Covered shopping centres

There are numerous department stores and covered passages that are ideal for souvenir hunting during a downpour. The Carrousel du Louvre is architecturally stunning and its shops are open on Sundays

Off to the jungle

The newly renovated hothouses in the Jardin des Plantes are a tribute to the resplendent Belle Époque. The lush vegetation will revive your spirits on a damp rainy day in Paris

Listen while you browse

CDs, books, and DVDs require ample time for browsing. The ideal venue, fnac, is situated on the Champs-Elysées and stays open until midnight

Immerse yourself in foreign cultures

Have you already ticked off all the ‘must-sees’ from your list of museums? If these didn’t include the impressive Musée Quai Branly, it’s well worth spending an entire day in this foreign cultural environment – and you still won’t have seen everything on display

Aristocratic splendour

While away the time until the sun reappears in the midst of gilded pageantry at the most beautiful railway station restaurant in the world, Le Train Bleu (Photo). You don’t even need to have a meal there to experience its grandeur – let yourself be enraptured by the sumptuousness of the comfortable leather chairs

Go underground

The ‘underworld’ in Paris is extensive, not only for the Métro and sewage system, but also the catacombs, an over 300km (186mi)-long system of tunnels for the dead