When to go · Paris
Paris in May
Great month. Pleasant; several bank holidays close shops and museums.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 19°C (66°F)66°F (19°C) / 11°C (52°F)52°F (11°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- Medium
- France overall
- Prices
- Medium
- France overall
Verdict
Pleasant; several bank holidays close shops and museums.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
No other month rates higher than May for Paris in this guide.
Weather in May
- ParisHighs around 19 °C (66 °F), lows around 11 °C (52 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 66 °F (19 °C), lows around 52 °F (11 °C), rain on about 10 days
- Paris and the north, France · Paris, Lille, Champagne, Normandy inlandbest weather
Grey, damp winters; late spring and September are the sweet spot. Paris heatwaves hit 35–40 °C (95–104 °F) in July–August and most flats and small hotels lack air conditioning.Grey, damp winters; late spring and September are the sweet spot. Paris heatwaves hit 95–104 °F (35–40 °C) in July–August and most flats and small hotels lack air conditioning.
Spring season
Blossom, terraces and mild days; the best walking.
Watch: Easter crowds and bank holidays.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Labour Day (1 May)
1 May · City-wide
Many museums and shops shut.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · France overall
- Medium
- Prices · France overall
- Medium
France overall: Long weekends (1 May, 8 May, Ascension) fill trains; otherwise mild and green. Cannes festival lifts Riviera prices mid-month.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Paris, side by side.
Verdict
May: Great
Jun: Great
Daytime high
May: 19 °C (66 °F)66 °F (19 °C)
Jun: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Night low
May: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °C)
Jun: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Rain days
May: 10
Jun: 9 (better)
Crowds
May: Medium
Jun: High
Prices
May: Medium
Jun: High
Festivals listed
May: 1
Jun: 1
May: Pleasant; several bank holidays close shops and museums.
June: Long evenings; Fête de la Musique on 21 June.
Paris: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast