France

Well, I will start with the obvious. Paris. Lots of sites,, even if you have been numerous times before there is lots to see still, and if the weather is iffy,, there are many indoor sites ( museums and exhibits etc) . Do you have specific interests?

That's a good time of year to go south[INVALID]Nice, Menton, Cassis, etc. You do need a coat for the days the winds are blowing out of the Alps, however.

You can some of our France pictures and get ideas from www.gadtravel.com (No ads, just our personal blog).

warmer does not equal warm though.. be aware there is warm places till at least late April or early May, even then it can still be cool in the south. There is a reason most French like to vacation in July and August..

Hi, Thanks for replying. We have been to France twice before,(Paris & Normandy) had plans & plane tickets to see the Route de Vin in late Sept/early Oct, but had to cancel due to family illiness. Now, tickets must be used by March 24th, 2011. Love France, will go anywhere, just concerned about the weather, and what will be open. Again, thank you for responding. Linda

I would think Nice our further South would be warmer that early in the Spring.

We went to Paris the week after Christmas for my wifes birthday and had a blast even though it was winter. Very cozy and fun, lots of lights. If you choose to go this route the Eiffel Tower Sparkles at New Years, so try to be close enough to see it.

We were in France in March - Paris for 9 days then a 7 day look from Paris to Honfleur, Bayeaux, Mont St Michele, Dinan, Vitre, Chartres, returning to Paris. It was a windy March but not too cold in Paris, except for our night cruise of the Sienne where we inexplicably decided to sit outside. The other towns were comfortable. Although some days in Paris were cloudy it never rained. We prefer to travel in March & dress in layers to be comfortable, rather than deal with the hordes in the more popular months. That was our weather experience in March for what it's worth. Each year is different and other towns may be warmer or colder, rainier or not, depending on the year. Just pick your destinations and enjoy yourself.

Thanks so much for all the input. I guess I'm not so much concerned about the weather, but will shops, hotels and restaurants be open. Guess I'll have to come up with a southern route and begin checking. Again, many thanks. Linda

Your concern about shops should only be if you are going to towns that are pretty much for tourists. Most towns have locals living there who need for shops to be open. In Paris, locals go to the museums and sites as well as foreign tourists. Although the hours might be cut back, it would seem that most places would be open. We didn't find anything closed in the towns we visited in March.

Linda, you can have bad weather in the south too. That time of year I would make sure to plan an itinerary that is urban, because cities, with their museums and cafes, are more fun in bad weather than small towns and farms.

We were in Languedoc 5 years ago in April (the 9th through the 30th). It was cold & stormy for the 1st week and there were no leaves on the trees or grape vines. Spring came the 2nd week we were there, and by the time we left, it was warm (in the high 70s to mid-80s), the trees and vines had leafed out and the spring flowers were glorious! I would guess that March could be nice, but it could also be cold & wet & windy. If you could possibly delay your trip a few weeks, I would think it would be worth it. Good luck and happy travels.

There is usually still plenty of snow up in the Pyrenees where I live, in March. It can be cold, but on the other hand we often eat lunch on the terrace as early as January and February. You may find it difficult to locate an open outdoor swimming pool :-) but most of the country is operational in March!