tissotc

I am looking to plan a trip to Paris and am interested in going in December b/c of time availability. How is the weather? Is it cold and rainy and gray? Or cold and crisp and sunny?

nytraveler

On the rainy days its chilly and rainy. On the sunny days it's chilly and sunny. On the other days its chilly and gray. Remember that daylight hours are short and sun won;t warm the temps much. And by chilly I mean mostly 40s - colder at night at times. It rarely gets cold as in full winter (at least in comparison to the NE US).

Matroskin

I love Paris any time of the year! It might rain or even sort of snow, could be windy... but it is PARIS!

Do not forget to bring waterproof boots, coat and gloves (you can get nice scarf or pashmina right there -- excellent souvenir!)

kismetchimera

December is not the best time to visit Paris.Is cold,rainy , damp, you can you feel the chills in your bones..
Paris weather is very changeable, you may be lucky and have sunny days but I doubt it.
Dress warm and Good Luck.Paris is a beautiful city.

d_claude_bear

December is Paris without flowers, predominantly gray, dark early and not light until well into the morning. Of necessity, our first two visits were in December. After that, always May, June, or July.

JeanneB

"dark early and not light until well into the morning"

I guess it's a glass-half-full or -empty kind of thing.

I love Paris when daylight hours are short. Paris by night is magical to me. It isn't called the City of Lights for nothing!

travelgourmet

Paris in December is miserable weather-wise. Indeed, most of Europe is miserable weather-wise, during December.

cw

Weather is always relative. Where are you traveling from? Paris in December was warmer than where I live so I found it quite pleasant. Temperatures seemed to range from 35-50 degrees when we were there. We had cloudy days but less rain than we had when we visited in May-June. The days are short, but Paris is beautiful after dark and the holiday lights and decorations in December make it even more bright. And in December you don't have to wait until 10:00 o'clock to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle!

It may not be the best time to visit for a lot of people, but it's certainly not a bad time.

waterdog

We did not find December in Paris too bad. In addition to the rain and chill it can be breezy. But it is tolerable if you dress for it. The plus side of this time of year are the smaller crowds and the Holiday decorations all over the city. The surprsing thing are all of the fresh flowers in the markets. If we could have gone in December this year we would have.

LoriNY1

DH and I have travelled to Paris many times in December, usually for a long weekend (from NY). Sometimes it rained, which caused the chill to go deep into your bones. But a perfect reason to stop and have onion soup, hot chocolate at Angelina's, some wine in a cozy cafe. And the food, good, hearty stick to your ribs type (and it is game season which makes DH very happy). The rain also adds a whole new dimension to Paris IMHO. Yes it gets dark early, but I agree with JeanneB, Paris at night is magical. Other times, it was bright winter sun and dry. So you just never know. The best part to me and DH was the lack of hordes of tourists. We could actually walk along the Seine without dodging the tour groups. And everything is all decorated for the holidays which is just gorgeous (check out Galleries Lafayette, the whole building is done in lights)

All that said, if it was my very first time to Paris, I may not want to go in December. But, the very first time I went to Paris many years ago was in October, and all it did was rain for a solid week. Can't plan for the weather.

JeanneB

Can't speak for December (maybe next year!), but I've been twice in January.

Yes, gray skies prevailed and the days were short. And the wind was quite cold some days.
We took cabs far more than we do on more "seasonal" trips.

That said, winter has its own delights. Non-existent crowds, for one. Menu items include hearty stews and more "comfort food" items for a tasty change. With dark coming at 4:30, the evening meal takes on even more significance. It wasn't unheard of for us to linger almost 4 hours over dinner. And red wine never tasted so good!

The only other downside I can think of was the thoroughly frozen fountains. I did miss the water splashing over the lions at St Sulpice!

cw

JeanneB,

I forgot about the fountains--but we were surprised to see the fountain in the gardens of the Palais Royal working. We walked a lot in December, more than we would have in the summer heat. But hot or cold, you have a reason to stop for seasonal refreshment.

Michel_Paris

I've been in December. When I was there, there was a bit of a drizzle every day, so I bought an umbrella at Monoprix. Temperatures were in the 40-50 range. Not cold not warm, just right

I've been in most seasons. While it is true that summer/spring are nicest for the gardens and greenery in general, there is something special, a different vibe, about the city. Darker earlier, the wet sidewalks reflecting the neon lights of the restaurants, the welcoming warmth when you walk into a cafe or restaurant...with the greenery gone, the 'bones' of the city are exposed..and what grand bones they are.

Go...crowds smaller, the arts and entertainment scene in full swing, the Christmas lights on the Champs, the holiday windows at the Grands Magasins, go.

yestravel

I've been to Paris many times in January and February and always found the weather to be ok, not bitterly cold or terribly rainy. Mostly bright sunny weather with some drizzle now and then. Actually have had better weather in Paris then what I experience in the NE. I pack for the worse case scenario and have never had to use all the cold weather gear I've brought. Often its warmer than expected and I end up buying some tops and even a jacket or 2 to wear in temps in the 50's. I don't mind it getting dark early, as others have said, it is the city of lights. I've been to Paris in the Fall and had dreary, rainy weather and in July a couple times and it was miserably hot and very crowded. For me Paris is not a place that the weather really matters.

kismetchimera

Good weather is important to me..If it is gray, cold,rainy and I can feel the chills in my bones, I could be in Paradise and still feel miserable.

I know people that adore that kind of weather. Of course at Chacun a Son Gout.

I love the sun,it gives me energy,sparkle and a different outlook on life.

I dont enjoy sitting at a cafe for a long period of times..30 minutes is what I can take.

We dont want to scare you tissoct,but at least you know what to expect..

Bon Voyage!!

stricky

You can see a month long forecast for Paris at www.weather.com.

maitaitom

We were in Paris the 18th through the 26th of December in 2006.

First four days, glorious sunshine - temp in lower 50s during the day...mid 20s at night.

Last four days, temp about the same, but it was overcast (don't think we had any type of precipitation).

Paris in December (for us) was wonderful.

kerouac

Paris should be seen in all seasons. If you have missed any season or month, it is another reason to return.

LoriNY1

kerouac. I like the way you think!

RonZ

Me too...arriving 12/11.