Still unsure which region?
A few questions, under three minutes, and a French destination that matches what appeals to you.
Yes, spring (March to May) is one of the best times of the year to visit France, if you pick the right weeks. Nature wakes up, the days get longer and longer, and many tourist sites reopen after the winter: the Dordogne, much of which closes in the cold months, some of the Loire châteaux, and Monet’s house and garden in Giverny.
The weeks that matter are set by the French calendar. In 2027, French families travel from 3 April to 2 May, as the spring school holidays roll from one region to the next, and Ascension (6 to 9 May) and Whitsun (15 to 17 May) make the two long weekends of May: these are the dates to book first. As far as French holidays go, the quietest windows are mid-March and the weekdays of May outside those long weekends.
Table Of Contents
- When Does Spring Start in France?
- Why Visit France in Spring?
- What Not to Expect in Spring in France
- Spring Weather in France by Region
- March, April or May: Which Month Is Best?
- Key 2027 Dates: French School Holidays and Long Weekends
- The Big Spring Events in France in 2027
- Spring Gardens in France: Where to See the Flowers
- 3 Spring Itineraries for 10 Days in France
- How Far Ahead Should You Book a Spring Trip to France?
- FAQ: Visiting France in Spring
- Is Spring the Best Time to Visit France? My Verdict
When Does Spring Start in France?
Strictly speaking, spring runs from late March to June. In travel terms, though, June in France already feels like summer, while March counts as spring, so this guide covers March, April and May.
On the calendar, spring 2027 begins with the equinox on Saturday 20 March. The following weekend, on the night of Saturday 27 to Sunday 28 March, the clocks go forward one hour, and in 2027 that is also Easter Sunday. From that evening, the sun sets an hour later.
Why Visit France in Spring?
- Calm before the peak: spring comes just before the busiest weeks of the tourist season.
- Fairly good weather: the weather is relatively good everywhere in France, as the table by region shows.
- Slightly lower prices: spring is a little less expensive than summer, so your daily budget in France goes a bit further.
- More choice of hotels: they are not booked up as far in advance as in summer, so you still have plenty of choice. Be careful at some times of the spring, though, when some hotels are booked months ahead (see the key 2027 dates).
What Not to Expect in Spring in France
- Swimming in the sea: the water is still cold. As May goes on, a swim in the Mediterranean becomes possible, but only just.
- Lavender in bloom: the fields of Provence usually flower between mid-June and mid-July, so in spring the rows are still green. If lavender is the reason for your trip, plan it for summer and check when the lavender blooms in July.
- Settled weather: spring is the season of the French “giboulées”, short showers that can mix rain with hail or sleet, mostly between February and April. Keep a light waterproof in your bag, even on a sunny morning.
- Every site open in early March: some big names close for the winter and only reopen around Easter or in April. Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, for example, reopened on 1 April in 2026. That does not mean there is nothing to do: it just takes a little more organisation, and knowing what is open on which day. Checking every opening date against your itinerary is part of what we do when we plan a trip.
Spring Weather in France by Region
These are Météo-France averages over 1991–2020, one reference station per region: each region name opens its official Météo-France climate sheet. Each cell gives the month’s typical sky in one icon (key below the table), then the average temperature in the afternoon (day) and at night. They are benchmarks, not a forecast.
| Region | March | April | May |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | ⛅ Day 13°C (55°F) Night 6°C (43°F) | ⛅ Day 17°C (63°F) Night 8°C (46°F) | ⛅ Day 20°C (68°F) Night 11°C (52°F) |
| Loire Valley | ⛅ Day 13°C (55°F) Night 4°C (39°F) | 🌤️ Day 16°C (61°F) Night 6°C (43°F) | 🌤️ Day 20°C (68°F) Night 9°C (48°F) |
| Normandy (Mont-Saint-Michel, Bayeux, Giverny) | ⛅ Day 12°C (54°F) Night 4°C (39°F) | ⛅ Day 14°C (57°F) Night 6°C (43°F) | ⛅ Day 17°C (63°F) Night 9°C (48°F) |
| Lyon | 🌤️ Day 14°C (57°F) Night 4°C (39°F) | 🌤️ Day 17°C (63°F) Night 7°C (45°F) | 🌤️ Day 22°C (72°F) Night 11°C (52°F) |
| Bordeaux | 🌤️ Day 16°C (61°F) Night 6°C (43°F) | 🌤️ Day 18°C (64°F) Night 8°C (46°F) | 🌤️ Day 22°C (72°F) Night 11°C (52°F) |
| Dordogne | 🌤️ Day 16°C (61°F) Night 4°C (39°F) | 🌤️ Day 18°C (64°F) Night 6°C (43°F) | 🌤️ Day 22°C (72°F) Night 10°C (50°F) |
| Basque Country (Biarritz) | 🌦️ Day 15°C (59°F) Night 7°C (45°F) | 🌦️ Day 17°C (63°F) Night 9°C (48°F) | 🌦️ Day 20°C (68°F) Night 12°C (54°F) |
| Provence | ☀️ Day 17°C (63°F) Night 5°C (41°F) | ☀️ Day 20°C (68°F) Night 8°C (46°F) | ☀️ Day 24°C (75°F) Night 12°C (54°F) |
| French Riviera | ☀️ Day 15°C (59°F) Night 8°C (46°F) | ☀️ Day 17°C (63°F) Night 11°C (52°F) | ☀️ Day 21°C (70°F) Night 15°C (59°F) |
☀️ mostly sunny · 🌤️ sunny spells · ⛅ sun and cloud · 🌦️ sunshine and showers. Avignon has no sunshine record, so the Provence icon uses Carpentras, nearby.
