ray

I will be in southern france next month and would like to know how it is like in winter. Do people still go to the beaches? Will it be sunny?

tony

Ray - Southern France has (of course) a mediterranean clmate - like S. california. Temps and conditions are v similar to LA-Santa Barbara area, slightly cooler and wetter than San Diego area. Winter is the rainy season, but most rains is in the form of short, heavy storms . Otherwise you can expect it to be sunny most days. Daytime temperatures along the coast (highs)should be in the 15 - 18 (celcius) range, with many days reaching 20 C or so, and with cooler days at 12 - 15 C. Overnight lows are usually around 8-10 degrees. <BR><BR>Its too cold for beach swimming - the sea temperature will only be about 13 C - but there are often many sunbathers on the beaches on the warmer days. In the sun (cafes etc) you invariably can be in shirtsleeves, but in the shade a light cardigan/jersey is necessary. <BR><BR>Great weather for golf, hiking, visiting etc - forget the beaches <BR>Have a great trip and Enjoy<BR>Tony<BR><BR>

laurie

I was there several years ago in Feb. It was beautiful &amp; mild-temps in 60s-70s. As per above, no swimming but definitely eating outside &amp; maybe sunning. Enjoy!

lovefrance

Ray:<BR>We are going to be touring France next month for the holidays also. According to a tour guide that I have been corresponding, sometimes you get to experience a sunny day with blue skies, sometimes a little rain here and there - a combination! regardless it's going to be a wonderful experience; Not so concern about the weather afterall that is not the main reason why you chose to be there.<BR>Let's look forward to a trip of a lifetime!!

julie

we were in the area in the end of Feb. last year. One afternoon it was warm enough to take off our jackets (we were wearing long sleeve shirts underneath them), but otherwise it was definitely cool. For the most part, it was sunny when we were there.

kav

We were there in November, I think in 99 or so, for 5 days.<BR>It was sunny every day but one, but certainly not warm enough to sunbathe or swim.<BR>Probably just about warm enough for outdoor dining if one were feeling brave - we weren't and we didn't see anyone else who was either.<BR>Biggest advantage was lack of crowds and great prices.<BR>We secured 2 double rooms at Le Mas d'Artigny for only &pound;70uk per room per night including breakfast - the rack rate for the rooms we were given at that time was significantly over &pound;200 per room plus &pound;14uk per person for breakfast.<BR>We were able to park right near to the entrance of St Paul de Vence in the evenings we ate there, and the roads in the area were not too busy - we enjoyed a spectacular drive to Utelle which I would not want to do if I thought I'd meet a lot of cars coming in the opposite direction.<BR>As our trip was just a short break/ long weekend from the UK, and our flights and accomm were great deals, we were not too fussed about weather.<BR>I think I'd have prefered to be fractionally warmer but not at the expense of dealing with the normal summer crowds.<BR>We did find that restaurants were pretty strict about opening times, especially at lunch, and I believe during the summer crush they are often open for longer hours.<BR>Kavey