The visitor season
Low season, nationally.
December records 24% of August's overnight stays. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.
A good place. At the right time.
France
in December.
Is December a good time?
No scored region rates very good or better for weather this month.
National overnight stays are 24% of the August peak.
- Regional afternoon highs
- 45–58°F
- Very good weather
- 0 / 22 regions
Check seasonal openings: 6 regions have an off-season warning this month.
Find your December baseBased on 22 statistical regions. Typical conditions, not a forecast for individual towns.
One month. 22 possibilities.
Choose your December base.
The useful differences, side by side. Open a region for its full month guide.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
Trip focus
Overall scores use the Balanced mix. Choose a different priority to order the regions by that mix.
CountrysideToulouse & the PyreneesToulouse · LourdesRead the December guide ↗
Overall7.0/10#9 month here · Balanced
Weather5.7/10Good53°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysidePoitou-CharentesLa Rochelle · Île de RéRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.0/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather5.3/10Good52°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
MountainsAuvergneClermont-FerrandRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.6/10#10 month here · Balanced
Weather4.8/10Fair48°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideLoire Valley & CentreLoire châteaux · Tours · OrléansRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.5/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather4.8/10Fair50°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CityLyon & the French AlpsLyon · Chamonix · Annecy · CourchevelRead the December guide ↗
Overall5.7/10#10 month here · Balanced
Weather4.7/10Fair48°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideLimousinLimogesRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.5/10#10 month here · Balanced
Weather4.6/10Fair49°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CityParis & aroundParis · Versailles · Disneyland ParisRead the December guide ↗
Overall5.4/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather4.6/10Fair49°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonSteady all yearsimilar all yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysidePicardyAmiensRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.3/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather4.5/10Fair48°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideAlsaceStrasbourg · ColmarRead the December guide ↗
Overall4.9/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather4.5/10Fair46°F afternoons · 16 rain days
Visitor seasonBusy seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideBurgundyDijon · BeauneRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.3/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather4.4/10Fair48°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideChampagneReims · ÉpernayRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather4.2/10Fair47°F afternoons · 16 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachCorsicaAjaccio · BonifacioRead the December guide ↗
Overall4.9/10#10 month here · Balanced
Weather4.2/10Fair58°F afternoons · 10 rain days
Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideLorraineNancy · MetzRead the December guide ↗
Overall5.9/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather4.1/10Fair45°F afternoons · 16 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
MountainsFranche-Comté & the JuraBesançonRead the December guide ↗
Overall6.0/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather4.0/10Fair46°F afternoons · 17 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachFrench Riviera & ProvenceNice · Marseille · Cannes · Avignon · Saint-TropezRead the December guide ↗
Overall5.8/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather3.8/10Fair56°F afternoons · 7 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachLanguedoc-RoussillonMontpellier · Carcassonne · NîmesRead the December guide ↗
Overall4.5/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather3.4/10Fair55°F afternoons · 7 rain days
Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachBordeaux & the Atlantic coastBordeaux · Biarritz · ArcachonRead the December guide ↗
Overall4.2/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather2.2/10Poor55°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachNantes & Pays de la LoireNantesRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.1/10#11 month here · Balanced
Weather1.1/10Poor51°F afternoons · 13 rain days
Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachBrittanySaint-Malo · RennesRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor52°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachEastern NormandyRouen · Étretat · GivernyRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor49°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachLille & the north coastLilleRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor48°F afternoons · 14 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachWestern NormandyMont-Saint-Michel · D-Day beaches · CaenRead the December guide ↗
Overall3.0/10#12 month here · Balanced
Weather1.0/10Poor50°F afternoons · 13 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
No regions match these filters. Try another place or reset the filters.
Cost words compare a published regional accommodation level with France's typical level, or describe a region's price season against its own year. The Cost score still uses France's price level on the Europe scale; where regional money levels are unavailable, a cheaper season does not establish which region has the cheapest rooms.
What goes into the scores?
Overall combines weather, crowds and cost. It is not a weather rating. By default, the list ranks weather first and shows Balanced Overall scores (50% weather, 30% crowds, 20% cost). Other priorities order it by your Overall mix. Missing cost is excluded and the available parts are reweighted.
