February is the month the French Riviera makes its case for winter. Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival both run for around two weeks, in mild coastal sun while Paris sits at 10°C and grey. It is also the busiest and most expensive month in the Alps, because French school holidays are staggered across the whole month – and the cheapest month in the cities.
Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival
Two of the strangest and best winter events in Europe happen twenty minutes apart on the same coast, usually overlapping for roughly a fortnight in February.
- Carnaval de Nice – one of the largest carnivals in the world: illuminated night parades of giant papier-mâché heads along the Promenade du Paillon, and the batailles de fleurs, flower battles where costumed performers throw thousands of blooms into the crowd from floats.
- Fête du Citron, Menton – enormous sculptures built entirely from lemons and oranges, tens of tonnes of citrus wired onto frames in the Jardins Biovès, plus golden-fruit parades. It exists because Menton grew citrus commercially, and it is genuinely unlike anything else.
Both are ticketed for the main events and free to see in part. Dates are set annually around Lent – with Ash Wednesday on 10 February 2027, expect the core of both in the first half of the month. Confirm with the city tourist offices before booking.
The school-holiday problem in the Alps
This is the single most useful thing to know about a French February. French school holidays are split into three zones (A, B and C) that take their two-week winter break on a rolling schedule, deliberately staggered so the whole country does not travel at once.
The effect is that almost the entire month is a school-holiday week for someone, and Alpine resorts run at or near capacity from early February to early March at their highest prices of the year. Add the British and Dutch half-terms in the middle of the month and it is the peak of the European ski season.
If you want the Alps in February, book months ahead and expect to pay. If you want value, January or late March are better.
Weather by region
- Paris and the north – about 10°C by day and 3°C at night, with roughly 42 mm of rain. Still grey, but the light returns noticeably: sunset moves past 18:00 by the end of the month.
- The Riviera – around 14°C in Nice, with real sun and the mimosa in bloom along the Estérel coast.
- Provence – cold and bright, with the mistral at its strongest; almond blossom towards the end of the month.
- The Alps – the best snow of the season and the busiest weeks.
- Brittany and Normandy – mild, wet and stormy.
The Mimosa Route
A quiet pleasure worth knowing about. From late January through February, mimosa comes into bloom along the Var coast, and the Route du Mimosa runs roughly 130 kilometres from Bormes-les-Mimosas to Grasse. Mandelieu-la-Napoule holds a mimosa festival in February. It is free, uncrowded and exactly the opposite of the carnival a few kilometres east.
What February is good for
- Cities at their cheapest. Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux are at low-season rates with no queues.
- The Riviera in sun. Nice, Menton and Antibes work in February in a way that no northern French coast does.
- Truffles, in their last full month, with the Provençal and Périgord markets running.
- Skiing, if you accept the prices – the snow is at its best.
Prices and crowds
The most sharply divided month of the French year. Alpine resorts are at their annual peak for the whole month; Paris and the cities are at or near their annual low. The Riviera lifts for carnival weeks and is otherwise reasonable.
See what a trip to France costs.
What to pack
Layers and a waterproof for the north and west; proper winter gear for the Alps; and a lighter jacket plus sunglasses for the Riviera, where February afternoons in the sun are genuinely pleasant. Churches and older buildings are cold. See what to pack for France.
The February 2027 calendar
- Late January into February – mimosa in bloom along the Route du Mimosa on the Var coast.
- First half of February – Nice Carnival and the Menton Lemon Festival, around Ash Wednesday on the 10th; confirm dates locally.
- Tuesday 9 February – Mardi Gras; crêpes were two weeks earlier, at Chandeleur on 2 February.
- Tuesday 2 February – La Chandeleur; crêpes across France.
- Through February – the three zones of French school holidays roll through; the Alps at peak capacity.
- Through February – the last full month of black truffle season.
- Late February – the Salon de l’Agriculture in Paris, France’s largest agricultural show.
Read alongside
- France in January – the sales and the cheapest weeks.
- France in March – an early Easter and the start of spring.
- Best time to visit France – all twelve months compared.
- Paris in February – the city-level version of this month.
- Nice vs Cannes – choosing a Riviera base.
- Trip to France cost – low-season and ski numbers.
- What to pack for France – the winter list.
Frequently asked
Is February a good time to visit France?
For the Riviera and for cities, yes – Nice and Menton hold their carnivals in mild sun, and Paris is at its cheapest with no queues. For the Alps the snow is excellent but it is the most expensive and most crowded month of the season.
When is Nice Carnival?
Usually for around two weeks in February, set annually around Lent. With Ash Wednesday on 10 February 2027, expect the core in the first half of the month. The Menton Lemon Festival runs on overlapping dates twenty minutes along the coast.
Why are French ski resorts so busy in February?
Because French school holidays are staggered across three zones on a rolling two-week schedule, so almost the whole month is a holiday week for someone. Add the British and Dutch half-terms and it is the peak of the European season.
How warm is France in February?
Paris averages about 10°C by day and 3°C at night; Nice is milder at around 14°C with real sun; Provence is cold and bright with a strong mistral; and the Alps are in full winter.
What is the Fête du Citron?
Menton’s lemon festival, where enormous sculptures are built from tens of tonnes of lemons and oranges wired onto frames in the Jardins Biovès, with golden-fruit parades. It exists because Menton grew citrus commercially.
What is the Route du Mimosa?
A roughly 130-kilometre route from Bormes-les-Mimosas to Grasse, following the mimosa bloom along the Var coast from late January through February. It is free and far quieter than the carnivals nearby.
Is Paris cheap in February?
Yes – along with January it is the cheapest month of the year for flights and hotels, and the major museums are at their quietest.
Can you swim in the south of France in February?
No. The sea is at its annual low and the Riviera in February is a walking, eating and sitting-in-the-sun destination rather than a beach one.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
