AVOID FRANCE this time of year! (There's a better option)

Fall with its numerous conventions and meetings, hotel rooms tend to be more expensive. But I agree it is a very good moment to travel to France.

France (and Europe generally) is quite far north, so the shorter winter days are to be expected. Paris is further north than Montreal, Canada. Southern France is as far north as Chicago.

Bonjour. I am visiting for the first time in December- it's my bday gift to myself. Please advise for my five day trip, co-worker advised the holiday markets and there is a tour of them on my things to do

Oui. Autumn is my favorite time by far! Smaller crowds, the seasonal food is hearty. There is nothing more magical than to walk through Pere Lachaise as the sun sets. The leafless trees against the purple sunset as the black birds begin to roost for the night. Late Nov has Christmas markets and some streets are decorated. The greatest thing is bundling up and enjoying a hot drink at a sidewalk cafe...day or night. It's heavenly. That's why I'll be in Paris and Strasbourg in 8 weeks (and yes, I'm counting the weeks). However, visiting in summer has Charentais melons...almost making the heat and crowds seem inconsequential.

My husband and I go visit his family in Brittany every year either in late fall or During Christmas. I prefer Christmas because of the decorations and the Christmas Markets. It is beautiful 😍

We’ve been to parts of France in November, April and summer. Loved Paris in November because nothing was crowded.

As French I think this advice is very good except maybe for south east where I'd rather prefer spring to go. Full flowers season makes it with no equivalent peculiarly if you don't want to stay only on the coast.

And some of the coolest people on gods earth

We are going to Alcace tomorrow ( from Denmark). Every year we spend 4 - 5 weeks in oktober in Alsace. The weather is beautiful and the colours of the vineyards are amazing,

September is my favorite month to visit Paris!

Thanks

Your mention of pumpkin spice reminds me of the time I told someone I expected to see pumpkin spice as an option at the gas pump!

It has been about 15 years since I visited, but I spent time on the Côte d'Azur specifically Juan-les-Pins/Antibes with day trips to many other towns including Nice, in both June and September. Weatherise both of those months felt quite similar - dry, sunny and warm. I remember the cicadas were louder in June - which I loved. I remember how colourful the bougainvillea and oleander were in June. The evenings in June were pretty magical to be honest, lively but not overbearing, with plenty of families out on the streets, dining in the many restaurants and cafes, the smell of delicious food wafting in the air, people browsing the market stalls along the beach promenades etc. September was much quieter and that made some very enjoyable daytrips to places like Saint Tropez which can be super crowded, or the Îles de Lérins where walking through the shady woods or sitting by the many coves staring out at the gorgeous blue sea, I felt like I was a million miles away from civilisation.

I traveled to Paris in October. It was a great time. Comfortable weather. Perfect for me.😊

Bonjour and thank you. 😊

Love this, TY! I picked the first two weeks of Feb 2025 for my scouting trip to pick a general location for my move to France. I had planned on moving in the Spring, but I realized that since I will be renting, the Fall is a better time for long-term rentals. Why February? I've been to France in the summer; I want to see what it is like in winter in my possible new home towns. What I did not factor in was the school holidays that you reference! So we will not be able to train it back to Paris from Toulouse - can't get a ticket to save our lives. Plane hop of long drive. But after 15 days of driving from Paris to Dijon to Marseilles to the Pyrenees to Bordeaux and curling back down in the interior? I think we'll be done driving!

Seven months ago I booked a nine day trip to Nice in October. Thanks for the advice on the weather forecast for the different areas in the country.

I didn't know you were in Angers! I attended Angers University for a year. A lovely city!

I'm going to be in Burgundy for the latter half of October. If any of y'all have been there in the fall, please share your thoughts.

Fall (autumn) is good as it comes after la rentree, so the kids are back at school.

Hi Diane, thanks for posting this. We're looking at going to Paris next September for a few days, and we were hoping that Autumn would be a good time to go- looks like it is! Thanks for all the information and tips! :)

Good morning Diane. We’re dealing with the hurricane on the east coast.
I’ve visited France partially Paris in every month except June, July and August. Never considered it. I honestly think I like January the most. I usually arrive on the second or third of January. Some of the Christmas decorations are still up to enjoy especially in department stores. Not crowded, easy to get around and marvelous food during the winter. All of the best stews, roasts, and shellfish , raclettes, and Pommes Aligot . I find late lunch to be the best time to eat in the various bistros, brasseries and cafes generally without having to wait. Evening walks are always good especially along the Seine and Latin Quarter. Montmartre during the day is pleasant too. As far as what to wear, I tend to dress in layers with a scarf, woolen hat and gloves. And it’s always convenient to pop into a café for a vin chaud. And the street busses are warm and fantastic way for getting around while taking in the sites.
Just my thoughts. And thank you for your continued excellent work and for encouraging input and points of view. All best, Joe and Gigi.

I am always one to be team France as a French, but I kindly disagree. Fall is horrible in France, it's cold and windy, dark, and there's pretty much nothing cultural happening from septembre all the way to decembre and Christmas. Fall is much more enjoyable in North America, even if I've just lived there one year, it had to be my best fall ever.

Something in France just makes it incredibly depressive. Going from our 2 months vacations and summer mood straight to working with dull annoying weather till the end of decembre is depressing. Halloween isn't much of a thing here unless you are under 10, we don't have thanksgiving or anything happening. La Toussaint is barely celebrated.

France however, I find it, is much more enjoyable from January to June. Epiphany, chandeleur, carnivals, so many holidays, cultural celebrations, lots of holidays and days off, warming up weather, it's better in Spring.

