I was reading RS's Provence & Riviera book and online, and in the "Itinerary" section under "When to Go" it is mentioned that: "Spring and fall are best, with generally comfortable weather — though crowds can be a problem, particularly during holiday weekends and major events (May is worst)."
Not sure why May is "worst" -- other than the Cannes film festival and Monaco Grand Prix, what would lead to this conclusion?
Thanks!
It is not just the crowds. The events drive the price of lodging way up.
May is 'the worst' in France because of the huge number of ecclesiastical holidays. We traveled to France for year for the last 3 weeks in May and constantly found ourselves in those holiday traffic jams and crowded venues. For a secular country France celebrates a lot of religious holidays.
I think there are 6 holidays in May in France - and that's in addition to Cannes and the Grand Prix. I'm sure that's why the recommendation to avoid May. I personally think May is such a lovely month to travel weatherwise that it's worth the possible hassle and crowds.
I would say that Provence should not be affected by the GP or Film Festival,I will be there end of April into May next year and have already secured our lodgings for that area.
Mike
For a secular country France celebrates a lot of religious holidays.
They certainly do, because the French love their holidays, not because they're religious. A French friend who lives near the Spanish border once told us, as he pointed out the Spaniards going to church on Palm Sunday: "The Spanish and the French are both Catholic. The difference is that the Spanish really believe."
And as to travelling in May, we've often done it, and the best advice is to be aware of when the holidays are, particularly for purposes of food shopping, and try to avoid long-distance travel on the holiday weekends.
I don't know, we traveled to Paris and then Provence in May several years ago and didn't have any problems, especially in Provence.
Hi Cleo, agreed with the other posters about all the holidays in May. Also, the weather can be rainy. I was in France the past three years in early to mid-May and we experienced a lot of rain.
I've been to Nice the past 2 years for the Monaco Grand Prix and really didn't notice any big crowds, except on the trains to Monaco. Affordable lodging can be found if you plan in advance - at least that's been my experience.
Thank you, everyone, for the replies and info!
