March 2027 is an unusual French month because Easter arrives inside it: Easter Sunday is 28 March and Easter Monday, a public holiday, is the 29th – and 28 March is also when the clocks go forward. That puts the start of the season, an hour of extra evening light and a long weekend all in the final days, with three genuinely quiet, cheap weeks in front of them.
The shape of the month
Up to about 20 March, France is still in low season: cool, quiet, inexpensive, with museums empty and much of the coast closed. From roughly the 21st, Easter demand builds and the season effectively begins.
The first three weeks of March 2027 are one of the better value windows of the French year – winter prices with lengthening days and the first proper spring weather in the south.
The clocks go forward on Easter Sunday
France moves to summer time on the last Sunday of March, which in 2027 is 28 March – the same day as Easter. Sunset in Paris jumps from around 19:00 to after 20:00 overnight.
That single change does more for a French trip than any temperature rise. Terraces become usable, the apéro hour returns, and the last four days of March feel like a different month from the first four.
Easter, 28–29 March 2027
Easter Monday, 29 March 2027, is a public holiday – Good Friday is not, except in Alsace and Moselle, which keep it from their period under German administration. Expect:
- A busy long weekend. French families travel; the coast, the Loire and the mountains fill.
- Chocolate everywhere. French tradition has the church bells fly to Rome and return with the eggs, and the pâtisseries take it seriously.
- Closures on the Monday – shops, banks and some museums, though major attractions generally open.
- The seasonal reopening. Easter is the trigger for coastal and rural France, and an early Easter means an early start.
Weather by region
- Paris and the north – about 13°C by day and 4°C at night, with roughly 45 mm of rain. Changeable: warm in the sun, cold in the shade, and showery.
- The Riviera and Provence – 16–17°C and increasingly bright, with the mistral still blowing. Almond and cherry blossom through the month.
- The Alps – still skiing, with spring snow and long sunny afternoons; most resorts run to mid or late April.
- Brittany and Normandy – mild, windy and wet, but green and beginning to open.
- The Loire and Burgundy – château season restarts, and the gardens begin.
What reopens
Easter is the switch for seasonal France, and an early Easter means an early reopening. From roughly Palm Sunday, hotels and restaurants on the Atlantic coast, in Normandy and Brittany, and in the smaller Riviera towns begin their season, and the Loire châteaux return to full hours.
“Begin” is doing work in that sentence: in the first half of March most of it is still closed, so a coastal trip before the 20th will find half the town shut.
What March is good for
- Cities before the season. Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and Strasbourg with spring light and winter prices.
- Spring skiing. Sunny afternoons, softer snow, and rates well below February once the school holidays end.
- Provence in blossom, without the summer crowds or the summer prices.
- Value, in the first three weeks of the month.
Prices and crowds
Low until about 20 March, then rising sharply into the Easter weekend. Ski resorts drop from their February peak as the school zones finish, which makes early-to-mid March the best combination of snow and price all season.
See what a trip to France costs.
What to pack
Layers for two seasons in a day and something waterproof – March is the most changeable month of the French spring. Add sunglasses for the south and proper gear if you are skiing, where spring sun is stronger than it feels. See what to pack for France.
The March 2027 calendar
- 1–20 March – low-season prices with spring light; the best value window of the month.
- Early March – the last French school-holiday zone finishes; Alpine prices fall.
- Through March – almond and cherry blossom in Provence; the Loire châteaux return to full hours.
- Sunday 21 March – Palm Sunday; the Easter build-up begins and rates step up.
- Friday 26 March – Good Friday; a public holiday only in Alsace and Moselle.
- Sunday 28 March – Easter Sunday, and the clocks go forward; sunset moves past 20:00.
- Monday 29 March – Easter Monday, a national public holiday; a busy travel day.
Read alongside
- France in February – Nice Carnival and the busiest Alps.
- France in April – the gardens, and a month without Easter.
- Best time to visit France – all twelve months compared.
- Paris in March – the city-level version of this month.
- Trip to France cost – shoulder-season numbers.
- France travel guide – regions and how to combine them.
- What to pack for France – the spring list.
Frequently asked
When is Easter in France in 2027?
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027 and Easter Monday, a national public holiday, is 29 March. Good Friday is not a public holiday in France except in Alsace and Moselle.
Is March a good time to visit France?
The first three weeks are excellent value – low-season prices, empty museums and lengthening days. The last ten days carry Easter, the clock change and the start of the season, with prices to match.
How warm is France in March?
Paris averages about 13°C by day and 4°C at night with roughly 45 mm of rain, and it is changeable. The Riviera and Provence reach 16–17°C, and the Alps are still skiing.
When do the clocks change in France in 2027?
On Sunday 28 March 2027, the last Sunday of the month – which is also Easter Sunday. Sunset in Paris moves from around 19:00 to after 20:00 overnight.
Can you still ski in France in March?
Yes, and it is the best-value skiing of the season. Most resorts run to mid or late April, the snow softens into spring conditions, and prices drop sharply once the February school zones finish.
Are the Loire châteaux open in March?
Most return to full hours through March after reduced winter opening, and the gardens begin. Check individual châteaux, since opening dates vary.
Is the French coast open in March?
It starts reopening around Easter, which in 2027 means the last week of March. Before about the 20th, much of Brittany, Normandy and the smaller Riviera towns is still shut.
Is France cheap in March?
For the first three weeks, yes – still low-season rates in the cities, and falling ski prices. The Easter weekend is the exception and books out early.
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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.
