When to go — Occitanie

Occitanie enjoys a Mediterranean climate on the coast and plain, degraded in the mountains and continental in the Massif Central. Record sunshine: 2,600-2,800 sunshine hours/year (Perpignan is one of France's sunniest cities).

Spring (April-June) is the ideal season: 15-25 °C, generous sunshine, spectacular flowering. The cherry orchards of Itxassou in April, the mimosas of Roussillon, the first lavender of the Cévennes in June. Sea still cool (16-19 °C). Excellent season for hiking (Pyrenees accessible from June), for visiting medieval cities (Carcassonne, Cordes-sur-Ciel) without crowds.

Summer (July-August) is exhausting: 35-38 °C in plains (Toulouse, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Béziers), warm sea (22-25 °C). Heat makes it difficult to visit sites in full sun between 1 pm and 5 pm. Crowds saturate major sites (Carcassonne, Pont du Gard) and seaside resorts (Cap d'Agde, La Grande-Motte, Argelès). The central Pyrenees remain pleasant (20-25 °C at altitude). Major festivals: Festival de Carcassonne, Jazz à Sète, Festival Pablo Casals in Prades.

September is the ideal season: 20-27 °C, sea still warm, harvest in all vineyards. Crowds plummeting, prices going down. The Cévennes experience their first Cévennes storms (brief intense rain, to anticipate).

Autumn (October-November) is mild but can experience Mediterranean episodes (brief torrential rains in Languedoc and Cévennes). Magnificent autumn colours in the Pyrenees and Cévennes. Seaside resorts closed.

Winter (December-March) is mild on the coast (10-15 °C during the day) but windy (cers, tramontane). Ski season in the Pyrenees (December to April). Limoux Carnival (the world's longest carnival, January-March, 4 months). Toulouse and Montpellier remain pleasant for cultural visits.