We are planning a first trip to Paris next year and could use some guidance on the timing. <BR> <BR>We are looking at going on a Wednesday and leaving the following week on Thursday, so we will be there over one weekend. <BR> <BR>1) Does anyone know when the holidays are next year and should this make any difference in when we plan our trip? One internet site I saw said there were lots of holidays in May and I don't know if we need to avoid these or not. Does everything close down or something? <BR> <BR>2) Is there much difference in the weather in April and May? <BR> <BR>3) Are there any significant cost differences from April to May? <BR> <BR>Any other pointers would be appreciated. <BR> <BR>Thanks for your help.

Hi <BR> <BR>Re: weather. On average, May weather should be better than April. <BR>However, I went around our Memorial Day one year, and it rained every day and the temps stayed in the 50s. So pack an umbrella and raincoat, and with luck you won't have to use them. <BR> <BR>The National Holidays in May are on the <BR>1st (Monday in 2000), 8 (Mon) , 13(Sat), and 23 (Tues). In April it's "Easter Monday". Banks, museums, and most stores will be closed. Many restaurants, but not all, will be open. <BR>Perhaps you could time your trip to arrive (jet lagged anyway) or, better, <BR>leave on one of the holidays.Or avoid them altogether. <BR>good luck. <BR> <BR>

Hi <BR> <BR>Re: weather. On average, May weather should be better than April. <BR>However, I went around our Memorial Day one year, and it rained every day and the temps stayed in the 50s. So pack an umbrella and raincoat, and with luck you won't have to use them. <BR> <BR>The National Holidays in May are on the <BR>1st (Monday in 2000), 8 (Mon) , 13(Sat), and 23 (Tues). In April it's "Easter Monday". Banks, museums, and most stores will be closed. Many restaurants, but not all, will be open. <BR>Perhaps you could time your trip to arrive (jet lagged anyway) or, better, <BR>leave on one of the holidays.Or avoid them altogether. <BR>good luck. <BR> <BR>

I would pick May, or better June. The weather will be nicer, there will be leaves on the trees, and there will be more flowers in bloom. About staying over a weekend - you may find the airfares much less if you leave on a Saturday and return a week from Sunday. You'll still have a Friday night and Saturday night would be your last night. If you taxi or take a bus back and forth to the airport, traffic is much, much lighter on the weekend. The Carte Orange weekly pass (good for unlimited travel on the RER, metro and buses) runs from Monday through Sunday. This is a terrific convenience and a huge bargain. Curiously, in Paris, many restaurants are closed on Saturday (including some of the finest).

May is generally about 10 degrees warmer (68 vs 59). I am not aware of any cost advantages or disadvantages for May vs April.

Thanks for your help. We still can't decide when to go. June sounds great, but I thought the airfare and maybe hotels would be higher than for April or May. Costs are a definite factor for us. <BR> <BR>Is June part of the busy "high season"? How crowded would the big attractions be in each month? <BR> <BR>Also, I know the RER and Metro runs from Orly into town. Is it a good idea to do this with all of your luggage, etc? Or should we take a taxi? How much would each method cost? <BR> <BR>Thanks again. <BR>

<BR>Hi again <BR> <BR>I'm going to pass along some websites you may find helpful: <BR> <BR>http://metro.ratp.fr:10001/bin/select/ <BR>english <BR>helps you plan metro trips and other Paris transport <BR> <BR>www.paris.org hotels, sightseeing, <BR>much more <BR> <BR>www.parisfranceguide.com <BR> <BR>www.pariscope.fr <BR> <BR>www.frenchexperience.com <BR> <BR>www.hotelboulevard.com <BR> <BR>www.france-hotel-guide.com <BR> <BR>As for weather, there are some sites that can give you 3 or 5 day forecasts, such as www.newyorktimes.com, <BR>www.usatoday.com, and others. There are also sites that can give you the average temps and precip by month for Paris, I don't have the web addresses handy. <BR> <BR>Also do searches on this Fodor's site for Orly and DeGaulle airports--there have been previous postings re transportation. Obviously there are also many previous postings on Paris <BR>hotels, itinerary, etc. <BR> <BR>Good luck. <BR> <BR>