Is Travelling To The South of France In The Fall For You?

The South of France in the fall sees fewer tourists and cooler weather like most places in Europe in the fall. But in the South of France, those aren’t necessarily positives…

Whether you should visit the South of France in the fall depends on a few factors. For one, where and when you’re travelling can make a huge difference!

Let’s dive in what the South of France is like in the fall!

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What is The South of France like in the Fall? #southoffrance #travelsouthoffrance #europeinthefall #falltravel

My Experience Visiting Provence In November

These tips and realities about the South of France in the fall is based on my experience living in Provence in November.

Throughout the month I explore the surrounding South of France destinations, like Marseille, the Gorges de Verdun, and the Côte d’Azur!

We loved it, but at the same time ran into a few issues that we hadn’t thought about before.

a woman stands on the right side of the photo looking back at the camera. She's wearing a mustard yellow knit hat, a wool jacket, and carrying a bright pink tote bag over her shoulder. She's standing in the middl eof a quiet square in aix en provence in the fall. The bulidings are all attached, wrapping around teh empty square. Each is painted a different shade of yellow. You can't see where the opens, because a green and a red tree are at the end of the courtyard. Poking above the trees looks like the steeple of a church.

Temperature Cools Down In France In The Fall

In the summer, the South of France is a hot destination with temperatures around 30+°C (86+°F) – perfect for relaxing by the beach.

But the temperature in the fall months drastically cools off.

I used Nice as an example, the average temperature in September is around 22°C (72°F) but by November it’s a whopping 13°C (55°F).

Fall Temperature Averages Nice, South of France

	High (C/F)	Low (C/F)	# of Rainy Days
September	25°C / 77°F	18°C/ 64°F	8
October	21°C/ 70°F	14°C/57 °F	10
November	21°C/ 61°F	9°C/ 48°F	10

a snapshop into a couples life in the south of france. The photo is take inside an apartment, you can see a small kitchen table and a pulled out chair. The floors are red tiles. Behind, are two open patio doors. It's letting in some sunlight into the apartment. Outside is a couple, wearing jackets, and a har, sipping on some warm tea trying to warm up in the fall sun in the south of france in aix en provence — *Trying to warm up in the sun on our balcony in the South of France!*

And keep in mind, it can be colder than the average low… I was not expecting it to be as cold as it was, I even had to buy a warmer jacket.

The mornings (and evenings) would completely cool off, going as low as 6°C (43°F), I know because I was able to see my breath!

Although it did warm up quite a bit in the afternoon. It wasn’t uncommon for me to start taking off layers as the day went on. Sometimes I would even be able to walk around in just a long sleeve shirt!

A couple stands in the bottom left corner of the photo, taking in the sun in the south of france in the fall. The couple is dressed for fall, but a warm fall day, wearing a vest, and a long sleeve shirt. But no big jacket is needed. They are standing in front of dead lavender fields. The lavender bushes are small bump going across an entire field, leading your eye to larger mountains in the distance.

So This Probably Won’t Be A Beach Vacation

So if you’re travelling to the South of France in the fall, don’t expect this to be a beach vacation.

If you thought this would be the perfect time to escape the beach crowds, think again. Although the beaches are more deserted in the fall, you probably won’t want to sit on the beach anyway.

The fall weather in France just isn’t cut out to sit on the beach.

Now you might get lucky with a few beach days at the beginning of September, but you can’t exactly count on it.

a peaceful photo of the quiet nice beach in the fall in the south of France. The water is slowly coming in to the beach. There's enough space before it reaches umbrellas and chairs set up. Behind the chairs is a concrete wall separating the street. above. You can't see the street, but you can see the shops and apartments all along the way. — *A few people are seen sitting on the beach, fully dressed in fall attire to stay warm!*

Also Won’t Be An Outdoor Adventure Vacation

We did not realize how outdoor dependant a vacation to the South of France is…

Aside from the beach, you also won’t be able to enjoy some other outdoor activities the region has to offer. For example, a lot of boat tours to smaller islands were cancelled.

Hiking is also very popular, and although you could still hike in the fall, it was harder to do. There are closed trails and limited bus schedule in the fall.

The epic pont du gard in the south of France. An ancient Roman aqueduct that's three levels of arches. The top level is where the water once flowed, with the smallest and the most archways. Below you have two levels of similar sized, larger archways. You can barely see the river flowing below, and you can make out a slight reflections, creating a fourth level of archways in the water. Most of the river is covered by the large rock pathway

For example, one of the biggest differences was visiting the Pont du Gard in the fall. Although you can visit all year round, the experience in the summer is very different from the fall.

Although it’s busier in the summer, you’re also encouraged to pack a picnic lunch and even go for a swim in the Gardon river to cool off!

Don’t forget, there also aren’t any purple lavender fields to visit in the fall, they only bloom in July.

So you have to be aware that some attractions completely close in the fall, while others remained open but offer a different experience.

