Best Time To Travel To: France
France, due to its size and different geography, has climatically different regions. A large part of the country in the north and west is relatively flat. In the south and east, however, France is always relatively mountainous. Here one must emphasize above all the French Alps, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. Towards the Rhine, the Vosges Mountains are also worth mentioning.
France is often divided into seven climatic regions, which are more or less different from each other:
- the central highlands, which also occupy a middle position climatically
- Brittany with an oceanic climate
- the Seine basin. It is very dry and relatively warm
- Lorraine with a typical continental climate, similar to that of Germany
- Rhône region with a varying but somewhat milder climate
- Provence and Languedoc with a more Mediterranean climate
- Garonne basin with warm winters but moderate summers.
However, very common is the following division:
The north and the northwest
The north and the northwest of France are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The weather here must be described as comparatively unstable. It is partly similar to the climate in England. Winters are usually mild. Frost or snow are rather the exception, the further west you go, the less likely they become. Summers are on average slightly warmer than those in England, but still rarely hot. In this region, it can actually rain all year round.
Relatively typical for the region is the climate table of Cherbourg.
The Southwest
This relatively flat region includes most of Aquitaine. Here the winters are quite mild. Summers are much warmer than in the northwest. However, one must always expect rain here - the closer one gets to the Pyrenees, the more it rains.
As typical for the region one could take the climate table of Bordeaux as a basis.
The center and the east
In central France and also in the east there is a rather continental climate. That means: the summers are warm, the winters can be colder. Here, however, one must reckon with colder winters. It can come to frost and snow here again and again. On the other hand, the summers are relatively warm. It rains comparatively less than in the north, the most rain normally falls in summer. Towards the east, the winters are usually somewhat colder. Towards the south the summers become warmer
Typical for the region would be, for example, the climate table of Paris.
The Mediterranean Coast
Around the Mediterranean Sea, the climate is mainly Mediterranean. This includes, for example, part of the Rhone Valley, the Languedoc and Provence coasts, and the areas at the foot of the Cevennes and the southern Alps.
Summers are warm to hot and quite dry in places. However, short heavy and stormy rain showers are possible in summer. In summer you can expect up to 12 hours of sunshine a day. Winters are mild and sunny, with an average of 5 hours of sunshine. However, one must expect the mistral, which can bring very cold winds. The mistral blows mainly in the Rhone valley and around Marseilles, mostly in spring. Less affected by the mistral are the areas of the Cote d'Azur.
Corsica is a special case. This mountainous island usually has hot and sunny summers, and winters are mild. However, especially on the mountain ranges in the interior of the island, winter can be very snowy and cold. As typical for Corsica one could take the climate table of Ajaccio as a basis.
The mountain regions
France has some major mountainous regions such as the Vosges, the Jura, the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. Basically, they are considered the wettest and coldest regions in France. In winter, it snows frequently and extensively in places. Especially in the Alps and the Pyrenees you can find important winter sports areas, which are considered relatively snow-sure. Precipitation is highest in the Pyrenees in autumn and winter. In the Vosges, the Jura and the northern Alps, however, summer and autumn are among the seasons with the highest precipitation. Summers in the southern Alps, the Pyrenees, and parts of the Massif Central are considered warm and sunny. Depending on the altitude, however, one must always expect rain and clouds. Especially at the high altitudes, one must always expect cloudy peaks in summer, but then the valley locations are practically cloud-free. In winter it is often the other way around, then the high altitudes are sunny and cloudless, but the valley areas are foggy and gray.
When is the best time to visit France
The main holiday season for France is July and August. Then there is a lot going on. The best time to travel to the Mediterranean coast is from spring to fall (Caution: according to the experiences of recent years in October and November heavy rain can occur in the south of France). For skiers or winter sports enthusiasts, the best time to travel is December through April. Paris visitors get their money's worth in spring and autumn, possibly even in winter.
