France public holidays and festivals: dates and closures

France observes 11 national public holidays each year. The dates that most affect travellers are 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 14 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. On these days banks, post offices and many small shops close; museums and monuments often stay open but with shorter hours or queues.

1 May is the day to plan around: most shops, banks and many museums shut, and some transport runs a Sunday timetable. 14 July is the opposite — a festival day with parades and fireworks, so expect crowds in Paris and Nice and book trains early. Christmas markets in Strasbourg and Colmar run from late November to late December and are a reason to visit, not avoid.

Dates below are for 2026. Easter and its dependent holidays (Easter Monday, Ascension, Whit Monday) move each year; check the exact date before booking.

If a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many French workers take the bridge (pont) day off, so long weekends fill trains and hotels fast.

France's festival calendar is dense. The ones that change how you plan are the summer music and theatre festivals, the Christmas markets, and the big sporting and cultural events that fill hotels months ahead.

In June, the Fête de la Musique (21 June) puts free concerts on streets across the country; Paris, Lyon and Montpellier are especially lively. In July, the Avignon Festival turns the city into a theatre stage for three weeks, and the Tour de France brings road closures and packed hotels along its route. In December, Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik and Colmar's markets are the classic Alsace trip.

Banks, post offices and government offices close on all 11 national holidays. Most museums and monuments in Paris and other big cities stay open, but some close on 1 May and 25 December; check the individual site before you go.

Shops vary. Department stores and chains in cities often open on holidays except 1 May and 25 December, while small independent shops and many bakeries close. Restaurants: many close on 1 May and 25 December, and popular ones need booking on 14 July and New Year's Eve.

TGV and intercity trains usually run on holidays, but holiday weekends sell out; book ahead. City buses and metros in Paris run a reduced service on 1 May and 25 December.

If your trip overlaps a holiday, build in a buffer day. A Tuesday or Thursday holiday often becomes a four-day weekend (pont), and trains, hotels and car rentals fill fast. Book TGV seats and accommodation two to three months ahead for Ascension, 14 July and the Christmas–New Year period.

For Christmas markets in Alsace, December weekends are the busiest; midweek is calmer and cheaper. For the Avignon Festival, stay in Avignon or nearby and book early; the city is walkable but hotels sell out. For Bastille Day in Paris, pick a hotel away from the Champs-Élysées if you want quiet, and expect metro closures around the parade route.

Sunday trading is limited outside big cities and tourist areas, so plan food shopping on Saturday. If you are driving, note that some motorway services and rural petrol stations close on holidays; fill up the day before. For more on driving rules, see driving in france.