France in winter
 

We're thinking of booking a trip to Paris in either late November or late April. Can anyone shed some light on when may be a better time to go.

If you don't mind crisp, maybe cold, weather, with perhaps some rain, November is good because the crowds are thinned out. Our last visit was in November over Thanksgiving week. It was chilly at night, crisp during the days, and it was wonderful because we NEVER had to stand in line more than a few minutes at the main tourist sites (like the Eiffel tower, the Louvre, etc). We have also been in April and the weather is better then but there are more people as well. We actually prefer November. One down side to November is if you want to see gardens etc they are pretty much shut down then. <BR><BR>Anoter plus, if you are buying airfare and not using frequent flier miles to get there, it is likely that fares will be much cheaper in November. Hotels may also give you a better price. Overall, in November you will feel like you are one of the few tourists in town and when you go into a bistro there is a good chance everyone except you will be locals, so I think you get a much better flavor of the real Paris. Same is true for shops, etc. My wife and I both just really prefer Europe in the winter time.

I recommend going in April if you possibly can. April in Paris, as cliche as it sounds, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. There may be some showers, but it can be quite pleasant ( 50s and 60s in our experience). With all the airlines nearly going bankrupt, you should be able to grab a good fare for April. Good luck!

I would definitely recommand to come in late April. The weather will be way more pleasant, and the days much longer. Of course there will be more tourists (but they don't come in November for a reason), but not to the point that the sites will be crowded. And spending vacations in a cold and dump place isn't that thrilling...

Hi<BR><BR>no guarantees, but you can make an objective judgement from historical weather patterns here -<BR><BR>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/weather/historical/historical.htm<BR><BR>Peter<BR>

I have been to Paris in Early November and Early April. I found both months to be great times to visit. Yes it is chilly but much cheaper to travel at those times and the tourists are at a minimum. Unfortunely, I have not seen the Versaille Gardens in the Summer but I have had an enjoyable experience in April and November. I truly have no preference for either Month. Enjoy your visit.