Paris May — Eiffel Tower in spring afternoon light

Paris · France

May

One of Paris's finest months — warm, green, and culturally alive.

Best match

#2 of 12 months

May is one of the best times to visit Paris.

Climate

High

18.1°C

Low

10.5°C

Rain

66mm

Sun

7.6hrs/day

30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5

How May scores in Paris

Weather
Excellent
Value
Good
Crowds
Above average
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent

What you gain in May

  • Roland Garros French Open (late May): the world's best clay-court tennis in a genuinely Parisian setting
  • Consistent warmth (18°C) with long evenings — outdoor dining from lunch to midnight
  • Nuit Européenne des Musées: free museum access for one extraordinary night

What you sacrifice

  • Bank holidays (1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday) mean sudden domestic tourism surges
  • Hotel prices rising — May is no longer the affordable spring of March
  • Paris Marathon (if in April trailing to May) disrupts central transport

How May compares to September (best month)

FactorMaySeptember
Weather
8
9
Value
6
5
Crowds
5
5

May in other destinations

Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Paris, not across destinations. Methodology →