Say ‘South of France’ and the images it conjures up are all glamour, gorgeousness, and the good life. Think fields of fragrant purple lavender, picturesque coastal towns, or glorious beaches filled with good-looking people living their best lives. And that’s not even counting when the world’s fashionistas and celebs descend on the French Riviera for fests and festivities! Officially, the region includes Occitanie in the centre, surrounded by parts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the west, bits of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the northeast, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the island of Corsica in the southeast.
But Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the area in the southeast of France, is what people associate most with Le Midi, as it’s fondly known among the French. Beyond that, hills and mountains, rivers and valleys, medieval monasteries, Roman ruins, gorgeous vineyards, picturesque student towns, and villages have won awards for their beauty. You can explore interesting cities like Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice, Cannes, and Montpellier, and numerous charming destinations such as Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Aix-en-Provence, etc. But what is the best time to visit the South of France, you ask? The jury’s still out on that because this is one region that has something to offer almost year-round. Go through our detailed guide to find the season that works best for your holiday needs.
From wine tasting to skiing, explore our selection of the best things to do in France.
Best time to visit South of France for great weather
Each season has its pros and cons and appeals to a different sort of vacationer, so one can’t really say which is the best time to visit South of France for you. But here’s our analysis of the annual weather and its impact on tourism to help you decide.
Summer: When famous ’60s crooner Cliff Richard sang “We’re all going on a summer holiday | No more working for a week or two | Fun and laughter on our summer holiday | No more worries for me or you | For a week or two | We’re going where the sun shines brightly | We’re going where the sea is blue | We’ve seen it in the movies | Let’s see if it’s true”, he was referring to the South of France, where his film Summer Holiday was shot. And as both he and Rowan Atkinson in Mr Bean’s Holiday (2007) discovered to their delight, the sea and sky are indeed that Mediterranean Blue promised by your childhood paintbox. With the weather so glorious, the summer months of July and August are high season in this region, especially for those coming from sun-deprived locations. Towards the last week of August, the crowds start to thin out and the weather is still warm but not very hot. While you’ll still spend top dollar at this time of the year, you will get the benefit of pleasant weather to make the most of your time in the South of France.
Also, explore our selection of the most beautiful places in France.
Spring: For those who don’t seek warmer climes, it might be a good idea to avoid the crowded summer beaches and high prices. The best time to visit the South of France for you, in this case, could be the shoulder period in spring, that is April to mid-June. You may not be able to swim in the sea (the water will still be too cold in April), but you will get to see the early blooms of lavender in the fields towards the end of your trip in June.
Autumn: The other shoulder period, from September to mid-October, is also a time for fewer visitors and lower costs. But be aware that this season sees a bit of rainfall and may not be the best time to visit the South of France unless you’re on a tight budget or are there for work and getting a chance to add some leisure time to your trip.
Winter: With many sunny days and a colder (but not too chilled) climate, November to March could be the best time to visit the South of France for those who aren’t planning on going there for a suntan-and-sorbet sojourn. While you won’t find all the festivals and music concerts at this time of the year, you will still get to enjoy the famous markets of southern France, which remain open. You can explore the wet markets and those selling antiques and art. The Christmas market on the Cours Mirabeau (a main street in Aix-en-Provence) is famous, and you can buy everything from small religious figurines called Santons de Provence as souvenirs or sample confectionery like calissons, as well as crepes and other local delicacies.
The best time to visit South of France
In general, July is considered the best time to visit the South of France. The lavender fields are in bloom, the sea is the perfect temperature for swimming, boating, and fishing, and the people of the cities and towns are in high spirits and hosting all kinds of festivals and music concerts. You can enjoy al fresco dining and wine tastings and lots of cultural activities too.
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Best time to visit the South of France for a honeymoon
For a romantic rendezvous that’s as glamorous as it gets, you can’t go wrong with the Côte d’Azur. Translating to mean ‘the Azure Coast’, this is the French Riviera and includes Saint Tropez, Cap-d’Ail, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Theoule-sur-Mer, and, of course, Nice and Cannes, all seaside resort towns lining the Mediterranean coast. Think of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock classic To Catch a Thief (shot along the Cote D’Azur, in Nice, and Cannes) or Brigitte Bardot’s debut in And God Created Woman in 1956 (filmed in St Tropez), and you’ll understand the allure of this beautiful stretch, especially in summer, which is when we recommend you head there. The best time to break out those barely-there bikinis and briefs, and to feed each other aphrodisiacal oysters freshly harvested from the sea or sip on some exquisite Chateau Neuf du Pape of the region or a light rosé wine, depending on your budget.
