French school holidays in 2026–2027

For parents, school is important. For children, the days in between the schedule are a bigger deal. The French school holidays cover the usual seasonal and festival periods, though the exact dates are determined by the regional zone you live in.

Planning ahead often includes budgeting for travel, childcare, or holiday camps. If you’re paying in another currency (or receiving money from abroad), Wise can help you manage everyday spending and international transfers from one account.

An overview of French school holidays
When are the French school holidays in 2026–2027?
When are the French school holidays in 2027–2028?
When are the public holidays in France?
Practical tips for expat parents in France

Money tip for school holidays: book and pay across borders with fewer fees

School breaks can mean upfront costs—train and flight tickets, holiday camps, childcare deposits, or accommodation. With a Wise account, you can hold and convert multiple currencies and pay abroad with the Wise card, which can be useful for expat families traveling between France and home.

Learn more about the Wise account

An overview of French school holidays

The French Ministry of National Education (Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale) sets the dates for the school holidays in France. French schools have five holidays throughout the year:

All Saints’ holiday (Vacances de la Toussaint)
Christmas holiday (Vacances de Noël)
Winter holiday (Vacances d’hiver)
Spring holiday (Vacances de printemps)
Summer holiday (Vacances d’été)

The breaks are usually around two weeks each, apart from the summer holidays, which last about eight weeks.

France splits schools into three different regional zones. Dates for the winter and spring holidays vary across the three zones. The zones are as follows:

Zone	Regions
Zone A	Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, and Poitiers
Zone B	Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orleans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, and Strasbourg
Zone C	Creteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, and Versailles

International schools in France generally follow the same holiday dates as other schools, although there may be some variation within individual schools. To be sure, check with your child’s school for full details.

Education

International schools in France

When are the French school holidays in 2026–2027?

The 2026–2027 school year begins on Tuesday 1 September 2026 for zones A, B, and C (teachers return on Monday 31 August 2026). Holiday start dates are after class on the day shown; school resumes the morning of the return date.

Holiday	Zone A	Zone B	Zone C
All Saints’ holiday (Toussaint)	Last day: Sat 17 Oct 2026 · Back: Mon 2 Nov 2026	Last day: Sat 17 Oct 2026 · Back: Mon 2 Nov 2026	Last day: Sat 17 Oct 2026 · Back: Mon 2 Nov 2026
Christmas holiday (Noël)	Last day: Sat 19 Dec 2026 · Back: Mon 4 Jan 2027	Same	Same
Winter holiday (Hiver)	Last day: Sat 13 Feb 2027 · Back: Mon 1 Mar 2027	Last day: Sat 20 Feb 2027 · Back: Mon 8 Mar 2027	Last day: Sat 6 Feb 2027 · Back: Mon 22 Feb 2027
Spring holiday (Printemps)	Last day: Sat 10 Apr 2027 · Back: Mon 26 Apr 2027	Last day: Sat 17 Apr 2027 · Back: Mon 3 May 2027	Last day: Sat 3 Apr 2027 · Back: Mon 19 Apr 2027
Summer holiday (Été)	Last day: Sat 3 Jul 2027	Same	Same

When are the French school holidays in 2027–2028?

At the time of writing, the French Ministry of Education has not yet published the official school holiday calendar for 2027–2028. Because dates can vary by zone (A, B, C and Corsica) — especially for winter and spring breaks — we recommend checking the official sources below. We’ll update this page as soon as the 2027–2028 dates are released.

You can check your official dates here:

Service-Public simulator (choose your department): https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/simulateur/calcul/Dates_Vacances_Scolaires
Ministry of Education school calendar (official): https://www.education.gouv.fr/calendrier-scolaire-toutes-les-dates-des-cours-et-des-vacances-100148

Holiday	Zone A	Zone B	Zone C
Back to school (rentrée scolaire)	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
All Saints’ holiday (Vacances de la Toussaint)	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Christmas holiday (Vacances de Noël)	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Winter holiday (Vacances d’hiver)	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Spring holiday (Vacances de printemps)	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Summer holiday (Vacances d’été)	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed

When are the public holidays in France?

France has 11 public holidays during the year, some of which fall within school holidays. Labor Day (1 May) is the only statutory paid holiday. For other celebratory days that happen during the week, you will need to check with your school to see if your children get the day off.

Lifestyle

French public holidays

Financial planning for school holidays

School holidays often mean additional expenses for families – from travel and accommodation to childcare and activities. For expat parents who may be traveling internationally or paying for services in different currencies, managing these expenses efficiently becomes even more important.

When planning trips abroad during school breaks:

Set a realistic budget for transport, accommodation, childcare, and activities
If you’re booking abroad, consider converting currency in advance to avoid last‑minute rate shocks
If family are visiting from abroad, plan how you’ll split costs (shared transfers, shared card spend)
Paying for camps or stays outside France? Choose a payment method that’s transparent about FX and transfer fees

For families who handle money in more than one currency, Wise lets you hold multiple currencies and make international payments from the same account—helpful when holiday costs are spread across different countries.

Childcare during French school holidays

There is a robust system of childcare in France available to working parents. Here are some of the options you can look into to prepare for the French holidays:

Holiday centers (centres de vacances): For working parents of school-age children, there are state-supervised recreational holiday facilities available. These typically offer accommodation. There are also leisure/recreation centers (centre de loisirs in French) that offer daycare.
Private holiday camps: Private camps are more expensive than state provision, but can be a good place for kids to meet other children from various countries as well as learn/improve their French. Providers include Jeunes Diplomates, which runs summer and winter language camps in the French Alps.
Professional childminders (assistantes maternelles), au pairs, and babysitters: These offer childcare either in your home or on their own premises.

Costs vary between regions and centers, although discounts are available for those on low incomes. Check with your local school or regional educational department for full details of what is available in your area, when, and for how much.

10 fun summer camps in France

France has many fun and educational summer camps for children to learn and play during the school holidays, including:

Conclusion

Understanding the French school holiday calendar is essential for expat families to plan effectively throughout the academic year. With differences between the language communities and a variety of holiday periods spread across the year, advance planning is key to balancing work commitments with childcare needs and family activities.

Whether you’re arranging local childcare, sending your children to vacation camps, or planning family trips abroad during these breaks, having the right financial tools in place can make the process smoother.