Paris in January
Aug 28th, 2023, 12:45 PM
#21
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It might be a bit too cold out in January, but if you get an unseasonably warm day, you could try going for a stroll on the Coulee Verte - an old railway that sits about 30 feet above the city and has been converted into a lovely walking path, with gardens along the way.
Aug 29th, 2023, 04:02 AM
#22
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Fully agree with fleur de lis. You could start your walk in Gare de Lyon and pass through rue Cremieux (the most photographed street in Paris...) before heading to coulée verte.
other nice parks in Paris: my favorites are Parc Monceau, parc Montsouris and parc des buttes Chaumont. All have impressive mature trees. Buttes Chaumont is scenic with its hills. Monceau is surrounded by impressive "hotels particuliers".
Don't miss the markets. There are market streets (shops and restaurants open everyday except Sunday afternoon and, for many of them, Monday- good to know that many shops and museums close on Monday, other museums close on Tuesday) and weekly markets with temporary structures erected once a week.
Among others, nice market streets are rue Mouffetard (near Pantheon) and rue Montorgueil (walking distance from place Dauphine).
if you like antiques, puces de Saint ouen, fleamarket on weekends, is a must. You may want to skip the ramshackled part close to the périphérique and rather head to the markets that sell higher end merchandise. Even if you don't buy, it is well worth to browse around
other nice parks in Paris: my favorites are Parc Monceau, parc Montsouris and parc des buttes Chaumont. All have impressive mature trees. Buttes Chaumont is scenic with its hills. Monceau is surrounded by impressive "hotels particuliers".
Don't miss the markets. There are market streets (shops and restaurants open everyday except Sunday afternoon and, for many of them, Monday- good to know that many shops and museums close on Monday, other museums close on Tuesday) and weekly markets with temporary structures erected once a week.
Among others, nice market streets are rue Mouffetard (near Pantheon) and rue Montorgueil (walking distance from place Dauphine).
if you like antiques, puces de Saint ouen, fleamarket on weekends, is a must. You may want to skip the ramshackled part close to the périphérique and rather head to the markets that sell higher end merchandise. Even if you don't buy, it is well worth to browse around
Aug 29th, 2023, 07:52 AM
#24
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Years ago I enjoyed Paris in January. There are so many great indoor things to do and there was never a long wait in lines. Additionally it gets dark very early and we all know how beautiful Paris is at night. It was cold but bearable.
Aug 31st, 2023, 11:45 PM
#26
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Try visiting Palais Royal Garden. It's flanked by contemporary Flanked by contemporary and vintage fashion boutiques and stylish cafes, it’s a lovely place for a stroll and one of the best Paris hidden gems.
Sep 1st, 2023, 10:23 AM
#27
I don't know about January in Paris being cold, but when DH was working there about 40 years ago and I was going to visit him at weekends, I have rarely been so cold as I was when we went on a day trip to Versailles . In April.
Sep 3rd, 2023, 01:31 PM
#28
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DH and I were scheduled to leave for London and Ireland in three weeks for our 50th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately we’ve had to postpone the trip until April because i had my second hip replacement within the year three weeks ago. So, I’m planning a trip to Paris in January! Thinking of this as a small trip. No big excursions or big museums. Mostly looking for places we can walk to and settle in to the neighborhood and close to where we’re staying. I’m in the dreaming/possibility stage of the planning and would love input and ideas.
This is what I’ve actually booked so far:
January 8–pick up rental car, drive to SFO with stop in east bay to visit daughter and her family. Spend the night at Aloft hotel (using points).
January 9–drop off rental and take shuttle to airport. Afternoon flight on Air France (business class booked with points) to Paris.
January 10-18 stay in apartment at Place Dauphine on Il de La Cite. (Languedoc apartment booked through Paris Perfect. One bedroom with king size bed. 560 square feet and building has an elevator).
January 18 return flight to SFO.
This will be my husband’s first trip o Paris. I’m thinking about a Seine River dinner cruise as a splurge. Would appreciate others experiences. I’m particularly interested in Ducaisse Sur Seine.
Im also interested in exploring the covered passageways and looking for hidden gems. Since there are quite a few any suggestions on which to focus on would be helpful.