On top of that, you also won’t be able to experience some of the more simple South of France activities. For example, something as simple as enjoying a picnic lunch in the park, or even enjoying your morning coffee on your balcony!

lavender fields in provence in the fall. A single red tree stands on the right, offering some shade to the lavender bushes below. There are several in a line, leading all across the fields towards the mountains in the distance. — *What lavender fields look like if you visit Provence in the fall*

Lack of Tourists In The South of France In Fall

There are a lot less tourists visiting the South of France in the fall. Now, this is both a pro, and also a con…

It’s obviously amazing to just have less people – there’s no one photobombing your photos, you don’t have to stress about top restaurants being full, so it’s just all around a lot more relaxing.

But the South of France takes less tourists to a whole other level though – entire towns close down in the fall!

So not only does that mean a lot of attractions and restaurants are closed, it also feels quite empty. I won’t lie, it was a bit scary at times feeling like you’re walking through a ghost town.

You can also run into problems when you’re lost or looking for food, no one will be there to help!

It makes travelling a bit harder and lonelier, to say the least!

a very quiet town in the gorges de Verdun in the south of France in the fall. The homes are attached together, painted in golden yellow, pink, and orange colours, they look even more golden because the light is hitting the homes on the right, while the others are in complete shade. Raised stone entryways are in front of all the homes. There's only one tree in the courtyard, and the leaves have mostly fallen off, leaving the branches bare.

Perks Visiting South of France In November!

Although November seems like the worst time to visit the South of France in the fall, it might also be the best time to visit.

So it’s colder and feels more deserted, but you can also experience some pretty unique events at the end of the month!

The Start Of Holiday Markets In France

November is the coldest and most desolate time to visit the South of France, it was also the start of the holiday celebrations!

A few cities, like Aix and Marseille, had their Christmas markets set up in November. Their Christmas market consisted of food and local product booths set up in the downtown.

christmas market in Aix in the south of france in the fall, it starts in november. The sun is setting along the wide pedestrian only street in Aix. People are walking and shopping at the booths lining the left side of the street. You can see see the short orange buildings behind them.

It was very nice to experience, and they weren’t too crowded yet either (none of the Christmas market tourists had arrived yet!).

So if you’re interested in visiting European Christmas markets, I would argue, towards the end of November is actually a good time to visit.

Otherwise if you wait to travel to the Christmas markets in December, you’ll have perfectly timed your trip for the influx of tourists!

Beaujolais Nouveau Launch Party in November!

The third Thursday of the November is when they release the highly anticipated Beaujolais Nouveau.

It’s an event that is locals wait for all year round! There are hundreds of parties throughout the country, just to celebrate and taste that years’ batch of Beaujolais wine.

Beaujolais is a very young wine from the Beaujolais region in France, using Gamay grapes. But the wine is not aged, you’re tasting the grapes that were harvested in September the same year!

four wine bottles and a wine glass sit on a table with a red table cloth. The background is blurred. Each wine bottle has a different amount of wine still inside, they are green bottles holding red wine. From the left, the first two wine bottles are the most full and are the same wine: Beaujolais Village. Next is a bottle half finished with a white label: Les Hauts de Huire Nouveau 2019, Beaujolais Village. And finally, a bottle with a only a sip left, is Selene Beaujolais.

When Is The Best Time To Go To South Of France In The Fall?

If you’re set on travelling in the fall to the South of France, I recommend going in September. There will be fewer tourists, but the attractions are still open for a few weeks, and the weather is a lot warmer.

If you go any later in the season, the weather is too cold to enjoy the outdoor attractions and it can feel at times a bit deserted.

But! If you’re interested in the Christmas markets with less crowds, and attending a local Beaujolais Nouveau party, then you might want to consider visiting in November!

The jaw dropping view of the town of gordes in the south of france from a distance. You can see the entire medieval town built on top of a the hill leading all the way down to the valley. Trees are intertwined with yellow stone buildings.
A tree blocks the left side of the frame, but you can tell it's autumn because the tree is in the middle of changing from green to a deep red.

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Victoria

Sunday 5th of July 2020

I'm actually about to head off to France so this post is perfect! Thanks for sharing

admin

Tuesday 7th of July 2020

That's awesome! Have a great time!

Jamie

Saturday 4th of July 2020

Genuinely have been considering visiting the south of France, but wanted to avoid the summer months. Love the suggestions here, thanks for sharing!

Yes!! Highly recommend visiting in September then, you miss all the tourists but you can still get lucky with some great weather :)

Natasha L

I totally agree with you, I love travelling in the Fall. Less people and great colours. Plus it's so hot in the South of France in the summer.

Wayy too hot in the summer :P You still have to watch out when you travel to the South of France in the fall, it might feel a bit too dead because of the lack of people

Alina

Fall travel here looks exactly like for me! No crowds! Just walking around those winding streets without people looks amazing!

It is pretty spectacular - perfect for photography lovers!

Elina

I would love to explore that area of France! I only briefly visited Marseille in the past, but I would love to spend more time in the region and fall seems a great season to avoid the crowds.

The South of France is beautiful! You definitely have to watch out a bit for fall travel there, although the lack of crowds is nice at times, sometimes its too empty