Early April Weather

To me early-April is pretty nice but I like cooler weather. I've been to both Beaune and Dinan but not in early-April. I have been to Colmar in early to mid-April and it was lovely. I'm from the Inland Northwest and did not find it too cool/rainy but I think it depends on where you are from and your tolerance.

If this is for 2025, just be mindful that Easter is April 20 so things will be busy with travelers before and after that date.

What kind of things are you interested in doing? In Dinan, of course you have that city plus nearby big tourist locations such as Mont Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo. When in Dinan I also visited Fort La Latte and the lighthouse at Cap Frahel which were very interesting.

Dinan would be a base for exploring that area - because of a rental car unavailability we had to cancel that part of our Fall 2023 trip to France. MSM was a big part of the reason for going there, but we just wanted to drive around that part of Brittany. We also had to drop Beaune from that trip because of time constraints, but honestly I can't remember what we wanted to see there, I'm still looking for our planning notes from back then.

Harry

I was in France from mid March through April 8, 2022. The first ten days when we were in Colmar and Beaune were glorious — sunny and low 60s. The next five days when we were in Annecy and Chamonix were very rainy and cooler. In fact it snowed in Chamonix. According to the weather on my phone, it was raining everywhere in France at that time. For our final week when we were mostly in Provence it was glorious again — sunny and 70. It was sunny and warm everywhere in France that week.

On average, it’s going to be a little cooler the first week in April than the last. But in any given year, it could be anything. It might be warmer in early April than in late April. Weather is always a crapshoot, especially rain. It can be a drag if it’s really rainy — we saw almost nothing of the Alps when we were in Chamonix, but we hiked in the valley when the rain was light and we had wonderful cozy Swiss dinners in the evenings, so we made the best of it. I can’t imagine it being too cool in April for me. I like cooler temperatures and you can always put on more clothing.

We loved Colmar and Beaune. We are walkers so we walked all around both towns. In Colmar, we took the bus to some of the wine villages and the train to other towns. In Beaune we walked through the vineyards to a couple of villages (warning: the vines are just clumps in April) and we took the train to Dijon one day. There is a good museum in both Colmar and Beaune, but we never went in them because the weather was so nice, we wanted to be outside. You’ll find lots of good food in both towns.

Whoops, just realized you asked about Dinan not Colmar (Pam’s mention of Colmar was stuck in my brain. Sorry.) I loved Dinan, but I was there in September another year, so I can’t comment on the weather.) It was just two nights and again, we walked around the town and to a nearby village and enjoyed great food.

It rains in Brittany, a lot. There is no guarantee about the weather any day of the year in Brittany. Anecdotally, I’ve been in Brittany many months of the year with light rain or no rain, but watching the weather report here in France every evening we see cloud and or rain forecast in Brittany more days than not.

So the reality is to prepare yourselves for rain and to just go and attempt whatever it is you want to do. It could rain for days or be clear at any time of the year.

The Michelin green guide for Brittany is excellent.

hboswell,
I agree with the others that rain/cooler weather is more likely in and around Dinan. That being said, I really love Brittany, and consider the Atlantic weather part of the experience of the area. Brittany is a majestic place to me, because it is strong and resilient and brave in facing the Atlantic. There is much to relish there, from the Celtic history and culture and language, to the megalithic dolmen you find everywhere. Quimper is a favorite town. If you like seafood, especially shellfish, you are in for a treat in Brittany. The foods have a resemblance to the foods of Normandy....cider,cheese, apple desserts, lamb, butter, seafood.....all of which both Bretons and Normans can be proud. Go, rent a car for a couple of days to explore beyond Dinan, and if you can, find a spot on the coast of Finisterre, like Le Conquet, and greet the Atlantic with a salute in recognition of its part in the life of Bretagne.

Beaune is also lovely, and the Hospice is not to be missed, especially the tryptich there, but if I had to choose, I would pick Dinan. They are very different from each other, so cannot be compared.

Bon voyage!