How is the weather in Paris in early-mid January? So many of the sites/activities in and outside of Paris are weather dependent e.g. Rodin Museum, Luxembourg Gardens, Giverny/Monet's gardens, Versailles. Let me know what your experiences are. I've heard February and March are very wet and dreary.

We were in Paris for 6 days in January 2001. It was cold but certainly very managable. Everyhing we wanted to see was open. Flowers won't be in bloom and tree will have lost their leaves (easier to see the buildings). We had a great time. It rained lightly one evening. We walked alot and took the subway for longer distances. Found the people to be friendly & helpful. Stayed at Hotel St. Paul on the edge of the Latin Quarter. Good location.

If anyone tells you what the weather in Paris will be at any particular time, don't believe them. They don't know, I don't know, you won't know until you get there. Paris is so changeable and unpredictable nobody really knows. Could be sunny, mild, cold, cloudy, nasty, windy, rainy. People have been cold in July and warm in October. Chances are you'll have winter cold, probably no snow or if it does, very little and it's gone very quickly. So be prepared with winter clothing in layers to put on or take off, umbrellas, hope for sunny, mild weather and you'll be fine. For more Paris information e-mail me: [email protected]

Spent New Years in Paris last year and had everything from all day rain to bright blue skys and very chilly!<BR><BR>As others will state, wear layers, dress warm and don't plan a trip around parks and gardens of course.

I've gone to Paris a couple of times in January and while it is cold and dreary to some people, one of the wonderful things about living in a place with rather severe winter weather is that traveling into mid-to-high 40s F in January is a treat compared to what I'm leaving behind. Ditto for February and March (and by late March this year, there were a lot of flowers in bloom and many trees were leafed out already in Paris). I think much depends on where you are coming from and what you are acclimated to. Airfares can be VERY enticing at that time of year and you're not going to be dealing with hoards of tourists. While your experience will be different at that time of year, you can still have a wonderful experience.

Paris could never be dreary! I've only been in April, and we had some rainy days, but rain and/or cold will definately not spoil a trip to Paris. If the weather's bad, spend your days inside museums and cafes. The metro goes everywhere, you won't have to walk long in the rain. As the Rodin Museum, you can easily walk the small garden under an umbrella. Versailles's gardens are a different story- we got caught in the rain there and got wet and cold- just stay inside the palace if the weather's rough. Really, the best Paris experience is drinking coffee/beer/wine and eating something yummy.

We were in Austria a year ago and it rained like crazy every day (except one). An Austrian at the place we were staying told us, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes."<BR><BR>We are going to Paris in February and will prepare for the good and the bad.

We were in Paris in Jan. '01. Weather was cold enough to require winter jackets and sweaters.(Think of Southern New England or New York City) Be prepared with hat, scarves, and gloves plus comfortable shoes or boots that keep feet dry if weather is rainy. It will not snow. Although there are no flowers in the gardens - you see plenty in and around the outside of the small flower shops. There are so many things to do in Paris you will not be bored - even if weather is inclement. Hit the museums of your choice (Louvre, Orsay, Picasso, Cluny, etc). Go to Notre Dame and Ste. Chappelle ((do this one a a sunny day if possible to take best advantage of the beautiful stained glass windows) Stroll along the Seine and the charming left bank, stroll up the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe go inside to the museum and up to roof - interesting views of the City. Take a tour or see a show at the Paris Opera (we saw a very entertaining dance group from a Box in the opera house), sit in a sidewalk cafe - they actually have heaters that keep you toasty even in January, go to Mariage Freres (a fascinating, old, tea emporium - various locations - I have been to the one in the 6th arrondisement) for tea and pastry or sandwich. Go up to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and the artists in the area. For terrific views of Paris go to the top of the Montparnasse Tower at Galleries Lafayette.(You can also shop there if that is of interest. If you have time you can take a train to see Chartres (easy trip). We have also taken a bus trip (one day) to see some Chateaux in the Loire Valley - it also included a lovely lunch. I have been to Paris several times - weather can be unpredictable even in summer. But Paris is not - it is always a beautiful city! Enjoy!