French school holidays 2026-2027: when the resorts fill up
The holidays by zone
| Period | Zone A | Zone B | Zone C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas holidays | 18 Dec → 3 Jan | 18 Dec → 3 Jan | 18 Dec → 3 Jan |
| Winter holidays | 12 Feb → 28 Feb | 19 Feb → 7 Mar | 5 Feb → 21 Feb |
| Spring holidays | 9 Apr → 25 Apr | 16 Apr → 2 May | 2 Apr → 18 Apr |
Zone A : Besançon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Limoges, Lyon, Poitiers · Zone B : Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Normandie, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg · Zone C : Créteil, Montpellier, Paris, Toulouse, Versailles.
Week by week
How many zones are off, Saturday to Saturday — the rental week. The higher the bar, the more zones are off.
5 Dec → 12 Decquietno school holidays
The same, as a table
| Week | Zones on holiday | Expected crowds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Dec → 12 Dec | none | quiet |
| 12 Dec → 19 Dec | zone A, zone B, zone C (zones A, B, C for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 19 Dec → 26 Dec | zone A, zone B, zone C | very busy |
| 26 Dec → 2 Jan | zone A, zone B, zone C | very busy |
| 2 Jan → 9 Jan | zone A, zone B, zone C (zones A, B, C for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 9 Jan → 16 Jan | none | quiet |
| 16 Jan → 23 Jan | none | quiet |
| 23 Jan → 30 Jan | none | quiet |
| 30 Jan → 6 Feb | zone C (zone C for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 6 Feb → 13 Feb | zone A, zone C (zone A for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 13 Feb → 20 Feb | zone A, zone B, zone C (zone B for part of the week only) | busy |
| 20 Feb → 27 Feb | zone A, zone B, zone C (zone C for part of the week only) | busy |
| 27 Feb → 6 Mar | zone A, zone B (zone A for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 6 Mar → 13 Mar | zone B (zone B for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 13 Mar → 20 Mar | none | quiet |
| 20 Mar → 27 Mar | none | quiet |
| 27 Mar → 3 Apr | zone C (zone C for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 3 Apr → 10 Apr | zone A, zone C (zone A for part of the week only) | moderate |
| 10 Apr → 17 Apr | zone A, zone B, zone C (zone B for part of the week only) | busy |
| 17 Apr → 24 Apr | zone A, zone B, zone C (zone C for part of the week only) | busy |
| 24 Apr → 1 May | zone A, zone B (zone A for part of the week only) | moderate |
A week counts a zone as soon as it is off for a single day. French zones only: Belgian, Dutch, British and Swiss holidays also fill the resorts.
The zone of each mountain range
Useful for resorts that also live off local visitors.
Frequently asked
When are the French winter holidays 2026-2027?
zone C from 5 février 2027 to 21 février 2027; zone A from 12 février 2027 to 28 février 2027; zone B from 19 février 2027 to 7 mars 2027
Which weeks are busiest in the resorts?
The weeks when all three zones are off at once: 19 Dec to 26 Dec, 26 Dec to 2 Jan. The Christmas holidays cover the whole country.
When can I ski away from the crowds?
Outside the school holidays: 6 weeks between December and April, especially in January (3 weeks) and late March.
Choosing a resort
Source: the official school calendar (French Ministry of Education, open data), read daily.