Visitor season compares each region with its own year. A higher crowd score does not establish which place has fewer people in absolute terms. Regions cover whole statistical areas; open a guide for its geographic scope. Read the scoring method.
Weather across the country
December weather & packing.
Regional averages vary; check a forecast closer to your trip.
- Typical afternoons
- 45–58°F
- Typical nights
- 33–47°F
- Rain days
- 7–17 days
Ranges span available regional monthly averages, not daily extremes. A dash means a measurement is unavailable or withheld; individual guides explain the gaps.
What to bring.
Corsica: afternoons around 58°F (15°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 47°F (8°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 10 days with at least 1 mm of rain. Lorraine: afternoons around 45°F (7°C): a warm coat; nights around 34°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 16 days with at least 1 mm of rain.
Weather, region by region Afternoons, nights, rain & weather
| Region | Afternoon | Night | Rain days | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toulouse & the Pyrenees | 53°F | 39°F | 11 | good |
| Poitou-Charentes | 52°F | 39°F | 14 | good |
| Auvergne | 48°F | 35°F | 12 | fair |
| Loire Valley & Centre | 50°F | 38°F | 12 | fair |
| Lyon & the French Alps | 48°F | 34°F | 14 | fair |
| Limousin | 49°F | 37°F | 14 | fair |
| Paris & around | 49°F | 38°F | 12 | fair |
| Picardy | 48°F | 37°F | 14 | fair |
| Alsace | 46°F | 34°F | 16 | fair |
| Burgundy | 48°F | 36°F | 14 | fair |
| Champagne | 47°F | 36°F | 16 | fair |
| Corsica | 58°F | 47°F | 10 | fair |
| Lorraine | 45°F | 34°F | 16 | fair |
| Franche-Comté & the Jura | 46°F | 33°F | 17 | fair |
| French Riviera & Provence | 56°F | 41°F | 7 | fair |
| Languedoc-Roussillon | 55°F | 41°F | 7 | fair |
| Bordeaux & the Atlantic coast | 55°F | 41°F | 12 | poor |
| Nantes & Pays de la Loire | 51°F | 40°F | 13 | poor |
| Brittany | 52°F | 42°F | 14 | poor |
| Eastern Normandy | 49°F | 39°F | 14 | poor |
| Lille & the north coast | 48°F | 38°F | 14 | poor |
| Western Normandy | 50°F | 40°F | 13 | poor |
Before you go
Check the trip details.
Hotel prices
About usual.
−3% on France's historical national hotel-price index, versus its usual month in 2024–2025. This describes a price season, not a live room quote.
The national index cannot tell you which region has the cheapest rooms.
Seasonal openings
Quiet can mean closed.
There is an off-season warning for Poitou-Charentes, Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon, Bordeaux & the Atlantic coast, Nantes & Pays de la Loire, Brittany. Check accommodation and activities before choosing your base.
Thinking about the coast?
Check the water, too.
Among beach-focused regions, the warmest measured seas this month are Corsica (61°F), French Riviera & Provence (60°F), Languedoc-Roussillon (58°F). Sea temperature is one part of a beach trip; open a region for weather and seasonal closures.
Events & holiday dates Check the year against your trip
- Strasbourg Christmas market (Alsace), typically 26 November – 24 December 2026: Strasbourg's hotels fill on December weekends. Official calendar.
Holidays: 39% of people in France live where schools are out on a typical December 2026 day. Public holidays: 25 Dec Christmas Day. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Same country. A different chapter.
Dates still up in the air?
December is fixed, but the destination isn't? Find somewhere else in Europe ↗
How we know Sources, scope & limitations
Each row is a statistical region (NUTS 2); open it for the full month, the sources and what moving your dates would change. National lines are built from the regions: season is France's total tourist nights this month against its busiest month (Eurostat, primarily 2024–2025; earlier published years where needed); weather counts regions whose displayed Weather score is at least 7.0/10 (very good or better) rather than averaging across the country; visitors ranks overnight visitors per resident against all Europe's regions (for a region) or the other countries (for France) that month.
A regional accommodation level is shown only where publishable money data exists; elsewhere the cost words describe a regional season against its own year, and the score starts from the national price level. Separately, France's 2024 restaurants-and-hotels level is above EU average (110 where the EU average is 100). Full method.