Spring temperatures are closer across France than people often think: in April, afternoons range from 14°C in Normandy to 20°C in Provence. The Mediterranean side gets the most sunshine, but truly rainy days are fewer than you might expect almost everywhere, and a cool, bright day is perfect for a château, a garden or the D-Day beaches.
Spring also changes a lot from start to finish, and from one year to the next. Paris goes from 13°C in the afternoon in March to 20°C in May, and summer-like days can arrive suddenly in April: on 8 April 2026, Caen, in Normandy, reached 27°C. Other years, early May still calls for a jumper. Whatever the month, pack layers.
Early spring: match the region to the trip
Planning March or early April around long days outdoors, such as hilltop villages or coastal paths? Provence and the Riviera are the safer bet for dry weather. For châteaux, gardens, museums or the D-Day beaches, a cool spring day suits the visit just as well: pack a warm layer and enjoy the sites before the summer crowds.
March, April or May: Which Month Is Best?
March: Quiet, Low Season, Still Cool
March is still a little cold, and the sun sets early until the clocks go forward at the end of the month. Tourists are few, and sites start to reopen. I really recommend it for a calm trip: it is still the low season, so prices stay reasonable and you can make the most of every visit.
- The south: the end of the mimosa season, and sunny days in the south-east.
- Paris: a safe choice whatever the sky does, since its museums, food and covered passages do not depend on the sun.
- Lyon: France’s food capital, under two hours from Paris on the fastest TGVs, is another city that does not need sunshine, with its bouchons (traditional Lyon bistros), its old town and its museums, and afternoons around 14°C.
- Normandy: Mont-Saint-Michel and the D-Day beaches are at their quietest; just bring a warm coat for afternoons around 12°C.
- Not yet: Giverny, closed for the winter (it reopened on 1 April in 2026).
For the mimosa, timing matters: it flowers from January to mid-March along the coast between Bormes-les-Mimosas and Grasse, so the first half of the month is your last chance.
My verdict: March is for travellers who put calm before warmth. Keep in mind that in 2027 Easter falls on 28 March, so the Easter long weekend (Saturday 27 to Monday 29 March) closes the quiet period.
April: The Month of Gardens
April is when spring really settles in. Afternoons reach 16 to 20°C from the Loire Valley to Provence, the gardens are at their best, and Giverny is open again for its tulips. It is a lovely month for a first trip, for garden lovers, and for anyone who wants the classic sights without the summer heat.
The thing to watch is the calendar. In 2027, the French spring school holidays run region by region from 3 April to 2 May (see the key 2027 dates below). French families travel throughout the month, though never all at once, so book the popular places early.
- Where to go: the Loire Valley for its châteaux and gardens, Giverny for the tulips, Paris, and the south, where Provence and the Riviera already reach 17 to 20°C in the afternoon.
- The Atlantic south-west: Bordeaux and its vineyards, then Arcachon, less than an hour away by train, for its oysters and the Dune du Pilat, the highest sand dune in Europe. Further south, the Basque Country adds Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and its white villages with red shutters. Afternoons reach 17 to 18°C (more in our southwest France guide).
- Normandy: Mont-Saint-Michel and the D-Day beaches are lovely in April; pack a warm layer for afternoons around 14°C.
- Where to be careful: weekends in the school holidays are the busiest moments at the big family sites, like the Loire châteaux and Mont-Saint-Michel.