Also looking for restaurant recommendations within walking distance. While we will want to do one or two higher end dinners am also looking for cozy bistros and other comfort food.
Thank you in advance for recommendations!
This is what I’ve actually booked so far:
January 8–pick up rental car, drive to SFO with stop in east bay to visit daughter and her family. Spend the night at Aloft hotel (using points).
January 9–drop off rental and take shuttle to airport. Afternoon flight on Air France (business class booked with points) to Paris.
January 10-18 stay in apartment at Place Dauphine on Il de La Cite. (Languedoc apartment booked through Paris Perfect. One bedroom with king size bed. 560 square feet and building has an elevator).
January 18 return flight to SFO.
This will be my husband’s first trip o Paris. I’m thinking about a Seine River dinner cruise as a splurge. Would appreciate others experiences. I’m particularly interested in Ducaisse Sur Seine.
Im also interested in exploring the covered passageways and looking for hidden gems. Since there are quite a few any suggestions on which to focus on would be helpful.
Also looking for restaurant recommendations within walking distance. While we will want to do one or two higher end dinners am also looking for cozy bistros and other comfort food.
Thank you in advance for recommendations!
I have a YouTube Channel about walks, tips and hidden gems in Paris.
Hope it will help you find some cool walk ideas and places to Visit
https://youtube.com/@streetnomadism?feature=shared
Sep 4th, 2023, 04:42 AM
#29
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Adding suggested walks from place Dauphine.
cross river seine for left bank. then many small streets worth exploring going toward blvd st Germain (Odéon and St Germain des Prés). Also nice streets between Odéon and St Sulpice (church of Da Vinci code). Just before Odéon, walk rue St André des Arts towards Blvd St Michel. Cross Blvd for another busy part (rue de la Huchette,...)
Stay on ile de la Cité, heading east. You will see the flower market, Ste Chapelle, Notre-Dame and cross the bridge for ile St Louis. At the end of main street, you could cross the seine for the right bank and eventually reach Le Marais.
walk through the grounds of Musee du Louvre till Palais royal and walk rue St Honoré, street with chic boutiques. Check place Vendôme famous for the jewellers.
Tourists usually walk Champs Elysees. Personally, I don't like the place, a lot of car traffic and not much to see in my view.
They also go to Montmartre. It is obviously very touristy but I think it is worth. The tourist trail starts, for example, at metro Blanche, going to rue Lepic, right to Abbesses and funicular. Take the funicular to bring you up the "butte". Enjoy the gorgeous view of Paris and then walk the tourist highlights near place du Tertre.
cross river seine for left bank. then many small streets worth exploring going toward blvd st Germain (Odéon and St Germain des Prés). Also nice streets between Odéon and St Sulpice (church of Da Vinci code). Just before Odéon, walk rue St André des Arts towards Blvd St Michel. Cross Blvd for another busy part (rue de la Huchette,...)
Stay on ile de la Cité, heading east. You will see the flower market, Ste Chapelle, Notre-Dame and cross the bridge for ile St Louis. At the end of main street, you could cross the seine for the right bank and eventually reach Le Marais.
walk through the grounds of Musee du Louvre till Palais royal and walk rue St Honoré, street with chic boutiques. Check place Vendôme famous for the jewellers.
Tourists usually walk Champs Elysees. Personally, I don't like the place, a lot of car traffic and not much to see in my view.
They also go to Montmartre. It is obviously very touristy but I think it is worth. The tourist trail starts, for example, at metro Blanche, going to rue Lepic, right to Abbesses and funicular. Take the funicular to bring you up the "butte". Enjoy the gorgeous view of Paris and then walk the tourist highlights near place du Tertre.
Sep 4th, 2023, 09:31 AM
#31
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DH and I appreciate so many fabulous suggestions! We are having fun looking at menus, suggested walks and museums. Interestingly we are most animated about the food and wine and then the walks. Museums coming in third.
Am I correct in thinking we won’t need to book smaller museums too far ahead of time? Right now I’m compiling lists with top picks, but hesitate to put together an actual itinerary until closer to the trip to take daily weather into account.
Thank you Rouelan for the walk ideas close to our apartment. They are perfect!
