The weather in France is actually very varied, depending on where it is. Northern France is very much like England, wet and cool, but not cold like it gets in Canadian winters. The reason Britain has the warmer winters (as well as northern France) is due to the Atlantic Gulf Steam. This Gulf Stream brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the UK and France making it warmed in the winters, but also wetter all year round.
Here's a brief breakdown of the various regions in France and their weather.
Northern and North-western France has warmer summers than Britain, winters are mild but frost and snow still occurs.
South-western France has very warm summers, but it is also much wetter than the north, winters are mild and cold spells do not last long.
Central and Eastern France have warm summers and rain most commonly falls during the summer. Winters are colder the further east you go, but are still rather mild.
The Mediterranean Coast has hot summers, and the winters range from cold to mild. The cold patches in the winter are due to a wind from the north named the Marseille.
The Mountainous Regions are the wettest and coldest of all the regions of France, with much snow in the winter but generally clear skies. The summers are rather warm however, but have many cloudy days.
