France has a temperate climate, with 4 different seasons. One can really travel in France any time of the year, provided that areas of travel are chosen carefully.
The comments and advice given below are taken as per an “average” year. Yet, the weather is clearly getting more and more unpredictable. The seasons described here are the French seasons, which differ slightly from Asian seasons. For example, what would be described as “summer” in India, i.e. May/June, is still very much the spring in France.
 Autumn (21 September to 21 December) is season with quite a lot of rain all over France. Of course, by mid-October, the trees start turning to their autumnal colours, and this presents an amazing sight of its own. As far as the French people are concerned, September is the time that they go back to work after the holidays.
Advised areas in autumn
- Paris. September is still beautiful with some lovely days. October is wet and November/December can get rather cold. But, Paris is Paris, and there is still lots to do.
- Provence and Côte d’Azur (Riviera). September is a lovely month when one can still swim in the Mediterranean sea. October and November are notably warmer than in the Paris area and December gets cold.
- The Loire Valley is a beautiful area to visit in the autumn when the trees are changing colours.
- Fontainebleau. Again, the forest is very special in autumn, but the weather gets wet by October and cold by mid-November. Nevertheless a beautiful day in the Fontainebleau forest in autumn is, well, beautiful.
- The Alps. Still a few nice days in September. Then it gets cold and wet, so best avoided.
- Normandy/Brittany/Atlantic Ocean. September days can be beautiful. October/November/December are cold and wet.
 Winter (21 December to 21 March). From Christmas onwards the weather gets really cold, but there clearly is a charm to it. Christmas, of course, provides a great atmosphere with all the cities and villages decorated for the occasion. Snow is rare, except in the mountains.
Advised areas in winter
- Paris. Christmas in Paris is quite exciting, although the weather will be really cold and rather wet. Yet, you can sense the excitement in the air as the shopping gets frantic.
- The Alps. Obviously, this is the time to go skiing. Christmas time is great because of the atmosphere but the snow is not yet at its best (although skiing is, of course, very possible in normally rather good conditions). For the best skiing, the time between mid-January and mid-March is definitely recommended.
- Provence and Côte d’Azur. Definitely much less colder than the rest of France, although one of course still wears winter clothes. The main difference is that there are many more beautiful sunny winter days, even if they are cold. This crisp atmosphere is refreshing.
- The Loire Valley. Imagine spending New Year ’s Eve in a XV century château…
- Fontainebleau. The town itself has a great feel for Christmas with lots of light and an ice-skating rink.
- Normandy/Brittany/Atlantic Ocean. It is COLD in winter but there is nothing to beat the atmosphere of a deserted sea-side town. Long, windy walks on the beach wrapped up in layers and layers….
 Spring (21 March to 21 June) is a lovely season with a lot of excitement in the air, after the long winter (March is actually quite dreary-but it won’t be too crowded). It is an unpredictable season where a beautiful day can be followed by a very rainy one! May gets more and more pleasant and it is a wonderful month to travel in. The days in May and June are lovely and long, giving one the opportunity to sit out until 10 pm enjoying the sunlight.
Advised areas in spring:
- Paris
- Provence and Cote d’Azur (Riviera). Beautiful light, not too hot, the sea is still quite cold
- Loire Valley. Nice, good weather.
- Fontainebleau. The forest in the spring is very beautiful
- Normandy/Brittany/Atlantic Ocean (only in May-June). The weather is still quite cool, but the countryside is beautiful. Beautiful days alternate with rainy days, with June experiencing less rain.
- The Alps (only in May-June). Would be very cool at this time of the year. You might still be able to ski in March and sometimes till mid-April. The spring in May is beautiful. June gets notably warmer, of course.
 Summer (21 June to 21 September) is, of course, the least unpredictable season to travel in, in terms of weather. Although one may get a few rainy days, they are clearly, fewer than in other seasons. Days in July/August are hot and long, and it is holiday time for the French as well as other Europeans. France is a busy destination at that time of the year.
Advised areas in summer
- Paris. Although it might get quite hot (between 30 to 35 degrees), Paris is nice in the summer. August is free from Parisians who run off to the beaches around France.
- Normandy/Brittany/Atlantic Ocean. A lovely time to travel in these areas as it is not too hot, yet, there is less rain than at any other time of the year. There will be a lot of French vacationers.
- The Alps. A beautiful time to be in the mountains. Lots of outdoor activities.
- Fontainebleau. The forest remains pleasant.
- Provence and Côte d’Azur (Riviera). It gets really hot (sometimes up to 40 degrees), and the beaches on the Mediterranean sea are very small and full of French and European vacationers
- Loire Valley. Quite hot.
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