When to find the best deals and low prices
This is one of France’s (or shall we say the world’s?) most highly prized, and hence, expensive destinations. Even so, you can be sure that the rates for accommodation and attractions will be lowest in September and October, thanks to the rare rainy days.
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Exploring adventure activities
Kayaking and canoeing are popular adventure activities in the summer, along the Gard River, in the canyons and gorges of Verdon, Ardeche, and Hérault. Climbers and hikers will enjoy this last spot too. Don’t miss the Devil’s Bridge, one of the oldest medieval bridges in France at the entrance of the Hérault Gorge and a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you’re game to travel a distance, 24 ski resorts in the Southern French Alps are just a drive or train ride away. These offer excellent ski runs and piste, as well as activities such as sleighing, base jumping, paragliding, and snowboarding.
Savouring authentic French Provençal cuisine
You don’t need a season or a reason to try the delicious food of this region. An aromatic vegetarian soup called ‘soupe au pistou’ that incorporates a paste of crushed garlic, basil, and olive oil, is perfect in summer. The famous Bouillabaisse is a simmered seafood stew that also has fresh vegetables, and white wine, and is redolent with saffron, bay leaf, and dried orange zest, best slurped up on a wintry day at a harbourside café in Marseille’s Vieux Port.
Vegetarians will love the rustic Ratatouille, a hearty preparation of tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplants, onions, and garlic that first originated in Nice, eaten hot or cold (so you can have it any season). If you’re invited to someone’s home and are game to try different meats, rabbit, lamb, and beef are commonly used in stews and casseroles. If you want to try a local liqueur, Pastis is an aniseed-flavoured apéritif made of anise, and liquorice that is synonymous with Provence and especially Marseille.
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Enjoying the festivals in South of France
There’s always a lot going on in the South of France, a region legendary for its relaxed, celebratory, and culturally rich vibe. Spring brings the Feria de Primavera festival to Nimes with plenty of music. This is also one of the many festivals in this region that still sees bull running (something we don’t condone). The Sommieres Medieval festival on the first weekend in April sees the whole town decked in costumes and enjoying the street markets and musicians. There’s a Gypsy Fair held in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the Camargue coast nearing the end of May and the Beaucaire festival in June, which is called the Fête du Drac in honour of their mascot, a medieval dragon! Montpellier has Le Printemps des Comediens, a festival dedicated to theatre, dance, and music.
The summer months of June, July and August probably see the most activities in the year. So, this would be the best time to visit the South of France if your goal is to enjoy such festivities. The Fête de la Musique features free concerts and music in the streets throughout France on the summer solstice of June 21. The Chorégies d’Orange is a summer opera festival in Orange close to Avignon. The Jazz à Vienne festival is held near Lyon, while the world-renowned cycling event, the Tour de France, finishes in Nice at this time.
Narbonne holds the Festival National de Theatre Amateur in late June and early July, with free performances every night on the Cours de la Madeleine. The Carcassonne festival throughout July, said to be the 10th largest festival in France in terms of attendees and events is held in a castle and includes theatre music and medieval jousting! If you’re planning to attend this one after the 2024 Olympics this year, you can expect the likes of Sting, Toto, Scorpions, top French singers, and The National Orchestra of Toulouse.
The Aix Festival featuring classical music and opera, the Nice Jazz Festival, the International Fireworks Festival at Cannes, the three-week Montpellier Dance Festival, Festival d’Avignon that celebrates theatre, dance and contemporary art has been a major event for almost eight decades. They all take place in July. Bastille Day, an important one for all of France, is observed on July 14 every year, with fireworks and parties to which everyone is invited.
August sees a burst of flower power at Grasse’s Jasmine Festival, with floats and parades celebrating the city’s history as the world’s perfume capital of the world, as well as a lavender festival at the Corso de la Lavande in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The Fête de St-Louis in Aigues-Mortes in late August is a throwback to medieval times with colourful pageantry and lots of wild fun.
