When to Go
When to Visit France: Month by Month
Average highs, rainfall and public holidays across all twelve months in France — and the quietest hours at the places worth going.
- Best month
- Apr
- Average high
- 6–29°C
- Rainfall
- 854mm
The year at a glance
- Good time to go
- Middling
- Less good
- Best avoided
Colours rank each country's twelve months against one another: how far the month sits from a mild 22°C in either direction, and how much of the year's rain falls in it. The number is that month's average daytime high.
Easiest months to travel
Ranked by how mild and dry each month is on average. A comfortable month can still be a busy one — check its holidays.
Every month compared
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6° | 0° | 64mm |
| Feb | 10° | 1° | 42mm |
| Mar | 13° | 3° | 59mm |
| Apr | 17° | 5° | 61mm |
| May | 20° | 9° | 86mm |
| Jun | 26° | 14° | 90mm |
| Jul | 29° | 16° | 60mm |
| Aug | 29° | 16° | 57mm |
| Sep | 24° | 12° | 71mm |
| Oct | 19° | 8° | 99mm |
| Nov | 11° | 3° | 84mm |
| Dec | 7° | 1° | 81mm |
Email me this guide
Save this timing guide
Get a link to this page in your inbox, plus a short weekly brief on which destinations are entering their best window. One email a week, unsubscribe anytime.
Verified quiet times
Real foot-traffic data for places worth timing right.
- Eiffel Tower Paris 9–11 AM
- Louvre Museum Paris Every day but Tue 9–10 AM
- Arc de Triomphe Paris Mon·Wed·Thu·Fri 10–11 AM, 10–11 PM
- Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre Paris Weekdays 7–10 AM, 9–10 PM
- Palace of Versailles Paris
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg Strasbourg Every day but Sun 9–10 AM
Places to go in France
attraction Jardin du Luxembourg
Jardin du Luxembourg sits in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, between Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter, and it's open daily from 7:30am to as late as 9:30pm in summer. 4.7★ (128,928 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
attraction Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel's abbey is open daily 9:30am–6:30pm (last entry around an hour before close), and the island itself is free to walk at any time. 4.7★ (123,870 reviews) — what visitors say, hours, and tips.
Plan your trip
France eSIM & staying connected →
Some links above are affiliate links — if you book through them, Wander Atlas earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. It's how we keep every guide free.
Climate figures are 10-year averages for Lyon, from NASA POWER; holidays from public calendars. Updated monthly.