April Weather
 

Planning April itinerary to include a week in Paris, 2 nights in the country (open to suggestions) and on to Brussels for 2 nights. I've read on a few web sites that April is the "wet season". Will I face severe storms or intermitten showers? <BR>Should we be considering a May departure?

You will get a lot of different responses to this one. I might add that this subject has come up several times in the past. You might do a search but I am not sure how powerful that option is. <BR> <BR>To answer your question: April in Paris is a nice song, but the weather in May tends to be nicer statistically speaking. But, the weather there is no more predictable than it is here. Statistics indicate a probable pattern, but any one season can deviate substantially. <BR> <BR>When I was in Paris last, it was mid April. The weather was cloudy to the extent that for days the Eifel Tower was barely visible from the ground. I could see the bottom part through the mist, but that was all. And, it was a damp, clammy cool. Now, others will tell you that they were there in April and the weather was fine. April weather is as capricious in France as it is in the USA. <BR> <BR>I doubt if the storms will be severe, but, in a typical April, there will be days of rain in most parts of France and Belgium. Of course the meaning of "severe" might be a function of where you live. Being from the Southeast, I am used to real boomers, where the rain comes down heavily with tornadoes often embedded. (We keep an eye on the Weather Channel a lot in April.) <BR> <BR>In Paris there is a lot to see indoors, but places like Versailles are best enjoyed outside. And if it is raining, the Paris street life is somewhat dampened. <BR> <BR>Conclusion: Paris is alive in April, but your statistical chances of good weather improve in May. <BR>

If you have a choice, I would strongly recommend going in late May or early June. By then, the flowers will be in bloom and the trees will have leaves. It would be a shame to miss all the beautiful gardens, landscaping and windowboxes all over. Also, the weather will be much more pleasant for strolling all over, sitting in outdoor cafes, and taking open air boat rides.

The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) has world climate information charts. For April in Paris, the average high temperature is listed at 16 degrees Celsius or 61 Fahrenheit and the average low temperature 6 Celsius or 43 Fahrenheit. Humidity is 68% and average days of precipitation per month is 13. But, it's spring. Who knows what could happen!?

April is risky as pointed out in other responses. Given the choice I would opt for May over April and for June over May. As for 2 nights in the country ...consider going to Normandy and the coast and working your way up to Brussels. Caen is something like 150 miles west of Paris which is a 2 to 3 hr by car. Honfleur and Deauville are 2 charming towns on the coast.