At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season March is Paris’s transition month: low to shoulder season. Spike windows in 2027: Paris Fashion Week Mar 1-9 (hotels in the 1st/2nd/8th/16th arrondissements +60-120% over baseline), the Semi de Paris on Sun Mar 7 (east Paris road closures in the morning), and the Easter weekend at the end of the month, when the clocks also change (Sun Mar 28). No Six Nations match in Paris this March. Recent changes: Louvre €32 non-EEA from Jan 14 2026, Métro single €2.55 from Jan 1 2026, Navigo Week €32.40, Festival du Livre in April at the Grand Palais.
Paris in March
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Paris in March offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for Fashion Week, runners & early blooms. Expect temperatures of 6–13°C, around 10 days of rain, and low crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around €75–500 for mid-range travellers. Rooms are easy to find last-minute and hotel prices stay noticeably softer through the season.
Contents14 sections
#Weather in Paris in March
Paris in March averages 6–13°C (43–55°F) with around 10 days of rain, and crowds are low.
| Measure | March in Paris |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 13°C / 55°F |
| Overnight low | About 6°C / 43°F |
| Rain | Around 49mm across 10 wet days |
| Range | 6–13°C / 43–55°F on average, with the second half typically warmer and sunnier than the first |
| Terraces | The first 14–15°C terrace afternoons typically arrive around 15 March |
Figures are Météo-France Parc Montsouris 1991–2020 normals.
What that actually means for your trip:
- March is the month of becoming. Winter has not quite let go, but spring is clearly arriving, and the two halves of the month feel genuinely different.
- The famous golden Paris light returns by late March on clear days: that particular buttery quality in the late afternoon that has filled more paintings than any other single phenomenon.
- Bring a transitional wardrobe. A layer you can remove by midday and add back before dinner is the whole strategy.
- The plane trees along the Seine quays and boulevards begin budding, which changes how the city looks more than the temperature changes how it feels.
Should you come in March? Go in the second half. You get the first terrace afternoons, the returning light and budding trees, at prices and crowd levels that disappear entirely by April. The first fortnight is still essentially winter.
#What to Do in Paris in March
Six Nations Rugby: No Paris Match in March 2027
The Six Nations rugby championship runs February to March every year, and France's home games at Stade de France move around.
In 2027 both fall in February: Wales on Saturday February 6 and Scotland on Sunday February 21, while France's March games are away, in Rome against Italy (March 6) and in Dublin against Ireland (March 13). So a March 2027 trip has no rugby at Stade de France, though the bars below still show the away matches. In 2026, by contrast, France hosted England on March 14 and retained the title with a 48-46 win in front of 78,728 spectators. Check the Six Nations fixture list for any year's home Saturdays.
Match-day Stade de France is reached via RER B (Stade de France-Saint-Denis station, 25 minutes from Châtelet-les-Halles). Tickets sell out months ahead; resale market via Viagogo and Ticombo at 2-4× face value for prime matches.
Paris Fashion Week: Women's Ready-to-Wear (Mar 1-9, 2027)
The global fashion industry's most important week.
The Fall/Winter 2027/28 collections run Monday March 1 to Tuesday March 9, 2027 (FHCM). The show-by-show calendar is published a few weeks ahead; in 2026 Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu closed the week. Shows fill venues from the Grand Palais (reopened 2024) to the Tuileries to the Pompidou's courtyard. The same week annually: book accommodation in the 1st, 2nd, 8th, and 16th arrondissements at least 2 months ahead for the early-March slot in any year.
The shows themselves are strictly invitation-only, but the spectacle is entirely public: streetstyle photographers camp outside the Palais Royal, the Carrousel du Louvre entrance, and along Rue Saint-Honoré throughout the week. Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is the densest photo zone after the Hermès and Chanel arrivals.
