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.

 

Poitou-Charente myths, legends and history - Baudet or dreadlock donkeys

Baudet donkeys

Poitou-Charentes myths, legends and history

I hope your Christmas was a merry one, we had great fun in Poitiers with Ed, who even joined us on our traditional Christmas Day bike ride. Here is a little something I hope will entertain you and help get you through the post-Christmas slump.

 

Baudet or dreadlock donkeys

 

One of the cutest and most unusual things to originate from the Poitou area has to be our local breed of donkey, the Baudet du Poitou. These beauties are larger than your average donkey and famed for their size and strong bone structure, but it’s not that that attracts me. I adore their peculiarly scruffy look, with their long, chocolate brown, tangled coat that hangs like straggly dreadlocks, and their gorgeous large, furry ears. The dreadlocks form as they moult, when the falling hair becomes felted and attaches to the new hair growth, giving their skin a natural protection from the elements, and tradition dictates these are never brushed out. 

The Baudet donkey

 

They were valued for their breeding of mules, when sired with a Poitevin mare, the Mulassier, and records show they have been around for hundreds of years. Although the breeding was strictly kept in the Poitou region, the mules were exported worldwide and played an important role in the local economy, with the sale of one breeding male donkey earning you enough for a villa on the Atlantic coast. In 1846 at a fair in Champdeniers, 1,500 mules were sold in a single day and there were 18,000 mules born in 1867. With the decline in demand for mules after the Second World War, there was little need for the breeding donkeys and many farms repurposed their space, replacing them with cows. By the 1980’s the Baudets had almost became extinct with less than one hundred remaining.

Baudets at Dampierre-sur-Boutonne

 

I am delighted to say that they have made a comeback, thanks to a conservation breeding programme set up in Dampierre-sur-Boutonne, in the Charente-Maritime. This visitor site includes a museum area that explains all about their history, decline and rebirth, as well as allowing you to wander around the enclosures that are home to around fifty donkeys. You can also book to walk or picnic with a donkey or help at feeding time. If you visit in June, when we did, be prepared for off the scale cuteness as the paddocks are home to the long-legged, dark chocolate brown, velvety foals. They are skittish and full of mischief, but happy to be petted by their adoring fans.

 

A family day out at Dampierre-sur-Boutonne

You can also find them on the Ile de Ré, just off the coast from La Rochelle, where one of the most popular sights for tourists are the Baudets who wear stripy pyjamas on their legs. These give them an extra layer of protection from the flies and mosquitos found in the salt marshes they traditionally worked in.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know the Baudet. Thank you for another year of reading my blogs, liking, commenting and sharing them. Hearing from you really makes my day. I hope 2025 is a healthy and happy one for you and your loved ones. My next blog will be my annual public and school holiday post, helping you to plan your travels in France. 

 

Happy New Year. 

Advent postcards, Tumulus de Bougon, Deux-Sèvres

 

Advent postcard, Tumulus de Bougon, Deux-Sèvres

Advent day nineteen

Today’s cycling advent-ures postcard comes from the Tumulus de Bougon museum in the Deux-Sevres where we spent a hot Sunday at the beginning of July.

 

Our visit had been timed to take full advantage of the FREE museum entry on the 1^st Sunday of each month, saving 6€ each, and was part of my 2023 plan to visit as many local museums as I could fit in around work. The only tourist information point in Chef-Boutonne is us at the Château and rather than just hand out leaflets, I wanted to be better able to recommend other places for our visitors. I quickly developed museum envy. Rather than our tiny museum in Javarzay, that is run by the local council, Tumulus de Bougon is on a huge site with a restaurant, indoor exhibits and exhibition space, plus the numerous burial mounds in the outdoor park, all run by the Deux-Sèvres Department. 

