Christine in France // When to Visit
Welcome to the first installment of my new Christine in France series! In this first post, I’m going to talk about the first detail you have to decide when traveling anywhere: when to visit. I’ve been to France during every season of the year, and as you can imagine, there are pros and cons to when you decide to go. There are many things to consider, and hopefully I can lend some insight to help you choose the time of year that’s best for you.
Christmas Eve view from the top of Tour Montparnasse
The most obvious topic to consider when choosing a time of year is weather. Winter can be mild, but it can be cold, and while it doesn’t snow every year, it certainly can snow. Spring can be lush and blooming, and it also brings with it a lot of rain. Summer can be hot hot hot, and the French don’t really do air conditioning. And autumn can be a little bit of all of the above: cold, hot, and rainy. Beyond weather seasons, tourist seasons is another major consideration. Some seasons and holidays bring lots of people to Paris, and other seasons have Parisians flooding the countryside. Below I go through what are the main pros on cons of each season, to help you decide when to go, depending on where you’re going.
PS: France is a big country. So while I’ve been to a lot of it, I cannot possibly cover each and every inch of it in these posts. I will be including locations outside of Paris, but I haven’t seen everything. Hopefully you’ll have a takeaway regardless of where you’re thinking of visiting. Okay, here we go!
Sacré Cœur in the spring
Spring
I’ve visited France in the spring more than any other season. It has a lot of pros and very few cons. Spring is a wonderful time to visit France because the south is plenty warm for a “warm” holiday, and the north isn’t as cold as winter, but it’s also not as hot as summer. It does come with a decent amount of rain, so you need to decide if that con overrides the pros of cheaper fares and fewer tourists. To me, that’s a resounding oui!
By springtime, anything that was closed for the post-holiday winter months will be reopened, and nature-related spots, like Monet’s Giverny, will be in full bloom. You will find fewer “events” in the spring, like music festivals, but personally I find that fewer events equals fewer crowds, and that’s a win to me.
One “event” that does happen on the Côte d'Azur each spring is the Cannes Film Festival. Be flexible with your dates so you can avoid this busier/more expensive window of time.
Pro Tip: Double check when the French schools let out, as one year I nearly missed my flight home because it was the day after school ended for the year. Everyone in Paris was leaving for a summer holiday the same day I was trying to go home! I made it, but now I always check this!
Pros:
Way fewer tourists than summer
Exploding flowers blooming everywhere
Less expensive than summer
Cons:
Prepare for rain in middle to northern France, including Paris
Many French national holidays, which can interrupt opening hours
Springtime on the Coulée verte
Summer on the Côte d'Azur
Summer
I’ve been in France in the summer multiple times, and let me tell you, July and August (and sometimes June too) can be HOT. Like, really hot. This depends a lot on where you’re at, but even in Paris I’ve experienced temps over 100-degrees for multiple days on end. And the rumors are true: the French don’t really do AC. I’ve also been in Paris in the summer and experienced incredibly mild temps. But you should be prepared for possibility of hot. I’ve visited both Provence and the Côte d'Azur in the summer, and it’s safe to assume that those areas will be hot. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing however. It’s all about the kind of vacation you’re after. When I’m in Paris, I don’t love the heat. But when sitting poolside or on a beach on the Mediterranean, I relish it.
Also, as you can imagine, summer is the most tourist-heavy time of year, so that can be a big thing to consider. Everything will be busier, more expensive, harder to get a reservation at a restaurant, etc. But depending on your schedule, summer might be your only real option, and going in the summer with all the other tourists is far better than not going at all.
Pro Tip: You might know this already, but Paris, and a lot of other areas of France, are basically closed in August. I assumed this was an exaggeration, but it’s 100% true. Paris is noticeably void of actual Parisians in August, as many businesses close to allow locals to go on holiday. So keep in mind that not only will a lot of spots be closed, but all the places that the French like to vacation will be packed. Plan ahead and check to see what will be open when you’re visiting so you’re not surprised.
