Autumn is among the finest instances to go to France. September nonetheless looks like summer season within the south, October brings the grape harvest and golden vineyards, and November is the season for truffles, chestnuts, new wine and empty museums. The perfect locations to go to within the fall are the wine areas (Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne and Alsace), the Loire Valley, Provence after the summer season crowds, the Dordogne and Paris itself.
This information covers the place to go from September to November, what’s in season, the principle autumn festivals and what to pack.
Why Go to France in Autumn
- Fewer crowds: as soon as French and European summer season holidays finish in early September, standard sights turn into a lot calmer.
- Decrease costs: accommodations and leases on the coast and within the countryside drop their charges after peak season. See our information to the most cost-effective time to journey to France.
- Harvest season: the vendanges (grape harvest) runs from late August to October, and markets fill with mushrooms, chestnuts, walnuts, apples, pumpkins and recreation.
- Nice climate: September and early October are sometimes heat and sunny, particularly within the south; the ocean within the Mediterranean stays swimmable effectively into September.
- Fall colours: vineyards flip gold and pink, and forests within the Loire, Burgundy, the Vosges and the Dordogne glow in October and early November.
Wine Harvest Areas: Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne
Autumn is probably the most thrilling season in French wine nation. Harvest dates rely upon the climate annually and are sooner than they was, so examine with wineries earlier than you propose a go to round selecting. Wineries are busy throughout the harvest itself, and a few restrict visits; e-book tastings forward.
Burgundy
Choosing often takes place in September. Afterwards, the slopes of the Côte d’Or flip yellow and russet, which makes October an attractive time to drive or cycle between Beaune, Meursault and Nuits-Saint-Georges. On the third weekend of November, Beaune hosts the well-known Hospices de Beaune charity wine public sale with avenue festivities. Learn our wine information to Burgundy for villages and tasting suggestions.
Bordeaux
The harvest in Bordeaux typically runs from September into October, with châteaux within the Médoc, Saint-Émilion and Pessac-Léognan in full exercise. Saint-Émilion’s medieval village is way extra nice with out summer season crowds, and the town of Bordeaux makes a simple base.
Champagne
Champagne often harvests from late August to late September, among the many earliest in France. The cellars in Reims and Épernay are open all yr and keep at a continuing cool temperature, so they’re a sensible choice in any autumn climate. See our information to visiting the Champagne homes in Épernay and Reims.
For an outline of different areas, see the finest wine areas to go to in France.
Loire Valley Châteaux in Fall Colours
The Loire Valley is at its most romantic in October, when the parks and forests round Chambord, Chenonceau, Cheverny and Villandry change shade and mist rises from the river within the mornings. The gardens of Villandry have autumn plantings, and the vineyards of Vouvray, Chinon and Sancerre are harvesting.
Many châteaux keep open all yr, however hours shorten from early November and a few smaller properties shut for the winter, so examine earlier than you go. Biking the Loire à Vélo route continues to be nice in September and early October. Questioning whether or not it fits you? Learn is the Loire Valley value visiting.
Alsace and the Vosges
Alongside the Alsace Wine Route, the harvest runs by way of September and October, and villages reminiscent of Riquewihr, Eguisheim and Kaysersberg are embellished with autumn flowers and pumpkins. That is the season for vin nouveau (new, partly fermented wine) served with walnuts and for hearty dishes like choucroute. Within the Vosges mountains simply above, beech and fir forests make a few of the finest fall foliage in France; excessive roads such because the Route des Crêtes often shut for winter from mid-November.
From late November, Alsace’s well-known Christmas markets open, so a late-autumn journey can mix each seasons.
Provence With out the Crowds
September and October are perfect for Provence: the sunshine is mushy, temperatures are snug for strolling, and hilltop villages reminiscent of Gordes and Roussillon are calmer. Lavender is lengthy completed, however vineyards, olive groves and markets are at their finest. September continues to be good for the seashores and calanques close to Marseille and Cassis.
Later in autumn, Provence turns to the olive harvest (November and December) and black truffles, with truffle markets within the northern Vaucluse starting round late November. The mistral wind can blow arduous and chilly, so convey a windproof layer.
