When to go · Chatel
Chatel in December
Mixed month. Outside the best window (check). Across France: Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar (book hotels months ahead); ski season opens mid-month.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 3°C (37°F)37°F (3°C) / −5°C (23°F)23°F (−5°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 11
- Crowds
- Medium
- France overall
- Prices
- Medium
- France overall
Verdict
Outside the best window (check). Across France: Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar (book hotels months ahead); ski season opens mid-month.
Is another month better than December?
December is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
- 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.
- JuneGoodOutside the best window (check). Across France: Long days and warm evenings everywhere; Fête de la Musique on 21 June; lavender starts late in the month.
- SeptemberGoodOutside the best window (check). Across France: Warm sea in the south, grape harvest in the vineyards, quieter roads. The best all-round month.
Weather in December
- ChatelHighs around 3 °C (37 °F), lows around -5 °C (23 °F), rain on about 11 daysHighs around 37 °F (3 °C), lows around 23 °F (-5 °C), rain on about 11 days
Festivals and holidays
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.
Christmas big impact
25 Dec · France
Most shops and many restaurants close on the 25th; Christmas Eve dinner is the big family meal.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · France overall
- Medium
- Prices · France overall
- Medium
France overall: Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar (book hotels months ahead); ski season opens mid-month.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Chatel, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Mixed
Apr: Good (better)
Daytime high
Dec: 3 °C (37 °F)37 °F (3 °C)
Apr: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °C)
Night low
Dec: -5 °C (23 °F)23 °F (-5 °C)
Apr: 0 °C (32 °F)32 °F (0 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 11
Apr: 10 (better)
Crowds
Dec: Medium
Apr: Medium
Prices
Dec: Medium
Apr: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 1
Apr: 0
December: Outside the best window (check). Across France: Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar (book hotels months ahead); ski season opens mid-month.
April: Outside the best window (check). Across France: Spring in Paris and the Loire; Easter school holidays add crowds for two weeks.
Chatel: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast