The major tourist season in France stretches from Easter to mid-September, but Paris has much to offer in every season. Paris in the early spring can be disappointingly damp, though it's relatively tourist free; May and June are delightful, with good weather and plenty of cultural attractions.

July and August can be sultry. Moreover, many theaters and some of the smaller restaurants and shops close for the entire month of August. If you're undeterred by hot weather and pollution, you'll notice a relaxed atmosphere around the city, as this is the month when most Parisians are on vacation.

September is ideal. Cultural life revives after the summer break, and sunny weather often continues through the first half of October. The ballet and theater are in full swing in November, but the weather is part wet and cold, part bright and sunny. December is dominated by the fêtes de fin d'année (end-of-year festivities), and a busy theater, ballet, and opera season goes well into January.

Paris offers a number of interesting itineraries for strollers. You can follow the waterways or the railway transformed into a most surprising walkway hung some 50 feet above the hustle-bustle of the city. You can also spend some quality time in any of the large public parks which the city counts (Luxembourg, Buttes-Chaumont, Montsouris, Vincennes or Bois de Boulogne), or else decide to learn live history and architecture in areas like St Germain-des-Prés, Bd Hausmann, La Defense.