Dordogne and the Southwest
The Dordogne and Lot valleys are made for autumn: castles above the river, walnut harvests, cèpe mushrooms, foie gras and duck dishes on each menu. Sarlat’s market is quieter than in summer season, and the prehistoric cave websites are simpler to e-book. Additional south, the Basque village of Espelette celebrates its pink pepper harvest with a pageant on the finish of October.
Paris in Autumn
Paris is gorgeous in September and October, when the timber within the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries and alongside the Seine flip gold and the town returns to work and tradition after the August lull (la rentrée). Highlights embody:
- European Heritage Days (third weekend of September), when ministries, embassies and personal buildings open to the general public.
- Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, the harvest pageant of the small Montmartre winery, often in early to mid-October.
- Salon du Chocolat, a chocolate truthful often held in late October or early November.
- New exhibitions at main museums and the beginning of the opera, theater and live performance season.
November in Paris is gray and moist, however by the top of the month the Christmas lights are switched on; our information to Paris in winter covers what comes subsequent.
Autumn Meals and Festivals
| When | What | The place |
|---|---|---|
| September | Grape harvest; European Heritage Days | Wine areas; all of France |
| September–October | Mushrooms (cèpes, girolles), apples, figs | Markets nationwide; southwest and forests |
| October | Chestnut festivals; cider and apple harvest; Espelette pepper pageant | Ardèche and Cévennes; Normandy and Brittany; Basque Nation |
| October–November | Walnuts, recreation, pumpkins, vin nouveau | Dordogne, Périgord, Alsace |
| Third Thursday of November | Beaujolais Nouveau launch | Beaujolais, Lyon, bars throughout France |
| Third weekend of November | Hospices de Beaune wine public sale | Beaune, Burgundy |
| November onwards | Black truffles, oysters, Mont d’Or cheese | Provence and Périgord; Atlantic coast; Jura |
Autumn can also be when seasonal cheeses like Mont d’Or return; see our French cheese information for what to attempt.
A Pattern One-Week Autumn Route
If you wish to mix a number of autumn highlights, this route hyperlinks Paris with two wine areas by quick practice and a brief automotive rental. Journey instances are approximate.
| Days | Base | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Paris | Fall colours within the Luxembourg Gardens, museums, a Seine stroll |
| 3 | Reims (about 45 minutes by TGV) | Cathedral and a Champagne cellar tour; possibility to go to Épernay |
| 4–5 | Beaune (through Paris or Dijon by practice) | Côte d’Or wine villages, Hospices de Beaune, tastings booked forward |
| 6–7 | Strasbourg or Colmar (by practice from Dijon) | Alsace Wine Route villages, vin nouveau, Vosges foliage |
Lease a automotive for the winery days, since many wine villages have restricted public transport, and select a chosen driver or a guided tour for tastings. Want hotter climate? Swap the jap areas for Provence or the Dordogne in September or early October.
Climate and Packing Suggestions
| Month | What to anticipate |
|---|---|
| September | Heat and sometimes sunny; summer-like within the south, gentle within the north |
| October | Gentle days, cool evenings, extra rain within the north and west; fall colours |
| November | Cool, damp and brief days; gentle on the Mediterranean coast, first snow within the mountains |
- Pack layers: a light-weight sweater, a water-proof jacket and comfy footwear; add a heat coat and scarf for November.
- Clocks return an hour on the final Sunday of October, so days really feel a lot shorter after that.
- French faculty holidays round All Saints’ Day (late October to early November) make standard sights busier; November 1 and November 11 are public holidays.
- Many seasonal companies on the coast, within the mountains and on islands shut from October or November till spring; examine opening dates for boat journeys, seaside eating places and mountain lifts.
Abstract
France in autumn means grape harvests and golden vineyards in Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne and Alsace, châteaux framed by fall colours within the Loire, a calmer Provence, walnuts and mushrooms within the Dordogne and a cultural Paris. Go in September for heat, October for colours and the harvest, and November for truffles, new wine and the bottom crowds, however examine opening hours, which shorten because the season ends.
