Many of my French friends loathe Paris in January. According to their dramatic telling, the city becomes a miserable, soul-devouring and depressing place that might easily have featured as one of Dante’s nine circles of hell. Not to mention that it allegedly reinforces stereotypes of Parisians being masters of gloom and existential angst.
I’ve never shared those sentiments, needless to say. Perhaps my years of wishing for a “real” winter as a child in Southern California (coupled with my preference for cold over extreme heat) have made me tolerant of conditions deemed ghastly by others.
After all, icy wind that mildly stings your face can occasionally be *enjoyable*, especially when you’re wrapped to the nose in scarves and heading for a warm cafe to meet a friend. There’s something cozy and even poetic about it.
Read related: Visiting Winter in Paris- Our Tips & Suggestions
Maybe where my friends see endless blight and a depressing lack of activity, I see stillness and peace. The holidays have passed and there’s again space for contemplation, quiet and food that won’t tax your liver.
Tourists are thin on the ground, and I can visit an exhibit without getting subtly (or not so subtly) pushed along when I’m trying to fully appreciate the brush strokes on a particular painting.
Tables are actually free at my favorite cafes. Human traffic isn’t clogging the sidewalks, and riding the metro doesn’t set off waves of claustrophobic panic or a desire to claw at fellow passengers.
In short, it’s ideal if, like me, you dislike crowds and enjoy a quieter, more low-key pace when traveling. After all, there’s no “best time of year to visit Paris”: it’s all strictly a matter of personal preferences and tastes.
Enjoying the sounds of silence don’t mean you’ll be condemned to boredom, of course. Keep reading for my suggestions on how to enjoy January in the capital to the fullest, including a few shows and exhibits that I especially recommend. For further ideas, you can consult the Paris Tourist Office page and their handy event calendars.
January Weather in Paris, & Some Packing Tips
January generally brings solid cold spells, with temperatures commonly near or sometimes even below zero. Make sure to line your bags with at least a couple of warm sweaters and winter coat, perhaps a waterproof jacket to go underneath in case of inclement weather.
Also pack warm, fuzzy socks, good gloves, scarf and a hat. Wind chill can be especially bracing at this time of year, and since the days are still running short, catching a chill is very likely if you don’t bundle up. But don’t exclusively bring winter wear along: warmer days can suddenly send you wanting to peel off the sweater and coat, so layering is generally advisable.
Minimum Temperature: 2 degrees C/35.6 degrees F
Maximum Temperature: 8 degrees C/46.4 degrees F
Average temp: 5 degrees C/41 degrees F
Average monthly precipitation: 2 inches
While it occasionally snows in January, it’s very unlikely to stick to the ground: but it might create minor hazards as it melts and forms into an icy sludge on the sidewalks and streets.
This is one reason (aside from comfort and warmth) that I discourage you from wearing heels while walking around the city at this time of the year. Who wants a sprained ankle to put a spanner in an otherwise wonderful trip? Unless it’s bright and clear out and the streets are free of ice or slick rain, pack your heels in a bag if you’ve planned to wear them for a special occasion later in the day.
What to Do in January?
It’s certainly not the busiest time of the year, and you admittedly may have to get a bit creative if you don’t wish to stay stuck indoors. But there’s still plenty to see and do– and, as mentioned, you’ll have the benefit of more relaxed conditions and relatively thin crowds on your side.
1. Indulge in some cafe-hopping.
The art of the cafe-hop is one that is practically baked into the DNA of Parisian culture. You can build a blustery day around stops at two or three cafes or brasseries, exploring various neighbourhoods on your way to the next warm refuge and “damn fine cup of coffee“.
January is also the perfect time to curl up somewhere warm with that tome you’ve been planning on getting through but haven’t had time to. (Side note: If you make it through James Joyce’s Ulysses, let me know: I never got past Book One…)
Wondering where to start? See our feature on cafés coveted by today’s writers, before perusing this piece on the best new places for gourmet coffee in Paris.
Over at TripSavvy, I have a feature on Parisian cafes, bookshops and gardens that also happen to be literary haunts, frequented by writers from Richard Wright to Ernest Hemingway and Simone de Beauvoir.
I also recommend perusing this list for particularly cozy, relaxed cafes in the capital, new and old. This one from food writer Clotilde Dusoulier is also helpful.
Parisian Tearooms I recommend
More of a tea person? Get cozy and warm at these fantastic places for afternoon tea in Paris.
