Public and school holidays in France, 2025

Public holidays in France, 2025

Public and school holidays in France, 2025

Happy New Year to you all, it was a hectic end to 2024 for us, so I hope 2025 is a healthy and less challenging one for everyone.

 

Having only had the opportunities for day trips last year, we are busy browsing the internet and guidebooks for ideas and itineraries for our cycling escapades this year. January is the perfect time to start planning your French travel adventures and to make the most of them, it’s always useful to know when the public and school holidays fall. Things have changed a lot in the twenty years since we’ve been living here, but in many areas of rural France, shops are still likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays and school holiday traffic can be a nightmare.

 

Here is my guide to all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2025. This year, you can save the above image and keep it to hand for reference during the year.

 

Public Holidays in France 2025

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an 

20^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques 

21^st April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail (celebrated with lily of the valley)

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 

29^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 30^th May for the bridge (pont)) 

9^th June, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale 

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). 

 

Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours will need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

 

School Holidays 

The school holiday dates in France are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

https://www.vacances-scolaires-gouv.com

Here are the dates for 2025:

The winter holiday will be from 8^th February to 9^th March. 

Zone B gets the first two weeks, Zone C the middle two and Zone A the last two.

 

The spring holiday will be from 5^th April to 4^th May. 

Zone B gets the first two weeks, Zone C the middle two and Zone A the last two weeks.

 

Thanks to Ascension Day falling on 29^th May, everyone will be off for a four-day long weekend from Thursday 29^th May to Sunday 1^st June, with Friday being a bridge day.

 

The summer holiday for all zones will be from 5^th July until 1^st September.

 

The October holiday for all zones will be from 18^th October to 2^nd November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones will be from 20^th December to 4^th January 2026.

 

Other dates to note and celebrate in France

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here).

8^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver. Sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 8^th January to 4^th February. 

 

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here).

 

4^th March, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

30^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time.

 

1^st April, Poisson d’avril celebrated in France with sticky fish (see here).

13^th April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here).

 

25^th May, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères.

27^th May, National Resistance Day, journée nationale de la Résistance.

30^th May, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins often celebrated in France with shared meals.

 

15^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères.

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France.

25^th June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 22^nd July.

 

5^th July to 27^th July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Lille, and with a finish back on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. This year, unusually, there will be no overseas stages.

 

26^th July to 3^rd August, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, begins in Brittany and finishes a whopping nine days later in Châtel, in the Alps. This is its longest duration yet since its inauguration in 2022. We are looking forward to watching it when it comes through Poitiers on 29^th and 30^th July.

 

20^th and 21^st September, European Heritage weekend, Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, many museums and other cultural sites will be open to the public, often organising special events, and with free or reduced-price entry. 

 

26^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time. 

 

Free museum Sundays

Free museum entry on the First Sundays of the month 

Did you know many national museums in France open for free on the first Sunday of the month? Whilst not exclusive, as there are often restrictions in July and August, and some museums will close for some of the winter months, this is certainly a secret worth knowing and we’ve had some interesting visits over the years, all for free. 

 

Note: not all museums are national and without the financial support from the government, locally or independently run places will not have the ability to offer free entries. If you fancy a cultural city break, it would be worthwhile checking the museum websites to see if they are taking part and plan your visit accordingly.

 

I hope you’ve found this useful and that wherever in France 2025 takes you, you have a wonderful time. I’d love to hear about your adventures and new discoveries.

 

French public and school holidays 2024

French public and school holiday dates 2024

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year to you all. 

 

January is the perfect time to start planning your French travel adventures and to make the most of them, it’s always useful to know when the public and school holidays fall. Things have changed a lot in the twenty years since we’ve been living here, but in many areas of rural France, shops are still likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

The school holiday dates in France are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

This summer Paris will be home to the Olympics, with 329 events over 19 days in 41 venues, which will mean a busy city, plus it’s all change for the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes. 

Here is my guide to all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2024. 

