Paris has a temperate oceanic climate: mild springs and autumns, warm summers with the occasional heatwave, and cool, grey winters. Rain falls in every month but rarely for long. The short answer: April to June and September to October are the best months, when the lime trees of the square are in leaf and the lawns are open. But the Place des Vosges is lovely year-round — and far quieter in winter.
Paris month by month
| Month | Day / night | Rain days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 / 3 °C | ≈10 | Quiet and cheap; winter sales |
| February | 8 / 3 °C | ≈9 | Cold but peaceful; museums at their calmest |
| March | 12 / 5 °C | ≈10 | Spring arrives; changeable |
| April | 16 / 7 °C | ≈9 | Blossom and fresh green limes; Easter crowds |
| May | 20 / 11 °C | ≈9 | Beautiful; several public holidays |
| June | 23 / 14 °C | ≈8 | Long evenings; Fête de la Musique on the 21st |
| July | 25 / 16 °C | ≈7 | Warm, lively; Bastille Day on the 14th |
| August | 25 / 16 °C | ≈7 | Parisians away; some shops close; heatwaves possible |
| September | 21 / 13 °C | ≈8 | Our pick; Heritage Days opens hidden mansions |
| October | 16 / 9 °C | ≈9 | Golden limes; mild and calmer |
| November | 11 / 6 °C | ≈10 | Grey and quiet; good hotel rates |
| December | 8 / 4 °C | ≈10 | Christmas lights and festive shop windows |
Temperatures and rain days are typical long-term averages for Paris and vary from year to year.
Spring: April to June
The best season for the square. The lime trees come into leaf, the lawns of the Square Louis-XIII reopen for picnics, café terraces fill up under the arcades and the light on the brick facades is soft and warm. May has several public holidays (1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday) when some museums close or get busy. June brings long evenings — it is light until around 22:00 — and the Fête de la Musique on 21 June, when musicians play on every corner of the Marais. Late June also brings the Paris Pride march, and the Marais celebrates.
Summer: July and August
Warm and busy with visitors, but many Parisians leave in August and some small shops and restaurants close for two to four weeks. Heatwaves are increasingly common; the vaulted arcades and the shaded garden are welcome refuges, and mornings are the best time for walking. Bastille Day (14 July) brings the military parade on the Champs-Élysées and fireworks at the Eiffel Tower; in the evenings, firemen’s balls are traditionally held in fire stations around the city.
Autumn: September and October
Our favourite time. The weather is often mild and settled, the city is back from holiday and the trees turn gold. On the third weekend of September, the European Heritage Days (Journées européennes du patrimoine) open buildings normally closed to the public — in the Marais that can include private mansions, ministries and the salons of the Hôtel de Soubise.
Winter: November to March
Grey skies, short days and cold mornings — but the Place des Vosges is at its most atmospheric, with bare trees framing the facades and, occasionally, a dusting of snow. There are no queues at the museums, hotel prices drop (except around Christmas and New Year), and the Marais’s cafés, bakeries and chocolatiers come into their own. December brings Christmas lights and decorated shop windows; the January and February sales are a big event.
Days of the week matter
- Monday: the Musée Carnavalet, the Maison de Victor Hugo, the Musée Picasso and the Marché des Enfants Rouges are closed. Plan the Louvre (closed Tuesday) or a walking tour instead.
- Saturday: much of Rue des Rosiers closes for Shabbat.
- Sunday: the Marais is Paris’s Sunday shopping district — busy but fun. The Bastille market is at its biggest on Sunday mornings.
- First Sunday of the month: some national museums offer free entry at certain times of year; check each museum’s current policy.