Chatel in August

Outside the best window (check). Across France: Peak French holiday: coasts and Alps packed, small Paris restaurants closed, motorway jams on Saturdays (the grands départs).

August is rated mixed. These months rate higher:

• SeptemberGoodOutside the best window (check). Across France: Warm sea in the south, grape harvest in the vineyards, quieter roads. The best all-round month.
• OctoberGoodOutside the best window (check). Across France: Autumn colour in Burgundy and Alsace; still mild in Provence. Autumn school holidays late in the month.
• AprilGoodOutside the best window (check). Across France: Spring in Paris and the Loire; Easter school holidays add crowds for two weeks.
• MayGoodOutside the best window (check). Across France: Long weekends (1 May, 8 May, Ascension) fill trains; otherwise mild and green. Cannes festival lifts Riviera prices mid-month.

• ChatelHighs around 21 °C (70 °F), lows around 10 °C (50 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 70 °F (21 °C), lows around 50 °F (10 °C), rain on about 10 days

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• Assumption big impact

  15 Aug · France

  Peak of the August holiday: coasts full, motorways jammed, many small businesses shut.

Crowds · France overall

High

Prices · France overall

High

France overall: Peak French holiday: coasts and Alps packed, small Paris restaurants closed, motorway jams on Saturdays (the grands départs).

High-price month: see what to book ahead.

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Chatel, side by side.

• A warm layer for the evenings
• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast

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