Early October 1 October
66°F
Typical afternoon high
34% historical wet-day frequency
France · Beach
Western Normandy
in October.
Is October a good time?
Mild days.
Fewer overnight stays than September.
October averages 63°F afternoons and 62°F seas, with about 11 rain days. Later October is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 63°F
- Sea
- 62°F
- Visitor demand
- 28%of August peak
Historical Basse-Normandie regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Mont-Saint-Michel, D-Day beaches and Caen; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
5.9/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#6 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather4.4/10Fair
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe; France-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your October
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 63°F (17°C): light layers; nights around 48°F (9°C): a sweater and a light jacket. Bring rain gear: about 11 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 11 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in October?
The sea averages 62°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. 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 11 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 08:21 and sets about 19:15 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 48°F (9°C); afternoons reach about 63°F (17°C). Expect rain on about 11 days in a typical October.
Typical afternoon
63°F (17°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Octobers
Night low
48°F (9°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
62°F (16°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
10h 54m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late October?
Early October is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 66°F on the 1st, versus 59°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 34% to 45% between those dates.
Mid October 15 October
63°F
Typical afternoon high
36% historical wet-day frequency
Late October 31 October
59°F
Typical afternoon high
45% 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 datesOctober 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
October 2026 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 166° | 266° | 366° | 465° | |||
| 565° | 665° | 765° | 864° | 964° | 1064° | 1164° |
| 1264° | 1363° | 1463° | 1563° | 1663° | 1763° | 1863° |
| 1962° | 2062° | 2162° | 2262° | 2362° | 2461° | 2561° |
| 2661° | 2760° | 2860° | 2960° | 3059° | 3159° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons cool from about 65°F (19°C) in the first week to 60°F (16°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 32–45%. Local schools are out 18–31 October 2026.
Schools here are off 18–31 October 2026 (All Saints holidays). Elsewhere in October 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 33%, Netherlands 39%, Switzerland 32%, Belgium 15%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Low season. October averages 28% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than September.
Overnight stays across Basse-Normandie 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 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.
Year-to-year variation
How much does October vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 60°F (16°C) and 67°F (19°C); in 13 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 63°F (17°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 22; half the years had 6–15.
Rain days in each October
Rain days
11
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
3 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no October in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
6 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded OctoberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 64°F | 5 |
| 2012 | 60°F | 17 |
| 2013 | 64°F | 15 |
| 2014 | 65°F | 11 |
| 2015 | 61°F | 6 |
| 2016 | 61°F | 5 |
| 2017 | 64°F | 8 |
| 2018 | 64°F | 6 |
| 2019 | 61°F | 22 |
| 2020 | 60°F | 19 |
| 2021 | 63°F | 10 |
| 2022 | 67°F | 14 |
| 2023 | 66°F | 15 |
| 2024 | 63°F | 11 |
| 2025 | 62°F | 11 |
Checked against 66 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
September, October
or November?
| Typical conditions | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 70°F | 63°F | 54°F |
| Sea | 64°F | 62°F | 57°F |
| Rain days | 8 | 11 | 13 |
| Overnight demand | 43% | 28% | 15% |
September: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than October. More overnight demand. September guide →
November: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and more rain days than October. Less overnight demand. November 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 October Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. October stays as your reference.
May to September have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than October, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
October or September?
Overnight stays are 43% 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 September guide →| Typical conditions | October | September |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 63°F | 70°F |
| Nights | 48°F | 52°F |
| Sea | 62°F | 64°F |
| Rain days | 11 | 8 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Moderate season |
| Overall / 10 | 5.9 | 6.8 |
| Month rank | #6 | #1 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.0 | #10 | 48°F | 37°F | 50°F | 14 | 1.0 | Off season |
| February | 3.0 | #11 | 50°F | 37°F | 48°F | 11 | 1.0 | Low season |
| March | 4.3 | #8 | 55°F | 39°F | 48°F | 9 | 2.3 | Low season |
| April | 5.7 | #7 | 60°F | 42°F | 51°F | 7 | 4.3 | Moderate season |
| May | 5.9 | #5 | 65°F | 47°F | 54°F | 9 | 5.4 | Moderate season |
| June | 6.5 | #3 | 71°F | 52°F | 59°F | 7 | 6.8 | Moderate season |
| July | 6.5 | #2 | 75°F | 55°F | 63°F | 8 | 7.9 | Busy season |
| August | 6.0 | #4 | 74°F | 55°F | 65°F | 8 | 7.8 | Peak season |
| September | 6.8 | #1 | 70°F | 52°F | 64°F | 8 | 6.8 | Moderate season |
| October | 5.9 | #6 | 63°F | 48°F | 62°F | 11 | 4.4 | Low season |
| November | 3.7 | #9 | 54°F | 43°F | 57°F | 13 | 1.7 | Low season |
| December | 3.0 | #12 | 50°F | 40°F | 53°F | 13 | 1.0 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in October
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Eastern NormandyFrance · about 80 miles
Balanced Overall 5.6 · Fair weather, 63°F (17°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Nantes & Pays de la LoireFrance · about 100 miles
Balanced Overall 6.6 · Good weather, 65°F (18°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
BrittanyFrance · about 120 miles
Balanced Overall 6.2 · Fair weather, 63°F (17°C) · Low season · Cost pricey
Paris & aroundFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 6.7 · Very good weather, 64°F (18°C) · Steady all year · Cost pricey
Loire Valley & CentreFrance · about 140 miles
Balanced Overall 7.4 · Very good weather, 65°F (18°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better October weather than Western Normandy
Western Normandy's weather ranks 51 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside France have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Western Normandy.
CantabriaSpain · about 430 miles
Good weather (6.9): 8°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, cheaper
AsturiasSpain · about 470 miles
Good weather (6.4): 7°F warmer afternoons, 2 fewer rain days, cheaper
Liguria & the Cinque TerreItaly · about 540 miles
Good weather (6.6): 7°F warmer afternoons
GaliciaSpain · about 560 miles
Good weather (5.7): 6°F warmer afternoons, 2 more rain days, cheaper
Venice & the VenetoItaly · about 620 miles
Good weather (6.3): 5°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 28% of the busiest month and 28% below its average month. That means about 22,000 overnight visitors on a typical October night across the region, 77% of them from France itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 13,000 more: 59 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 57 |
| How our weather was checked | 66 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.1°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 15 |
| Busiest month here | August · 54 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.5% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 62nd percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 77% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 59 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.3% |
| National hotel-price season | France historical 2024–2025 index: A little above usual (+5% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 1.5 million |
| Statistical region | FRD1 · Basse-Normandie |
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.