Paris in Autumn — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Paris in Autumn offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for culture & art lovers. Expect temperatures of 10–16°C, around 8–10 days of rain, and medium crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around €75–150 for mid-range travellers. Book three to four weeks ahead for the best mid-range rates and the widest hotel choice.
Contents16 sections
#At a Glance
Autumn in Paris begins with la rentrée, the return. In September the city comes back from its August holiday, and everything restarts at once: the theatres, the opera, the galleries, the restaurants that closed for the summer. Through October the season moves indoors as the leaves turn in the parks, and by November the city is grey, damp, cheap and full of things to do under a roof.
In 2027 the Journées du Patrimoine open hundreds of closed buildings on 18 and 19 September, Womenswear Fashion Week runs from 27 September to 5 October, and the clocks go back on Sunday 31 October. September and early October are among the best weeks of the year to be in Paris; November is for people who came for the museums and the food.
#Weather in Paris in Autumn
Paris in Autumn averages 10–16°C (50–61°F) with around 8–10 days of rain, and crowds are medium.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Wet days | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | About 22°C / 72°F | About 13°C / 55°F | About 8 | 8:34pm on the 1st |
| October | About 17°C / 62°F | About 10°C / 50°F | About 10 | 6:34pm on the 30th, 5:33pm after the clocks change |
| November | About 11°C / 52°F | About 6°C / 43°F | About 10 | 4:57pm by the 30th |
Figures are Météo-France 1991–2020 normals for Paris-Montsouris.
What that actually means for your trip:
- September is still summer in the afternoons. Warm, mostly dry and light until after 8pm early in the month, with the café terraces full.
- October changes by the week. The first half is often golden and mild; the second is cooler and wetter, and the evenings are cold enough for a proper coat.
- The clocks go back on Sunday 31 October 2027. Sunset jumps an hour earlier overnight, to about 5:30pm, and it is close to 5pm by the end of November.
- November is grey rather than wet. The rain is usually light and drawn out, and it is the cloud and the short days that you notice.
Is autumn a good time to visit Paris? Yes. September and October are among the best months of the year, with good weather, the new cultural season and fewer tourists than summer. November is cheaper and quieter, and it suits a trip built around museums, restaurants and the start of the Christmas season.
#The three autumns
September: the city restarts. The Journées européennes du Patrimoine, on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September 2027, open ministries, embassies, private mansions and the backstage of the theatres, most of them free. Queues for the famous ones, such as the Élysée Palace, are long, and the smaller buildings are the better bet.
Womenswear Fashion Week follows, from Monday 27 September to Tuesday 5 October; the shows are private, but the crowds outside them are a sight, and the hotels near them fill.
October: the season indoors. The Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre, Paris's grape-harvest festival, runs from 6 to 10 October 2027, with a parade and stalls on the Butte; see our Fête des Vendanges guide.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's richest horse race, is traditionally run on the first Sunday of October at ParisLongchamp. Art Basel Paris fills the Grand Palais later in the month, and the Toussaint school holiday takes French families away for two weeks around the end of October.
November: grey, cheap and busy indoors. 1 November, All Saints' Day, falls on a Monday in 2027 and is a public holiday; Armistice Day on Thursday 11 November is another, with a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe.
Paris Photo takes the Grand Palais in mid-November, and the Beaujolais Nouveau is released on Thursday 18 November, the third Thursday, when the wine bars celebrate. The Christmas lights go on from around the middle of the month.
#What to Do in Paris in Autumn
Solo Travellers
Pick two or three of the Heritage Days buildings in September and book any that need it.
On a weekday in October, walk the Coulée verte René-Dumont, the elevated park on an old railway line from the Bastille, then spend the afternoon at the Musée d'Orsay, which is free on the first Sunday of the month.
Couples
A seat at the Opéra Garnier, even in the upper tiers, is the best way to see the building, and the new season opens in September.
Take a day trip by TGV to Reims or Épernay for the Champagne houses, which offer tastings all year and are lovely in the weeks after the harvest.
Families
The Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne has rides and animals and is at its best on a dry autumn day.
The Cité des Sciences at La Villette and the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution in the Jardin des Plantes suit wetter ones. Remember that the Toussaint school holiday fills both at the end of October.
Groups
The Fête des Vendanges in Montmartre makes a good group evening in October, and a Beaujolais Nouveau night in a wine bar in November is the most Parisian of parties.
#Getting Around
From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B reaches Gare du Nord and Châtelet in about 35–45 minutes; from Orly, Métro line 14 runs straight into the centre.
A single Métro ticket was €2.55 in 2026, on a Navigo Easy card or a phone, and the dedicated airport ticket €14.
The Navigo Week pass, €32.40 in 2026, covers all zones including the airports, but always runs Monday to Sunday. Île-de-France Mobilités usually revises fares each January, so check the 2027 prices.
Autumn is the best season to walk Paris, and the Vélib' bikes and the cycle lanes along the Seine and the Rue de Rivoli are at their most pleasant in September and early October.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €75–105 | Hostel bed, bakery lunches, Métro, free sights |
| Mid-range | €170–260 | 3-star hotel, bistro meals, one paid museum |
| Luxury | €480+ | Palace hotels, tasting menus, private guides |
September is close to summer prices and peaks around Fashion Week; November is the cheapest month of the season.
Costs worth knowing:
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Métro single ticket | €2.55 in 2026 |
| Navigo Week pass | €32.40 in 2026 |
| Journées du Patrimoine | Mostly free |
| Louvre, EU and EEA visitors | €22 |
| Louvre, everyone else | €32 |
- The Musée d'Orsay is free on the first Sunday of the month: 5 September, 3 October and 7 November 2027.
- Bistro lunch menus are the best value in the city.
- Stay outside the 1st and 8th during Fashion Week.
#Food & Dining
Autumn is mushroom, game, chestnut and new-wine season.
The Marché d'Aligre in the 12th and the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais show it off, and the chestnut sellers appear on the street corners in November. Many bistros reopen in September after the August closure with new menus.
Le Grand Véfour in the Palais-Royal gardens is one of the oldest and most beautiful dining rooms in Paris.
For simpler food, Au Passage in the 11th is a wine bar with small plates, and Poilâne in Saint-Germain bakes the city's most famous sourdough.
#Nightlife
The new season brings the city's stages back.
The Opéra Garnier, the Opéra Bastille, the Philharmonie and the theatres open their programmes in September, and the jazz clubs of the Rue des Lombards are full every night.
La Maroquinerie in the 20th is a good mid-sized venue for new bands. As the evenings cool, the natural-wine bars of the 10th and 11th take over from the terraces.
#Shopping
September brings the new autumn and winter collections to the department stores and boutiques.
The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is pleasant on a dry autumn weekend, and the smaller Vanves flea market in the 14th is better for small finds.
Shakespeare and Company and Galignani are the English bookshops, and the green boxes of the bouquinistes line the Seine.
#Culture & Etiquette
- La rentrée is the real start of the Paris year; book restaurants and shows ahead in September.
- 1 November and 11 November are public holidays; shops and some museums keep shorter hours.
- Dress up a little for the opera and the theatre; Parisians do.
- Say "Bonjour" on entering a shop or a café, and "Au revoir" when you leave.
- Service is included in the bill; leave a euro or two for good service.
#Essential Local Phrases
| English | French | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Good evening | Bonsoir | Bon-swah |
| A table for two, please | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît | Oon tah-bluh poor duh, seel voo play |
| I'd like to book | Je voudrais réserver | Zhuh voo-dray ray-zair-vay |
| A glass of red wine | Un verre de vin rouge | Uhn vair duh van roozh |
| Is it free today? | C'est gratuit aujourd'hui ? | Say grah-twee oh-zhoor-dwee? |
| Thank you | Merci | Mair-see |
| Excuse me | Pardon | Par-don |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | Oh ruh-vwahr |
#Packing List
- Light layers for September; a warm, waterproof coat for November
- A scarf, from October
- Waterproof shoes or ankle boots with grip for wet leaves on cobbles
- A sturdy umbrella
- A smarter outfit for the opera or a good restaurant
- A reusable bag for the markets
- A phone with the Navigo or Bonjour RATP app for tickets
#Backup Plans (Rainy Days)
Sainte-Chapelle is at its best on a grey day, when the light through the stained glass is soft.
The Musée Rodin, the Musée de l'Orangerie and the Musée Jacquemart-André are smaller and calmer than the Louvre.
The covered passages of the 2nd and 9th arrondissements, the Galerie Vivienne, the Passage des Panoramas and the Passage Jouffroy, are 19th-century shopping arcades built for exactly this weather.
If the Louvre is full: the Petit Palais, across from the Grand Palais, has a free permanent collection and a garden café.
#Safety & Health
Paris is generally safe. Pickpockets work the Métro, especially line 1 and the RER B, and the crowds at the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur and the Louvre; keep phones out of back pockets. Wet leaves on cobbles are slippery in October and November. Strikes can disrupt the Métro and trains at short notice; check the RATP and SNCF apps.
Emergency: 112, or 15 for medical help and 17 for police.
#What's New for Autumn 2027
- The Journées du Patrimoine are on 18 and 19 September 2027
- Womenswear Fashion Week runs from 27 September to 5 October 2027
- The Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre runs from 6 to 10 October 2027
- The clocks go back on Sunday 31 October 2027
- The Centre Pompidou is closed for renovation until 2030, and the Louvre charges €32 for visitors from outside the EU and the EEA
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), updated October 2026 for autumn 2027. Climate figures are Météo-France 1991–2020 normals for Paris-Montsouris. Dates and prices verified against:
- Journées européennes du patrimoine for Heritage Days
- Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode for the 2027 fashion week
- Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre for the harvest festival
- Louvre for admission prices
- Île-de-France Mobilités for transport fares
For each month in detail, see Paris in September, Paris in October and Paris in November.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time for autumn foliage in Paris?
Usually the last two weeks of October and the first days of November, before the wind strips the trees. The Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens, Parc Monceau and the Bois de Vincennes around the Lac Daumesnil are the best places to see the chestnuts and plane trees turn gold.
When is Paris Fashion Week in autumn 2027?
Womenswear Fashion Week runs from Monday 27 September to Tuesday 5 October 2027. The shows are private, but hotels near the venues in the 1st and 8th arrondissements fill and raise their prices; the Left Bank, the Marais and the 11th are barely affected.
What is the weather like in Paris in autumn?
September averages about 22°C by day and 13°C at night, October about 17°C and 10°C, and November about 11°C and 6°C, with eight to ten wet days a month. The clocks go back on 31 October, after which it is dark before 5:30pm. Pack layers, a scarf from October and a waterproof coat for November.
Is Paris cheaper in autumn?
September is close to summer prices and peaks around Fashion Week. Prices ease through October, apart from the school holidays around the start of November, and November is the cheapest month of the season, before the Christmas trade picks up.