My verdict: April is the month of gardens. Travel midweek if you can, and book the Loire and Mont-Saint-Michel well ahead.
May: The Best Weather of Spring
May has the best weather of the spring: about 20°C in the afternoon in Paris and the Loire, 22 to 24°C in Bordeaux, the Dordogne and Provence, and long evenings everywhere. Everything is open, Giverny moves on to its wisteria and irises, and the month suits almost every kind of trip, from Paris and the châteaux to the D-Day beaches and the south.
What you have to manage is the calendar. In France, when a public holiday falls on a Thursday or a Tuesday, many people also take the Friday or the Monday off and turn it into a four-day weekend: the French call it faire le pont, “making the bridge”. Families hit the road, and hotels in the popular places fill up. In 2027, 1 May (Labour Day) and 8 May (Victory Day) both fall on a Saturday, and a French public holiday that lands on a weekend is not moved to the Monday: these two bring no extra day off and no long weekend. Two remain: Ascension, from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 May, with the bridge on Friday 7 May, and Whitsun, from Saturday 15 to Monday 17 May.
- Where to go: anywhere. It is the best spring month nearly everywhere: the Dordogne and Provence reach 22 to 24°C, and Normandy enjoys afternoons around 17°C and long evenings on the coast.
- What to plan around: the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles on 1 May, when both are closed; Cannes during the Film Festival (11 to 22 May in 2027), unless you are going for it; and last-minute bookings on the two long weekends.
My verdict: May is the safest month of spring for the weather. Book early if your dates touch Ascension or Whitsun, and keep your Paris museum days away from 1 May.
Key 2027 Dates: French School Holidays and Long Weekends
Spring is also the season of French holidays: Easter, 1 May, 8 May and the other public holidays, plus the school holidays. Within the same month, you can have a famous site almost to yourself one week and be surrounded by crowds the next.
It matters because the French are the first visitors of their own country: nearly two hotel nights out of three in France are booked by people who live there, according to INSEE, the national statistics office. For spring 2027, three things are worth knowing:
- French families travel from 3 April to 2 May. The school holidays are staggered by region, so every week of that month has families on the road, with a peak on the weekend of 17 and 18 April, when every region is on holiday at once.
- The long weekends fill the hotels: Easter, from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 March, then Ascension, from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 May, and Whitsun, from Saturday 15 to Monday 17 May (see the official list of public holidays).
- We take care of it. Checking your dates against the French calendar, and booking the right hotels early, is part of what we do when we plan your trip.
Busy does not mean busy everywhere: how crowded a place feels depends on where French families go that week, and the big family sites fill up mostly at weekends. Looking at French holidays alone, the calmest windows are mid-March before Easter and the weekdays of May outside Ascension and Whitsun. Check the events below as well, because Paris and the Riviera have their own busy weeks in May.
Three 2027 windows to book first
If your dates touch the school holidays (3 April to 2 May), Ascension (6 to 9 May) or Whitsun (15 to 17 May), book your hotels before anything else, especially in the Loire Valley and at Mont-Saint-Michel, and fit the rest of the trip around them. Outside those windows, spring still leaves you plenty of choice.
The Big Spring Events in France in 2027
The Big Spring Events in France in 2027
Where and when the main spring events take place
- A Monet exhibition in Paris (until 31 May 2027): 2026 marked 100 years since Monet’s death. To close the celebrations, the Musée de l’Orangerie, the Paris museum where his huge Water Lilies paintings hang, shows a smaller exhibition, “Monet in private”, from 28 January to 31 May 2027. Combine it with a day at Giverny, his house and garden an hour from Paris, open again from April.
- Easter at Vaux-le-Vicomte (Easter weekend): this 17th-century château, about an hour south-east of Paris, opens for the season at Easter with a big Easter egg hunt for children in its gardens. Booking is required, and shuttle buses run from Melun train station. In 2026 it took place from 4 to 6 April; the 2027 dates are not out yet.
- Easter markets in Alsace (around Easter): Strasbourg and Colmar, known for their Christmas markets, also hold smaller spring markets around Easter, with local crafts, Easter decorations and regional food. In 2026, the Easter village on Place Saint-Thomas in Strasbourg ran until 6 April, and Colmar’s spring market from 2 to 26 April, with tastings at local winemakers; the 2027 dates are not out yet.
- The musical fountains of Versailles (from early April): on show days, the fountains in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles are turned on to classical music. In 2026, the shows ran every weekend from 4 April to 1 November, plus Tuesdays in May and June; the 2027 dates are not out yet.