Am I correct in thinking we won’t need to book smaller museums too far ahead of time? Right now I’m compiling lists with top picks, but hesitate to put together an actual itinerary until closer to the trip to take daily weather into account.
Thank you Rouelan for the walk ideas close to our apartment. They are perfect!
Sep 5th, 2023, 06:12 AM
#32
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For January, I think you're correct you don't need to book the smaller museums too far ahead of time. In fact, last October my friend and I walked into the L'Orangerie without reservations (bought the tickets on our smart phones as we walked up.) There are perks to going off season!
Sep 5th, 2023, 07:25 AM
#33
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so, it is very wise to keep options open and adapt plan to weather. An average January means cold and several days with rain. But "average" does not give any clue for next January. Average temperature for sept 5th is 70. Today, it is 95...
Jan 17th, 2024, 06:51 PM
#35
I walked into the Musée de la Marine last Sunday with no wait. I chose it for two reasons,, one being that I like naval museums and the other because it was closed for 6 years for renovation and it just reopened in November. It is spectacular.
Jan 18th, 2024, 12:58 PM
#36
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Musee Carnavalet is a gem as the history of Paris from prehistoric age to current: revolutionary items, furniture, ironworks, rooms in period furniture, and yes, some art. 1 1/2 hr tops. Free for tourists, in 3d arr. It was a highlight of trip 1 1/2 yrs ago. Also high on list were the passages, but after the Carnavalet, made our way to Palais Royale with its fabulous shopping arcade, and only found our way to Passage Vivienne, which is gorgeous, and where we needed a rest! Continued on along Rivoli to Cafe Angelina (another must for its pastries & chocolat l'africain), & Jardins Tuileries. Looong day. The weather was gorgeous so didnt explore the Passages as we would have liked, but January will be perfect, and Carnavalet is near them. Sorry we missed the Passage Jouffrey, but there's always next time, its Hotel Chopin is worth exploring. Overall they run from the 2d with a second string of them north of those in the 9th. Lots of maps available for them.
Mar 21st, 2024, 01:06 PM
#38
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On our way to dinner in St Germain
Strolling through Tuileries Garden
Visiting St Chapelle
Brunch at Breizh Cafe
Thanks to the many great suggestions we had a lovely visit to Paris in January. It was extremely cold (15 degrees Fahrenheit below average) and DH had back issues that limited our activities. Having a list of ideas to choose from was incredibly valuable.
several people mentioned strolling through the Marais. We booked a walk with Paris Greeters for that neighborhood. It’s basically a private tour of the area with lots of history and is free! Unfortunately DH’s back was extremely unhappy and we had to cut the walk short. Our greeter was excellent and I’d highly recommend them.
The next day we had a market tour and cooking class booked with Le Foodist. It was clear that such a long day would be a no go (plus the forecast was for 27 degrees F). I called and asked if we could skip the market portion and join for the cooking class. They were extremely accommodating and brought in a high stool for DH to use as needed. Also refunded the market portion of the day which I neither expected nor asked for. Again, highly recommend.
Next day we walked to St Chapelle which was stunning then on to Notre Dame.
We took an evening classic Citroen tour (inspired by TPAYT trip report) to see the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower as well as an overview of Paris highlights. We didn’t realize that the classic Citroen has no heater and with the top up the car was still freezing cold plus filled with exhaust fumes. In different weather I’m sure we would have loved it. Would not recommend when extremely cold even with blankets and dressed for the cold.
Mar 21st, 2024, 01:12 PM
#39
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One of our favorite activities was going to the Gallerie Dior. This is the dress Helen Mirren wore to the Golden Globes in 2022.
Even in January we had to book several weeks in advance and still had to wait in line for 45 minutes to get in. In case you’re wondering, DH loved it!
Mar 21st, 2024, 01:22 PM
#40
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A few photos from our apartment at Place Dauphine
We were on the 6th floor.
Yes there was an elevator, but so tiny there was room for one person and one suitcase.
Our view
While getting up and down from the apartment was a bit of a challenge, it was really lovely. Since we kept our activities to basically one per day it was fabulous to have such a warm and lovely retreat.
