Best time to visit France
Autumn in the Loire Valley is a time of tranquillity and sun-plump grapes that hang heavy on their vines: a wine lovers paradise
The best time to visit France depends on what you want to do when you’re there: Nov-April is the winter season, the optimum time for skiing and snowshoeing and a key period for mountain sports; late May and June are France’s spring, a temperate time for walking when the incredible spring flowers are in full bloom – the Pyrenees alone has 800 different species of orchid; and refuge trekking across lofty terrain reaches fever pitch in mid-July when the snow has cleared and the risk of avalanche is minimal. If you’re heading to the coast, May to July are your best bet.
French Alps Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
-3
3
75
FEB
-1
5
75
MAR
0
9
75
APR
4
13
74
MAY
7
17
85
JUN
11
22
95
JUL
12
25
75
AUG
11
23
90
SEP
10
20
90
OCT
6
14
80
NOV
1
9
95
DEC
-2
4
85
Our France Holidays
Mont Blanc ascent climbing holiday, France
Climb Western Europe's highest peak
From
£2949
8 days
inc UK flights
French Riviera holiday, walking, culture & cooking option
Experience real French culture while relaxing mindfully...
From
€415 to €890
4 days
ex flights
Guided walking holidays in the French Alps
Guided walking from a historic chalet base
From
£715
8 days
ex flights
Mont Blanc holiday, Tour du Mont Blanc
The best of the Tour du Mont Blanc
From
£1049 to £1299
8 days
inc UK flights
Family adventure holiday to France
Life enhancing family adventure & yoga in the French Alps
From
£834
7 days
ex flights
Self guided walking holiday in France
Idyllic walking in France with great food, wine and ambience
From
£900 to £980
7 days
ex flights
Alternative family winter holiday in Chamonix, France
Half term family ski, yoga & circus holiday
From
£520 to £825
7 days
ex flights
Snowshoeing in the French Alps
Snowshoeing in the Alps with a high mountain guide
From
€1398
8 days
ex flights
Mercantour Park self catering gite, France
Beautifully located accommodation in the Mercantour, France
From
€518
per week (sleeps 2)
French Alps self guided walking holiday
Chalet based, self guided walking holiday in the French Alps
From
£525
8 days
ex flights
Winter activity holiday in the French Alps
A flexible winter multi activity holiday in the French Alps
From
€546 to €1113
7 days
ex flights
Mont Blanc climbing holiday
The exhilaration of summiting an alpine peak
From
£2490 to £2570
8 days
ex flights
Puy-de-Dome accommodation in Auvergne
Friendly B&B in a French Spa town
From
€32
per person per night
Dordogne self catering cabin sleeping 4
Off-grid, off-beat self catering cabin
From
€650 to €900
per week (sleeps 2-4)
Baby friendly family accommodation in France
Family Friendly Loire Valley self-catering holiday cottages
From
€550 to €875
per cottage per week (sleeps 2-6)
Mont Blanc walking holiday
A stunning walk through the Alps around Mont Blanc
From
£695 to £810
7 days
ex flights
Provence walking tour, France
A superb walking holiday exploring the best of Provence
From
€1025
8 days
ex flights
Dordogne cycling tour, France
Ride through remarkable Perigord and Quercy countryside
From
€870 to €1990
8 days
ex flights
French Riviera walking holiday, France
Relaxed mountain and coastal daywalks
From
£1349 to £1469
8 days
inc UK flights
Self guided cycling holiday in Brittany, France
Explore the wild coastline of Brittany
From
£960
8 days
ex flights
The GR10 Pyrenees walking holiday in France
Following the French-Spanish border from the Atlantic to the Med
From
£1619
10 days
inc UK flights
Learn how to kayak holiday in the Ardeche, France
Kayaking holiday in the magnificent beauty of the Ardeche.
From
£759
7 days
ex flights
Loire Valley self catering accommodation, France
Loire Valley cottage for your holiday to happen with ease
From
€600 to €750
per cottage per week (sleeps 4)
Geneva to Lyon self guided cycling holiday, France
Cycle along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon.
