French school holidays in 2025–2026

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 also means preparing financially for these holiday periods. Whether you’re organizing a family trip abroad, arranging childcare, or enrolling your children in vacation camps, managing your finances efficiently is crucial. For expat families who frequently travel between countries or maintain ties to their home country, services like These services can help manage multiple currencies and international payments.

Continue reading to find out more about the following:

• An overview of French school holidays

• When are the French school holidays in 2025–2026?

• When are the French school holidays in 2026–2027?

• When are the public holidays in France?

• Practical tips for expat parents in FranceFinancial planning for school holidaysChildcare during French school holidays10 fun summer camps in France

• Financial planning for school holidays

• Childcare during French school holidays

• 10 fun summer camps in France

• Conclusion

multi-currency account

Are you an expat or thinking of moving to France? Managing your money across borders shouldn’t be complicated. With a multi-currency account, you can hold over 40 currencies and pay with a multi-currency debit card in more than 150 countries. Whether you need to spend abroad, receive or send money home, These services can help make international money management simpler.

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, Reins, 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.

International schools in France

When are the French school holidays in 2025–2026?

The first day of school in 2025–2026 falls on Monday, 1 September 2025. This applies to all school zones. Students will then have the following breaks:

Holiday

Zone A

Zone B

Zone C

All Saints’ holiday

18 October, 3 November 2025

18 October, 3 November 2025

18 October, 3 November 2025

Christmas holiday

20 December 2025, 5 January 2026

20 December 2025, 5 January 2026

20 December 2025, 5 January 2026

Winter holiday

7-23 February 2026

14 February, 2 March 2026

21 February, 9 March 2026

Spring holiday

4-20 April 2026

11-27 April 2026

18 April, 4 May 2026

Summer holiday

4 July, 30 August 2026

4 July, 30 August 2026

4 July, 30 August 2026

When are the French school holidays in 2026–2027?

The first day of school in 2026–2027 falls on Monday, 31 August 2026. This applies to all school zones. Students will then have the following breaks:

Holiday

Zone A

Zone B

Zone C

All Saints’ holiday

17 October, 2 November 2026

17 October, 2 November 2026

17 October, 2 November 2026

Christmas holiday

19 December 2026, 3 January 2027

19 December 2026, 3 January 2027

19 December 2026, 3 January 2027

Winter holiday

6-21 February 2027

13-28 February 2027

20 February, 7 March 2027

Spring holiday

3-18 April 2027

10-25 April 2027

17 April, 2 May 2027

Summer holiday

3 July, 29 August 2027

3 July, 29 August 2027

3 July, 29 August 2027

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.

French public holidays

Practical tips for expat parents in France

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:

• Create a holiday budget that accounts for currency fluctuations

• Consider the most cost-effective way to spend money abroad

• Plan ahead for international payments for activities or accommodations

Using the multi-currency account can help you manage your holiday finances. With the service, you can hold and convert money in multiple currencies, as well as spend abroad with the multi-currency debit card.

Childcare during French school holidays

There is a strong 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:

• Alpine French School Summer Camp

• Centre International d’Antibes Summer Camps

• École des Roches Summer Camps

• Ermitage Bilingual Summer Camp

• Evasoleil Summer Camps

• IBS of Provence Spring & Summer Camps

• International Language Camps

• Nacel French & Sports Training Summer Camp

• SILC Academy Summer Camps

• UCPA Summer Camps

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 various 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. For expat families in France, These services provide a solution for managing expenses across different currencies.