Early March 1 March
52°F
Typical afternoon high
35% historical wet-day frequency
France · Countryside
Loire Valley & Centre
in March.
Is March a good time?
Cool days.
Similar overnight stays to February.
March averages 57°F afternoons, with about 10 rain days. Later March is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 57°F
- Rain days
- 10
- Visitor demand
- 30%of August peak
Historical Centre — Val de Loire regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Loire châteaux, Tours and Orléans; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
7.2/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#6 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather6.3/10Good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe; France-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your March
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 57°F (14°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 38°F (4°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 10 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 12 hours of daylight.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 12 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 07:09 and sets about 18:57 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 38°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 57°F (14°C). Expect rain on about 10 days in a typical March.
Typical afternoon
57°F (14°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Marches
Night low
38°F (4°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
11h 49m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late March?
Late March is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 52°F on the 1st, versus 60°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 35% to 28% between those dates.
Mid March 15 March
57°F
Typical afternoon high
32% historical wet-day frequency
Late March 31 March
60°F
Typical afternoon high
28% 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.
Public holidays · 2027: 29 Mar Easter Monday.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMarch 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
March 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 152° | 253° | 353° | 453° | 554° | 654° | 754° |
| 855° | 956° | 1056° | 1156° | 1256° | 1356° | 1457° |
| 1557° | 1657° | 1757° | 1857° | 1957° | 2057° | 2158° |
| 2258° | 2358° | 2458° | 2558° | 2659° | 2759° | 2859° |
| 2959° | 3059° | 3160° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 53°F (12°C) in the first week to 59°F (15°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 27–37%. Local schools are out 1–7 March 2027.
Schools here are off 1–7 March 2027 (winter holidays). Public holidays: 29 Mar Easter Monday. Elsewhere in March 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 27%, Spain 30%, Italy 19%, Netherlands 38%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Low season. March averages 30% of August's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to February.
Overnight stays across Centre — Val de Loire do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
A little below 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.
Year-to-year variation
How much does March vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 51°F (11°C) and 60°F (16°C); in 10 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 57°F (14°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 19; half the years had 7–13.
Rain days in each March
Rain days
10
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 16 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
7 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no March in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
12 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MarchHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 58°F | 7 |
| 2012 | 60°F | 5 |
| 2013 | 51°F | 13 |
| 2014 | 59°F | 6 |
| 2015 | 56°F | 10 |
| 2016 | 52°F | 12 |
| 2017 | 59°F | 10 |
| 2018 | 54°F | 19 |
| 2019 | 58°F | 10 |
| 2020 | 56°F | 9 |
| 2021 | 56°F | 7 |
| 2022 | 59°F | 8 |
| 2023 | 56°F | 15 |
| 2024 | 58°F | 16 |
| 2025 | 57°F | 8 |
Checked against 143 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
February, March
or April?
| Typical conditions | Feb | Mar | Apr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 50°F | 57°F | 63°F |
| Rain days | 11 | 10 | 7 |
| Overnight demand | 27% | 30% | 49% |
February: Cooler afternoons than March. February guide →
April: Warmer afternoons and fewer rain days than March. More overnight demand. April guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with March Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. March stays as your reference.
April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than March, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
March or February?
Overnight stays are 27% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the February guide →| Typical conditions | March | February |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 57°F | 50°F |
| Nights | 38°F | 35°F |
| Rain days | 10 | 11 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 7.2 | 6.8 |
| Month rank | #6 | #10 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.5 | #12 | 47°F | 35°F | 13 | 4.6 | Low season |
| February | 6.8 | #10 | 50°F | 35°F | 11 | 5.3 | Low season |
| March | 7.2 | #6 | 57°F | 38°F | 10 | 6.3 | Low season |
| April | 7.3 | #5 | 63°F | 42°F | 7 | 7.6 | Moderate season |
| May | 7.4 | #2 | 69°F | 48°F | 9 | 8.3 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.3 | #4 | 76°F | 55°F | 8 | 8.7 | Busy season |
| July | 7.0 | #7 | 80°F | 58°F | 7 | 9.0 | Peak season |
| August | 6.8 | #9 | 80°F | 57°F | 5 | 9.0 | Peak season |
| September | 7.9 | #1 | 74°F | 52°F | 7 | 9.1 | Moderate season |
| October | 7.4 | #3 | 65°F | 48°F | 10 | 7.6 | Moderate season |
| November | 6.9 | #8 | 54°F | 41°F | 10 | 5.7 | Low season |
| December | 6.5 | #11 | 50°F | 38°F | 12 | 4.8 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in March
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Paris & aroundFrance · about 90 miles
Balanced Overall 6.3 · Good weather, 56°F (13°C) · Steady all year · Cost pricey
BurgundyFrance · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 7.2 · Good weather, 56°F (14°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Nantes & Pays de la LoireFrance · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 5.0 · Fair weather, 57°F (14°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Poitou-CharentesFrance · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 7.2 · Good weather, 58°F (15°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Western NormandyFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 4.3 · Poor weather, 55°F (13°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Elsewhere in Europe
Better March weather than Loire Valley & Centre
Loire Valley & Centre's weather ranks 39 of 117 countryside regions this month. These countryside regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Loire Valley & Centre.
Castilla-La ManchaSpain · about 590 miles
Very good weather (7.3): 5°F warmer afternoons, 2 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
ExtremaduraSpain · about 690 miles
Very good weather (7.8): 8°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
AlentejoPortugal · about 790 miles
Very good weather (8.1): 9°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 30% of the busiest month and 38% below its average month. That means about 17,000 overnight visitors on a typical March night across the region, 88% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 8,200 more: 47 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 67 |
| How our weather was checked | 143 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.4°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 7 |
| Busiest month here | August · 22 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 0.7% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 34th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 88% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 47 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 1.0% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: A little below usual (−6% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 2.6 million |
| Statistical region | FRB0 · Centre — Val de Loire |
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.