The visitor season
Low season, nationally.
October records 31% of August's overnight stays. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.
A good place. At the right time.
Is October a good time?
National overnight stays are 31% of the August peak.
Weather falls below the very-good band in 7 scored regions.
Find your October baseBased on 22 statistical regions. Typical conditions, not a forecast for individual towns.
One month. 22 possibilities.
The useful differences, side by side. Open a region for its full month guide.
What matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
Overall scores use the Balanced mix. Choose a different priority to order the regions by that mix.
CountrysideToulouse & the PyreneesToulouse · LourdesRead the October guide ↗
Overall8.1/10#1 month here · Balanced
Weather8.8/10Very good69°F afternoons · 7 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysidePoitou-CharentesLa Rochelle · Île de RéRead the October guide ↗
Overall8.0/10#2 month here · Balanced
Weather8.2/10Very good67°F afternoons · 9 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachCorsicaAjaccio · BonifacioRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.7/10#3 month here · Balanced
Weather8.1/10Very good72°F afternoons · 8 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 October guide ↗
Overall7.9/10#3 month here · Balanced
Weather7.8/10Very good65°F afternoons · 8 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
MountainsAuvergneClermont-FerrandRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.7/10#2 month here · Balanced
Weather7.6/10Very good64°F afternoons · 8 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideLoire Valley & CentreLoire châteaux · Tours · OrléansRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.4/10#3 month here · Balanced
Weather7.6/10Very good65°F afternoons · 10 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideLimousinLimogesRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.6/10#2 month here · Balanced
Weather7.5/10Very good65°F afternoons · 10 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideBurgundyDijon · BeauneRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.3/10#4 month here · Balanced
Weather7.5/10Very good64°F afternoons · 10 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachFrench Riviera & ProvenceNice · Marseille · Cannes · Avignon · Saint-TropezRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.3/10#5 month here · Balanced
Weather7.4/10Very good71°F afternoons · 7 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideAlsaceStrasbourg · ColmarRead the October guide ↗
Overall6.8/10#7 month here · Balanced
Weather7.4/10Very good63°F afternoons · 10 rain days
Visitor seasonBusy seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CityParis & aroundParis · Versailles · Disneyland ParisRead the October guide ↗
Overall6.7/10#7 month here · Balanced
Weather7.4/10Very good64°F afternoons · 10 rain days
Visitor seasonSteady all yearsimilar all yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
MountainsFranche-Comté & the JuraBesançonRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.5/10#3 month here · Balanced
Weather7.1/10Very good63°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachLanguedoc-RoussillonMontpellier · Carcassonne · NîmesRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.5/10#4 month here · Balanced
Weather7.1/10Very good71°F afternoons · 8 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideChampagneReims · ÉpernayRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.0/10#6 month here · Balanced
Weather7.1/10Very good63°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysidePicardyAmiensRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.0/10#7 month here · Balanced
Weather7.1/10Very good63°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
CountrysideLorraineNancy · MetzRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.0/10#7 month here · Balanced
Weather6.9/10Good61°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachBordeaux & the Atlantic coastBordeaux · Biarritz · ArcachonRead the October guide ↗
Overall7.2/10#3 month here · Balanced
Weather6.7/10Good70°F afternoons · 8 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachNantes & Pays de la LoireNantesRead the October guide ↗
Overall6.6/10#5 month here · Balanced
Weather5.3/10Good65°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachBrittanySaint-Malo · RennesRead the October guide ↗
Overall6.2/10#5 month here · Balanced
Weather4.7/10Fair63°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachWestern NormandyMont-Saint-Michel · D-Day beaches · CaenRead the October guide ↗
Overall5.9/10#6 month here · Balanced
Weather4.4/10Fair63°F afternoons · 11 rain days
Visitor seasonLow seasonvs its own yearNear usual price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachEastern NormandyRouen · Étretat · GivernyRead the October guide ↗
Overall5.6/10#7 month here · Balanced
Weather4.2/10Fair63°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher price seasonhistorical estimated seasonal pattern; national price level
BeachLille & the north coastLilleRead the October guide ↗
Overall5.4/10#7 month here · Balanced
Weather4.1/10Fair62°F afternoons · 12 rain days
Visitor seasonModerate seasonvs its own yearHigher 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.
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
Regional averages vary; check a forecast closer to your trip.
Ranges span available regional monthly averages, not daily extremes. A dash means a measurement is unavailable or withheld; individual guides explain the gaps.
Afternoons around 72°F (22°C): T-shirt weather; nights around 59°F (15°C): a sweater and a light jacket.
| Region | Afternoon | Night | Rain days | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toulouse & the Pyrenees | 69°F | 51°F | 7 | very good |
| Poitou-Charentes | 67°F | 49°F | 9 | very good |
| Corsica | 72°F | 59°F | 8 | very good |
| Lyon & the French Alps | 65°F | 47°F | 8 | very good |
| Auvergne | 64°F | 46°F | 8 | very good |
| Loire Valley & Centre | 65°F | 48°F | 10 | very good |
| Limousin | 65°F | 48°F | 10 | very good |
| Burgundy | 64°F | 47°F | 10 | very good |
| French Riviera & Provence | 71°F | 54°F | 7 | very good |
| Alsace | 63°F | 45°F | 10 | very good |
| Paris & around | 64°F | 47°F | 10 | very good |
| Franche-Comté & the Jura | 63°F | 45°F | 11 | very good |
| Languedoc-Roussillon | 71°F | 54°F | 8 | very good |
| Champagne | 63°F | 46°F | 11 | very good |
| Picardy | 63°F | 47°F | 11 | very good |
| Lorraine | 61°F | 45°F | 11 | good |
| Bordeaux & the Atlantic coast | 70°F | 51°F | 8 | good |
| Nantes & Pays de la Loire | 65°F | 49°F | 11 | good |
| Brittany | 63°F | 49°F | 12 | fair |
| Western Normandy | 63°F | 48°F | 11 | fair |
| Eastern Normandy | 63°F | 48°F | 12 | fair |
| Lille & the north coast | 62°F | 48°F | 12 | fair |
Before you go
The visitor season
October records 31% of August's overnight stays. This measures overnight demand, not queues or day-trippers.
Hotel prices
+5% 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.
Thinking about the coast?
Among beach-focused regions, the warmest measured seas this month are Corsica (71°F), French Riviera & Provence (68°F), Languedoc-Roussillon (66°F). Sea temperature is one part of a beach trip; open a region for weather and seasonal closures.
Holidays: 45% of people in France live where schools are out on a typical October 2026 day. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Same country. A different chapter.
October is fixed, but the destination isn't? Find somewhere else in Europe ↗
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.