Best time to go to French Pyrenees for a perfect weather and where to go?
Julie Parment and Tony Samson last update: 16/04/2024When is the best time to go to French Pyrenees?
Apart from winter sports, the best time to visit the French Pyrenees extends from early May to the end of October. In this mountainous region, marking a natural border between France and Spain, many activities are possible for a stay combining nature, culture, and various sports.
When to visit the French Pyrenees based on your interests?
- For memorable hikes, August is ideal: you will have perfect weather! Among the most famous ones, you can hike to Lake Estaens where you can see marmots and chamois, or take on the renowned GR10 trail that crosses the Pyrenees from east to west.
- For winter sports, head to the French Pyrenees between November and March. Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding... the abundant snowfall in the region will delight all enthusiasts!
- For mountain biking, the months from June to October are perfect. The Pyrénées-Orientales are particularly suitable for this activity, especially on the high plateaus of Cerdagne.
- For whitewater sports, and to discover the region in a fun way, it is best to go just after the snow melts, in spring, or even at the very beginning of summer. Rafting, canyoning, canoeing... the choice is yours!
- For thermalism, for example in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, all seasons are possible and there's nothing like soaking in a hot bath after an intense day of skiing, cycling, or hiking!
- For participating in a transhumance, visit the French Pyrenees in spring, or late September, when the herds leave the high mountains to reach their autumn pastures.
Where and when to go based on the weather?
Ariège
Foix (Ariège), Ax-les-Thermes, Pamiers...
Haute-Garonne
Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Lac d’Oô, Saint-Gaudens...
Hautes-Pyrénées
Tarbes, Lourdes, Saint-Lary-Soulan...
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pau, Orthez, Salies-de-Bearn...
Pyrénées-Orientales
Font-Romeu, Prades, Amélie-les-Bains...
To get all the information about the climate and weather in the French Pyrenees for a specific month, click on the corresponding link below:
French Pyrenees in january French Pyrenees in february French Pyrenees in march French Pyrenees in april French Pyrenees in may French Pyrenees in june French Pyrenees in july French Pyrenees in august French Pyrenees in september French Pyrenees in october French Pyrenees in november French Pyrenees in december
Best time to travel to French Pyrenees by cities
Ariège 
Haute-Garonne 
Hautes-Pyrénées 
Pyrénées-Atlantiques 
Pyrénées-Orientales 
Climate and Weather in the French Pyrenees
One of the major assets of the French Pyrenees is its sunshine: with almost 2000 hours of sunshine per year, there is a great chance that your stay will be under a sky of azure blue!
The climate in the Pyrenees is generally mountainous, with variations depending on the regions:
- The Basque Pyrenees are characterized by relatively low relief and experience a rather oceanic climate with mild temperatures and abundant precipitation throughout the year.
- In the Central Pyrenees, the climate will typically be mountainous in high mountain areas, with Mediterranean influence to the east and oceanic influence to the west.
- The Eastern Pyrenees are influenced by a Mediterranean climate, much drier than in other parts of the region.
Summer in the French Pyrenees
From mid-June, temperatures gradually rise to reach between 25 and 30°C (86°F) in the valleys. Closer to the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, the thermometer is often higher than elsewhere.
During the summer season, the weather in the Pyrenees is nevertheless marked by significant rainfall in July and violent thunderstorms until the end of August.
It is worth noting that on the highest peaks, snow is present all year round and temperatures can be very low. Make sure to bring the necessary equipment if you plan on going for a long hike.
Autumn in the French Pyrenees
Autumn is divided into two climatic periods in the Pyrenees:
- From late September to late October, it is the Indian summer: temperatures are still mild and rainfall is rather rare.
- In November and December, it is a rapid transition to winter with a sharp drop in temperatures and snow covering most of the region.
Winter in the French Pyrenees
January and February are characterized by harsh winter conditions, with low temperatures, generally below freezing at night, and significant snowfall.
In March, the climate in the Pyrenees is milder, but snow remains abundant. Depending on the year, winter can linger, much to the delight of ski enthusiasts, or spring can slowly make its appearance, with beautiful sunny and mild days.
Spring in the French Pyrenees
Most of the time, April is rainy and cool, despite occasional spring days. Depending on the slopes, the snow melts and by May, the snow cover completely disappears below 1500 m, giving way to meadows filled with colorful flowers!
Temperatures and rainfall in the French Pyrenees
On these 2 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of French Pyrenees and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Tarbes, Foix (Ariège), Lourdes, Pau and Amélie-les-Bains.
Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in the French Pyrenees
Find out when French Pyrenees has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.
