April to June: One of the best times to visit Paris, with mild weather, spring flowers, and longer days.

July and August: Warm and lively, although busy and sometimes surprisingly hot.

September and October: A fantastic time to visit Paris for sightseeing, with pleasant temperatures and an autumnal feel.

November to February: Colder and quieter, but great for museums, restaurants and a more relaxed city break.

December: A magical time for Christmas markets, decorations, and festive shopping.

There’s something particularly lovely about Paris in the spring.

As the weather warms up, Parisians return to the terraces of their favourite cafés, the city’s gardens burst into colour, and suddenly you want to spend the whole day outside. You might still get a rainy morning or afternoon (this is Paris after all!), but the days are getting longer and temperatures are generally comfortable for sightseeing.

April and May are particularly good months to visit Paris, especially if you want to walk around the city rather than spending lots of time underground on the Metro.

It’s also a lovely time to visit some of Paris’s lovely parks and gardens, including the Jardin du Luxembourg and Jardin des Tuileries.

One downside is that visiting Paris in spring is very popular, so don’t expect the city to be quiet.

Paris in spring is best for: First-time visitors, sightseeing, gardens, walking and couples.

Summer is peak season in Paris, and for good reason.

The weather is generally warm, the days are long and there’s something wonderfully easy about wandering through the city with no particular plan. Stop for lunch, visit a museum, have a drink beside the Seine and carry on exploring until late in the evening.

June is arguably one of the best months to visit Paris, with long daylight hours without the height of the summer heat.

July and August can be considerably busier. They can also be hot, and occasional heatwaves can make sightseeing less comfortable. On the plus side, you’ll have plenty of daylight hours to fit everything in!

One other consideration for August: Paris can feel surprisingly quiet in parts of the city as many locals leave for their own summer holidays. Some independent restaurants and shops may close for a few weeks, although the major tourist attractions remain open.

Paris in summer is best for: Long weekends, outdoor dining, families, and warm-weather city breaks.

September and October are among the best times to visit Paris.

The summer crowds begin to thin, temperatures become more comfortable and the city takes on a distinctly autumnal feel. The leaves in Paris’s parks and gardens start changing colour, while the cafés remain busy and there’s still enough warmth to sit outside on a sunny afternoon.

September is a particularly good time to visit Paris if you want that summer feeling without as many visitors.

By October and November, the days are shorter and the weather becomes cooler, but there’s still something very atmospheric about Paris at this time of the year. It’s the perfect excuse to spend an afternoon in the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay, or wandering through the moody Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, before settling into a cosy bistro for dinner.

Paris is autumn is best for: Couples, food lovers, museums, photography and a more relaxed city break.

Winter isn’t necessarily the first season that comes to mind when you think about taking a trip to Paris, but don’t dismiss it.

December is a particularly magical time to visit. The department stores put on spectacular window displays, streets and squares are illuminated with Christmas lights, and there are festive markets dotted around the city.

It’s also a great time for shopping with the grand magasins (large department stores) around Boulevard Haussmann making a particularly festive stop during the festive season.

January and February are quieter. It’s cold, of course, and you should be prepared for grey skies and occasional rain, but this can actually be a good thing if you want to see Paris without the summer crowds.

You’ll spend more time inside museums, galleries, cafés and restaurants – which isn’t a bad way to spend a few days in Paris!

Paris in winter is best for: Christmas breaks, shopping, museums, food, and quieter city breaks.

Paris has a temperate climate with relatively mild winters and warm summers.

Expect warm days in the summer, with July and August generally being the hottest months.

Temperatures typically rise in the spring from March onwards, with April and May normally feeling pleasantly mild.

In the autumn, September can still sometimes feel like the summer, which October and November become progressively cooler.

The winter months of Decenmber through to February are the coldest months in Paris, with short days and chilly temperatures.

For the best all-round experience, I would recommend April to June, or September to October.

For more inspiration, take a look at our Paris Holidays pages.