If you’re planning a trip to Paris, you might wonder when to visit Paris.
This guide will help you decide when to go to the city. Paris is incredible during all times of the year. For example, in December there are beautiful Christmas decorations everywhere, and in spring, there are cherry blossoms that make the city even more beautiful. However, certain months might be better for you.
The best time to visit Paris depends on your preferences. For example, if you want to travel to the city on a budget, certain months of the year are great but if you want to take beautiful photos in the city, other months are better. To help you find the best time to visit the city for you, I made this guide.
When To Visit Paris
The best time to visit the city depends on your situation and preferences. Below, I’ll give information about what’s the best time to visit the city for certain specific reasons.
To Avoid the Crowds
Paris is a popular city for a trip, and a lot of people visit the sights of the city.
For some of the most famous places in the city, it doesn’t matter a lot if there are a lot of people, such as when you want to visit the Tuileries Garden or the Champs-Élysées.
But for some sights, a lot of people equals a long line, and this can be frustrating. For example, when you want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, there can be long lines of people waiting to get an entrance ticket.
If you want to avoid the crowds, I recommend visiting Paris in winter. The months of January, February, and March are less popular months, and you can expect fewer people at the sights.
If you want better temperatures during your trip, you can visit the city in the month of April and still enjoy fewer crowds.
Most Comfortable Weather
Paris has a mild climate and the city is always comfortable to visit because of that.
On average, the lowest temperature in Paris is in January, when the average high temperature is about 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 degrees Fahrenheit). The hottest month of the year is the month of July. In July, the average high temperature is 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
However, it can be much colder and much hotter. For example, during summer, temperatures have reached about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Moreover, it rains for about 7 to 9 days each month of the year. So it doesn’t matter which month you are going to visit the city if your objective is to avoid rain.
If you want the most comfortable weather during your trip, I recommend visiting the city during the months of April, May, or October. During those months, the average temperature is about 20 degrees Celsius (about 68 degrees Fahrenheit), which is great for exploring the city.
When You Are on a Budget
When you are on a budget, the best time to visit Paris is during the off-season.
During the months of January and February, the city is the least popular, which means that the nightly prices for hotels and apartments are often lower.
Staying at a cheaper hotel or apartment is a great way to save money, but there are many other ways to save money when you are on a budget in Paris. For example, you can travel to the city from another city in France in an inexpensive way when you travel with Ouigo.
Festivals and Events
Throughout the year, there are many events and festivals in Paris. Which month is best to visit to attend certain events or festivals depends on what you like.
Below are some examples of great months to go to the city. I recommend finding out which events take place in Paris, to determine when you want to visit the city.
July is a great month if you want to attend Bastille Day on the 14th of July. This is the national day of France and it is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille event, which was an important event during the French Revolution. During this event, there are many celebrations, and the largest military parade in Europe is held on the Champs-Élysées.
The month of May can be great if you like tennis because that’s the month during which Roland Garros takes place. This is one of the most important tennis events.
During June, you can attend the Fête de la Musique, which is a one-day event with free concerts throughout the city.
The month of December is great if you want to celebrate Christmas. During this month, you can see beautiful Christmas decorations throughout the city. For example, a great place to visit in Paris during December is Place Vendôme.
If You Want to See Cherry Blossoms
At many places throughout the city of Paris, you can see beautiful cherry blossom trees.
One of the best places to see these pink trees is the Jardins du Trocadéro. In this garden, you can find a row of trees next to the paths on both sides of the garden. You can also get a view of the Eiffel Tower from here.
Another great place to see cherry blossoms is Champ de Mars. This is a large public park next to the Eiffel Tower.
These trees are usually in bloom during the months of March and April, so when you want to see the pink trees I recommend visiting Paris at the end of March or at the beginning of April.
When Traveling With Kids
Visiting Paris with kids is always a great idea because there’s so much to do in the city with families.
For example, you can go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, visit Disneyland Paris, ride one of the carousels in the city, or go to the Paris Aquarium.
Many events for families take place in the city throughout the year. I’d recommend checking out the events if you’re going to decide when to visit Paris with kids.
It can be great to visit Paris during Easter. That’s because there are many Easter activities for kids at many places in the city. For example, there are Easter egg hunts.
During the summer month, there’s a fun fair at the Tuileries Garden during which there are free rides and attractions for kids, including a Ferris wheel.
The month of December is also a great time to go to Paris with kids as there are many Christmas markets with ice skating rinks, there’s a Ferris wheel at the Tuileries Garden, and there are fun and incredible window displays at the Galeries Lafayette department store.
When You Want to Have a More Romantic Time
Paris is a romantic city to visit every month of the year, so when you want to have a romantic trip every month and season is fine.
During winter, you can see beautiful decorations in many places in the city, and then the sun goes down early, which makes having dinner at a restaurant or having a drink at a cafe in the city very cozy.
In spring, the beautiful cherry blossom trees, flowers, and other elements of nature make going for a walk in Paris a very romantic experience.
During summer, the sun goes down late, and you can enjoy long romantic summer evenings during which you can walk along the Seine or relax at one of the beautiful parks of Paris.
Fall transforms the parks and gardens of Paris. At each park and garden, you can see beautiful fall foliage, which is a very romantic sight.
If You want to Take photos
Summer is definitely the best season to visit Paris if you want to take great photos, but the other seasons are still great as Paris is a very photogenic city.
Summer is great for photography for several reasons.
During summer, the days are much longer, which gives you more time to capture the many beautiful photo spots in Paris.
In addition to that, sunrise is much earlier during the summer season, which means that you can take photos earlier during the day when there are fewer crowds.
During summer, there’s also much more light because of the position of the sun and there are fewer clouds, which makes it easier to take photos.
Some Tips for Planning a Trip to Paris
Whenever you decide to go to Paris, I recommend booking your trip far in advance. That’s because there will be more hotels and apartments available, giving you more choices and the possibility to stay at cheaper hotels and apartments. In addition to that, when you book earlier, airline and train tickets are often cheaper.
Also, I recommend booking tours and tickets for events you might want to attend in advance as well. This will give you a much more relaxed experience in comparison to booking tours and getting tickets at the last moment when you are already in Paris.
More Paris Travel Guides
Thanks for reading my guide. I hope I helped you decide when to visit Paris!