School Holidays
School and Public Holidays for 2008-09
— January 1 (New Year's Day)
April 17 (Easter Monday)
May 1 (Labor Day)
May 8 (celebration of the end of WWII in Europe)
May 25 (Ascension)
July 14 (French Independence Day- "Bastille Day")
August 15 (Assumption),
November 1 (All Saints' Day)
November 11 (Armistice)
December 25 (Christmas).
If a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday the french tend to take the day in between to make up a long weekend. All official businesses close during public holidays however some restaurants and monuments may remain open.
School Holidays. The dates vary, slightly, from region to region. During school holiday period, resorts, transport and other venues can be quite busy as the french tend to take their vacation locally.
Zone A : Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyons, Montpellier, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Rennes, Toulouse.
Winter: 16 Feb - 3 March 08
Spring : 12 April - 28 April, 08
Summer 3 July - 2 Sept, 08
Autumn : 25 Oct – Nov 6, 08
Christmas : 20 Dec – 5 Jan, 09
Winter : 7 Feb – 23 Feb, 09
Spring : 4 April – 20 April, 09
Zone B : Aix-Marseilles, Amiens, Besançon, Dijon, Lille, Limoges, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Poitiers, Reims, Rouen, Strasbourg.
Winter 9 Feb- 25 Feb, 08
Spring : 5 April- 21 April, 08
Summer 3 July - 2 Sept, 08
Autumn : 25 Oct – Nov 6, 08
Christmas : 20 Dec – 5 Jan, 09
Winter : 21 Feb – 9 March, 09
Spring : 18 April – 4 May, 09
Zone C : Bordeaux, Créteil, Paris, Versailles.
Winter 23 Feb- 10 March 08
Spring : 19 April- 5 May, 08
Summer 3 July - 2 Sept, 08
Autumn : 25 Oct – Nov 6, 08
Christmas : 20 Dec – 5 Jan, 09
Winter : 14 Feb – 2 March, 09
Spring : 11 April – 27 April, 09