NB: Holidays start after classes on the date indicated and begin again in the morning on the other date indicated. When holidays begin on a Saturday, for those pupils who have no class that day, the holiday period begins on the previous Friday, after classes end. Additionally, pupils will have no class on Friday 7th May 2027.
French School Holidays – 2026/2027 Dates for Your Calendar
Essential Reading
By FrenchEntrée
This French school calendar has all the key dates you need to know if you have children at school in France. In France, there are three zones that determine the school year. While school days and ‘la rentrée’ (the day on which school starts) are the same across the country, dates for school holidays vary according to the zone you live in.
The 2025-2026 school year ended on Saturday 4th July 2026, and La Rentrée is on Tuesday 1st September 2026.
We’ve listed below the 2026-2027 French school holiday dates for each of the regional education authorities (académies). For Corsica and overseas departments, the dates are different again – consult the official government page linked below.
Note: This calendar is based on the official version found here, but it is always a good idea to double-check local timetables.
French School Zones
©Direction de l’information légale adminstrative
Zone A :
Académies de Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers
Zone B :
Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Caen, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Rouen, Strasbourg
Zone C :
Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles
FRENCH SCHOOL CALENDAR 2026-2027
All the dates of spring, fall, Christmas and summer holidays for Zones A, B, and C.
ZONE A: French School Holiday dates
- Return to school: 1st September 2026
- All Saints (La Toussaint): 17th October to 2nd November 2026
- Christmas: 19th December 2026 to 4th January 2027
- Winter: 13th February 2027 to 1st March 2027
- Spring: 10th April 2027 to 26th April 2027
- Summer: from 3rd July 2027
ZONE B: French School Holiday dates
- Return to school: 1st September 2026
- All Saints (La Toussaint): 17th October to 2nd November 2026
- Christmas: 19th December 2026 to 4th January 2027
- Winter: 20th February 2027 to 8th March 2027
- Spring: 17th April 2027 to 3rd May 2027
- Summer: from 3rd July 2027
ZONE C: French School Holiday dates
- Return to school: 1st September 2026
- All Saints (La Toussaint): 17th October to 2nd November 2026
- Christmas: 19th December 2026 to 4th January 2027
- Winter: 6th February 2027 to 22nd February 2027
- Spring: 3rd April 2027 to 19th April 2027
- Summer: from 3rd July 2027
Different dates may apply to Corsica and overseas departments.
Studying in France?
From nursery through secondary school to higher education, university, and foreign exchange study programs—FrenchEntrée is here to answer all your back-to-school questions. Visit our Education zone for more on studying in France and the French school system, or find out more about raising children in France in our Family zone.
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