Pack your bags and say oui! to a perfectly timed French vacation
France has a magnetic pull for many travelers, myself included. In fact, I’ve been to France three times in just the last 18 months, including a river cruise, a romantic trip to Paris with my husband and a journey through the Vallee de la Gastronomie (a gourmet food and wine route). And these are just a few of the more than a dozen trips I’ve taken to this country known for wine, food and fashion. But when is the best time to visit France to get the most out of your trip?
Here’s what I’ve learned: Although you can always find a way to enjoy French culture and cuisine, there are months when it’s much easier. Certain times of the year are just better for discovering hidden gems without crowds, basking in the sun without broiling or getting soaked, and even finding the optimal time to sip wine.
So, what do you need to know to visit France at the perfect time to turn your dream vacation ideas into reality? Keep reading, and I’ll let you in on my personal travel secrets and bring you the inside info I learned from experts on my recent travels.
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What is the best time to visit France?
First things first. The best time to visit France depends a great deal on your travel goals and priorities. That said, the regional French experts I spoke to for this story all agreed that if you are flexible and don’t have to travel tied to a specific interest or schedule, the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, especially late spring and early fall, are great times to visit.
Obviously, if you want to ski in the French Alps, you’ll be going in the coldest winter months. But that wouldn’t be the best time for beaches. Hate the heat? Then cross August off your list. And if you want to avoid crowds and high costs, the rest of the summer won’t be perfect either. However, if you need to visit when your kids have a school vacation, then you’ll likely choose those very months (although pack some patience along with those plans).
I’ve visited in every season, and while I’ve never had a bad time, I definitely agree with the experts. If you can manage it, spring and fall are great times to visit France.
What’s the best month to go to France for great weather?
It depends. Overall, May is almost guaranteed to have good weather, with little rain and temperatures around 70 degrees. October is another month with lovely weather (usually) without rain or extreme temperatures. In fact, almost everyone I spoke to for this article suggested October as a good time to visit the country.
Of course, France is twice the size of the United Kingdom and about the same size as Texas, by which I mean it’s larger than just its best-known cities. So, the weather can vary depending on where you go. It could be raining on an April day in Paris, but beautiful and sunny along the southern coast.
Speaking of rain, December through March tend to be rainy, with December being the rainiest. That is unless you head to southeast France and the border of Switzerland, where ski areas in the Alps receive snow instead of rain.
The hottest month is August, which every French person I spoke with told me to avoid. July, too, has become quite hot in France, with temperatures reaching well above 100 degrees. Keep in mind that although many hotels in Paris have air conditioning, most hotels in the countryside do not.
What is the cheapest time to go to France?
The cheapest time to go to France is after the new year but before Easter, from January through March. It’s a good time to find cheap airfare, and hotel prices are also at their least expensive. November and early December are also times to find good deals on flights and accommodations, but avoid the Christmas-to-New Year’s stretch, when prices soar.
Of course, these are also months when you might not have perfect weather. But bundle up and pack an umbrella, and you’ll have a wonderful and affordable trip. After all, it never rains inside the Louvre!
In what month is Paris the most beautiful?
I truly believe that “Paris is always a good idea,” as Audrey Hepburn once said. But there are definitely months when the City of Light shines a little brighter, although it’s not always when you think. Rafael Da Costa, the general manager of the charming boutique Hotel de Sers in Paris, says each season holds special appeal, from the spring blooms at nearby Tuileries gardens to the plages (beaches) that line the Seine in the summer.
Da Costa says May is an ideal month for sunny weather and spring flowers, though September, when I recently visited, is great weather-wise too. I took a Seine River cruise with my husband, and it was an ideal time to be on the water. Book sunset timing and the captain will make sure you can see the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles after dark! But De Costa says to make sure and check the dates of Fashion Week, when rooms are hard to come by in the city.
Another top tip from Da Costa: Visit Paris in December, especially the posh 8th arrondissement on the Champs Élysée. “The Christmas lights and the decorated stores really make the city glow; December is a really special time to visit,” says Da Costa, who told me this is when he enjoys taking his children to see the city’s magical side too.
What’s the best time to visit France’s beaches?
“May, September and October are the best period to come to the south of France,” Beatrice Manzato of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Tourism Board told me when we were recently sailing around the bay of Marseilles on a traditional sailboat (called a barquette Marseillaise) on a sunny, early October day.
“This timing is ideal,” she added, “because there aren’t too many people, and it’s not too hot.”
The French Riviera, which follows the Mediterranean Sea from Marseilles at the western end to Nice at the east, is about 125 miles long and is known for its sun-kissed coast and bluebird skies spring through fall. Avoid August, when the beaches are crowded and temps are high (this past year they routinely hit the 100-degree mark). July is similarly toasty, and “the last few years it’s gotten really hot even in June,” Manzato says. But the season is long, and she says you can usually enjoy the beach from April to November.
And one of the great things about France is that you can jump from Paris, one of the most beautiful urban centers in the world, to one of their gorgeous coastlines in record time. (It’s just 90 minutes by plane to Nice or Marseille, or a little over three hours by fast train to Marseilles.) There are rocky coves (called calanques) perfect for a picnic accompanied by a bottle of chilled rosé, and stops for fresh seafood to enjoy at a table with your toes in the sand. Of course, the area is known for beaucoup glamour too, especially in St. Tropez and Cannes (two beaches famed for their Hollywood appeal).
