modern interpretation to the historical site.

The tour ends with an official exit from the catacombs, located in a different area than the one you entered. After you finish the tour, you can return to the surface and continue exploring the city.

Winter in Paris: A Great Time for Shopping

January is the time when the big sales begin in all the fashion and cosmetics stores in Paris. The result is a price drop of many tens of percent that will allow you to buy that Louis Vuitton bag you've been wanting so much without selling a kidney, or your plane ticket back to Israel. This means that if a sudden flood hits you and you enter the store, not only will you stay dry, but you'll also save quite a bit of money.

Articles about shopping in Paris

• First, I recommend you read the article Sales in Paris, There you will find the dates of the promotions and important tips on how to take advantage of them.
• Secondly, I highly recommend reading the articles of Nathan EvergreenNathan is a stylist who gives shopping tours and with his tips you will reach the best boutiques in Paris.
• Third, I recommend you visit the category Shopping in Paris There you will find additional articles about shopping that may interest you.

Seeing Paris through the bus window

This option is great not only when it rains, but also when your time in Paris is limited, you Suffering from mobility difficulties Or maybe you're just tired of walking. With a tour bus, you can watch the other tourists and Parisians running around in the rain, getting wet in puddles and cursing the whole world and its sister. At the same time, you'll sit by the window and see the Place de la Concorde, The opera Or maybe you Eiffel Tower Through the window, which was smeared with raindrops like an impressionist painting. Is there anything romantic about that?

Information about tourist buses in Paris

• Don't worry, there's no need to run around between a long line of online booking sites. That's why I created this article. Paris in motion, where you can find information not only about a regular tourist bus, but also about a culinary bus and even a flight over Paris in a private helicopter.

Stroll the streets of Paris in winter – because you are not made of sugar

So far I've given you some tips that will save you the need to stick your nose outside. Now I'm giving you the opposite tip. Go out and take a walk, even in the rain! You're human, after all, not some macaron that just came out of Pierre Herme's patisserie!

Buy yourself some waterproof boots or shoes, wear thermal clothing and a coat. Add to all this an elegant umbrella and no French winter can scare you. Believe me, even if it rains a little (or even a lot) you will still enjoy every moment, because Paris is Paris is Paris.

So where to go hiking (in or out of the rain)?

• That's exactly why I created a series for you. Itineraries in ParisSome deal with a specific geographical area, such as The Marae itinerary And some deal with places related to a specific person, such as the itinerary of a trip following Benny Amdorsky Or the itinerary following Coco Chanel.
• And if during your tour you get hungry (or the rain becomes unbearable) you are welcome to check out the My recommended restaurants page And see what good restaurant is nearby.

Paris in winter with children

Written by Michal Richter, a certified instructor, Parisian-Parisophile, and mother of two young Parisians. She can be contacted at +33676292961

Traveling with kids is always more challenging, and when it’s cold and rainy, it’s not always possible to do the “normal” things in Paris. If you find yourself in Paris in the winter with kids, here are some ideas for fun and warming activities.

Complex 104

In the 19th arrondissement, away from the tourist center of Paris, Found the 104th, an urban multidisciplinary arts complex. It was founded in 2008 in a large 130-year-old building that was the Paris Funeral Home – a bustling enterprise that at its peak employed over 1,000 people and organized 150 funerals a day. The place closed in 1997 and the building was converted into the current complex.

The 104 is a meeting place for dance, circus and theater artists who come to practice, and you can sit in beach chairs and watch them create and sweat in an organized chaos in the central square. The complex hosts exhibitions, performances, concerts, dance parties, lectures and artistic performances. You can eat (the restaurants are relatively child-friendly compared to what is common in Paris) and wander through the shops, including a bookstore, design and clothing store by Emmaüs (a large institution that sells second-hand products for charity). One of the halls has a special play area for children up to 5 years old, carefully designed to stimulate the imagination and senses of the little ones.

Jazz & Goûter Jazz & Goûter

The Jazz Club Sunset - Sunside Jazz-Gotte offers: a combination of the “Gotte”, the sweet four-course meal of French children, and a light jazz concert suitable for the target audience, lasting about 50 minutes. Every Sunday in the cold months, at 15:00 PM and 17:00 PM, the little ones (from the age of 3) are invited to nibble on a cake and listen to a jazz adaptation of classics: Disney, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis and others. The explanations around are in French, of course. 

Older children and music lovers can enjoy a “real” jazz performance, held every day at 19:00 p.m. On Mondays there is a free performance (with the purchase of a drink) with a jam session starting at 19:30 p.m. Just a stone’s throw from the Sunset-Sunside, there are two other excellent jazz clubs: The Salty Kiss and-The Duke of Lombards.

 Children's Philharmonic

Another musical option for the little ones is a classical concert. The large philharmonic hall, designed by Jean Nouvel, was inaugurated in 2015 and is part of the La Villette music complex, which also includes the Music Museum. The main hall, the “Pierre Boulez”, is an acoustic masterpiece.

The Philharmonic offers Children's program Including short concerts (about an hour) in the main hall, films accompanied by live music and other musical activities in the main building or in the Music Museum. On the ground floor of the Philharmonic building, you can visit a changing exhibition, on topics that connect music with the arts and other fields.

Climbing wall for children

The French love to climb! Climbing is a sport that combines high physical fitness with mental abilities of concentration and thinking. The popularity of climbing has grown since it became an Olympic sport in 2021, and today about a million French people climb for fun. The artificial climbing walls, which began as a closed training place for mountaineers, have become popular sports clubs, and several clubs in Paris allow free climbing.

