Hello All,
I am hoping to make my first trip to Paris in May 09. I was wondering what I can expect weather wise? Will I need a room with a/c? I have researched some nice hotels that do not have it but unsure if this will be a problem.My dates are flexible, I just want to get there! Also, has anyone ever stayed at the Hotel Valadon?

Here's a link to a website that has weather history. Attached is the page for May 11, 2008.
http://www.wunderground.com/history/...q_statename=NA

The Valadon is perfect for first timers on a limited budget. The owners are always available and happy to make reservations etc. The area is upper middle-class and very safe; but not much nightlife. Reserve asap. Early May would be best, but be careful about the various holidays.

My experience has been cool in May, especially early and mid, but that varies, of course. The weather history site will give you better info.

The thing to be most attentive to when planning May in France is the many holidays: May 1, May 8 (I believe that's correct date?), Ascension Thursday (varies from year to year), and WhitSunday, Monday--it also varies but is less of a holiday than it used to be.

Otherwise it's a lovely month for travel.

Hi EL,

The last time we were in Paris the first week of May it was very chilly.

The time before that it was warm.

May is full of holidays.

I was there the last week of April and for two days in the first week of May 2008. It started off chilly and ended up very warm.

With a t-shirt, sweater, coat, and scarf, you will be ready for anything the weather brings. I wore every imaginable combination of the above items.

We also stayed at the Valadon for our final night in Paris. I found it to be very clean and friendly, almost like a B&B. I would recommend it.

Enjoy your trip!

PS: Be sure to pack a small umbrella that you can easily carry everywhere with you. It can go from totally sunny to raining in a flash.

I've been there in late May when it was cool and wet, and another time in early May when the temperature exceeded 90 degrees with high humidity. Prepare for a variety of weather.

Hub and I were there from May 5 to June 5 2008. For the first few days after we arrived it was quite warm (probably in the low 80's), and then after that it was just perfect -- in the 70's I would guess. We had very little rain. May is my favorite month to be in Paris. But you do have to watch out for those pesky holidays.

We are going towards the end of May. The last time was in April, and the weather was beatiful.. Just luck, I guess.

What hotel have you choosen?

Thanks for the info. I haven't settled on a hotel yet, but looked at the Valadon on trip advisor and it got very good reviews. I have to wait a bit before I book anything, I can only travel when my bonuses come through at work and so far, I am still waiting. Plus, I have a trip to Prague and Vienna in December to enjoy first. Paris, though, is a dream of mine and I can't wait to see it.

We were in Paris in May 07. The weather was cool and a little rainy. I usually wore a light jacket outdoors but we still felt we need AC in our hotel because the rooms, while nice, were small.

We didn't need AC once we were out of Paris and in the countryside.

We were in Paris from May 1-12 this year and the weather was sunny everyday and much warmer than we had planned for. Our stay was perfect but we were hot several days as I only took two sleeveless tops and no shorts. Hardly a complaint. Never used our umbrella. In others words, there is no predicting.

Ms. Bear and I were in Paris 30 April through 1 June 2008 in an apartment a five-minute walk from the Seine. We never felt the need for A/C, although having a fan in the BR just to move the air was helpful. It rained a lot on a few early days (and I believe it had been unusually rainy in April) but the rain was usually brief (although it came and went quickly). We were never deterred or even inconvenienced by the weather. The very extended daylight (in May, June, and July) is a favorable factor vs. any problems with rain. BTW, I think the overall amount of average rainfall is not terribly different from month-to-month.

Hi

I normally check http://www.weatherbase.com for weather stats
Here is my Paris trip reports with pictures and links: http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

We often go to Paris in May and have had all sorts of weather from cool and rainy to record heat and scorching sun. We were there the end of May in 2005 (I think) and they had record heat. We were unprepared and had to do a little shopping! Not a bad excuse to do a little shopping. I definitely would consider AC especially if you will be there in late May