I am planning to stopover in Paris for 4-5 days on my way from San Francisco to New Delhi in January 2010.

Just trying to figure out if it is advisable to visit Paris in winters.

Also what is the best itenary I can prepare to cover some other cities along with Paris.
Geneva, Zurich or Italy.

Any advise/ideas to help me prepare for my trip will be appreciated.

We visit in winter all the time and have not had any problems. It seldom snows in Paris.

I actually prefer visiting Paris when it's not overrun with tourists. The weather may not be too bad, and if it is, there are plenty of museums and shopping to keep you indoors

As far as the other areas you suggest, what do you mean by "best itinerary"? Ease in getting there from Paris? It would help us help you if you could be a little more specific.

Sorry about not being specific. I want to spend a couple of days in Paris and then take a train to Geneva, Zurich, Florence etc. I wanted to know what would be the best place to visit given the fact that I have 2 more days to spend. I have no idea if Netherlands of Germany would be a better idea.
Thanks for the response.

wow. have you looked at a map ? If you have 2 more days to spend, you will lose 1/2 of each of those getting there and back. Rather than spend 2 days in 2 different cities, spend all in Paris - you will have a much more enjoyable experience. Remember, the days are shorter at that time of year, so you may not accomplish as much as you might otherwise...

Well, the Netherlands would obviously be the best choice because it is the closest and you can get there by train in only a few hours. Do you have any idea what January in N Europe may be like?

I know it would be cold at that time. But I am anyway flying thru Paris. So I thought I might as well stop and see Paris.
I agree I should spend the time in Paris rather than trying to cover more cities.
Any suggestions after the Eiffel tower and Louvre.

Wow. You will need two completely different wardrobes.

I love Paris in the winter. The atmosphere is quite different without the crowds of tourists. The sky is generally gray and overcast, but the light has a nice quality.

Spend all the time you can in Paris. We just went for the first time - spent a week - fell in love with the city. Just walk around and you'll be enchanted. Beauty everywhere. Thought the Musee Carnavalet was fascinating - and the Espace Dali, while small and limited, is cool. Picasso Museum is closed until (?) 2012? Something like that. The gardens and parks we visited may not be great in the cold weather, but I'd go anyway, because it's fun to be outdoors. Getting dressed up and bar-hopping at the fancy hotels is a ball...The Ritz, the Plaza Athenee and the Meurice are gorgeous places, but be prepared to enjoy your $30 soda.
Have fun!