- The Paris Marathon (Sunday 4 April 2027): the race’s 50th edition, now called the ASICS Marathon de Paris, with roads closed along the route that day. It falls on the Sunday after Easter, when families from the Paris region start their spring holidays.
- The Bayonne Ham Fair (April): for four days, the old town of Bayonne, in the French Basque Country, celebrates its famous cured ham with tastings and local producers. Entry is free. In 2026 it ran from 23 to 26 April; the 2027 dates are not out yet.
- The Garden Festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire (late April to autumn): every year, garden designers from around the world create small themed gardens in the park of this château in the Loire Valley. The 2027 theme is “Gardens of Love”. In 2026 the festival ran from 22 April to 1 November; the 2027 dates are not out yet.
- Open days in Saint-Émilion (early May): over a long weekend, more than 100 wine estates around this medieval village near Bordeaux open their doors for cellar tours and tastings, with activities for children. In 2026 they ran from 1 to 3 May; the 2027 dates are not out yet.
- The Cannes Film Festival (11 to 22 May 2027): the 80th edition of the world-famous film festival, when the red carpet takes over the town for twelve days. If you are not going for the films, I would stay elsewhere on the Riviera that week.
- The Nîmes Feria (around Whitsun): a big street festival in Nîmes, a Roman city in the south of France, with a parade, flamenco, music, and bulls running through closed-off streets. Bullfights also take place in its Roman arena. In 2026 it ran from 20 to 25 May; in 2027, Whitsun falls on 15 to 17 May.
- The European Night of Museums (a Saturday in May): many museums across France open for free in the evening, until midnight. In 2026 it was on Saturday 23 May; the 2027 date is not out yet.
- Roland-Garros (17 May to 6 June 2027): the French Open tennis tournament, in Paris. The main matches start on Sunday 23 May, and the finals are on 5 and 6 June.
- The D-Day Festival in Normandy (29 May to 13 June 2027): ceremonies and events for the anniversary of D-Day, along the five landing beaches and in towns such as Sainte-Mère-Église, Bayeux and Arromanches, with parades, old military vehicles and a rebuilt camp of American paratroopers.
Planning your spring trip around the 2027 calendar?
School holidays, long weekends, the Cannes Film Festival, Roland-Garros: tell us your dates and what you want to see, and we turn them into a realistic day-by-day plan. Once you approve the quote, we take care of the bookings.
Spring Gardens in France: Where to See the Flowers
Spring is also the season of flowers, the time to go and see gardens such as Giverny or those of the Loire châteaux.
- Giverny (Normandy): Monet’s garden reopens in spring (on 1 April in 2026), and the flowers change from one month to the next. April brings tulips, narcissi and cherry blossom; May brings the wisteria over the Japanese bridge, then irises and peonies. If you can only pick one month, I would choose May.
- Villandry (Loire Valley): the château’s gardens are open all year round, and in spring the bulbs planted the previous autumn turn its famous kitchen garden into beds of tulips and narcissi. Chaumont-sur-Loire, a short drive away, adds its garden festival from late April (see the events above).
- Parc de Sceaux (just south of Paris): the park bills its cherry blossom as the finest in the Paris region, and it has a case. The north grove has 144 Japanese cherry trees with pink flowers, some of them almost a hundred years old, and the south grove answers with mostly white ones. The bloom usually lands in April (the hanami festival ran from 4 to 19 April in 2026), and in 2026 the lawns of the north grove could only be reached with a booking.
- Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild (French Riviera): on the Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula, the villa is surrounded by nine themed gardens, from the French and Spanish gardens to the Japanese garden and the rose garden. Its Rose and Plant Festival, held on a weekend in early May (2 and 3 May in 2026), is the best moment to see them.
3 Spring Itineraries for 10 Days in France
Each of these routes takes 10 days (9 nights), starts in Paris and then moves on to two regions, at the time of spring when they are at their best.
A. Paris, the Loire Valley and Normandy (Late April or May)
- Paris (4 nights)
- Loire Valley (2)
- Mont-Saint-Michel (1)
- Bayeux and the D-Day beaches (2)
This is the classic first trip, and spring suits it perfectly. Four nights in Paris leave a free day for Giverny, open again from April. The train then takes you to the Loire Valley in just over an hour on the fastest services, for two nights among the Loire châteaux and the gardens of Villandry. From there, a private driver or a rental car takes you north to Mont-Saint-Michel for one night, then on to Bayeux for two nights and the D-Day beaches. Late April is the time for Giverny’s tulips; at the end of May, the D-Day Festival (29 May to 13 June 2027) adds commemorations and parades along the coast.
