Seven Things to Enjoy During Winter in France

You might not think January, February or March is the best time to visit France, but experiencing the country during the winter months presents a unique opportunity to see a different side of France. Once the Christmas festivities are over, you’ll find far fewer tourists, meaning less crowds at the main attractions and museums. It’s also low season in most places, so you’ll enjoy better rates on accommodations.

Let me assure you, whether you are visiting France or planning to live in France year-round, there is plenty to see and do all winter long. Some of which you can only experience at this time of year. Here’s just a few.

I’ve already found great deals on clothes in Rennes 30 to 60 percent off.

Shop the official French winter sales

France’s sale season is strictly regulated and only takes place for four weeks in the winter and four weeks in the summer. Winter sale dates for 2026 are from Wednesday, January 7 to Tuesday, February 3. Sales are both online and at stores. Four departments on the border of France start their sales a week earlier, which allows them to compete with neighboring countries. They are Moselle, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse and Vosges.

Passage Pommeraye in Nantes

If you don’t like shopping in the rain, several cities in France have beautiful arcade shopping areas, known as Passages Couverts. You’ll find them in Nantes, Reims, and several in Paris. These glass and steel passages were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, offering a glimpse into the past. You'll find exquisite boutiques, restaurants, pâtisseries, ice cream shops and more.

Attend a weekly market

Even in the winter, weekly open-air markets are popular. I recently visited the Rennes Saturday market, which is the second largest open-air market in France. There were more people there than in summer. In my area of Brittany, I prefer the medium-sized markets in larger villages like Auray, Questembert and La Gacilly, or in smaller cities like Vannes. Wherever you are in France, you’ll find weekly outdoor markets and the covered market halls called Les Halles.

Have a cultural experience

With less crowds, it’s a great time for visiting museums, attending the latest exhibits and enjoying music. Experience a ballet or an opera at the Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris, a 19th-century architectural masterpiece. Or listen to classical music reverberating off the Carrara marble walls of Chapelle de la Trinité, one of Lyon’s must-see Baroque jewels.

Go skiing or snowboarding in the French Alps

I’m not into winter sports, but if you are, the French Alps, with over 300 ski resorts is a great place to be in winter. Check out this website for more information.

Château de Chambord, the largest chateau in the Loire Valley

Visit Chateaus

Winter is a lovely time to tour France’s gorgeous chateaus. You won’t see the gardens at their peak, but with fewer visitors, you’ll have better views of the interiors.   

The Loire Valley offers the most options, but if you’re only in Paris, Château de Versailles and Château de Fontainebleau are both easily reachable by train or through a tour group.

Enjoy winter festivals

France is known for its festivals, and even in winter the tradition carries on. I’ve included the 2026 dates for these events.

Annecy, know as the “Venice of the Alps” due to its winding canals, hosts the 29^th Venetian Carnival from February 27 to March 1. From March 4 to 7, Saint-Malo and Rennes host a rock music festival called La Route du Rock Winter.

For warmer weather, head south to enjoy three popular festivals along the Mediterranean coast. The Nice Carnival, a Mardi Gras celebration with parades and fireworks runs from February 11 to March 1. Thirty-five minutes east is the Fête du Citron in Menton. The festival runs from February 14 to March 1 in the beautiful town of Menton near the French and Italian border. Le Corso Fleuri in Bormes-les-Mimosas is a flower parade in coastal Provence from February 14 to 15. If you time it right, you could attend all three festivals.

See this link for other major events in France throughout 2026.

Some fancy versions of the King Cake

Enjoy French comfort food and drink

Of course, my favorite thing to do in winter, or really any time of year, is to enjoy seasonal French food and traditions. So many French dishes are the perfect comfort food to enjoy on a winter’s day. When the cold weather descends, it’s time to fire up my 28 cm Le Creuset Dutch oven and prepare coq au vin or bœuf bourguignon. But if you don't feel like cooking, find a warm and inviting traditional French restaurant and enjoy these dishes or a bowl of Soupe à l’Oignon (French onion soup) and one of France’s most decadent dishes, Tartiflette, a rich casserole of scalloped potatoes covered in melted reblochon cheese and chunks of bacon.

It you’re out and about, pop into a cozy café for a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate), usually served with a small cookie, or enjoying a vin chaud (hot mulled wine), my favorite drink during the winter season.

A tradition on the Epiphany, the 12th night of Christmas is the Galette des Rois, a very flat pastry cake, known as the king cake. It celebrates the arrival of the three wise men in Bethlehem when baby Jesus was presented to them and they gave him their precious gifts. In the south of France, the king cake is a fruit brioche called a Gâteau des Rois. You’ll find different versions of the king cake in every boulangerie, patisserie and grocery store from around January 6th through Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, which this year is February 17.

Both cakes contain a white or black bean and whoever has it in their slice is the king or queen for the day and wears the paper crown that typically adorns the cake. There are many variations and fillings in the Galette des Rois. A friend brought me the last slice of an almond filled one and said no one had found the bean, so it had to be in my piece. It was so delicious, I gobbled it down and never looked for the bean. I must have swallowed it!