Pros:
Insanely long days of sunlight! The sun is up early, and it doesn’t get fully dark until nearly 11pm, making each day incredibly long
No French school holidays to contend with (though there are still national holidays to plan around, including La Fête Nationale on July 14, aka Bastille Day)
Lots of fun festivals, including my favorite, the fête de la musique
Lots of great outdoor markets
Parks and lakes are in full swing (lush grass, rowboats to rent, etc)
If you’re going to Provence, the lavender fields are in full bloom
Cons:
It can be bonkers hot (this might be a pro for you if you’re into the heat)
AC is scarce (so are fans)
Tons of tourists
Paying “high season” prices on everything
The Mediterranean Sea
Autumn in Jardin du Luxembourg
Autumn
My very first trip to France was in the autumn. It’s my favorite time of year, and Paris had all the classic autumnal joys: crisp cool air, changing leaves, and seriously cozy evenings. I find that autumn in Paris and mid to northern France can have a little bit of everything, weather-wise: it can be rainy, hot, cold, crisp, and humid. So you really want to pack lots of layers when visiting this time of year. I’ve never been to southern France in the autumn, but according to the internet, it remains warmer than the northern part of the country, so keep that in mind if you’re after autumnal vibes, or if something warmer is more appealing.
Personally, I think spring and autumn are the best times to visit. But summer and winter also have their advantages. For example, all the big summer festivals are only in the summer. And of course, winter has a ton of holiday charm.
Pro Tip: September is a golden month to visit because it still has relatively long days of sunlight, it’s still warm-ish, and yet all the kids have returned to school so there are much fewer tourists. Note: it will be less autumnal, compared to October.
Pros:
Way fewer tourists
Chance for classic autumnal weather
Fewer national holidays, so everything is open
Prices drop a little since it’s not as “high season” as summer
Locals are all back from holiday
Cons:
Shorter daylight hours
Slightly less predictable weather
Notre Dame in Autumn
Winter in Square du Temple
Winter
I’ve only been to France in the winter once, but it was for a month from mid-December to mid-January, and it stands as one of my favorite vacations ever. Since I spanned the time before the holidays and after the holidays, I was able to see what France was like on both sides of the coin. It’s almost like I need to talk about them as separate seasons. So let’s talk holiday first. Most cities in France go all out with holiday lights, and even all the smaller villages typically do too. There are Christmas markets everywhere, chestnut roasting vendors all over the place, and there are tourists and locals drinking glasses of vin chaud everywhere you look. It’s charming as hell.
I’m not a religious person, but I attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service (in French) at Saint-Eustache Church (a Gothic church in Paris built between 1532–1632) and it moved me to tears. It’s a gorgeous time of year to be there.
Post-holidays, the kids go back to school, and the holiday tourists leave. Paris gets Quiet (capital Q quiet) and a lot of businesses have shortened hours and/or close for part or all of January after the holidays. Smaller villages are really quiet, so look ahead at what’s open in the dead of winter, or you might find yourself stranded (or nearly stranded… ask me how I know lol) if you try to be impromptu with meals and lodging outside of larger cities.
Weather-wise, winter can be, well, wintery, and obviously it’s a good time to visit the ski slopes of France! But it can snow in Paris too. The day after I arrived in mid-December, western Europe was hit with a massive winter storm. Paris was buried under tons of snow, and the blizzard forced the city to shut down all public transportation. I found this delightful as hell, but I’m sure locals were less charmed.
Pro Tip: I rode the big ferris wheel in Lyon in mid-January, and let me tell you, those pods are not heated and it was cold AF lol.
Pros:
Dramatically less tourists after the holidays
If the holidays are your thing, it’s a beautiful time to be there
Less expensive time of year to visit
Lots of holiday markets, events, concerts, and services
Prime season to visit Strasbourg, France’s most popular Christmas village
Cons:
It absolutely can be cold (this might be a pro for you if you’re into the cold)
Incredibly short daylight. The sun isn’t up until very late morning, and it sets very early
The French tend to do holidays at home, so eating out requires some planning ahead
Outdoor things like flea markets are subject to the weather
Starting at the end of October, hours can be reduced and/or places can be closed
A village in the Loire Valley at Christmastime
All photos taken by me. Please do not share or repost them without my permission. Thank you!