Alpine climbing (secured with a harness and rope) can be found in the suburbs accessible by metro. At the clubs you can rent climbing shoes, sign up for a lesson with a professional guide, have a nice restaurant or bar, and are open until late at night. The excellent club Climbing district Offers three free climbing locations on the right bank; The last hall to open, near Saint-Lazare, is in a 160-year-old building that was built as a church, turned into a library, and ended up as a climbing wall! More options: Vertical'Art , Arkosis and- Climb Up , which offers the The world's largest indoor climbing complex, 7,000 square meters with 200 different climbing routes (free or alpine), north of Paris on metro line 12.

table games

Parisians also love to play – not just on the court or with a computer, but board games, like in the old days. The city is dotted with café-game restaurants, where people come to eat, drink and play one of the hundreds of possible board games: Monopoly, Taki, strategy games, etc. The staff are enthusiastic experts, and can advise you. These are not play areas for children, but places of entertainment for adults, which happily accept children too, of course. The payment is per drink/meal or per person per hour.

Some suggestions:  The Bad Players (Literal translation: the players who don't like to lose), and At the Joy of Games in the 11th arrondissement; Le nid – a playful cocoon in the 3rd arrondissement; Meisia In the 10th district; Crazy In the 5th district. 

Disneyland Paris

Why visit?Disneyland Paris in winter? Actually, there are many good reasons for this! The months of December, January, and February offer a unique and magical experience in the park, which simply cannot be found in any other season.

First of all, it’s important to know that Disneyland Paris is open in the winter (yes, even when it’s cold!). Apart from Christmas Day itself, the park is open all year round, and during the colder months it closes at 19pm on weekdays and 00pm on weekends. There are also “Extra Magic Hours”, which allow early access to the park as early as 22:00-8:30am, before the official opening at 9am. If you’re staying at one of the hotels on the park grounds, you can enjoy these extra hours and experience the magic in relative peace.

Want to know what else? If you're considering a winter visit, November is a great time to visit, as that's when the Christmas season begins at Disneyland Paris! The festive atmosphere envelops the entire park with spectacular holiday lights, festive parades, and Disney characters in Christmas attire. And if you're already planning, it's well worth taking care For advance tickets To ensure entry and avoid surprises.

Yossi Drori's experiences in the Parisian winter

Yossi Drori is a big Francophile who lived in Paris for a long time and is in love with this city. Unlike the vast majority of tourists, Yossi prefers to visit Paris in the winter, when temperatures drop to around 0-5 degrees Celsius. And it is precisely in this cold that Yossi finds great magic, which he is happy to share with us.

So if you would like to read about Yossi's winter experiences, you are welcome to visit the article. Paris in winter.

Christmas in Paris

Visiting Paris at Christmas is a special experience that every tourist should experience at least once in their lifetime. The city is illuminated by thousands of festive lights that give it a unique and festive atmosphere. The main streets, such as the Champs-Elysées and the Marais, decorated with illuminated Christmas trees and even the Eiffel Tower wears a festive look. But the real highlight of Christmas in Paris is Christmas markets.

In these markets you will find beautifully decorated stalls with local produce, special handicrafts, and of course an abundance of traditional delicacies such as roasted chestnuts, mulled wines, and colorful macaroons. The markets offer an authentic and magical experience, with musical performances, carousels for children, and gift stalls that will make your visit especially exciting.

Paris weather in winter

Paris in the winter can be quite chilly, with average temperatures of around 7°C during the day and 2°C at night. Although it doesn't snow often, Paris does get its share of grey and rainy days during the winter months.

Winter in Paris lasts from late November to early March, with January often considered the coldest month. It is recommended to pack warm layers such as sweaters, thick socks, scarves, gloves, and a heavy coat for getting around Paris in the winter. Waterproof shoes are also a good idea. Since rain is common, it is a good idea to bring an umbrella, or check if your hotel offers umbrellas for guests to use.

Although summer attracts more crowds, winter allows you to enjoy Paris’ museums, monuments, and neighborhoods with fewer people. As you might have guessed, this is the quieter season in Paris. However, be prepared for short, cold days and wintry weather. The winter gloom is part of the unique atmosphere of Paris during this time of year.

The energy crisis in Paris

During 2022-2023, she suffered France (and large parts of Europe) from an energy crisis, due to all sorts of problems with the production of electricity from its nuclear reactors. To deal with the crisis, the government announced an efficiency program. In principle, the crisis is over, but some of the principles on which the government landed may still be implemented.

• Part ofHotels in Paris You might save on heating and turn it off relatively early in the day. I don't know who will do this and who won't, but the rule of thumb is that the higher the star rating of the hotel, the less likely it is to save on heating, so take this into account when booking a hotel.
• The temperature in public buildings will not rise above 19 degrees Celsius, and if there are heavy electrical loads – the limit will be 18 degrees. It is as cold as an air-conditioned mall in Israel in the summer, so be careful if you are sensitive.
• Some public restrooms may not have hot water.
• Some office buildings in France will turn off lights when not in use, and limit the use of heating and air conditioning.
• Supermarket chains, including Carrefour, will dim lighting by 40 to 70 percent, and lower the temperature in stores by 2 degrees Celsius.
• Unlike previous winters, business owners are not allowed to heat outdoor terraces with gas “mushrooms” or electric heating, so in many restaurants and cafes it is not possible to sit on semi-improvised, closed balconies as in previous winters.