Early September 1 September
83°F
Typical afternoon high
12% historical wet-day frequency
France · Beach
French Riviera & Provence
in September.
Is September a good time?
Warm days.
Fewer overnight stays than August.
September averages 79°F afternoons and 72°F seas, with about 4 rain days. Later September is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 79°F
- Sea
- 72°F
- Visitor demand
- 53%of August peak
Historical Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Nice, Marseille, Cannes, Avignon and Saint-Tropez; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
7.9/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#2 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather9.5/10Excellent
CrowdsModerate seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe; France-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your September
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 79°F (26°C): T-shirt weather; nights around 60°F (16°C): light layers. About 13 hours of daylight. About 4 rain days in a typical September.
Can I swim in September?
The sea averages 72°F. Our swimming guide: comfortable for a swim. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 13 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 07:14 and sets about 19:49 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 60°F (16°C); afternoons reach about 79°F (26°C). Expect rain on about 4 days in a typical September.
Typical afternoon
79°F (26°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Septembers
Night low
60°F (16°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
72°F (22°C)
comfortable; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
12h 35m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late September?
Early September is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 83°F on the 1st, versus 75°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 12% to 15% between those dates.
Mid September 15 September
79°F
Typical afternoon high
16% historical wet-day frequency
Late September 30 September
75°F
Typical afternoon high
15% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Daily calendar & holiday datesSeptember 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
September 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183° | 283° | 383° | 482° | 582° | ||
| 682° | 782° | 882° | 981° | 1081° | 1181° | 1280° |
| 1380° | 1480° | 1579° | 1679° | 1779° | 1878° | 1978° |
| 2078° | 2177° | 2277° | 2377° | 2476° | 2576° | 2676° |
| 2776° | 2875° | 2975° | 3075° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for September 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons cool from about 83°F (28°C) in the first week to 76°F (24°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 11–17%.
Crowds, cost and getting there
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Moderate season. September averages 53% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than August.
Overnight stays across Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little above usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
France as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 110 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Recorded US nonstop flights · 2024
Recorded this month
from Philadelphia and New York JFK; 2024 schedule, Eurostat
Year-to-year variation
How much does September vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 76°F (24°C) and 83°F (28°C); in 12 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 79°F (26°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 7; half the years had 3–6.
Rain days in each September
Rain days
4
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 6 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
12 of 30
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no September in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
26 of 30
rated very good or better
See every recorded SeptemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 81°F | 3 |
| 2012 | 78°F | 6 |
| 2013 | 79°F | 4 |
| 2014 | 79°F | 6 |
| 2015 | 77°F | 4 |
| 2016 | 81°F | 3 |
| 2017 | 76°F | 3 |
| 2018 | 82°F | 1 |
| 2019 | 80°F | 4 |
| 2020 | 79°F | 5 |
| 2021 | 80°F | 4 |
| 2022 | 78°F | 6 |
| 2023 | 83°F | 4 |
| 2024 | 76°F | 7 |
| 2025 | 78°F | 4 |
Checked against 151 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
August, September
or October?
| Typical conditions | Aug | Sep | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 87°F | 79°F | 71°F |
| Sea | 75°F | 72°F | 68°F |
| Rain days | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Overnight demand | 100% | 53% | 32% |
August: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than September. More overnight demand. August guide →
October: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and more rain days than September. Less overnight demand. October guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with September Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. September stays as your reference.
No other scored month has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than September.
Your comparison
September or August?
Overnight stays are 100% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little above usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the August guide →| Typical conditions | September | August |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 79°F | 87°F |
| Nights | 60°F | 65°F |
| Sea | 72°F | 75°F |
| Rain days | 4 | 2 |
| Visitor season | Moderate season | Peak season |
| Overall / 10 | 7.9 | 7.2 |
| Month rank | #2 | #6 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.2 | #12 | 54°F | 40°F | 57°F | 5 | 3.2 | Low season |
| February | 5.8 | #10 | 56°F | 40°F | 56°F | 6 | 3.8 | Low season |
| March | 6.6 | #8 | 61°F | 44°F | 57°F | 5 | 5.1 | Low season |
| April | 7.0 | #7 | 67°F | 48°F | 59°F | 5 | 6.7 | Moderate season |
| May | 7.6 | #3 | 73°F | 54°F | 63°F | 6 | 8.3 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.9 | #1 | 83°F | 62°F | 70°F | 3 | 9.7 | Moderate season |
| July | 7.5 | #4 | 88°F | 66°F | 74°F | 1 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| August | 7.2 | #6 | 87°F | 65°F | 75°F | 2 | 10.0 | Peak season |
| September | 7.9 | #2 | 79°F | 60°F | 72°F | 4 | 9.5 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.3 | #5 | 71°F | 54°F | 68°F | 7 | 7.4 | Low season |
| November | 6.5 | #9 | 61°F | 47°F | 64°F | 8 | 4.6 | Low season |
| December | 5.8 | #11 | 56°F | 41°F | 60°F | 7 | 3.8 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in September
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Lyon & the French AlpsRhône-Alpes · France · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 8.2 · Very good weather, 74°F (23°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
PiedmontItaly · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 7.9 · Excellent weather, 76°F (24°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Liguria & the Cinque TerreItaly · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 7.2 · Excellent weather, 78°F (25°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Languedoc-RoussillonFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 7.9 · Excellent weather, 79°F (26°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Lake Geneva & ValaisSwitzerland · about 170 miles
Balanced Overall 6.4 · Very good weather, 71°F (22°C) · Busy season · Cost expensive
Elsewhere in Europe
As good as French Riviera & Provence in September, but quieter
French Riviera & Provence's weather ranks 29 of 77 beach regions this month. French Riviera & Provence already has excellent weather in September; these beach regions outside France are about as good and quieter for their season, nearest first.
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's moderate season, 53% of the busiest month and 26% above its average month. That means about 196,000 overnight visitors on a typical September night across the region, 59% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 93,000 more: 47 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 82 |
| How our weather was checked | 151 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.5°C), night lows within 1°F (0.6°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 37 |
| Busiest month here | August · 70 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 3.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 84th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 59% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 47 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 5.2% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (+4% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 5.3 million |
| Statistical region | FRL0 · Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.