How to Spend a Rainy Day in Paris

As fall arrives in Paris, the days become cooler, the crowds at its famous landmarks thin, and a warm, golden glow takes over the city as the leaves turn shades of orange, red and yellow. However, this season also brings its share of rain showers and when the weather takes a sudden turn, this could be your chance to slip into world-class museums, historic cafés, and hands-on experiences that feel made for a drizzly afternoon.

Visit the Musée d’Orsay

Once a riverside railway station, Musée d’Orsay houses mainly French Art and has the largest collection of impressionist masterpieces in the world, with works by Claude Monet, Van Gogh, Cézanne and Manet on display. Located along the Left Bank of the Seine in the 7th arrondissement, it’s an idyllic Beaux Arts backdrop to escape a sudden downpour when you’re queuing for the Louvre or walking up the Eiffel Tower. This musée is a work of art in itself, with much of its original architecture remaining, including its iconic Art Nouveau clock. From behind the clock face, you’ll glimpse Sacré-Cœur without stepping back into the rain or listen the pitter patter of rain on its ornate glass ceilings while admiring some of the world’s must-see paintings. If the forecast predicts rain on one Parisian evening during your visit, book tickets and hop on metro line 12 to Rue de Solférino, where the museum offers discounted admission on Thursdays after 6pm.

You can find out more about Musée d’Orsay here.

Dine at the oldest café in Paris

A short walk from the Odéon metro station in the 6th arrondissement is the oldest café in Paris which opened its doors in 1686. Almost certainly the first restaurant to serve coffee in Paris, Le Procope marked the beginning of the famed café culture in France’s capital. This café became a frequent haunt for many famous novelists, poets and Enlightenment figures, cementing its place in French cultural history. Pass a Parisian rainy afternoon indoors at this decadently designed restaurant, tasting its three-course or two-course menus priced from €26.50. Enjoy traditional and comforting French gastronomy under vintage chandeliers, including soupe à l’oignon, escargot, sole meunière, beef tartare and crème brûlée while the rain taps on the windows.

 

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Take a tour of France in a glass: indoor wine tasting

When there’s a passing shower, take a road trip around France’s renowned wine regions from a cozy indoor bistro offering wine tastings. At Wine Tasting in Paris in the 5th arrondissement, guests can have a two-hour tasting session, to discover the flavors of six famous French wines and champagne and learn how to recognize them. The sommelier uses maps and photos to illustrate the distinct wine regions of the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhône Valley, each of which will be sampled alongside bread and cheese. Starting at €73, it is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in French culture, especially on a rainy day. 

 

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A rainy day in Paris, captured in a bottle

Inspired by the smell of rain on Paris’ wet cobbled streets? As it drizzles outside, step indoors for a two-hour perfume workshop, where you can blend your favorite scents to create your own signature fragrance. Just a short stroll from the Chaussée d’Antin La Fayette Métro station is Perfumes Galimard.  

Their expert-led sessions help visitors choose up to six scents out of their collection of 126 notes, to combine into a 100ml perfume bottle. A perfect activity to do with family or friends, by the time the clouds clear, guests will leave with a personal, fragrant memento to take home, encapsulating their own interpretation of Paris in a bottle.

 

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Liquid Language to use when it’s wet outside! 

Il fait orageux = it is stormy 

Il pleut à verse = it’s pouring 

C’est une vague de froid = it’s a cold spell 

C’est une giboulée = it’s a sudden downpour (c’est un déluge = it’s a downpour) 

Des intempéries = bad weather 

Une inondation = flood

For Paris getaways in the fall, it’s always best to pack a parapluie (umbrella), vêtements imperméables (waterproof clothes) and non-slip shoes for the slick pavés Parisiens (Parisian cobblestones)!

Read more about the endless ways to spend a rainy afternoon in Paris here:

Flâneries in Paris: Explore the 19th Century Covered Passages
Everything to Know about Hot Chocolate in Paris
Lights, Camera, Action: Repertory Cinemas in the Latin Quarter