After spending 10 days in London we were traveling to Paris. With our previous day having been spent on a refreshing tour of Lord’s Cricket Ground, one of my favorite stadiums. Being tired we almost slept through our two hours fifteen minutes morning journey to Gare du Nord station on Eurostar. The weather was cloudy but pleasant with no traces of rain as we embarked. But the next two days was a lot wet. With dark clouds and rains. Hence come enjoy rainy days in Paris with us.
Stay Options in Paris
Paris is a favorite with travelers being one of the most fashionable cities along with its art, architecture, food and wine. Therefore you can expect accommodation to be expensive. However prices depend on your preferred location.
If you wish to be staying around the city center close to Eiffel, you can expect to shell out around € 500-700 for 3 nights. But if you stay a little away you can get good rated accommodation for around € 250-300 for 3 nights. We got a great price of € 215 excluding breakfast after a 15% discount, being a Booking.com Genius member. Check out Travelwisesr Holidays here for your best options.
Paris is considered to be an expensive city. And if you have plans to visit in 2023, here is a guide on what the costs could be like. Come along and then judge for yourself Is Paris Expensive?
Our Stay
We stayed in Ivry-sur-Seine near Porte de Choisy metro station which was around 13 km away from the Eiffel Tower. And it took us around 45 min to reach our hotel from Gare du Nord Eurostar station using Metro 5 & then a change to Metro 7.
B&B Hotel Paris Italie Porte de Choisy
The check-in was smooth and after a wash and a coffee from the dispenser on the ground floor, we set out for our first destination.
Palace of Versailles
As a symbol of the absolute Monarchy system, the Palace of Versailles is a must visit destination while in Paris. It is one of the most important landmarks in French history having been the home to the Kings of France between 1662 and 1789. Ideally you would require a full day to explore although we could spend only a few hours. Because the clouds looked really threatening. However you must book your tickets online in advance to avoid long queues, as we had done.
Paris by Night with Big Bus
Gloomy & Rainy Days in Paris – Day 2
A Walk Around Eiffel Tower & Gardens
A Hop-On-Hop-Off tour with Big Bus
Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, before the fire destruction
Eiffel Tower Tour
Torrential Rains – Back to Hotel early
Gloomy & Rainy Days in Paris – Day 3
Louvre Museum with pre-booked online tickets
Seine River Cruise
A Rainy Walk
Dodging the Rain – Cafe Hopping
Paris. A nice and different experience with the clouds and the rain. But would have loved a bit of sunshine as well. And the rains prevented us from opting for one of the 11 best champagne tours from Paris and a day trip to Strasbourg. That’s reason to be back again sometime. Moreover Paris with family is always a great idea. For now we move to a new destination.
If you loved Rainy Days in Paris, PIN it for planning!
I remember visiting Paris for a whole week 20 years ago. It is so big and has so many museums that it’s hard to not find something to do on a rainy day. Only the Louvre took us a whole day and we were exhausted at the end of it so all your tips are so welcome for Paris.
Yes Luliana. So true.
Way to make the most of rainy days. You fit in a lot of fun places! You surfaced some fabulous museums and eateries to fend off the cold.
Yes Anne. It was time well utilised with shelters like Eiffel tower, the boat ride and the cafes.
I have only been to Paris once and I was caught in torrential rains too. I powered through and even sat in the open air section of the Big Bus. I am very lucky my camera didn’t get ruined. If that happens again I will take your advise and spend the day café hopping!
Most of our evenings got wasted due to the heavy rains coming down. Except the one night when we took a night sightseeing bus.
The last time I went to Pars, it rained five out of six days we were there. We learned it was okay to get a little wet. We also discovered all the covered shopping malls, and wonderful indoor attractions. Plus we enjoyed the most heavenly sipping chocolate at Angelina’s!
That excites me again. Yes we would certainly go back to Paris at least once more.
Sometimes we just had to enjoy the rain on our destinations. You still looked happy in Paris. And you got to visit the museums which was giving you time to stay dry. But I agree, now you have reason to go back to Paris. This time, chose the non rainy season.
Yes exactly Umiko. Carefree walking around on Paris streets is what we will look forward to.
I would love to explore Paris, rain or no rain :P. The Big Bus is now on my list, as is the river cruise. And I certainly would like to hop through the cafes, the rain makes this even more exciting.
And we now wish to go back again sometime to experience sunny days in Paris.
Paris is so romantic, rain only could make it better. I loved the list of things you can still do when it’s raining in Paris. I would definitely hop into the Big Bus with a big umbrella, haha! And the Seine river cruise tops the list for sure.
Would love to go back once at least when it is sunny, chilly and with a blue sky.
I’m glad you were still able to enjoy some of the outside, despite the rain. I’d love to visit the palace as I really enjoy seeing how royals used to live in different time periods. I hope to get back to Paris someday!
I too would love to go back once and spend a full day in the Palace of Versailles.