Best Time to Visit France, Switzerland & Germany

How it works

There is no single best month, there is a best month for your trip. Lavender in Provence blooms from late June to mid-July. The Swiss hiking lifts run from June to mid-October. Christmas markets open in the last week of November and close on December 23 or 24. September is the month our designers pick for almost everything: warm, calm, grape harvest, clear mountain views. Choose a country and what matters to you, and the tool ranks the months.

Best months for Switzerland

October 6–14 °C
Golden larches in the Engadin; Glacier Express pauses mid-month, many lifts close in the last week.
Good for: Mountains and hiking, Fewer crowds
November 2–8 °C
Quietest month; Christmas markets start late in the month.
Good for: Fewer crowds
March 1–10 °C
Spring skiing up high, lakes still cool; good hotel rates.
Good for: Fewer crowds

Month by month

Month	Temperatures	Crowds	Prices	What to expect
January	−2–4 °C	●●●○○	●●●○○	Full ski season; Zermatt and St. Moritz at their best.
February	−2–5 °C	●●●○○	●●●○○	Reliable snow, sunny days in the Engadin.
March	1–10 °C	●●○○○	●●○○○	Spring skiing up high, lakes still cool; good hotel rates.
April	4–14 °C	●●○○○	●●○○○	Shoulder season: some mountain lifts closed for maintenance.
May	8–18 °C	●●○○○	●●○○○	Blossom in the valleys, snow on the peaks, few people.
June	12–22 °C	●●●○○	●●●○○	Hiking season opens; Glacier Express and lake cruises in full swing.
July	14–25 °C	●●●●●	●●●●●	Warmest month and high season: all trails and lifts open, book early.
August	14–25 °C	●●●●●	●●●●●	Peak summer, busiest at Jungfraujoch and Zermatt.
September	10–20 °C	●●●○○	●●●○○	Clear skies, cow descents, wine in Lavaux: our favorite.
October	6–14 °C	●●○○○	●●○○○	Golden larches in the Engadin; Glacier Express pauses mid-month, many lifts close in the last week.
November	2–8 °C	●○○○○	●○○○○	Quietest month; Christmas markets start late in the month.
December	−1–4 °C	●●●●○	●●●●○	Christmas markets in Basel, Montreux and Zurich; ski season opens.

Typical daytime temperatures in the main regions; mountains are colder. Our designers confirm dates, opening times and events for your year.

Our designers’ advice

Dates to know: Oktoberfest runs from the second half of September to the first Sunday of October; the Nice Carnival is in February; Lake Como's villas open in late March; most ski resorts open the first weekend of December. For a Christmas trip, see our Christmas markets itineraries; for the Alps in summer, our mountains and lakes trips.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to visit Switzerland?

September for hiking, trains and clear views, with fewer people than July and August. For skiing, February. For Christmas markets, the first three weeks of December.

When is lavender season in Provence?

Fields around Valensole bloom from about June 20 to July 15; the harvest starts right after. Higher plateaus (Sault) bloom until early August.

When do the Christmas markets open?

Strasbourg and Colmar open in the last week of November and run until December 24 (Colmar until December 29). German markets open the Friday before the first Advent Sunday and close on December 23 or 24. Few markets stay open between Christmas and New Year.

Is Europe crowded in July and August?

Yes, on the coasts, in Zermatt and at Jungfraujoch. Cities like Paris and Milan are actually quieter in August because residents are on holiday. If you must travel in summer, we book mountain excursions for first departures and hotels nine months ahead.