 

Public Holidays in France 2024

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an 

31^st March, Easter Sunday, Pâques 

1^st April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail (celebrated with lily of the valley)

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 

9^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 9^th May for the bridge (pont see below)) 

20^th May, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale (a Sunday this year)

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

French school holiday zones 
https://www.vacances-scolaires-gouv.com

 

School Holidays 

 

Here are the dates for 2024:

The winter holiday is from 10^th February to 10^th March. 

Zone C gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone B the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 6^th April to 5^th May. 

Zone C gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone B the last two weeks.

 

Thanks to Ascension Day falling on 9^th May, everyone is off for a five-day long weekend from Wednesday 8^th May (Victory in Europe Day) to Sunday 12^th May, with Friday being a bridge day.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 6^th July until 1^st September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 19^th October to 3^rd November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 22^nd December to 6^th January 2025.

 

Other dates to note and celebrate

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

10^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver. Sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 10^th January to 6^th February 

 

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

13^th February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

 

24^th March, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

31^st March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

 

1^st April, Poisson d’avril celebrated in France with sticky fish (see here)

 

26^th May, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

27^th May, National Resistance Day, journée nationale de la Résistance

31^st May, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins often celebrated in France with shared meals

 

6^th June, 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy that will be commemorated with a number of events this summer 

16^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

26^th June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 16^th July

 

29^th June to 1^st July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Florence, Italy, and a finish in Nice, NOT on the Champs-Elysées in Paris because of preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

 

26^th July to 11^th August, Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the Opening Ceremony on 26^th July

 

12^th to 18^th August, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, begins in Rotterdam and finishes in Alpe d’Huez, in the Alps

21^st and 22^nd September, European Heritage weekend, Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, many museums and other cultural sites will be open to the public, often organising special events, and with free or reduced price entry

 

27^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time and Christmas will be with us before we know it

Free museum entry on the First Sundays of the month 

Did you know many national museums in France open for free on the first Sunday of the month? Whilst not exclusive, as there are often restrictions in July and August, and some museums will close for some of the winter months, this is certainly a secret worth knowing and we’ve had some interesting visits over the years, all for free. Note: not all museums are national and without the financial support from the government, locally or independently run places will not have the ability to offer free entries. If you fancy a cultural city break, it would be worthwhile checking the museum websites to see if they are taking part and plan your visit accordingly.

 

7^th January

4^th February

3^rd March

7^th April

5^th May

2^nd June

7^th July

4^th August

1^st September

6^th October

3^rd November

1^st December

 

I hope you’ve found this useful and that wherever in France 2024 takes you, you have a wonderful time. I’d love to hear about your adventures and new discoveries.

 

  

French public and school holidays 2023

French public and school holidays 2023

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year to you all. 

 

As has become a tradition for 1^st January, here is my annual post with all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2023. 

 

Public Holidays in France 2023

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an (a Sunday this year)

9^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques

10^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 

18^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 19^th May for the bridge (pont)) 

29^th May, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saint's Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 (a Saturday this year)

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

Faire le pont

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

 

It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although some opening is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

Other dates to note and celebrate

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

11^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 11^th January to 7^th February 

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

21^st February, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

26^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

1^st April, Poisson d’avril celebrated in France with sticky fish (see here)

2^nd April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

27^th May, National Resistance Day, journée nationale de la Résistance

2^nd June, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins, often celebrated in France with shared meals

4^th June, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

18^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

28^th June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 25^th July

1^st July to 23^rd July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Bilbao, Spain, and a finish on the Champs-Elysées in Paris

23^rd July to 30^th July, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, begins in Clermont-Ferrand and finishes in Pau  

29^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time (although the future of this is up for debate)

Vacances scolaires 2023 service-public.fr

 

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

Here are the dates for 2023:

The winter holiday is from 3^rd February to 6^th March. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone C the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 7^th April to 9^th May. 

Zone A gets the first two weeks, Zone B the middle two and Zone C the last two weeks.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 7^th July until 4^th September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 20^th October to 6^th November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 22^nd December to 7^th January 2024.

