Map: When are school holidays for the rest of the year in France?
The holidays are strictly demarcated by geographical zone
When do school holidays fall in your region for the rest of the year?
Chainarong06 / Sunny studio / Shutterstock
The dates for school holidays in France are stipulated by the state, with the country divided into three distinct zones. These are the dates that remain for the rest of the 2025 school year.
The three zones are A, B, C & Corsica. They do not necessarily follow each other (e.g. holidays for Zone B can be earlier than those for Zone A).
They are roughly split geographically by region, although Ile-de-France is in Zone C, unlike the rest of the northern third of the country, which is Zone B. Similarly, the southeast region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur is in Zone B.
Zone A: 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, and Corsica
Major holidays, such as Christmas and Summer, always take place at the same time across all three zones. For other holidays, the dates vary.
If you are not sure exactly which zone you fall under, you can check with this online government tool.
School holiday dates for the rest of 2025
All zones have now finished their winter holidays, so there are only the spring holidays and summer dates to go.
The start date is the first day ‘off school’ or ‘after class’ (as some schools have classes on Saturday morning), and the holiday’s end date refers to the first day back in class.
Spring holidays
Zone A - From Saturday April 19, to Monday May 5
Zone B - From Saturday April 5 to Tuesday, April 22
Zone C - From Saturday April 12 to Monday April 28
Summer holidays - All zones begin on Saturday, July 5
Read more: What do parents in France risk if children miss school for holiday?
Can I take my child out of school outside of these dates?
It may be tempting to avoid these dates when booking a family holiday, as having the same holiday periods in many areas of the country can lead to high prices, demand, and crowds.
But parents are not legally allowed to take their children out of school without a valid reason.
There are four acceptable reasons for a “leave of absence”, as outlined by the National Education Ministry website.
The child is ill (or one of their relatives or close contacts is ill and contagious)
Family reasons such as a wedding or funeral
Transport accidents
When a child is required to be away with their parents or legal guardian for legal reasons
“Any other reason for absence may be considered and may be the subject of an absence authorisation by national education services,” the website states.
If your child will be absent from school, you must inform the director or head as soon as possible in advance, supplying one of the four acceptable reasons. You will need a doctor’s note if the reason is due to a contagious illness.
What happens if a child misses school?
As soon as a child misses school without an agreed valid reason, parents will be contacted by the school. If the school feels that your reasons given are insufficient, they can inform the Dasen (Directeur académique des services de l'éducation nationale), who will send their own official warning.
After four half-days of unjustified absence in one month, the parents may be asked to attend a meeting with the educational team.
If the child is repeatedly absent despite the Dasen warnings, parents risk the involvement of the local prosecutor, and:
If the absences continue and are judged to be affecting the child’s education - 10 half-days per month or more - the penalties can rise to:
In practice, parents are rarely fined for more than one or two days of absence. It is more likely that they will be invited to meetings with the school in a bid to ensure that the absences do not continue, and will not affect the child’s education or school relationships.
