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What to do in Paris when it rains
It rains a fair amount in Paris, especially between October and March, and hardly ever enough to ruin a day: short showers rather than downpours. With a backup plan, a grey day can end up being the loveliest of the trip, because the city empties out and the wet stone reflects the lights.
The cruise sails regardless
The boats have a glazed indoor area as well as the open deck, so the trip runs rain or shine. And the river in the rain has its own appeal: fewer people aboard, glistening embankments and blurred bridges. Since your ticket has no assigned time, you can wait for a break in the weather and take the next departure.
The covered passages
These are 19th-century shopping arcades with glass roofs, concentrated mainly in the 2nd and 9th arrondissements. The Galerie Vivienne, the Passage des Panoramas and the Passage Jouffroy link up almost without stepping outside, and inside there are second-hand bookshops, cafés and shops that have been there over a century. It is the rainy-day plan par excellence and costs nothing to enter.
The Arc, with a caveat
The climb and the interior museum are under cover, but the terrace is open-air and in heavy rain or wind the monument may close it for safety. If the weather is really rough, save it for another day of your trip: the point of going up is the panorama, and with low cloud you see nothing.
Other shelters
The department stores on Boulevard Haussmann have glass domes worth seeing even if you buy nothing. The big churches are open and free. And museums, of course: if you are going to visit one, a rainy day is exactly the right day, because you are not sacrificing good weather outdoors.