Paris and Rome in the Fall or Spring?

I would choose September/October for Paris. I've only been there once in April, but found it chilly. Been there in Sept and October several times and found it wonderful -- think Rome would be also.

I'd choose the Fall. I think it rains more in the Spring in Paris than in the Fall. But both Paris and Rome are wonderful any time!

I was initially going to post that maybe the Spring would be a better time to visit Paris - it seems I heard a rumor once that Parisians take vacation in September because it is so humid during this time (so the city is a bit emptier). However, in trying to google some sort of affirmation of this memory, I keep finding articles like this that say September is one of the loveliest times to visit Paris:

http://goparis.about.com/od/parisbymont1/a/Paris_September.htm

Maybe I'm loosing my mind? Personally, I have been to both Paris and Rome in September (Paris was indeed humid, but manageable). What I find preferable about this month for travel is that it is the tail end of the season and I hardly ever had to wait in line for anything (I didn't even wait in line 5 minutes to go up the Eiffel Tower, though I did do it at night and not in the day..). Plus it's perfect weather for a river Seine night cruise! Sites in Rome seemed a bit busier, but you def. beat the summer rush. The weather is still warm and a bit hot, but not unbearable by any means. It's also excellent weather for enjoying your dinner outside in the evening! But in my experience hotel rates are still high season during this time(at least beginning and mid month). Hope someone else can contribute the counter experience! But both will be good options - there is no bad month to visit Paris or Rome =)

Sarah,

I've been to Paris and Rome in both the spring and fall "shoulder seasons" (April/May & Sept./Oct.) and the weather has been good in both cases. However, as another post indicated, it's more likely to be "chilly" in the evenings during the spring, especially in Paris.

If you do decide to travel in the spring, April/May would probably be a better choice than March/April. It might be better to start in Rome, as it will likely be warmer at that time of year (of course, no guarantees). End the trip in Paris.

Regarding flights, you may be limited to Air Canada as Air Transat and the charters don't usually start their Europe runs until perhaps May. That would be another reason to choose travel in the fall. Note that Air Transat now has weekly direct flights from Vancouver to Rome, and they also fly from Paris/CDG.

Cheers!

We were in Paris late April and the weather was a comfortable high 60's/low 70's, but that is certainly no prediction of future weather patterns. Also, the crowds were minimal, which was very nice. For the fall, a key point to consider is that the Paris auto/car show occurs then, which I hear can create big crowds and higher hotel room prices. Maybe try to avoid that if you go in the fall.

Our weather experiences were the same as Ken's in Paris and Rome. Fall appeals to me, if for no other reason than kids are in school. Now mind you, we love 'em (2 retired teachers) but on a few recent trips we hit right in the middle of school break in England and in France. While some places had special activities (living history, jousting, etc.) because of the school break, the crowds of locals and their families competing with us real tourists
:-) made for long lines and busy venues. Not a deal breaker, but something I will investigate in the future when planning the next trip. Have fun wherever and whenever you go.

Thank you for all of the great suggestions.

I didn't even think about CHarter flights to Europe not being available in the Spring, or the school Spring Breaks. Spring Break in March 1995 is when I first visited Rome. Thanks for the suggestions, I am leaning toward Fall I think.

I've been to Paris in mid-late March and also in late Sept/early Oct. The weather was way better in Sept/Oct and there were still leaves on the trees, not the case in March, which still felt like winter. However, the crowds were far fewer in March, so if you've never been and want to visit the big sights, it could be worth the weather trade-off to go in March. You might check to make sure you won't be visiting during fashion week if you go in early Oct--it can be hard to get a hotel room then.

If you go in the fall I would suggest starting in Paris and work your ways towards Rome. The cooler fall weather comes earlier the further north you are. We were in Italy in late September and Paris in early October and the weather in Paris was much cooler.

I think Steves post is spot on.

March in Paris can be cold and rainy. Also gardens are not that great,,and the gardens are still nice in September.. April weather could go eithr way.

I think best weather for Paris would be mid September through Oct. I would look at later September for Rome( it is so hot there in summer!)

September is however a busy month for hotels in Paris as trade shows and fashion stuff all starts up again after a quiet summer, so book by April / May for best rates and avaialabity.

Have you checked out the weather chart for Europe on this web site yet? If not, I only know one way to get to it and that is to click on any one of RS tours for France and then along the right hand side of the page is a heading of "Weather in Europe" which you can click on to get a BIG listing of European cities and their weather for different times of the year. I was in Paris May 9-16, 2009, and it rained almost every day. If you have decided on a Fall trip, I would agree with the post who recommended starting in Paris and then Rome.

The weather is unpredictable no matter when you go. I was just in Paris (June 3-13) and there were few days when I could wear sandals, there were too many days when I wore a rain poncho. Last fall (Oct 3-15) I was in northern Italy (Milan, Venice, Florence) and I was so glad I took rooms with air conditioning, never wore the jackets and jeans either. I imagine Rome was hotter. BTW October is still high season in Italy. You will probably need advance tickets (e.g. Borghese).