September spells the Journée du Patrimoine, a day marked by openings of monuments and other historical sites across France, but also sees a number of bull-running festivals across the South of France. More interesting (and ones that don’t involve animal cruelty!) are the Festival du Cinema Mediterranean held in Montpellier and Beziers’ Les Primeurs d’Oc, the premier wine festival in Languedoc, both in October.
The onset of winter sees the advent of Christmas markets from November onwards in many locations — Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Carcassonne, Sarlat-la-Canéda, Nice, etc. Then comes the rollicking Le Poulain festival and carnival in Pezenas, the Nice Carnival with Mardi Gras, parades, and fireworks around February-March, and the Fête du Citron in Menton. March to May is also the time a lot of repairs and construction work is done in anticipation of the annual Cannes Film Festival.
Our Cannes travel guide will equip you with interesting facts about this French beauty before visiting.
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Worst time to visit South of France
Although this region has a reputation for 300 solid days of sunshine, there are times when the clouds shed their inhibitions and could rain on your parade. This is likely to happen in September and October, as this is the season with the highest precipitation. If you’re allergic to rain on a holiday, play safe and avoid these months. And if crowds are not your thing, steer clear of the most popular spots in the region during July and August, as the beaches and boulevards can be quite chock-a-bloc with French vacationers as well as international tourists at this time. As we said, it all depends on your personal preferences.
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(Feature Image Credit: Christophe.Finot, CC0 1.0 UNIVERSAL Deed, via Wikimedia Commons)
This story first appeared here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The shoulder season in the South of France is typically in spring (April to mid-June) and in autumn (September to mid-October).
If you have to pinpoint the absolute best time to visit the South of France to see and smell the lavender fields at their best, we’d advise you to time your visit between the last week of June and the first week of July. This is, of course, subject to the weather conditions of that particular year. Throughout the first two weeks of July, you can see them in various places across the 1000 kms long ‘lavender routes’, but the earlier in the month you go, the fewer tourists you’ll have to compete with for that perfect picture! And although the flowers can thrive into August, they are usually harvested by then, so don’t take that chance. While everyone heads to Valensole for the lavender fields, we recommend Sault just an hour’s drive from Avignon, or St Paul de Mausole, which is a monastery in St Rémy de Provence. The artist Van Gogh once lived here for a year, painting more than 140 paintings and 100 drawings, including his most famous work, Starry Night. Those who love art will find this connection especially appealing. Go beyond the photo op and learn how lavender has been cultivated and used in this region for centuries. Visit the Lavender Museum in Luberon, attend a lavender discovery workshop, understand why lavender is the only plant that has a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label on its essential oil, buy a lavender-scented savon de Marseilles (special soap), enjoy lavender ice-cream, try lavender cheese or lavender-infused honey, or simply get a bunch of the dried flowers to keep in your wardrobe at home.
Thanks to its equable Mediterranean climate, the sunniest region in France allows you to enjoy vineyard visits and wine tours throughout the year. The country’s largest producer of rosé, this region boasts several domains and châteaux along the Rhône valley, with 450 estates and cellars, many of which welcome visitors. Chateauneuf-du-Pape, made in a town that actually had Popes living there in the past, is one of the world’s most well-known (and expensive) wine labels, and a must-try if you’re in the area. The Languedoc-Roussillon wines are known for their unique terroir, technique, and taste. They are considered to be the oldest planted vineyards in France, along with a few in Provence. Driving through all these areas is pleasant throughout the year. If you’re interested in attending a wine festival as well, then Les Primeurs d’Oc in Beziers in October may be the best time to visit the South of France for you.
July and August are when you’ll see everyone descending on this delicious slice of the coast, but if you’re heading to the more popular beach resort towns of the French Riviera — Saint Tropez, Cannes, and Nice — we think the best time to visit the South of France is late April to early June, and September to early October. You won’t face as much of the vehicular traffic on the streets, and the crush of humanity down on the beach, and the prices won’t be prohibitive.
No amount of time is really ever enough in a place which offers endless relaxation and good times. Your free time and budget would be the only real limits. But you’d need a minimum of at least a week to get a tiny taste of all that this region has to offer.
If you’re keen to see and be seen, the period around July and August is the best time to visit the South of France. If you prefer more breathing room, less traffic, and better deals, visit in the shoulder season.
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