What to pack for Paris in October: rain, layers, museums

The story

Paris in October, and your first morning starts in the dark: the sun doesn’t rise until after eight. It’s 9 °C when you step out, and the cafés have their terrace heaters on. You order a coffee at the counter, in a sweater under a light jacket, and walk down to the Seine. The plane trees along the quays are turning yellow, and their leaves are already on the cobblestones.

By noon it’s 16 °C and the sun is out. You take off the jacket and climb to Montmartre, up streets of uneven stone and long flights of stairs. Your shoes have thick, soft soles, and your feet are fine after 20,000 steps.

At three, the sky closes and a shower rolls through. It lasts twenty minutes. You pull the packable rain jacket from your bag, and join the queue at the Musée d’Orsay with a timed ticket. Your bag is small, so security takes a minute; the people with backpacks are sent to the cloakroom.

In the evening you have dinner in the Marais, in something a little dressier than a hoodie, and take the metro back on line 1. It’s crowded, and you keep your phone in an inside pocket. At 10 °C, the walk from the station is brisk.

On the last Sunday of the month, the clocks go back an hour. The mornings get lighter, the evenings darker, and the Eiffel Tower sparkles earlier.

Paris in October is cool and changeable: mild afternoons, chilly mornings and evenings, and a shower on about one day in three. Pack layers you can add and take off, a light rain jacket, and shoes that can walk all day on cobblestones.

What to pack for Paris in October

Pack layers for a 9-degree swing, a rain jacket, and your best walking shoes.

Clothes

Long-sleeved tops and T-shirts to layer: afternoons can reach 17 °C.
A warm sweater or cardigan for the mornings, the evenings and cool museums.
A light jacket or trench coat that stands a shower, or a packable rain jacket.
Jeans or trousers, and one outfit a little dressier for dinner.
A light scarf: it takes no space and warms you by the river.

Shoes

Comfortable walking shoes with cushioned soles: the stone streets and the metro’s stairs add up.
A second pair, water-resistant if you have one, in case the first gets soaked.

For the day

A small bag that closes, worn in front on the metro and in crowds.
A compact umbrella, or keep the rain jacket in your bag.
A refillable water bottle: tap water is safe, and there are fountains in the parks.

Documents, money and tech

Passport, or a national ID card if you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.
Your museum tickets on your phone, booked for a time slot.
A plug adapter if you come from outside continental Europe: sockets are types C and E, at 230 V.
A power bank for long days of maps, tickets and photos.
An eSIM with mobile data, so maps work from the moment you land.

Good to know

Weather: October in Paris runs from about 8 to 17 °C (46 to 63 °F), with some rain on about ten days of the month, usually showers rather than whole days of it.
Daylight: the sun rises after 8 am until the clocks go back on the last Sunday of October; after that, it’s dark around 6 pm.
Museums: book timed tickets for the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and the Orsay on Mondays. Large bags go to the cloakroom, and suitcases aren’t allowed.
Getting around: the metro is fast, but many stations have long stairs and no lift. Pickpockets work the busy lines and the crowds at the big sights: keep bags closed and phones off the table.
Plugs: types C and E, 230 V.
Money: euro (EUR). Cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts.
Entry: France is in the Schengen area. If you’re not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, check whether you need a visa or a travel authorization before you go, and expect the EU’s biometric border check on your first entry.