Fall is my favorite time to be in France, and our last trip in late November sealed it. I’ve been in the summer and in late November. November won by far.

On our most recent trip, we split our time between Paris and Colmar, and I came home with five reasons I’d book the same dates again.

1. The food

Fall food in France is rich, hearty and exactly what you want after a day of walking. That goes double if you wander into Lyon or the Alsace region.

The closer you get to the French-German border, the better it gets. The food there is some of the best I’ve had anywhere in France, a wonderful hybrid of two food cultures on one plate.

A few dishes to look for:

Coq au Riesling: chicken braised in the local white wine instead of red, usually finished with cream and mushrooms.
Tarte flambée: a paper-thin crust topped with crème fraîche, onions and bacon, baked until the edges blister.
Spaetzle: small, soft egg noodles that soak up whatever sauce they sit next to.

2. The holiday decor

Late November is when the holiday decor starts to go up. The Christmas market in the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris is usually one of the first to open, typically by mid-November. You get your Christmas market fix without the insanity.

On our last trip we went through both Paris and Colmar. Colmar is famous for its Christmas market, but I’m told it gets REALLY crowded once the season is in full swing. Locals described it as “elbow to elbow”.

The locals we met said we’d picked the perfect time to visit. We got the beauty and atmosphere of the decorations without the insane crowds or the long waits at restaurants.

Honestly, I’d still love to go back for a market someday, crowds and all.

3. Light-coat weather

Late November is perfect light-coat weather. We walked all over Paris and Colmar very comfortably, and we even got to witness Paris’ first dusting of snow. We were very comfortable in a light coat, jeans, and a sweater.

Here’s what a typical day looks like at the end of November:

City	Average high	Average low
Paris	47°F (8°C)	38°F (3°C)
Colmar	44°F (7°C)	34°F (1°C)

Averages are from Weather Spark’s November pages for Paris and Colmar. Nights in Colmar dip close to freezing, so bring a layer for after dark.

These temps make packing a capsule wardrobe very easy.

4. Fewer crowds

Shoulder season is my favorite time to travel anywhere, and France in the fall is a big reason why. There are simply fewer people in a lot of spots.

You’ll still want to buy tickets ahead for the very popular places like the Louvre, unless you enjoy waiting in line. Christmas markets are the one exception to the quiet. Once they open, the crowds come right back.

5. The fall colors

The fall colors make Parisian parks and small French villages even more charming. I’m not sure how to describe it.

Maybe it’s the last gold leaves against all that pale stone in Paris, or the way Colmar’s half-timbered houses look under a grey sky. It just is. Everything we saw on that late-November trip was so lovely.