 

After a coffee we picked up the audio guides, that we could use in English, and started our visit indoors, learning about seven million years of history and the evolution of man. It was fascinating, but too much for my brain to take in on one visit, which gives us a great opportunity to return. This area in France has a number of standing stones, dolmens and megaliths, often found in woods or fields, but also including one in a residential street in Poitiers. There are many legends that tell tales of giants and fairies moving these huge stones around, but we now know a lot more about them than fairy tales. The first thing I learned was that these tabletop stones or pierre levée are actually the three entrance stones to a long-eroded burial mound – which seemed so obvious when it was pointed out, but not something I’d ever considered before. The museum is home to round and long burial mounds, many of which you can access some of the inner chambers, which is properly exciting for children of all ages. We had a blast exploring and admiring the amazing construction work that predates Stonehenge. 

Pierre Levée, Poitiers

Our day continued with a picnic in the neighbouring village of Pamproux where we then set off on a Terra Aventura bike ride treasure hunt, that gave us even more local history to discover. I can 100% recommend a visit here. 

Cycle touring - the Sèvre Niortaise and Charente Tour

La Rochelle

The Sèvre Niortaise and Charente Tour

 

Who says holidays need to be far away and in exotic locations? Not me! We have just spent a fantastic week cycle touring, taking in rural river valleys, the second largest wetlands area in France, the Atlantic coast, salt marshes, vineyards, historic buildings, and monuments – including the last working transbordeur bridge in France, and we were never more than 80kms from home.

 

This post is the nuts and bolts of the tour for all our cycling friends who have expressed an interest in the routes, cycle paths and infrastructure as well as cycle-friendly places to stay. It includes links to the GPS routes, the accommodation we used and just some of our photos. Happy cycling!

 

Fully loaded Bromptons at the source of the Sèvre Niortaise river

Day 1 – Sepvret to Niort 72kms

 

Ride With GPS route

 

Starting at the source of the Sèvre Niortaise river and following this as close as possible to Niort.  We pick up the newly created V94 in Exoudun.  

 

There is a bar in the square at Le Mothe-st-Héray (KM18) (the short detour to the Orangery as you arrive in town is recommended) and plenty of bars and restaurants in the military town of St-Maixent-l’Ecole (KM30).  Following the river closely, this route can get quite steep in places as you climb out of the valley, but the climbs are short and manageable.

 

Really good patisserie stop just before KM43 in La Creche.

 

The track sections from KM44 to KM50 are pretty good.

 

Pick up the Velo Francette at KM59 by the Château Coudray-Salbart dating from the Middle Ages, and follow this into Niort, avoiding the dogleg just after KM62.

 

Highly recommend the restaurant Douc’Heure De Maroc off Place Brèche run by a local Moroccan family.  Great value tajine.

The dragon snakes of Niort

 

Don’t miss the famous bronze dragon snakes that rise from the pedestrian streets in Niort and the Franck Ayroles ladies on the bench in Les Jardins de la Brèche are worth a photo stop.

 

AirBnB accommodation very close to the covered market and Donjon. 

  

NOTE: All accommodation on this trip is ground floor and easily accessible for 2 people and their Bromptons.

On the Vélo Francette in the Marais Poitevin

 

Day 2 - Niort to La Rochelle 100kms

 

Ride With GPS route

 

Leave Niort on the Velo Francette following the river all the way to Coulon at the entrance to the Marais Poitevin (KM17). The Marais Poitevin is the second largest wetlands site in France (after the Camargue) and a haven for wildlife. There are good bars and restaurants in Coulon – it can get busy in tourist season.  Perhaps stop and take a barque (punt boat) onto the marais but we prefer to do this from the less busy town of Arçais further on.  Leave the Francette and follow the easy and very pretty road to Irleau (KM23).  

 

Staying off the Francette follow the road and trail to Arçais at KM28.  The Francette avoids this town and it is such a shame as it is lovely.  Take a picnic on a barque from the embarquerie du martin pecheur.  A 1 hour rental at lunch time grants to an additional 45 minutes free to stop at their remote picnic island in the middle of the marais forest.

 

Continue to Damvix (KM32) more bars here.  Divert off the Francette again to Bazois (KM35). Then follow the Francette to Marans at KM 58.  This is a long section.

 

After Marans, we could smell the salty sea air as we continued to the coast where the Sèvre meets the Atlantic.  However, if you need to press on to La Rochelle then follow the Francette alongside the Napoleonic canal all the way into the centre of La Rochelle.  Pop into Dompierre-sur-Mer if you need a bar stop.

The fabulous cycle routes approaching La Rochelle

 

We came inland from the coast as the coastal path is a bit tricky on tyres.  KM72 to 89 is a mix of easy road and great dedicated cycle tracks that are well used by the locals.

 

KM 89 to 91 joins a slightly busier road to skirt the runway at the airport, but it is perfectly safe.  Then join the wonderful cycle network through La Rochelle at KM92.  Using this route means you arrive into La Rochelle from the ocean side rather than from the land side.  There is one large industrial estate to bypass and look out for the large WW2 submarine pens in the port.  Then savour La Rochelle which has become a cycling wonderland and has to be one of the best cities in France. A visit to Café de la Paix is a must.

 

Apartment in ancient town house.

 

A nice idea here, if you have the time, would be to spend an extra night and cycle over the bridge to Ile de Ré. The highlights of the island can easily be covered in a day. The toll bridge is free to cyclists who have a dedicated path safely separated from the road. In high season the cycle paths on the island can get very busy.

The Atlantic coast Vélodyssée

 

Day 3 – La Rochelle to Rochefort 65kms

 

Ride With GPS route

 

Leave La Rochelle following the coast on the well signposted EV1 Vélodyssée.

 

Sample the divert around Angoulins to follow the coast around this little headland at KM9.

 

Chatelaillon Plage (KM17) is a classic French seaside resort and has plenty of bars and restaurants.

 

It is really worth diverting to Fouras at KM29.  The route into town follows the old deserted railway line and passes some of the traditional carelet fishing huts built on stilts in the water.  The town itself is lovely and sports a splendid Vauban fort guarding the entrance to the Charente river.

 

Fort Vauban, Fouras, Flow Vélo

Leave Fouras and stick to the coastal path from KM38 to 42.  This is worth the detour although it can be narrow in places.  It was a highlight section of our trip.

 

Follow the EV 1 into Rochefort and around the edge of the Rochefort peninsula.  The cycle way here is very good.  Pass under the huge road bridge and arrive at the pont transbordeur at KM61.  It is the last bridge of its type in France and has been recently renovated.

Pont Transbordeur, Rochefort

 

NOTE - If you are en route to Bordeaux via the EV1 we would recommend crossing the river here, on the pont, rather than following the official route to the east of Tonnay sur Charente.  Crossing the bridge is an experience not to be missed.  Then rejoin the EV1 just east of Echillais and follow it on the old railway line although a diversion to the fortified town of Brouage in the middle of the marais is a must and it is such a shame that it is bypassed by the EV1.

 

Today’s route ends in the royal dockyards at Rochefort.  Rochefort is a great town for travelling around in.  There is not much dedicated cycling infrastructure, but all roads are laid out on a grid iron pattern and every road gives way at every junction.  Plenty of one-way streets but almost all of them allow cycles to travel in both directions.  The courtesy and patience of the drivers in this town is lovely.

 

AirBnB apartment in a lovely old town house.

River Charente, Rochefort, Flow Vélo

 

Day 4 – Rochefort to Cognac 90kms

 

Ride With GPS route

 

This was a big day and was over six hours in the saddle despite taking some shortcuts.

 

The route follows the relatively new FlowVelo V92.  The trail sections are not all well surfaced until the outskirts of Cognac where they greatly improve. Public toilets and benches were a bit thin on the ground too.

 

The initial run out of Rochefort and through Tonnay sur Charente (KM7) follows really well-planned cycle paths alongside the main road. The old suspension bridge is worth a look although you will need good climbing legs to get up to crossing level.  It is open only to pedestrians and cyclists.  You would understand why if you crossed it…

 

From here the trail sections are variable with some very narrow or very rutted.  There are bypass routes following local roads which you could divert on to at many points. Don’t forget to look out for storks who arrive here for a summer of breeding.

