Avignon: When to Go

You'll need to book many months ahead for a room during the Avignon Festival (Jul-Aug), which attracts 150,000 patrons. Sun-worshippers can bake from June to early September, often in temperatures of 30°C (86°F) or more. In winter, temperatures plunge but the transition to spring is a mild and enjoyable time to visit.

School holidays - Christmas and New Year, mid-February to mid-March, Easter, July and August - see millions of French families descend on the coasts, mountains and other touristy areas. Traffic-clogged roads and sky-high accommodation prices are downsides of these high-season periods.

Nationwide, many shops take their congé annuel (annual closure) in August; Sundays and public holidays are dead everywhere. Most places in Avignon close for a few weeks in mid-winter.

Weather

Situated in the south of France, less than 100km (62mi) from the Mediterranean coast, Avignon has a temperate climate. From June to September days can regularly get above 30°C (86°F). In winter days and nights are cold - but the odd blast can send temperatures plummeting to below freezing. Although the tourist office claims there are '300 days of sun a year', rain, in its many guises, is a persistent threat. Heavy thunderstorms can rip through in summer; autumn is a little less extreme but still with its share of downpours; sleet and snow can tumble during winter; spring sees a lighter sprinkling. One of the weather peculiarities in the city is the so-called Mistral wind (named after the region's late Nobel Prize-winning resident). In August, this cold wind blows down the Rhône Valley and can blow ceaselessly for days at a time. The benefit of this strong bluster is its cooling effect in summer.

Temperature (average ° C)

Rainfall (average mm)