Such fun video. I have been to France a couple of times. In Fayance during summer, likewise Bergerac, Normandy and Les Sable d'oblonnes ( the last one perfect in summer). I also went to Chinon in the beginning of november, so beautiful the air the colours the best

I always tell people who want to visit San Francisco to come in the fall: the tourists are gone, schools are in session, and it's the start of Indian Summer: no fog and it's warm and comfortable. Ignore the haters. Yes, there is a homeless problem, but not so much in the tourist areas. This is the time of year I spend my weekends going to museums, etc. because I have them mostly to myself!

When does summer season begin? Thinking about a trip during the late spring but would like to avoid the busy time!

I'm heading to Paris over the Thanksgiving holiday this year, for many of the reasons you point out!

As a french girl living in Paris, I love fall for many reasons. I agree, colors are beautiful, it's not too hot or cold, it's less crowded. But I find it rains a lot in France at that time of year (at least in Paris, maybe not in the south!) so it's also something to consider!

We are coming in 3 1/2 weeks....river cruise Paris to Normandy. We were in France in spring 2015 so I am so looking forward to fall there. I am definitely a fall person! I've enjoyed quite a few of your videos lately. I really enjoyed the grocery stores! Thanks for great information!

I've been to Paris twice now and my only issue is that it's been really hot (was worse in Rome) when I go. I go in July each time on my birthday to forget that I'm getting old LOL. And your right, no AirCon. Even with the language barrier, I have found the French people to be very kind and friendly

If it was Korea or Japan, yes, I'd say autumn would be the best season to go visit either of those countries, but autumn in France or any of the countries to the north of it, eh, up to your discretion, sure, it's not hot anymore, but the weather can be dreary and miserable, you have to really like that kind of weather, cloudy most of the time, if it's not full on raining there is a humid mist in the air, the colors changing is usually missed because the wind is usually too strong and knocks the leaves down then it's just muddy colors everywhere. I used to love this season, it used to be one of my favorite, chill in the air but not super cold and mostly sunny, but since I've moved to France, I get maybe a few days out of 3 months of it.

Yes I agree. Summers are now painfully hot in France for tourism and winters have always been bleak and chilly. Fall and spring are definitely the best seasons to visit France although you might have quite a bit of rainy or ocercast days in the northern half of the country.

I’m in Nice right now, and have been for a month, to study French. It’s beautiful, but I am really jonesing for some full on fall. Getting on a train on Friday heading to Paris and really hope to see some fall colors on my way up. Love your channel!

Many thanks for your outstanding service to Americans who love France. And for the V4 translator tool, I'll pick one up. God bless.

With Europe's open borders now for close to a decade, can you do a video if it's safe to travel to Paris, and France in general.  
Along with do's and don't to keep yourself safe. It would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you. Very helpful.

Autumn is a good time for a lot of cheese, which need 6 Months maturation, because they used the milk from spring, when the cow could eat fresh grass outside 🙂

Hi Diane, thank you for sharing your experience with us!
I recently moved to Angers, I didn't know that you also live in this part of the Loire Valley. Do you have any suggestions about fall festivals or nice seasonal activities specific to Angers (and/or around this area) ?

Thank you always, Diane! Extra great info here. While I won't make it back to France for at least a couple of more years, I still like local schedule info and, definitely, festival info. Learning about more festivals? Yes, please! Traveling France to the seasons sounds like a great bucket list plan. I'm definitely still young enough to make it happen! Happy Fall to All!🌻🍁💌

As someone living in France and working outdoors I just can’t with fall and winter

spring or fall; depends where. Winter even. I really like the west . and there is some indian summer, I kid you not. Not every year. but i have knowna bright "late summer" until november in Tours, also called la vallée des Rois. The Kings knew their vacations for sure. the climate is rather atypical. very mild. Dry in winter,No hot summer, all that close to Paris. Never cold, never hot, watch the river Loire that keeps you that way.; a mini tornado or such happened. right in the city.

do I need to explain to people from the Midwest natural phenomenoms when hot and cold air meet? Tours is perfect. follows a Hot river. And we get both southern wind and northern wind, but the mini tornado that was caused by a western wind was a first.Many will come. bad memory, but the climate is going crazy indeed. you guys know that !! No matter how I cut it, I've always lived in under an oceanic climate. scotland, france. " la france est un pays à climat temps pourri". telle que je la connais, pas pareil dans le sud, sauf que ça devient bizarrre, chaud sec dans l nord ouest
A ce tariff là les Normands vont retourner d'où ils viennent? Ca rapportent plus de rammasser les fraises chez en Suède que le raisin en France.
(coté pourboires machins. qualité de vie.)

the river Loire is stil a barrier in some parts, stinks to high heavens in others. I bet you nantes beats New-Orleans in summer. and we do have mosquitoes too. you don't wan't to eat anywhere near the River in that city.prehaps on the ile, a few miles in, not in summer in town... restaurants do have regular clients, but eating near the sewers gets the tariffs down.

We visited France in August this year for a D-Day celebration and had a great time.

Paris at any time, but in Autumn try onion soup

I think that Spéculoos is an equivalent of pumpkin spice in France although technically it is Belgian.

Fall you don't get many strikes PPl are broke

Planning to have a wedding in Marthon,France! After this video I’ve highly considered mid-September. Just hoping it doesn’t rain 🤞

Thank you, I have been thinking through first time to explore in depth all this week, so this is very timely.

Just ordered the Vasco translator with the code….thanks. I think it will be very useful.

I’m moving in 26 days and I am so excited to move to Dragiuanon in the south. It is a dream come true and I’m drooling at the thought of all the delicious food and pastries everywhere. I plan on getting fat!
Thanks for all the good advice!
❤️