Weather in France

The best time to visit France depends largely on what you want to experience. Spring, from April through June, is widely considered the ideal season — temperatures are mild across most regions, the countryside blooms with wildflowers, and the tourist crowds have yet to reach their summer peak. Paris in May is particularly lovely, with outdoor café terraces in full swing and long golden evenings to enjoy. The Loire Valley château gardens and Normandy's coastline are at their most photogenic during these months.

Summer, from July through August, brings the most reliable sunshine but also the largest crowds and highest prices, especially along the Riviera and in Paris. The French themselves take their grandes vacances seriously, and many locals head south, leaving some Paris neighborhoods quieter than expected. Autumn is a superb alternative — wine harvests fill the vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy with activity from September through October, and the light takes on a warm, amber quality. Winter is ideal for skiing in the Alps and Pyrenees, and December brings festive Christmas markets to Alsatian towns like Colmar and Strasbourg.