Here’s a list of School holidays in France in 2024 and 2025 to help expat parents make the required plans for vacation and childcare.
The French Ministry of National Education (Ministere de l’Education Nationale) determines the dates of the school holidays in France. French schools have five holidays during the year:
- All Saints’ Holiday (Vacances de la Toussaint)
- Christmas Holidays (Vacances de Noël)
- Winter vacation (vacances d’hiver).
- Spring Holiday (Vacances de printemps)
- Summer holidays (Vacances d’été)
Except for the summer holidays, which run approximately eight weeks, the breaks are typically two weeks long.
France divides schools into three distinct regional zones. The dates for the winter and spring holidays differ amongst the three zones. 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 |
French school holiday dates 2024–2025
| Holiday | Zone A | Zone B | Zone C |
| All Saints’ break | 19 October – 4 November 2024 | 19 October – 4 November 2024 | 19 October – 4 November 2024 |
| Christmas break | 21 December 2024 – 5 January 2025 | 21 December 2024 – 5 January 2025 | 21 December 2024 – 5 January 2025 |
| Winter break | 22 February – 9 March 2025 | 8–23 February 2025 | 15 February – 2 March 2025 |
| Spring break | 19 April – 4 May 2025 | 5–21 April 2025 | 12–27 April 2025 |
| Summer break | 5 June 2025 | 5 June 2025 | 5 June 2025 |
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.
School holidays in France are an occasion for families to get together for festivities such as Christmas in France, enjoy local day trips, or plan fun activities for kids. Other French festivals such as Bastille Day may also occur during the school holidays.
Additional holidays and days off
France has 11 public holidays throughout the year, some of which coincide with school holidays. Labor Day (May 1) is France’s only statutory paid holiday. Other public holidays that coincide with school days should be checked with your school to see if they are regarded as holidays.
There may be other school-specific days off throughout the year, such as:
- Development days
- Pupil book days
- Staff training
Again, verify with your school so you can plan ahead of time. You might also check your school’s website, as many provide annual calendars.
