Early May 1 May
64°F
Typical afternoon high
38% historical wet-day frequency
France · City
Paris & around
in May.
Is May a good time?
Mild days.
A steady visitor season.
May averages 68°F afternoons, with about 9 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 68°F
- Rain days
- 9
- Visitor demand
- 98%of June peak
Historical Ile-de-France regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. This covers Paris and the whole Île-de-France region: Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Saint-Denis and the suburbs. Central Paris on its own is busier than these figures show, because the visitors concentrate there while the population count includes the whole region.
Overall match
7.3/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#5 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather8.3/10Very good
CrowdsSteady all yearsimilar all year; overnight stays do not measure queues
CostPriceyfor Europe; France-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your May
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 68°F (20°C): light layers; nights around 48°F (9°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 15 hours of daylight.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 15 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 06:10 and sets about 21:22 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 48°F (9°C); afternoons reach about 68°F (20°C). Expect rain on about 9 days in a typical May.
Typical afternoon
68°F (20°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
48°F (9°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
15h 13m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late May?
Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 64°F on the 1st, versus 72°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 38% to 28% between those dates.
Mid May 15 May
68°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
Late May 31 May
72°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: 1 May Labour Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 8 May Victory Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
May 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 164° | 265° | |||||
| 365° | 465° | 566° | 666° | 766° | 866° | 967° |
| 1067° | 1167° | 1267° | 1368° | 1468° | 1568° | 1668° |
| 1768° | 1868° | 1968° | 2069° | 2169° | 2269° | 2370° |
| 2470° | 2571° | 2671° | 2771° | 2871° | 2972° | 3072° |
| 3172° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 65°F (19°C) in the first week to 71°F (22°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 27–40%. Local schools are out 6–9 May 2027.
Schools here are off 6–9 May 2027 (Ascension bridge). Other school-holiday dates this month may be missing. Public holidays: 1 May Labour Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 8 May Victory Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds, cost and getting there
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Steady all year. May averages 98% of June's overnight stays per day. Overnight demand varies little across the year.
Overnight stays across Ile-de-France do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
About 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 New York JFK, Los Angeles, Newark and Boston and 13 more; 2024 schedule, Eurostat
Year-to-year variation
How much does May vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 62°F (16°C) and 72°F (22°C); in 7 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 68°F (20°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 17; half the years had 6–15.
Rain days in each May
Rain days
9
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 15 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
5 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
23 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 72°F | 1 |
| 2012 | 69°F | 11 |
| 2013 | 62°F | 12 |
| 2014 | 66°F | 15 |
| 2015 | 66°F | 9 |
| 2016 | 67°F | 15 |
| 2017 | 71°F | 9 |
| 2018 | 72°F | 8 |
| 2019 | 65°F | 10 |
| 2020 | 71°F | 6 |
| 2021 | 64°F | 16 |
| 2022 | 72°F | 4 |
| 2023 | 68°F | 8 |
| 2024 | 67°F | 17 |
| 2025 | 71°F | 6 |
Checked against 62 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
April, May
or June?
| Typical conditions | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 62°F | 68°F | 75°F |
| Rain days | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Overnight demand | 96% | 98% | 100% |
April: Cooler afternoons than May. April guide →
June: Warmer afternoons than May. June guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.
Hotel stays vary little through the year. No other scored month has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May.
Your comparison
May or April?
Overnight stays vary little through the year.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest about usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the April guide →| Typical conditions | May | April |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 68°F | 62°F |
| Nights | 48°F | 42°F |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 |
| Visitor season | Steady all year | Steady all year |
| Overall / 10 | 7.3 | 7.1 |
| Month rank | #5 | #6 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.5 | #11 | 46°F | 35°F | 14 | 4.5 | Steady all year |
| February | 5.8 | #10 | 49°F | 35°F | 9 | 5.2 | Steady all year |
| March | 6.3 | #8 | 56°F | 38°F | 9 | 6.2 | Steady all year |
| April | 7.1 | #6 | 62°F | 42°F | 8 | 7.7 | Steady all year |
| May | 7.3 | #5 | 68°F | 48°F | 9 | 8.3 | Steady all year |
| June | 7.5 | #4 | 75°F | 55°F | 9 | 8.8 | Steady all year |
| July | 7.9 | #2 | 79°F | 58°F | 8 | 9.0 | Steady all year |
| August | 8.0 | #1 | 79°F | 57°F | 7 | 9.0 | Steady all year |
| September | 7.7 | #3 | 73°F | 52°F | 7 | 9.1 | Steady all year |
| October | 6.7 | #7 | 64°F | 47°F | 10 | 7.4 | Steady all year |
| November | 5.9 | #9 | 53°F | 41°F | 10 | 5.6 | Steady all year |
| December | 5.4 | #12 | 49°F | 38°F | 12 | 4.6 | Steady all year |
Near here
Nearby places in May
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
PicardyFrance · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 7.1 · Very good weather, 67°F (19°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Eastern NormandyFrance · about 80 miles
Balanced Overall 5.8 · Good weather, 66°F (19°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Western NormandyFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 5.9 · Good weather, 65°F (18°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Bruges & the Belgian coastWest Flanders · Belgium · about 160 miles
Balanced Overall 5.7 · Good weather, 65°F (19°C) · Busy season · Cost pricey
Nantes & Pays de la LoireFrance · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 6.7 · Good weather, 68°F (20°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better May weather than Paris & around
Paris & around's weather ranks 20 of 41 city regions this month. These city regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Paris & around.
Barcelona & CataloniaSpain · about 480 miles
Excellent weather (10.0): 6°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days
AragonSpain · about 520 miles
Excellent weather (9.4): 10°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, cheaper
MadridSpain · about 640 miles
Excellent weather (9.7): 9°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days
Rome & LazioItaly · about 680 miles
Excellent weather (9.7): 6°F warmer afternoons, pricier
LisbonPortugal · about 900 miles
Excellent weather (10.0): 4°F warmer afternoons, 7 fewer rain days
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
Hotel stays are steady all year here: this month is 98% of the busiest and about average. That counts overnight stays, not how busy the sights are.The figures cover the whole Ile-de-France region, suburbs included. That means about 255,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 44% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 87,000 more: 34 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100) | 77 |
| How our weather was checked | 62 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 2°F (1.2°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 20 |
| Busiest month here | June · 21 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 2.0% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 69th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 44% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 34 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.7% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (0% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 12.5 million |
| Statistical region | FR10 · Ile-de-France |
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.