Salon International de l'Agriculture (Feb 27 – Mar 7, 2027)
Europe's largest agricultural fair at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, drawing over 600,000 visitors annually. The 2027 edition, from February 27 to March 7, has Serbia as its guest country. Daily 9am-7pm. Three concurrent exhibitions: SIA (general public, with the famous prize-winning farm animals), SIA'PRO (agricultural technologies), and the Concours Général Agricole (national food + wine competition). Tickets ~€16 adult / €8 child via salon-agriculture.com. Genuine Paris cultural event (the French President traditionally visits on opening day); not a tourist trap.
Falls in the first week of March most years.
HOKA Semi de Paris (Sun Mar 7, 2027)
The Paris Half Marathon: 21.1km, ~50,000 runners. The 2027 edition runs Sunday March 7, the first organised by Cadence Running United after ASO (Marathons.fr). In 2026 the course ran from Place de la Bastille through the Bois de Vincennes to a finish near Château de Vincennes; check the 2027 route before race week. Course closures hit the 4th, 11th, and 12th arrondissements between 7am and 1pm on race-day morning. Spectator highlights: the start at Bastille (massive bunched start), the 10km point on Avenue Daumesnil (best photography), and the finish (medal handout, finishing chute).
The full ASICS Marathon de Paris follows on Sunday April 4, 2027, with bib pickup in the days before.
Notre-Dame Cathedral: March is the Best Walk-In Month
Reopened December 7, 2024 after the 2019 fire. Free entry; optional timed reservations via resa.notredamedeparis.fr open only 2-3 days before your visit. November through early March is the smallest-crowd window: walk-in queues are typically 20-40 minutes versus 2-3 hours in peak season. After mid-March, queues climb steadily with the Easter and spring break tourist returns.
Notre-Dame Bell Towers reopened September 22, 2025 as a separate ticketed attraction at €16, accessed via the Tours de Notre-Dame site. 387 steps + a 45-minute round-trip. Books 7-10 days ahead in March; longer in spring break weeks.
The Louvre: €22 EEA / €32 Non-EEA Pricing
Effective January 14, 2026, the Louvre raised non-EEA admission 45% from €22 to €32. EU + Norway + Iceland + Liechtenstein keep the €22 rate. The hike funds the €1.1 billion renovation programme including a new underground Mona Lisa chamber and a second entrance on Rue de Rivoli.
March is one of the lowest-crowd Louvre months (queues are still short, particularly for the 9am opening slot and the 6pm late-opening Friday).
Cherry Blossom Preview + Booking Window (April Hanami at Parc de Sceaux)
The big Paris cherry blossom event is the Hanami at Parc de Sceaux runs in early-to-mid April (April 4-19 in 2026), later than the late-March bloom many older guidebooks still cite.
Since 2026, access to the northern bosquet lawns requires a free advance reservation, released in mid-March (March 15 in 2026) on the official Domaine de Sceaux website. Without reservation, you can still admire the blossoms from the avenues and the elevated viewing platform.
March visitors who want to bookmark a return trip should grab the April reservation on the mid-March release. RER B from central Paris to Bourg-la-Reine then 10-minute walk; 30 minutes door-to-door. Magnolias and daffodils colour central Paris from mid-March — Square du Vert-Galant (Pont Neuf), Jardin du Luxembourg, and Square Boucicaut are reliable pre-bloom spots.
Catacombs of Paris: Lowest-Queue Month
The underground ossuary holding the remains of approximately six million Parisians (relocated from overflowing cemeteries in the late 1700s). In March, the ticket queue runs 20 minutes rather than the 2 hours of peak summer. Book a timed entry online via catacombes.paris.fr to guarantee entry; weekends sell out by mid-day even in shoulder season.
Printemps des Poètes (Week of Mar 20)
Free poetry readings across the city — in bookshops, libraries, cafés, and public squares — organised around the year's festival theme. Unpretentious, local, and worth stumbling into. Programme published on printempsdespoetes.com.
#Getting Around
Paris is superbly connected.
Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) connects to Paris via RER B (45 min to Gare du Nord, €11.80) or the new flat-rate Paris Région – Aéroport ticket (€14 from January 1, 2026, single-use, valid any mode).
Orly Airport uses Orlyval + RER B (35 min, €12.10).
In the city, the Métro covers 16 lines.
2026 transit prices (RATP) — effective January 1, 2026: single t+ Métro/RER/Train ticket €2.55 (up from €2.15), bus/tram €2.05, Navigo Day €12.30, Navigo Week €32.40 (up from €30, runs Mon-Sun calendar week, beats single tickets after about 14 rides), Navigo Month €90.80. Navigo Liberté+ pay-as-you-go: €2.04 per Métro and €1.64 per bus. Paris is genuinely walkable in spring; the route between the Marais, Île de la Cité, and Saint-Germain is faster on foot than by Métro.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €75–110 | Hostel dorm, market lunches, one bistro dinner |
| Mid-range | €200–320 | 3-star hotel, restaurant dinners, museums |
| Luxury | €900–2,500+ | 5-star Rive Droite, degustations, opera |
March is the transition from low to shoulder season, with rates climbing in the second half.
Hostel dorms run €40–70/night, three-star hotels €130–220 and five-star Rive Droite €600–1,200. Paris Fashion Week (Mar 1-9, 2027) lifts the 1st, 2nd, 8th and 16th arrondissements by 60-120% over baseline, taking three-stars past €260 and five-stars to €1,500-3,500.
Meals run boulangerie breakfast around €5, market lunches €10-15, a bistro dinner €18-28, restaurant dinners €40-65 per person and degustations €120-250, with opera and ballet €80-180.
Key prices (2026):
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Eiffel Tower, summit lift | €36.70 |
| Louvre, non-EEA | €32 |
| Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor lift | €23.50 |
| Louvre, EEA | €22 |
| Catacombs | €19 |
| Musée d'Orsay | €16 |
| Notre-Dame Bell Towers | €16 |
| Eiffel Tower, stairs | €14.80 |
| Moulin Rouge | €115-225 |
| Navigo Week, Mon–Sun | €32.40 |
| CDG Paris Région ticket | €14 |
| Navigo Day | €12.30 |
| RER B to Gare du Nord | €11.80 |
| Métro single t+ | €2.55 |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral | Free |
Where the money actually goes:
- One week distorts the whole month. Fashion Week from 2 to 10 March adds 60-120% in four arrondissements. Everything else in March is ordinary shoulder pricing.
- The first Sunday of March is the last free one until autumn. The Louvre and Musée d'Orsay run free first Sundays only from October to March, alongside the municipal museums such as the Petit Palais, Cernuschi and Carnavalet.
- Where you drink coffee changes the price. A coffee at a zinc counter is €1.50-2.50 standing against €3.50-5 seated on a terrace, with house wine €5-9 and a croque-monsieur €10-14.
- The airport ticket is now simpler than the RER. The CDG Paris Région ticket at €14 competes directly with RER B to Gare du Nord at €11.80, and the small premium buys a less confusing journey.
March is the month to book early or not at all. Rates in the first half still belong to winter and the second half already belongs to spring, so the same hotel can differ substantially depending on which fortnight you choose. The one genuinely time-sensitive thing is the first Sunday: it is the final free-museum Sunday until October, which for anyone planning a museum-heavy trip is worth more than any discount available on the room.
#Food & Dining
March is the month when spring produce starts appearing on Paris market stalls.
White asparagus from the Loire valley arrives by late March, eaten with hollandaise sauce or simply butter and sea salt; one of the great seasonal pleasures of French cooking.
The morel mushroom (morille) season begins and appears on bistro specials boards throughout the month.
Ail des ours (wild garlic) from forest foraging shows up in pesto and soups.
Marché d'Aligre (12th arrondissement, Tuesday-Sunday mornings) remains the most honest market in the city: North African vendors sell spices and dried legumes alongside French fromagers and butchers, and the indoor hall (Marché Beauvau) carries wine at prices that shame the supermarkets.
