My wife and I plan to travel to Paris next year for the first time. We can either travel in early to mid April or June. Is it too rainy in April; too touristy in June? Your input appreciated. Also, with the package I am using, we have to spend the entire week in Paris. Is is still feasible to make day trips to any of the wine regions, or more ambitious- Amsterdam? Dining tips and other must sees/ dos welcome.

That's a tough choice. The World Cup is in France in June-July so there may be extra crowd. But June weather is much nicer that April. In a photo finsih, I'd pick April. When I was in France we took a bus trip to the Loire valley and visited seven chateaux. Ours was a two day excursion. I'm sure you could do a one day trip. You won't be disappointed.

Boy is my typing lousy. I meant "crowds" and "than April", not that April. It's past my bed time.

Depends upon how you feel about trees. Our first trip was middle of March through first week of April. I was so disappointed by the bare trees. I want my trees to have leaves on them! Wherever we went in the country (especially the Dordogne area), I kept thinking, "This must be gorgeous when the trees have leaves. We must come back." When we returned to Paris in early April, the trees were just beginning to bud. So much of the beauty of Paris is in the trees. Practically all of them are deciduous. I realized that was a major reason we had gotten such a good deal on the airline tickets. We returned a couple of years later in May and it was glorious! However, you don't have that option, so I would choose June - unless you don't mind bare trees. No matter - you will enjoy!

Here's a vote for April, especially if mid-April. The temperatures are mild (think New York or Washington), the summer crowds are still in school. The museums are less crowded. As to day trips, Versailles, Melun, Chantilly, and Giverny are all easy day trips out of Paris. Using the TGV, you can get down to Burgundy (Dijon, Nuits St. George, Beaune)tour the region by car, and be back in time for dinner.

Thanks for the replies (those of you who didn't get sucked into the "passport" discussions)! Between this site and another message board site- the consensus is leaning towards April. Keep the responses coming. Will check back in on Monday. Have a good weekend )

Well, my vote would be for June. Can be very chilly and rainy and dreary in April, and Paris is much more beautiful in June when the trees have leaves and all the fabulous gardens are in full bloom. Some of the best things about Paris (open air boat rides along the Seine, sitting in outdoor/rooftop cafes, and evening walks around the city and by the river) are much better enjoyed in June. If you are not interested in the World Cup, however, would definitely recommend planning to depart before those festivities get underway.

Ram: Do I understand correctly that you have established two postings for your April vs. May debate? And am I correct in thinking you want us to "keep the responses coming" - and you'll "check back" on Monday - and the "consensus is leaning towards April." Well, I vote for June, when the rest of the kids are going. Between now and then, gain perspective.

Pardon the mistype - May should read June. And make that one vote for June, for the reason given.

James-I didn't see the need for your snide remarks to my legitimate questions. Isn't the whole idea of a message board posting to obtain responses? Using a second message board at another site just allows me to get a wider audience. The wonderful thing about these message boards is the opportunity to really get the opinions of a diverse group of individuals with diverse experiences. While I certainly have made use of travel guides, some of the information I have gotten from here I have not seen anywhere else. I think you're the one who needs to get some perspective!