 

Covid-19 has evolved from something that stopped the world to something we all need to live with. As I write this, overseas travel is pretty much back to normal, although we are still much happier wearing our masks when using public transport. Here is to lots of safe travel adventures in France this year and I hope you find this useful for planning your trip in the quieter weeks outside of the French school holidays. 

 

  

International Volunteer Day

Our village decorations - made by volunteers

Advent Day Five

The 5^th of December is International Volunteer Day, or in French Journée mondiale des bénévoles. I read this morning that giving your time gives you a sense of worth and purpose, whilst creating positive feelings, and connecting you with other people, thus helping improve your mental well-being. As someone who arrived in France with a young child, knew no one in the village and had a husband whose work took him away from home a lot of the time, volunteering was my lifeline for all the reasons stated above. It has also proved to be an effective way to improve my French, boost my self-confidence and ultimately led to paid employment too. 

 

One of the first things I became involved in was our village magazine and I can vividly remember sitting in the meetings and not understanding a word, let alone being able to contribute anything, apart from helping with the folding, stapling and distribution. Eighteen years on, and I’m still folding, stapling and delivering, but I’m also translating parts of it into English and enjoying the chat and gossip that goes on around the table when we meet up once a month.

 

When Ed started at the local nursery school, I made a point of always saying yes when parents were asked to help out. The weekly craft activities when he was under six and the overnight school trips in primary school, were great fun and gave me a sense of reassurance and a better understanding of the French school culture. Ed’s step up from primary to secondary school was certainly smoother for us both due to the fact I’d been running a weekly English language club for the two years before he moved up. It was an unexpected bonus to learn that this had given me ‘cool’ status among his peers.

 

Life in our French village would be nothing without a core of volunteers. Aside from the monthly magazine, the library, the summer social events, the handmade Christmas decorations, the Children’s Christmas party and more, all exist in our village solely thanks to volunteers. Being one of these volunteers has not only helped me find my place in the village, but it also led to me being elected onto the village council in 2014, something I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of for over six years and offered me many experiences I would otherwise have missed out on. 

My 121st monthly piece in The Deux-Sèvres Monthly

 

Working at the library in Chef-Boutonne came about thanks to being a volunteer at our village library, and in turn led to me being offered the position to work at the Château de Javarzay this year. Having a wealth of new and exciting life experiences here in France encouraged me to start this blog back in 2006. This in turn led to regular contributions to the Deux-Sèvres Monthly magazine and despite never having written anything longer than a letter, I can’t now imagine not having these creative outlets in my life. 

 

I am not the most confident or outgoing person, so to think I could have moved here all those years ago and shut myself indoors for fear of my French not being good enough, is a scary thought. What would I have done with my days when Ed was at school? How would I have met people and learned French? I shudder to think how different my life would be now. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been rewarding, and volunteering has shaped the person I am today.

 

If you are also a volunteer – Happy Volunteer Day to you. If you’re not yet a volunteer – what are you waiting for? It could change your life. 

French public and school holidays 2022

French public and school holidays 2022

Happy New Year. 

 

January is with us once more and as in previous years, here is my annual post with all the French public holidays, school holidays and other notable dates, plus how they are celebrated here in France, for 2022. 

 

Nothing much seems to have changed from when I wrote a similar post last December, as we once again find ourselves living with strict Covid-19 controls in place, concerning who travel to France from the UK and the rules they must follow. 