Saintes

 

Saintes at KM53 is a busy town but with all facilities.  Plenty of evidence of the Roman occupation here too.

 

At KM71 we finally had had enough of the variable quality trails and hit the road all the way to KM82 at Pres Menu where the trail surfaces get noticeably better.  This point marks the crossing from the Charente Maritime department into the Charente.  From now, all the way to Angouleme and beyond to Nontron, the trail sections on the Flow Vélo are superb.

 

The final run into Cognac follows the old railway line and ends up at the main quay where you will find the impressive Hennessy cognac house. Many Cognac houses in the city offer guided tours.

 

Beware the roads in town are busy and the drivers are not too courteous.  It was quite a shock after La Rochelle and Rochefort.

 

Large open plan loft accommodation behind the park.

Cognac, Flow Vélo

 

Day 5 – Cognac to Angoûleme 62kms

 

Ride With GPS route

  

The FlowVélo splits between these 2 cities.  We followed the northern route partly because it passes through the lovely town of Jarnac in time for a croissant and coffee.

 

A mixture of road and trail but all well signposted for the V92.  The trail after Jarnac from KM18 to KM36 via Chateauneuf is superb.  We had planned a divert onto the road to save some time but the trail was so good that we stayed on it.

 

Wall art in Angoûleme

You can divert to the southern loop following the river at KM41 but we decided to follow the river and it is a nice section.  KM49 to 54 is a little busier with traffic but nothing serious before picking up the river trail at KM54 all the way into the city of Angouleme.  Angouleme is built on an outcrop of rock.  Plan your access.  The marked route is about the easiest we know at about 7% incline.  This can increase to stupid % on some of the other routes into the city.

Le Bruleau Charentais, Angoûleme

 

If you like steak then there is only one place to head for your Entrecote aux Echalottes cooked over an open fire in the Bordealise fashion:  Le Bruleau Charentais on Rue de Beaulieu.  Fabulous and very reasonably priced restaurant.

 

AirBnB apartment in the centre of the city.

 

Great (cheap) coffee in the covered market at the Italian deli – don’t forget to buy your croissant from the boulangerie in the market halle first.

 

Getting here

There are TGV services from Paris Montparnasse or Lille to Poitiers, St-Maixent-l”Ecole, Niort, La Rochelle and Angouleme.  Ordinary train services to other major towns on the route.

 

Regular flights from various UK airports to La Rochelle or Poitiers.

New beginnings at the Chateau de Javarzay

Early spring at the Château de Javarzay, Chef-Boutonne

As a child we visited a lot of museums. Mum was a primary school teacher, so as well as being at home with us all summer, she knew we needed educational days out as well as playing in the garden or on the beach. There is something about glass topped museum display cases, crammed with collections that remains engrained in the happy place in my head. So much to see and take in, return visits were always necessary.

 

As 2021 drew to a close, I had a surprise phone call from the Mairie in Chef-Boutonne, asking if I would be interested in working at the Château de Javarzay this year. The Château, set in a park with a fishing lake and arboretum, bordered by the Boutonne river, dates from 1515 and was the first Renaissance château in the Poitou region. What remains now is just a small part of the original structure and houses a multi-themed museum. In the last few years, the building has been extensively refurbished, inside and out, and the museum has been upgraded to an interactive, multi-media experience that bears little resemblance to the dusty glass cabinets and costumed mannequins that were there before. Bien sûr, I said yes!

 

We officially reopen to the public on 18^th March 2022, but with two preview weekends for local residents, enabling on the job training for our team of three, I am delighted to be back at work and speaking French. 

 

I feel privileged to be able to call this magnificent building my office and although many of you won’t live near enough to come and pay me a visit, I will be sharing the secrets of the Château with you here as I get to witness spring, summer and autumn at the Château de Javarzay. If you could see the smile on my face as I write this, you’d know how happy I am this opportunity has come my way.