namaka

Hi All,

I was in Paris in June for 6 days; not near enough! I completely fell in love with it and need to return soon. I asked DH if he would be interested in going with me (no kids) in the spring, but he declined. Fortunately for me, one of my Girlfriends is up for it. So, my question is, what would be the warmest month of all the off-season months to go? I live in Northern Ca and am ALWAYS cold. When we were there in June, it was sunny and warm; just beautiful, but I can't afford those high season rates this time around. I realize this is probably a silly question, but any advice would be appreciated!

janisj

There are no guarantees. May is usually nice - so is late Sept/early Oct. But even in June it can be quite cool some years - you were lucky.

April is often nice - BUT I went one April and never got out of my winter coat - blasted cold/wet spell w/ night times in the low 40's days in the low 50's

saps

I'm just guessing here but I would imagine (on average):

May is warmer than April which is warmer than March which is warmer than February which is warmer than January.

namaka

I was thinking somewhere in between late March to May, depending on any good deals I could get. While I know that there are no guarantees, I will just hope for the best!

djkbooks

We've been in May, June and September. You just never know about the weather. This September, the weather was awesome - 70's our entire visit, near 80 a few days, little rain.

Both times in May, it was chilly mid-month and much warmer toward the end of our visit.

The one time we went in June, there was a heatwave, nearly 100 (no exaggeration) every day, until the last few days when temps dropped to the 60's.

I, personally, think it is well worth the extra to visit during the nice weather, when the flowers are in bloom all over, the weather is pleasant for strolling, sitting in outdoor cafes, open air bus/boat rides...

saps

The two times I've been to Paris have been in the spring. One time it was perfect (upper 70s and sunny) during March and the other time it rained for 4 straight days in April.

With travel and weather you never know.

Get the best deal you can and hope for the best. At least you'll be in Paris.

namaka

djkbooks, I would also think it worth the extra to go during the nicer months, but going in off-season when rates are lower is the only way I could probably pull it off.

I spent years planning our one month trip to Europe this past summer and needless to say, with our family of four, we spent a pretty penny.

DH had already called next years' vacation spot-Hawaii, and the kids want to go to New York and Washington DC.

DH says that he doesn't mind if I go, but so to not take away from our other plans (time and cost), I decided it best to go during this time.

I am sure that I will still love it and have a great time; I'll just be sure to pack accordingly.

cigalechanta

Just dress in layers, a coat with a pullout lining, a tank top under a sweater, tights if it's cold,

JeanneB

If you're looking to get lower airfares, I don't think April/May is going to do it. (I may be wrong, but have always had the impression fares go up significantly after April 1). Even if published fares don't show it now, special fares will begin to appear in November/December for travel in February and March.

I've been to Paris 3 times in the off-season---October, November and February---and would encourage you to be open to it. I loved bundling up in coat, boots, and scarves. The landscape looks very different---more stark---but still very beautiful. It gets dark early so you see more of the "city of lights". Many restaurants/hotels have fireplaces. Lines are shorter and hotel deals are to be found.

In summary, I love Paris when it's warm and the flowers are all abloom. But I may love it even more when there's a chill in the air and it's mostly Parisians, going about their daily routines.

JeanneB

As for clothes, the answer is lightweight silk long underwear.
http://tinyurl.com/rhnmm
Dress in layers that you can remove when inside museums, etc. Rubber-soled, waterproofed boots.

Another little hint: You can pack very lightly and plan to wash things out often because the radiators and towel warmers make the best little drying racks you could ever ask for.

namaka

I am definitely looking for lower airfares/deals. I will keep close watch to try to get the best prices for the dates, whether it is March or May.

Thanks for the ideas and offerings of assurance.

cobbie

I too live in NCal. I went to Paris in mid-March 2002. Wore a lot of layers. Rained but not as much as here in March. Did not seem that much colder than here but I did have a hat, scarf, gloves & the parka I wear here in the winter. Go for it!

Travelnut

Off-season is shrinking. The best you can expect for 'off-season' rates is Nov-March, and it isn't 'warm' in those months.

jsmith

May I suggest you look at this BBC weather site for historical data:

http://tinyurl.com/ev55o

You can get the same info for your locality at the website for comparison.

Sorry that it is in metric.

grandmere

Another advantage to going off-season is the relatively small number of tourists. I like March for this reason as well as lower air fares. Whereas I've never experienced warm weather in March, it's not been blustery cold either. Daffodils in bloom way before here in Pgh.

juliaelzie

If you can travel before Memorial Day/late May, or after Labor Day/early September, you will find relatively good weather (but spring and fallweather is always changeable). There are some outstanding deals available for travel in the spring, fall and winter months (not the holidays). Layers of clothing will be great - I would stick with the more classic styles, which always work well with a great fashion city like Paris. Besides, what better place to need a few new clothes?

Best Regards,
Julia

namaka

well, I am sold; whether it's March or May and cold or not!

Now I just have to find those great deals! I remember last Feb, someone posted about some great flight prices on Travelocity and it even included the high summer months. I found a $253.00 round/trip from SFO to LHR during June, but unfortunately, I had already purchased my tix. Of course, it was over within a day or two.

Here's hoping that'll happen again!

Flyboy

The lowest fares are in the November-March timeframe. I've been to Paris in every month of the year and I would consider late May to be the best combination for weather and not-too-nuts crowds. Personally, I choose November and March most often for pure value. This past January, we found the weather to be acceptable (mid to high 40s F during the afternoons) and the crowds were nil. Weather tends to be gray at that time of year, but we had sunny days and moonlit skies during our stay. If you can pick something up in the $500-$600 range including taxes for airfare from your origin this off-season, you're probably going to be doing pretty well.

Scarlett

We always go in Oct or early Nov, or in March.
We have only had one very cold wintery day that sent us rushing to the D'Orsay for the day ( what torture!!)
There are rarely big crowds, we get reservations easily and it is cool enough to walk and walk .. we have been blessed with almost no rain at these times also.
Hope this helps..

djkbooks

namaka: Highly recommend keeping an eye on fares at www.1800flyeurope.com

I had fabulous luck with them this year with $624 fare in May and $556 fare in September (versus the typical $8-900).

I also snared an amazing rate at Hotel Eiffel Park (average €92/night) directly on their website (versus the usual rate of €132 on their website or €160 with the Best Western website).

With diligent shopping, you may be able to go during the nicer weather for the same prices.