 

I can only hope that travel and holidays in 2022 become easier for us all, but please do check with the relevant authorities before planning your 2022 holiday travel. The UK government update this information page on their website on a regular basis: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

 

Public Holidays in France 2022

1^st January, New Year’s Day, jour de l’an (a Saturday this year)

17^th April, Easter Sunday, Pâques

18^th April, Easter Monday, lundi de Pâques (note there is no Good Friday holiday in France unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

1^st May, Fête du Travail (a Sunday this year)

8^th May, Victory in Europe Day, Victoire 1945 (a Sunday this year)

26^th May, Ascension Day, Ascension (note schools will have an extra day off on Friday 27^th May for the bridge (pont)) 

6^th June, Pentecost Monday, lundi de Pentecôte

14^th July, Fête Nationale 

15^th August, Assumption Day, Assomption 

1^st November, All Saints Day, Toussaint

11^th November, Armistice Day, Armistice 1918 

25^th December, Christmas Day, Jour de Noël (a Sunday this year) (note there is no Boxing Day holiday in France on 26^th unless you live in Alsace or Moselle areas)

 

Faire le pont

Except for the holidays linked to Easter: Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Pentecost Monday, the above dates are the same every year and the holiday is always observed on the actual date rather than being moved to the nearest Monday (as the UK would do). Public holidays can therefore fall on weekends; to make up for this it is not uncommon for people to faire le pont (make a bridge) if a holiday falls on a Thursday (Ascension Day) or a Tuesday, by taking off the Friday or Monday to give themselves a four-day weekend. This leave will be part of their annual holiday entitlement, or the hours need to be made up, so while most businesses will be open on bridge days, some staff shortages can be expected. 

 

In 2022 four public holidays fall on Saturdays (1^st January) or Sundays (1^st May, 8^th May and 25^thDecember), and three have the option of bridging to a weekend (26^th May, 14^th July and 1^stNovember). It is worth noting that in many areas of rural France, although some opening is becoming more common, most shops are likely to be either closed or only open in the mornings on public holidays.

 

Other dates to note

6^th January, Epiphany, celebrated in France with a Galette des Rois (see here)

12^th January, winter sales begin, soldes d’hiver, sales are regulated in France and the winter sales will run from 12^th January to 8^th February (this may be subject to change, depending on current Covid-19 restrictions)

2^nd February Candlemas day, Chandeleur, celebrated in France with pancakes (see here)

1^st March, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras when carnival time begins in France and pancakes, or beignets (similar to doughnuts) are eaten.

27^th March, clocks spring forward an hour to Central European Summer Time

10^th April, Palm Sunday, Rameaux a day where our local boulangeries bake something different (see here)

27^th May, Neighbours’ Day, fêtes des voisins

29^th May, Mother’s Day, fêtes des mères

19^th June, Father’s Day, fêtes des pères

21^st June, world music day, fête de la musique, celebrated with free concerts in towns and villages all over France

22^nd June, summer sales begin, soldes d’été, and will run until 19^th July

1^st July to 24^th July, Le Tour de France, with a planned depart in Copenhagen and a finish in Paris

24^th July to 31^st July, Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the inaugural women’s Tour de France begins in Paris and finishes on the Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges 

30^th October, clocks go back an hour to Central European Time (although the future of this is up for debate)

service-public.fr

 

School Holidays

In France the schools are split into three zones and most of the holidays are staggered so not everyone is trying to hit the ski slopes or beaches at the same time, although be prepared for extra traffic on the roads on all Saturdays during the school holidays, or better still avoid driving on these days.

 

Here are the dates for 2022:

The winter holiday is from 5^th February to 7^th March. 

Zone B gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone C the last two.

 

The spring holiday is from 9^th April to 9^th May. 

Zone B gets the first two weeks, Zone A the middle two and Zone C the last two weeks.

 

The summer holiday for all zones is from 7^th July until 1^st September.

 

The October holiday for all zones is from 22^nd October to 7^th November.

 

The Christmas holiday for all zones is from 17^th December to 3^rd January 2023.

 

Whether you are new to life in France, or just hoping that at some point in 2022 enough normality will return to ensure you are able to make plans to travel to France on your holidays, I hope you find this useful for planning your trip in the quieter weeks outside of the French school holidays. 

 

Brexit

Please see my post from last year (click here) detailing the changes that Brexit brought in regarding travel between the UK to the EU.

 

I really do hope you are able to enjoy a safe holiday in France at some point this year. 

 

If you have found this post useful, please feel free to share it with your French loving friends and family.