Paris When To Go

Spring weather in Paris is fickle and punctuated by unexpected rain. Of the summer months, June is notoriously rainy, while high temperatures tend to hit in July and August. Occasional heat waves can be uncomfortable, and muggy weather aggravates Paris's pollution problem. By fall, a fantastic array of auburn foliage brightens up the parks, and the weather becomes dry and temperate. Rain is more common than snow in the winter, though heavy snowfalls do happen—and as demonstrated last winter, the city is not necessarily equipped to deal with them.

As far as the crowds are concerned, tourists move in and Parisians move out in the summertime, and smaller hotels, shops, and services usually close for the month of August. Many of Paris' best festivals are held during the summer (see Festivals), and parts of the city can be quite peaceful. In the fall, the tourist madness begins to calm down—airfares and hotel rates drop, travel is less congested, and the museum lines are shorter. The winter is pretty low-key and less touristed but, as expected, many people love Paris in the springtime.

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