From
€845
6 days
ex flights
Nouvelle Aquitaine self guided cycling holiday, France
Idyllic cycling in France with great food, wine and bonhomie
From
£950 to £1040
7 days
ex flights
Honeymoon accommodation in the Dordogne, France
A secluded woodland cabin in Dordogne, SW France
From
€930 to €1250
per couple per week
Kayaking holidays in the French Alps
A week's white water kayaking in the French Alps
From
€647
8 days
ex flights
Portes du Soleil chalet in the French Alps
Traditionally built catered mountain eco-chalet
From
€80 to €150
per room per night
Loire self guided cycling holiday
An interest-packed, gentle cycling holiday.
From
£1769 to £1899
9 days
inc UK flights
Month by month guide
Our top France Holiday
Self guided walking holiday in France
Idyllic walking in France with great food, wine and ambience
From
£900 to £980
7 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
Self-guided walking holidays commence most Sunday afternoons from May to September
Self-guided walking holidays commence most Sunday afternoons from May to September
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about France or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Responsible Travel recommends
Chloe Knott, from our supplier Exodus, shares her advice on the best time to visit France:
“The weather in France starts to improve from May through to September and if you go either side of that towards the mountains there will be snow and around the Atlantic coast it will be quite miserable, although the Mediterranean tends to be quite pleasant from March onwards. A rule of thumb is to visit the coastal resorts from late March through to October and if you’re heading into the mountains, head out a bit later in May. That way you’ll get the least rain and the lightest hours, so long walking days and generally better weather for any outdoor activities you may want to try.”
“The weather in France starts to improve from May through to September and if you go either side of that towards the mountains there will be snow and around the Atlantic coast it will be quite miserable, although the Mediterranean tends to be quite pleasant from March onwards. A rule of thumb is to visit the coastal resorts from late March through to October and if you’re heading into the mountains, head out a bit later in May. That way you’ll get the least rain and the lightest hours, so long walking days and generally better weather for any outdoor activities you may want to try.”
Festivals & events in France
Did you know about...?
Pelerinage des Gitans
May sees hundreds of Roma Gitano gypsies descend upon the tiny village of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue all in the name of Sara, the patron saint of the Gitans, who fled there from the Holy Land in medieval times, whom they celebrate with a flamboyant fiesta of dancing in the streets, music and general merriment for three whole weeks.
More about France
We have packed a lot of beauties into our France travel guide, including what we rate and what we don't. We definitely rate a lot though.
There are so many stunning areas to go to in France and some more famous than others. It is also packed with hidden gems…
Amble, ramble or hike yourself happy as things to do in France should always start with the great outdoors and finish with fine food & drink…
The French Alps are so big, it’s hard to know where to start. Let us show you the way. And there are many beautiful ways…
Like rebellious cousins to the goody two-shoes Alps, the French Pyrenees are all about the jagged peaks, the moody landscapes and the rugged terrain…
The Mercantour National Park is glorious mix of Alpes Maritimes and Alpes de Haute Provence. All just an hour north of Nice. Which is nice...
With approaches from France, Switzerland and Italy, Mont Blanc is a tripartite triumph of nature. Climb it, circumnavigate it, camp on it or go chic on it…
Rural idylls, walking trails, quaint historic market towns and spectacular marshlands, Poitou-Charentes is France without the fancy bits. Just the real and absolutely beautiful bits…
Provence holidays take you into a landscape immortalised in painting, literature and film. Medieval cities, olive groves, perched villages and superb food…
France is perfect en famille. With a great variety of holidays too from trekking with a donkey to white water rafting. Allez les enfants!...
We have lots of great France travel advice such as finding out more about camping with kids, trekking in the Alps and how to choose the right gite...
From holiday homes, to hunting and pollution in the mountains our responsible tourism tips are all you need to travel better in France…
Find all of our France guides in one place, for particular places in France such as Corsica, the Alps or Poitou-Charentes. Or a range of activities holidays too of course...
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Photo credits: [Page banner: Hervé] [Loire Valley: Daniel Jolivet]
[Rt recommends: Tommie Hansen]
[Pelerinage des Gitans: iso-belle]
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