Do you already live on the French Riviera with your children? Or do you plan to visit France but want to avoid crowds at all cost? Here are the all important upcoming French (and Monaco) school holiday dates to mark in your calendar. And remember that private schools may have slightly different dates for the holidays. So make sure you double-check before booking your flight.
Three School Zones in France: A, B and C
Luckily, the Ministry of Education decided, back in July 1995, to divide the country into three zones to stagger the winter and spring holidays. To make matters more interesting, the areas in a same zone are not adjacent but were designed to split the population evenly. They are as follows:
ZONE A includes Bordeaux, Besançon, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers.
ZONE B includes Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Normandie, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg (and also the FRENCH RIVIERA).
ZONE C includes Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles + Corsica.
- See bottom of page for Monaco School Holidays.
French School Holidays
There are five main school holiday periods in France. They are:
- All Saints’ Day (Toussaint),
- Christmas (Noël),
- February/March (Hiver),
- Easter (Printemps), and
- Summer (Été).
And let’s not forget the infamous Pont de l’Ascension. As Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday (40 days after Easter Sunday), all school children get Friday off.
Winter Holidays 2026 in France
ZONE A: From Saturday 7 February to Sunday 22 February 2026
ZONE B: From Saturday 14 February to Sunday 1 March 2026
ZONE C: From Saturday 21 February to Sunday 8 March 2026
Easter Holidays 2026 in France
ZONE A: From Saturday 4 April to Sunday 19 April 2026
ZONE B: From Saturday 11 April to Sunday 26 April 2026
ZONE C: From Saturday 18 April to Sunday 3 May 2026
Ascension Bridge (Pont de l’Ascension) 2026
From Wednesday 13 May to Sunday 17 May 2026
(Same dates for Zones A, B and C.)
Summer Holidays 2026 in France
From Saturday 4 July 2026 to Monday 31 August 2026
(Same dates for Zones A, B and C.)
All Saints Holiday 2026 (Toussaint)
From Saturday 17 October 2026 to Sunday 1 November 2026.
(Same dates for Zones A, B and C.)
Christmas Holidays 2026
From Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.
(Same dates for Zones A, B and C.)
Finally, remember the all-important French public holidays: 1 May (Labour Day), 8 May (VE Day) and Whit Monday (25 May in 2026).
Monaco School Holidays
All Saints Day: Wednesday 22 October – Monday 3 November 2025
HSH The Sovereign Prince’s Day: Wednesday 19 November 2025
Immaculate Conception Day: Monday 8 December 2025
Christmas Holidays: Friday 19 December 2025 – Monday 5 January 2026
Saint Devote’s Day: Tuesday 27 January 2026
Winter Half-Term Holiday: Friday 13 February 2026 – Monday 2 March 2026
Easter Monday: Monday 6 April 2026
Spring Half-Term Holidays: Friday 10 April – Monday 27 April 2026
Labour Day: Friday 1 May 2026
Ascension Day (and E-Prix Day): Wednesday 13 May – Monday 18 May 2026
Whitmonday: Monday 25 May 2026
Corpus Christi Day (and Formula 1 Grand Prix): Wednesday 3 June – Monday 8 June 2026
Summer Holidays: Friday 26 June 2026 –
Source: Department of Education, France:
https://www.education.gouv.fr/calendrier-scolaire-100148
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