Marché Bastille (Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, Thursdays and Sundays) is larger and begins showing the first spring cheeses.
The new Marché des Enfants Rouges (3rd, Paris's oldest covered market, dates from 1615) has a strong Italian + Moroccan lunch counter scene.
Terraces: the first genuinely warm March day above 14°C, every Paris café terrace fills within the hour. Parisians treat the first terrace day of the year with the same seasonal gravity as the Japanese approach cherry blossom viewing; it marks something. Café de Flore (St-Germain), Les Deux Magots (St-Germain), and Café Charlot (Marais) are the canonical first-terrace destinations.
#Nightlife
Fashion Week after-parties generate a city-wide buzz for ten days in early March: the bars around the Marais (Rue du Temple, Rue Charlot) and the 1st arrondissement (near Palais Royal) fill with a notably international crowd.
The Rex Club (2nd) and Concrete (barge at Gare de Lyon) run electronic music nights at their most creative in shoulder season, before summer converts them to tourist destinations.
Cabaret season at the Moulin Rouge and Lido is accessible in March with shorter booking windows than summer: typically one to two weeks rather than months. The Moulin Rouge's Féerie show (€115-225 depending on package) hasn't changed fundamentally in decades and is entirely worth doing once.
Six Nations rugby weekends (February and early March) flip every Paris sports bar into rugby mode: Le Truskel (Bonne Nouvelle), The Highlander (St-Michel), Bowler Pub (Charles de Gaulle Étoile), and The Frog & Princess (St-Germain) are reliably packed for France home matches. Bring rugby small-talk vocabulary.
#Shopping
March sits in an interesting commercial moment: the Soldes d'Hiver (winter sales) have ended in early February, the spring collections are on the rails at full price, and the boutiques are at their freshest with new stock.
The concept stores — Merci (3rd), Centre Commercial near Canal Saint-Martin (10th), and Maison Standards (various) — have fully committed to spring by mid-March.
The covered passages (galeries couvertes) begin to benefit from the warming temperatures and lengthening light.
Galerie Vivienne (near Palais Royal) has a magnificent glass-vaulted roof that catches the afternoon sun from March onwards; the tea room inside, A Priori Thé, does proper English-style afternoon tea in a setting that Proust would have recognised.
Passage des Panoramas (2nd, opened 1799) and Passage Jouffroy (9th) are the historic deep-dive routes.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Daylight Saving Time begins on the last Sunday of March: clocks spring forward at 2am on Sunday March 28, 2027, Easter Sunday (jump straight to 3am). Check flight, Eurostar, and TGV departure times around that weekend.
- La Fête de la Francophonie (week of March 20): free French-language cultural events including concerts, readings, and screenings at venues across the city. Not heavily promoted to visitors but stumbling into a free concert in a courtyard is entirely possible.
- Fashion Week practicalities: the Tuileries gardens and the streets around the Carrousel du Louvre run noticeably more crowded with industry professionals and photographers during the ten show days. Marais, Latin Quarter, and Montmartre are largely unaffected.
- Tipping is included by law (service compris on every bill). Rounding up to the nearest euro or leaving 5% in cash for excellent service is appreciated but never expected.