Tourist seasons in the French Pyrenees
The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, June, October, November and December. The number of visitors to French Pyrenees is high in: May, July, August and September.
- Very low season in the French Pyrenees: January, March, November and December.
- Low season in the French Pyrenees: February, April, June and October.
- High season in the French Pyrenees: May, July and September.
- Peak season in the French Pyrenees: August.
Figure: Visitor index for French Pyrenees month by month
Average price for flights to French Pyrenees
A return flight between London and Lourdes is generally cheaper if you go in september ($ 84 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 130 more for your airline ticket to Lourdes if you go in february.
Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to French Pyrenees
Where to go in the French Pyrenees?
This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).
| Cities | jan. | feb. | mar. | apr. | may | jun. | jul. | aug. | sep. | oct. | nov. | dec. |
| Tarbes | 49°F | 50°F | 54°F | 61°F | 67°F | 74°F | 79°F | 81°F | 76°F | 67°F | 56°F | 50°F |
| Foix (Ariège) | 49°F | 50°F | 56°F | 61°F | 67°F | 76°F | 81°F | 83°F | 76°F | 68°F | 56°F | 50°F |
| Lourdes | 47°F | 49°F | 54°F | 59°F | 65°F | 72°F | 77°F | 79°F | 74°F | 67°F | 56°F | 50°F |
| Pau | 50°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 68°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 77°F | 70°F | 58°F | 52°F |
| Amélie-les-Bains | 54°F | 56°F | 59°F | 65°F | 70°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 77°F | 70°F | 61°F | 56°F |
| Ax-les-Thermes | 36°F | 34°F | 40°F | 45°F | 52°F | 59°F | 67°F | 67°F | 59°F | 52°F | 41°F | 40°F |
| Bagnères-de-Bigorre | 47°F | 49°F | 54°F | 59°F | 65°F | 72°F | 77°F | 79°F | 74°F | 67°F | 56°F | 50°F |
| Ceret | 54°F | 56°F | 59°F | 65°F | 70°F | 79°F | 85°F | 85°F | 77°F | 70°F | 61°F | 56°F |
| Font-Romeu | 38°F | 40°F | 45°F | 50°F | 58°F | 67°F | 72°F | 72°F | 65°F | 58°F | 47°F | 41°F |
| Gavarnie | 40°F | 40°F | 45°F | 50°F | 58°F | 65°F | 70°F | 72°F | 65°F | 58°F | 47°F | 43°F |
| Hautacam | 41°F | 41°F | 47°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 70°F | 72°F | 65°F | 59°F | 49°F | 45°F |
| Luz-Saint-Sauveur | 41°F | 41°F | 47°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 70°F | 72°F | 65°F | 59°F | 49°F | 45°F |
| Mirepoix | 49°F | 50°F | 56°F | 61°F | 67°F | 76°F | 81°F | 83°F | 76°F | 68°F | 56°F | 50°F |
| Orthez | 50°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 68°F | 77°F | 81°F | 83°F | 77°F | 70°F | 58°F | 52°F |
| Pamiers | 49°F | 50°F | 56°F | 61°F | 67°F | 76°F | 81°F | 83°F | 76°F | 68°F | 56°F | 50°F |
| Pic du Midi | 41°F | 41°F | 47°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 70°F | 72°F | 65°F | 59°F | 49°F | 45°F |
| Prades | 38°F | 40°F | 45°F | 50°F | 58°F | 67°F | 72°F | 72°F | 65°F | 58°F | 47°F | 41°F |
| Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges | 41°F | 41°F | 47°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 70°F | 72°F | 65°F | 59°F | 49°F | 45°F |
| Saint-Lary-Soulan | 41°F | 41°F | 47°F | 52°F | 58°F | 65°F | 70°F | 72°F | 65°F | 59°F | 49°F | 45°F |
| Ariège Pyrenees Natural Park | 49°F | 50°F | 56°F | 61°F | 67°F | 76°F | 81°F | 83°F | 76°F | 68°F | 56°F | 50°F |
Legend:
perfect weather
good weather
tolerable weather
bad weather
very bad weather
About French Pyrenees
What can I do in the French Pyrenees?
Beaches / swimming
Nature and countryside
Culture and heritage
Sports
Family travel
Gastronomy
Nightlife
Is this weather information for French Pyrenees reliable?
Climate data for French Pyrenees has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for French Pyrenees allows us to determine the average for each month in Tarbes, Foix (Ariège), Lourdes, Pau, Amélie-les-Bains, Ax-les-Thermes, Bagnères-de-Bigorre, Ceret, and 30 other cities.
So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.