B. Paris, Bordeaux and the Dordogne (Late April to May)
- Paris (3 nights)
- Bordeaux (3)
- Dordogne (3)
Ten days again, at their best from late April to the end of May, when the Dordogne reaches 22°C in the afternoon. After three nights in Paris, the TGV takes you to Bordeaux in about two hours on the fastest trains. Three nights there give you a day for the city, a day in the vineyards of Saint-Émilion, and time for a long lunch. Then a private driver or a rental car takes you east into the Dordogne for the last three nights: Sarlat, the castles and villages along the river, such as Beynac, La Roque-Gageac and Castelnaud, and the prehistoric caves of the Vézère valley. It is the itinerary for travellers who come for food, wine and countryside more than for monuments. In 2027, try not to start the Dordogne leg on the Ascension weekend (6 to 9 May), the main long weekend of May.
Prefer the Bordeaux and Dordogne part ready-made?
The private 7-day trip follows the same logic: three nights in Bordeaux, three in Sarlat, a tasting in Saint-Émilion and a gabarre ride below La Roque-Gageac, with a rental car or a private guide-driver. It is a starting point: we add your Paris nights and rebuild it around your dates.
C. Paris, Provence and the French Riviera (April to May)
- Paris (3 nights)
- Provence (3)
- French Riviera (3)
The southern version, from April to the end of May. After Paris, the TGV reaches Avignon in about 2h40 on the fastest trains. Three nights in Provence, in Avignon or in a mas in the Luberon, leave time for the Palais des Papes, the Pont du Gard and the hilltop villages of the Luberon, with a private driver or a rental car for the countryside. Then come three nights on the Riviera, ideally in Nice, from where Villefranche-sur-Mer, Èze, Monaco and Antibes are easy day trips along the coast. In spring, Provence is green and the Riviera is mild, around 17 to 21°C in the afternoon in April and May, but the lavender only flowers from mid-June, so do not build this trip around it. In May 2027, keep your Riviera nights away from Cannes during the Film Festival (11 to 22 May), or simply stay in Nice.
Fly home from Nice, not Paris
Itinerary C ends on the Riviera, a long way from Paris. Rather than a return ticket, book an open-jaw flight, into Paris and home from Nice: you skip the long train back north and keep more of your last day for the coast.
How Far Ahead Should You Book a Spring Trip to France?
It really depends on your dates, above all on the French school holidays and public holidays. March is usually calm, apart from the Easter weekend (27 to 29 March in 2027). From early April, when the first school zone goes on holiday, you need to book early, especially if your dates are not flexible. In the three windows of the key 2027 dates (the school holidays, Ascension and Whitsun), some hotels are booked months ahead: reserve them before anything else, especially in the Loire Valley and at Mont-Saint-Michel. If you would rather not juggle all of this, tell us your dates: we plan the trip around them, then take care of the bookings once you approve the quote.
FAQ: Visiting France in Spring
Is Spring a Good Time to Visit France?
Yes, if you pick the right weeks. The weather is relatively good everywhere, prices are a little lower than in summer, and the sites that close for the winter reopen around Easter or in April. The dates to manage are the French school holidays (3 April to 2 May in 2027) and the long weekends of Ascension (6 to 9 May) and Whitsun (15 to 17 May).
Can You Swim in the Sea in France in Spring?
Not really: the water is still cold. As May goes on, a swim in the Mediterranean becomes possible, but only just.
When Are the French School Holidays in Spring 2027?
From Saturday 3 April to Sunday 2 May 2027, staggered by region: the Paris region is on holiday from 3 to 18 April, Lyon and Bordeaux from 10 to 25 April, and Nice, Marseille, Normandy and the Loire Valley from 17 April to 2 May. Every region is on holiday on 17 and 18 April.
Is the Lavender in Bloom in Spring?
No. The lavender fields of Provence usually flower between mid-June and mid-July, so in spring the rows are still green. If lavender is the reason for your trip, plan it for summer.
Is Spring the Best Time to Visit France? My Verdict
Spring is probably the best season to enjoy France: not too many people, fairly good weather and a lovely atmosphere. If you would like a hand with the 2027 calendar, see how we work: we build a day-by-day plan around your dates, then take care of the bookings. If that is the kind of trip you like, look at autumn too: France in September, in October or in November.