- March-April is French strike season historically. Check info trafic RATP before each travel day. The most common pattern is a 24-hour walkout announced 5-7 days ahead; the Métro typically runs 30-50% service on strike days.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Phrase | French | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Are the cherry trees in bloom? | Les cerisiers sont en fleurs ? | Lay seh-ree-yay son on flur? |
| May I have a menu? | Puis-je avoir une carte ? | Pwee-zhuh ah-vwar oon kart? |
| Excuse me, where is the market? | Excusez-moi, où est le marché ? | Ek-skoo-zay mwah, oo ay luh mar-shay? |
| One ticket, please | Un billet, s'il vous plaît | Uh bee-yeh, seel voo play |
| Is the terrace open? | Est-ce que la terrasse est ouverte ? | Es-kuh la teh-rahs eh oo-vehrt? |
| Beautiful | Magnifique | Man-yee-feek |
#Packing List
- Transitional wardrobe: light trench coat or smart rain jacket that works in both 6°C and 13°C
- One warm layer for cold evenings (temperature drops sharply after sunset)
- Walking shoes; spring in Paris is a walking proposition
- A light scarf (serves as both warmth and Parisian style)
- Compact umbrella; March rain is frequent but brief
- Smart-casual outfit for Fashion Week bar-watching or a rugby afternoon in a Paris pub
- Allergy meds if sensitive to tree pollen (birch + plane trees ramp up late March)
- France-compliant Type E adapter (round 2-pin with hole; Type C also works)
#Backup Plans
If Fashion Week crowds around the Palais Royal become overwhelming: walk five minutes east to the Marais (3rd and 4th arrondissements). Entirely unaffected by the fashion industry geography and at its most pleasant in March light.
If the March 15-29 cold snap hits during your trip: the Musée d'Orsay at dusk on a grey day is one of the most atmospheric experiences Paris offers; the light through the great clock windows turns the whole gallery amber, and the crowds thin considerably after 4pm. The Musée de l'Orangerie at the western end of the Tuileries (Monet's Water Lilies in two oval rooms) is small enough to feel intimate in shoulder season.
If a strike or modernization disrupts the Métro: Paris is genuinely walkable end-to-end. Marais to Eiffel Tower is 50 minutes on foot via the Tuileries and the Seine quays; Champs-Élysées to Notre-Dame is 35 minutes. The Vélib' bike-share system (€5/day, requires phone app) is also reliable backup.
If cherry blossoms haven't opened yet (true for most of March): the Orangerie at Versailles (royal greenhouse, accessible separately from the main palace) runs from late March, and the Roseraie de Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne has early spring colour well before the roses bloom. The magnolias in Square du Vert-Galant (Pont Neuf) and Square Boucicaut (7th) typically open 7-10 days before the cherry blossoms.
#Safety & Health
March sees unpredictable weather; temperatures range 5-14°C and rain is common. Pack layers and a compact umbrella. Waterproof shoes are essential for wet cobblestones.
Spring pollen season begins late March with tree pollen (birch, plane trees, hazel). Paris's RNSA index can hit "high" by the third week of March on dry, windy days. Bring antihistamines if you are sensitive.
Pickpocketing is the year-round Paris reality. March sees tourist numbers increasing and with them, opportunistic theft at the Métro (Line 1 between Châtelet and Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile is the highest-risk corridor), Sacré-Cœur (the steps, the funicular), and the Louvre forecourt.
The petition scam (clipboard-wielding teens), bracelet trick (forced friendship bracelet at Sacré-Cœur), and ring scam (someone "finds" a gold ring) all operate daily at tourist hotspots. Keep phones in front pockets or zipped bags. Anti-theft crossbody bags are a worthwhile €30-60 investment.
Tap water is safe everywhere. Wallace fountains reactivate in March as frost risk passes; carry a reusable bottle.
Emergency numbers: 112 (EU-wide all-emergency), 15 (SAMU medical), 17 (police), 18 (fire). English-speaking dispatchers available on 112. Pharmacies (green cross) are well-equipped for seasonal colds and allergies; the Pharmacie Européenne at Place de Clichy (9th/18th) runs 24/7.
#What's New for March 2027
- Paris Fashion Week Womenswear runs Mon Mar 1 - Tue Mar 9, 2027 (FHCM); the show-by-show schedule is published a few weeks ahead.
- No Six Nations match in Paris in March 2027. France play at Stade de France on Feb 6 and Feb 21; their March games are away in Rome and Dublin.
- HOKA Semi de Paris: Sun Mar 7, 2027, and the ASICS Marathon de Paris: Sun Apr 4, 2027, both now run by Cadence Running United, which has taken over from ASO (Marathons.fr).