What’s the best time to visit France’s wine regions?
Although any time in France is a good time to sip the country’s outstanding wines (think: Chardonnay, Sancerre, Bordeaux, Burgundy), “the autumnal season is best—especially mid to late October,” sixth-generation winemaker Mathieu Collonge of Domaine de la Roche told me on my recent visit. The winery is nestled into the hills of Beaujolais, and in early October, when I toured the multi-generation vineyard, the grape leaves were tinged with reds and oranges.
You may think September’s grape harvest is a good time to visit, but it’s actually better to wait. Collonge told me that while the harvest is “filled with happy memories of working with my family,” it’s also a stressful time as they race to handpick every grape from his 18 acres of vines. Instead, October is when the wine harvest and production have wrapped up, so it’s a great time to visit cellars and vineyards to sample and enjoy the wines when everyone is still celebrating their productive harvest.
One way to easily visit France’s wine country: Beaujolais and Burgundy Insiders tours. My guide, Amelie Parrent, picked me up in a vintage blue jeep, perfect for bumping over the hillside to discover off-the-beaten-path small producers, like de la Roche, and also to explore charming food towns such as Villie-Morgon, where we stopped to purchase cheese, bread and pâté to accompany our wine tastings (a practice I highly recommend!).
What’s the best time for trying France’s cuisine?
It’s hard to talk about wine in France without also mentioning the country’s food. You can find fabulous restaurants that serve French specialties year-round, but fall is once again when the ingredients really shine. “October is when I especially like to visit the countryside,” says Da Costa. “That’s when it’s mushroom season, [and] there is wild game and chestnuts” too.
I discovered this to be especially true on the Vallee de la Gastronomie, France’s gourmet trail that runs from Dijon to Marseilles. On a recent October journey that started in the hills of Burgundy and ended by the sea in Marseilles, every stop revealed another fabulous, only-in-fall ingredient.
In Burgundy, it was escargot in garlic butter, a fall specialty of the region. In Lyon, it was wild mushrooms foraged by the Michelin-awarded chef Anthony Bonnet at his restaurant Les Loges, as well as local squab with chestnuts. And in Provence (between Lyon and Marseilles), there were olive oil tastings and a gorgeous outdoor fall lunch at Domaine de la Pierre Blanche that included sous vide pork, quince and butternut squash gnocchi that really drove home the fall flavors.
How many days do you need in France?
When people ask me how many days they need to visit France, my answer is usually “How many days do you have?” Because truly, you can spend weeks here and not see it all. However, if you have to whittle it down, consider a five- to seven-day trip.
With five days, you could combine two days in Paris with a three-day hop (just 75 minutes by fast train) to the wine regions of Burgundy and Beaujolais. Or fly directly to Nice and explore the glorious coast of the Côte d’Azur before leaving for home from Marseilles.
With seven days, you can try two different regions, exploring Normandy as well as Paris, for example, or Provence and the southern beaches.
If the idea of juggling all those train schedules in another language gets you down, my new favorite tip for visitors to France is the Omio app. It lets you book all your trains in English and keeps all your tickets and train times in one place. It was a total trip saver when I was there in September. (Tip: Use it to hop across borders, as I did traveling to Paris from Brussels.)
Where to stay in France
Deciding where to stay in France is almost as difficult as picking where to eat or which wines to taste, but here are some suggestions from my travels. You can’t go wrong with these charming French accommodations.
Hotel de Sers
This boutique property in Paris’s upscale 8th arrondissement is the secret to a great Parisian stay. It’s just around the corner from the Champs-Élysées and all the gilded shopping of the area. But inside is a quiet and elegant space that whisks you away from the bustle nearby without feeling stuffy. And here’s an insider tip: Book a 7th-floor suite, and you’ll be able to peep the Eiffel Tower from your room.
Domaine de Rymska
This is the kind of countryside hotel you dream about finding, an elegant Relais & Châteaux property in the heart of Burgundy’s lush wine region only 75 minutes from Paris. On the grounds are a small farm with everything from baby piglets to racing horses, plus a spectacular restaurant that has a cheese trolley for the ages. Add to that spacious rooms and a bar stocked with exceptional local wines, and you’re all set for a perfect evening in wine country.
Villa Maia
Overlooking the historic old town of Lyon, Villa Maia offers views for days and a wonderfully attentive staff, plus sleek, modern rooms that I had a hard time tearing myself away from. But there’s also a hidden secret just off the lobby: deep soaking baths in the Roman Spa area, plus a sauna and steam room, which are included in your stay.
About the experts
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Sources:
- Rafael Da Costa, general manager of the Hotel de Sers in Paris; interviewed, September 2025
- Mathieu Collonge, sixth-generation winemaker at Domaine de la Roche in Beaujolais; interviewed, September 2025
- Beatrice Manzato, press officer with the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Tourism Board; interviewed, October 2025
- Hotel de Sers: “Home”
- Domaine de Rymska: “Home”
- Villa Maia: “Luxury 5-star hotel in Lyon”
- Omio: “The Omio travel app: book train, bus, flight & ferry tickets all in one app”
- Beaujolais and Burgundy Insiders: “Private food and wine tours from Lyon to Beaujolais and Burgundy”
