Day 3432 (Sunday) 1st November 2026.

This is Nice airport

and this is sunset in Nice.

It was quite cold all day today and I had to put my winter comfies on and close the door - first time this year.

6 things to look forward to in France in November

People taste wine and cheer during the official launch of the 2025 edition of the "Beaujolais Nouveau" wine in the streets of Lyon, 

central-eastern France, on November 19, 2026

Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

The weather's getting colder, the nights are drawing in and the news is dominated by strikes and protests - so here are six things to look forward to in France this November.

The news from France has all been a bit serious recently, but the country still has plenty to offer when it comes to thing to look forward to in November.

Here's a few suggestions;

Public holidays - normally, November has two public holidays; Toussaint (All Saints) on November 1st and Armistice Day on November 11th.

This year, Toussaint falls on a Sunday, which means no extra day off work for most people, but you can still mark the tradition in the French way (or take part in some Halloween fun such as being chased by zombies through a vineyard in Avignon).

Speaking of zombies, Paris has;  its Halloween zombie walk a bit late this year - taking place on November 7th.

But Armistice Day is on a Wednesday, which means an extra day off work. The day is marked solemnly in most places with tributes and parades at war memorials.

Beaujolais Nouveau Day - not a public holiday, but a festival all the same, marking the day when the primeur wines from Beaujolais go on sale.

Primeurs - the wines made fast from the grapes picked that summer - are produced in many regions, but the most famous is Beaujolais Nouveau from the Burgundy region. In eastern France there are festivals and parties to celebrate, while in the rest of the country it's more of a marketing tool.

The wine always goes on sale on the third Thursday of the month, which this year is November 19th. Many bars and wine caves have special events on, so if nothing else it's a good reason to drink wine with a few friends on a Thursday.

Seasonal food - you might think that the summer is the best time for seasonal food, but in fact the autumn has a lot to offer, with delicious in-season vegetables such as pumpkins and leeks, the abundance of chestnuts and the fact that the 'r in the month' rule means that seafood is back on the menu.

Then there are the classic dishes of a French autumn, from a hearty pot-au-feu to a chou farci or gratin de ravioles et poireaux.

Finally - mushrooms. Whether you prefer to forage for your own or just head to the market, you will be spoiled for choice for fungi fun.

Winter truce - France's most famous piece of housing legislation is the trève hivernale, or the winter truce. Every year between November 1st and March 31st, landlords are banned from evicting tenants in rent arrears, while utility companies cannot cut off supplies to late payers.

It's a little piece of humanitarianism that made its way into the usually dull world of property law, intended to ensure that people do not end up homeless during the coldest part of the year.

Must-see exhibitions - cooler temperatures mean indoor fun, and if you like art, there are some real treats in store this November.

La Sucrière in Lyon presents a major retrospective of photographer Robert Doisneau; Toulouse's Les Abattoirs presents 'Joan Miró: Protestation', the first major exhibition in France dedicated to the Catalan painter; and Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille presents Voyage à l’anglaise, a new exhibition exploring William Turner and the British artists of the Grand Tour.

In Paris, there are exhibitions of David Hockney, Andy Warhol, and Kerry James Marshall, along many others.

The capital's Grand Palais has a huge expo dedicated to Paul Cezanne and all the artists who were inspired by him - from his contemporaries right up to the pop art painters of the 1950s.

Ski season opens - dependent, of course, on the weather but France's high altitude ski resorts normally open in November. Val Thorens, in the high Alps, is due to open on November 21st this year, if the snow goes their way.

The resorts at the medium and lower altitudes open a little later, and peak ski season in France is February, when many families take advantage of the school holidays for a trip to the Alps or the Pyrenees. Schools also run ski trips for their pupils.

(and Christmas - quite a few French Christmas markets start at the end of November too, but perhaps it's too early to talk about that).