A good place. At the right time.

France
in March.

Is March a good time?

°F°C

No scored region rates very good or better for weather this month.

National overnight stays are 27% of the August peak.

Regional afternoon highs: 54–62°F
Very good weather: 0 / 22 regions

Check seasonal openings: 2 regions have an off-season warning this month.

Find your March base

Based on 22 statistical regions. Typical conditions, not a forecast for individual towns.

Paris rooftops and the Eiffel TowerDestination view, not month-specific.

One month. 22 possibilities.

Choose your March base.

The useful differences, side by side. Open a region for its full month guide.

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

Find a place or region

Trip focus

22 of 22 regions · Best weather first

Overall scores use the Balanced mix. Choose a different priority to order the regions by that mix.

Illustration of Pink-brick Garonne waterfront in Toulouse

CountrysideToulouse & the PyreneesToulouse · LourdesRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.5/10#5 month here · Balanced Weather6.7/10Good60°F afternoons · 11 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Dunes and Atlantic shore on Île de Ré

CountrysidePoitou-CharentesLa Rochelle · Île de RéRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#6 month here · Balanced Weather6.6/10Good58°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Canal and half-timbered houses in Colmar

CountrysideAlsaceStrasbourg · ColmarRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.1/10#3 month here · Balanced Weather6.4/10Good56°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Mont-Blanc massif above the Chamonix valley

CityLyon & the French AlpsLyon · Chamonix · Annecy · CourchevelRead the March guide ↗ Overall6.3/10#9 month here · Balanced Weather6.4/10Good58°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Autumn vineyards in the Côte de Beaune

CountrysideBurgundyDijon · BeauneRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#5 month here · Balanced Weather6.3/10Good56°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Château de Chenonceau over the River Cher

CountrysideLoire Valley & CentreLoire châteaux · Tours · OrléansRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#6 month here · Balanced Weather6.3/10Good57°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Paris from an elevated Montmartre-style viewpoint, Eiffel Tower beyond zinc rooftops

CityParis & aroundParis · Versailles · Disneyland ParisRead the March guide ↗ Overall6.3/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather6.2/10Good56°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonSteady all yearsimilar all yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Volcanic hills of the Chaîne des Puys near Clermont-Ferrand

MountainsAuvergneClermont-FerrandRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#6 month here · Balanced Weather6.1/10Good56°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Champagne vineyard hills near Épernay

CountrysideChampagneReims · ÉpernayRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.0/10#7 month here · Balanced Weather6.1/10Good55°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Historic Doubs waterfront in Besançon

MountainsFranche-Comté & the JuraBesançonRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#6 month here · Balanced Weather6.0/10Good55°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Autumn Vienne riverbank in Limoges

CountrysideLimousinLimogesRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.2/10#6 month here · Balanced Weather6.0/10Good57°F afternoons · 12 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Place Stanislas in Nancy

CountrysideLorraineNancy · MetzRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.1/10#6 month here · Balanced Weather6.0/10Good54°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Saint-Leu canals in Amiens

CountrysidePicardyAmiensRead the March guide ↗ Overall7.1/10#4 month here · Balanced Weather6.0/10Good55°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Baie des Anges and Nice waterfront

BeachFrench Riviera & ProvenceNice · Marseille · Cannes · Avignon · Saint-TropezRead the March guide ↗ Overall6.6/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather5.1/10Good61°F afternoons · 5 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Bonifacio clifftop old town and limestone coast

BeachCorsicaAjaccio · BonifacioRead the March guide ↗ Overall5.3/10#9 month here · Balanced Weather4.9/10Fair61°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Porte Narbonnaise at Carcassonne

BeachLanguedoc-RoussillonMontpellier · Carcassonne · NîmesRead the March guide ↗ Overall5.3/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather4.7/10Fair62°F afternoons · 7 rain days Visitor seasonOff seasonmany places closedLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Dune du Pilat near Arcachon

BeachBordeaux & the Atlantic coastBordeaux · Biarritz · ArcachonRead the March guide ↗ Overall5.8/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather4.1/10Fair61°F afternoons · 12 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Château des ducs de Bretagne in Nantes

BeachNantes & Pays de la LoireNantesRead the March guide ↗ Overall5.0/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather3.0/10Fair57°F afternoons · 8 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Saint-Malo ramparts above the tidal beach

BeachBrittanySaint-Malo · RennesRead the March guide ↗ Overall4.5/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather2.5/10Poor55°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Cobbled streets and Flemish facades in Vieux-Lille

BeachLille & the north coastLilleRead the March guide ↗ Overall4.4/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather2.4/10Poor54°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Porte d’Aval arch and needle at Étretat

BeachEastern NormandyRouen · Étretat · GivernyRead the March guide ↗ Overall4.3/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather2.3/10Poor55°F afternoons · 10 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

Illustration of Mont-Saint-Michel and its tidal bay

BeachWestern NormandyMont-Saint-Michel · D-Day beaches · CaenRead the March guide ↗ Overall4.3/10#8 month here · Balanced Weather2.3/10Poor55°F afternoons · 9 rain days Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearLower price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level

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

March weather & packing.

Regional averages vary; check a forecast closer to your trip.

Typical afternoons: 54–62°F
Typical nights: 35–47°F
Rain days: 5–12 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.

Afternoons around 62°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 43°F (6°C): a warm coat.

Weather, region by region Afternoons, nights, rain & weather

Available regional monthly averages. Very good weather means a displayed score of at least 7.0/10.
Region	Afternoon	Night	Rain days	Weather
Toulouse & the Pyrenees	60°F	41°F	11	good
Poitou-Charentes	58°F	41°F	10	good
Alsace	56°F	36°F	9	good
Lyon & the French Alps	58°F	38°F	9	good
Burgundy	56°F	38°F	10	good
Loire Valley & Centre	57°F	38°F	10	good
Paris & around	56°F	38°F	9	good
Auvergne	56°F	36°F	10	good
Champagne	55°F	37°F	10	good
Franche-Comté & the Jura	55°F	36°F	9	good
Limousin	57°F	38°F	12	good
Lorraine	54°F	35°F	10	good
Picardy	55°F	37°F	10	good
French Riviera & Provence	61°F	44°F	5	good
Corsica	61°F	47°F	8	fair
Languedoc-Roussillon	62°F	43°F	7	fair
Bordeaux & the Atlantic coast	61°F	42°F	12	fair
Nantes & Pays de la Loire	57°F	40°F	8	fair
Brittany	55°F	40°F	10	poor
Lille & the north coast	54°F	37°F	10	poor
Eastern Normandy	55°F	38°F	10	poor
Western Normandy	55°F	39°F	9	poor

Before you go

Check the trip details.

The visitor season

Low season, nationally.

March records 27% of August's overnight stays. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.

Hotel prices

A little below usual.

−6% 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 Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon. 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 (57°F), French Riviera & Provence (57°F), Languedoc-Roussillon (55°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

Holidays: 10% of people in France live where schools are out on a typical March 2027 day. Public holidays: 29 Mar Easter Monday. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Same country. A different chapter.

Dates still up in the air?

France through the year ↗

March 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.