- Salon International de l'Agriculture: Feb 27 - Mar 7, 2027, with Serbia as guest country.
- Easter Sunday is Mar 28, 2027, the same day the clocks go forward, and Easter Monday (Mar 29) is a public holiday.
- Louvre admission raised 45% for non-EEA visitors on January 14, 2026. Non-EEA passport holders now pay €32 (was €22). EU + Norway + Iceland + Liechtenstein keep the €22 rate. Dual-passport visitors can present the EU passport at the door.
- RATP transit prices since January 1, 2026: single t+ ticket €2.55 (up from €2.15), Navigo Week €32.40 (up from €30), Navigo Month €90.80, flat Paris Région – Aéroport ticket €14 (single-use, valid all modes).
- Festival du Livre de Paris is in April at the Grand Palais, not in March at Porte de Versailles as older guidebooks say (April 17-19 in 2026).
- Parc de Sceaux Hanami is an April event, not late March; the northern bosquet lawns need a free reservation, released in mid-March.
- Notre-Dame Cathedral reopened December 7, 2024. Free entry; reservations open only 2-3 days before.
- The winter sales (soldes d'hiver) end in early February, so March brings spring collections at full price; the summer sales start in late June.
#About This Guide
WhenToWander's Paris March guide is updated annually with primary-source data: Météo-France Parc Montsouris climate normals for weather; RATP 2026 tariff page for transit prices; Notre-Dame de Paris for cathedral booking; Louvre for museum pricing; Sortiraparis Fashion Week 2026 calendar; Six Nations Rugby fixtures; Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris; Festival du Livre de Paris 2026; Hanami Parc de Sceaux 2026; and the Salon International de l'Agriculture official site. Sources verified May 2026.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest Paris events in March 2027?
Paris Fashion Week Womenswear runs Monday March 1 to Tuesday March 9 (FHCM). The Salon International de l'Agriculture, Europe's largest agricultural fair, runs February 27 to March 7 at Porte de Versailles, with Serbia as guest country. The HOKA Semi de Paris (the half marathon, ~50,000 runners) is Sunday March 7, the first under its new organiser, and the full ASICS Marathon de Paris follows on April 4. Easter Sunday and the clock change both fall on March 28. There is no Six Nations match in Paris this March: France play at home on February 6 and 21 and away in March. Printemps des Poètes brings free poetry readings citywide in the second half of the month.
When are the Paris cherry blossoms?
Later than older guidebooks suggest. The Hanami at Parc de Sceaux runs in early-to-mid April (April 4-19 in 2026), not late March. Since 2026, access to the famous northern bosquet lawns requires a free advance reservation, released in mid-March via the official Domaine de Sceaux website. Free viewing from the avenues and elevated platform without reservation. Magnolias and daffodils colour central Paris from mid-March; the cherry trees themselves typically open in early April.
How much is the Louvre?
€22 for visitors with an EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein passport. €32 for everyone else, since January 14, 2026 (a 45% increase to fund a €1.1 billion renovation including a new underground Mona Lisa chamber and a second entrance on Rue de Rivoli). March is one of the lowest-crowd Louvre months: the 9am opening and the Friday late-opening slots are particularly calm. EU citizens under 26 enter free.
What are the Paris transit prices?
Since January 1, 2026: single t+ Métro/RER/Train ticket €2.55 (up from €2.15), bus/tram €2.05, Navigo Day €12.30, Navigo Week €32.40 (up from €30, Mon-Sun calendar week, which beats single tickets after about 14 rides), Navigo Month €90.80. The flat Paris Région – Aéroport ticket is €14 (single-use, valid all modes including the RER B from CDG). Check RATP info trafic before a tight connection: scheduled modernization works close sections of lines from time to time.
What’s the weather like in Paris in March?
Paris in March typically sees temperatures of 6–13°C with around 10 days of rain across the period. Pack lightweight layers that suit both cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.