2. Spend an afternoon at the cinema.
As I’ve said many times before and will probably repeat going forward, there’s no city better suited to cinephilic fever than Paris. It screens over 300 films per week and has more “salles” (theatres) per capita than a film lover could possibly dream of.
January generally has a good share of mucky, icky, sloshy and otherwise unpleasant days: ones that make spending most of your time indoors seem like the most attractive prospect.
A single or even double screening will whisk you off the streets and do just the trick, but I’d avoid escapist blockbusters: instead, take refuge in an old arthouse theatre that will still give you a local, cozy experience worth writing home about.
For a good list of some of the better cinemas in Paris, see this page. I also list my favorites here.
3. Explore the “arcades” of Paris (covered passageways).
Another of my preferred ways to get out of the cold (but not necessarily forgo sunlight on mercifully clear days) is to wander through the elaborate, elegant network of covered passageways that grace certain districts in Paris.
The most well-known of these include the Galerie Vivienne (pictured), Galerie Colbert, Passage des Panoramas and the Passage Jouffroy. Built mostly during the 18th and 19th centuries and also referred to as galeries or arcades, they were made famous by philosopher and cultural critic Walter Benjamin’s astute, contemplative study in The Arcades Project .
{Related: Belle-Epoque Galleries & More in the Grands Boulevards District}
Harboring boutiques, restaurants and tearooms, bookshops, old-world toy stores, poster shops, etc., many of the passageways have been restored to their original glory. The historic 1900 brasserie Le Grand Colbert is a wonderful spot for lunch or dinner.
It’s not difficult to admire the elaborate mosaic floors, glass rooftops, faux marble pillars decorated with paintings, and airy beauty that seems firmly anchored in a previous era.
Whether you stroll, shop, or stop for lunch or coffee, wandering through the loosely interconnected galeries on the right bank offer both a good way to understand how certain districts connect, and take refuge from the cold and rain.
For more on shopping in the capital, see this guide at Time Out . You can also check out this guide to navigating the annual winter and summer sales in Paris, with tips on how to avoid stress and disappointment as you hit the stores.
Exhibits and Shows Worth Your While in January 2023
No matter the season, there are generally at least a few excellent exhibits and shows on in the capital, and well worth a few hours of your morning or afternoon. Here are a couple I recommend to start the year out on a good footing.
Frida Kahlo, Beyond Appearances
Especially if you’ve already seen some of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s world-famous self-portraits up close, this show at the Palais Galliera/Museum of Fashion in Paris casts the artist in a different light. Entitled “Frida Kahlo: Beyond Appearances”, the exhibition highlights around 200 personal items from the Casa Azul in Mexico City, the iconic, brightly hued blue house that Kahlo shared with fellow painter and husband Diego Rivera.
Kahlo’s daily life, from its joys to its struggles, emerge from the remarkable collection of clothing and accessories, beauty products, letters and correspondence, and even medications and orthopedic aids– many of which have never before been publicly displayed.
- Location: Palais Galliera, Paris
- Dates: Through March 5th, 2023
Edvard Munch: A Poem of Life, Love and Death
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch may be famed for his iconic (and angsty) painting “The Scream”– but his oeuvre is far more complex and rich. The Musée d’Orsay is currently looking back at the painter’s legacy with a retrospective comprising some 100 paintings, drawings, prints, etched blocks and other works of art.
The show, curated in collaboration with the Munch Museum in Oslo, is one of the most comprehensive to date on the artist, and a fantastic way to get to know his work beyond his angsty masterpiece.
Dates: Through January 22, 2023 . See more about the show at the official website.
Paris Loves Vinyl /Record Sale at the Espace Reuilly
Can’t stop collecting old records? Fans of their rich sound and tactile joys should beeline to the Espace Reuilly cultural center on January 29th to browse some 100,000 high-quality records, covering genres from jazz to hip-hop, rock to Motown. See more info on the event at the official Facebook page.
Ready to book your January Trip?
If so, you can find train tickets at Rail Europe and deals on flights or hotels (via Skyscanner).
Considering travel insurance for your trip to France? You can generate a personalized quote from World Nomads and compare policies here.
And for a limited time only, Paris Unlocked readers can get 5% off travel insurance at Heymondo by visiting this page.
I’m very tempted. I haven’t been to Paris in a few years and I usually go in February, hang out in bistros, shop the sales and generally bundle up and walk around. Thanks for the inspiration.