Paris! .... in the rain
 

Okay - our family of 5 is leaving for Paris on Friday. Any last-minute recommendations for rainy day activities? The Louvre and Versailles will almost certainly be on the list... what others?

You'll probably find that it doesn't rain all day, even if it rains fairly often. So build some flexibility into your plans so that you can take advantage of breaks in the weather to do so outside activities, and then head indoors when it rains.

The obvious answer is museums. Some of the museums we've visited so far and found quite interesting: the Carnavelet (history of Paris, lots of interesting models of the structure of the city); the exhibitions at the Hotel de Ville (we saw Willy Ronis; now I think they have something focusing on films shot in Paris); the museum at the Institut du Monde Arabe is quite interesting, and the building itself is fascinating; and the museum of magic is good for a laugh if you like corny, 19th century magic and are interested in Houdini or are travelling with kids. You could go to Bercy Village (a warehouse district), which, although not completely enclosed, is well-sheltered. Of course, the large department stores could keep you busy and several have nice rooftop cafes, so that you can look over the rainy roofs. (My favourite department store is BHV; someone in your family is bound to love wandering around in the basement hardware/wine accessories department.) We haven't been to the Pompidou Centre yet, but it is supposed to be worth a long visit and it has a great rooftop cafe.

We just got back last night from Paris and like mentioned above, it doesn't rain all day.

It drizzled on Mon/Tues on and off but cleared up by the evening. I didn't even use my umbrella but did have a hat. It does get chilly because of the wind so don't forget your gloves and scarf. :)

It did indeed rain virtually all day yesterday, but that's unusual for Paris; most rain is a very light drizzle or a few drops that come and go over the course of several hours. Today it was sunny for much of the day, although it got overcast again in the afternoon. Variable weather like this is normal for March and April.

Do your normal on a rainy day. Just bring an umbrella and/or a raincoat and hat.

On our last trip (with 2 kids) it rained every day, and as hopscotch says, just do what you'd normally do, with raincoats and umbrellas. We even went to playgrounds in the rain. Depending on the ages of your children, I'd suggest Cite de Sciences. You could easily spend a full day or even 2 there.

Thank you, everybody! :)