French National Holidays ? (1 Viewer)

[Yorick]

We go to France every year and always seem to go the same time as all the Froggies on their hols

I have Googled but can't seem to find when this magic 2 weeks is

Maybe they only declare it after we have booked our ferry

So, does anybody know the dates ?

TIA

 

[Fenman]

2 weeks, what is this about 2 weeks????

If you mean summer hols it's most of August.

From bitter experience there are two weekends, or at least two Saturdays, to avoid.

The first Saturday in July seems to be the day that the entire population of Belgium and The Netherlands leave their country and head for the south. Autoroutes get clogged with traffic from very early to fairly late and a hell of a lot of them are pulling caravans or bike laden trailers. The Sunday is a tad better.

The first Saturday in August is the day the French do the same thing but in even greater numbers. And they mostly head the other way on the last weekend of August. To be avoided at all costs.

 

[Lenny HB]

Normally starts 3rd week of July same sort of time our schools break up. Quietens down after August 15th (assumption day) then only German's, Dutch & Brits around.
Gets a bit busier in September when all the wrinkles & silver greys come out in their Motorhomes.

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[Hollyberry]

And in May there's a National Holiday every week, when shops/ banks close.

 

[yodeli]

Right :Our hols are divided in 3 "zones" (=areas)

So according to where you go , you should look for the concerned zone.
For example Toulouse is Zone A

To have the French holidays , google "vacances scolaires 2015"
You will find quite a few sites so always choose the official one . education.gouv.fr

Usually there's a map with all the zones!

Frankie

Edit: Some holidays are common to all zones.

 

[Don Quixote]

Each french worker can take 40 days without working per year.

They like these periods ( but this is NOT cut in stone ):
- End of June-beginning of September (sometime in between )
- One week in the end of October
- Two weeks to celebrate christmas and the new year
- Two weeks in February/March
- Two weeks in April

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[yodeli]

Each french worker can take 40 days without working per year.

They like these periods ( but this is NOT cut in stone ):
- End of June-beginning of September (sometime in between )
- One week in the end of October
- Two weeks to celebrate christmas and the new year
- Two weeks in February/March
- Two weeks in April

Not exactly!

10 days in October, the 2 Christmas weeks are the same I think, then then in April for those who had them in Feb, and later in April according to the other zones but deffo Feb and March are the same but not in the same part of France! The point is to have less people on the roads. So departures are every week on three weeks time and holidays last 2 weeks . There are hols every 7 working weeks.
So in fact you'll find people on sites and aires during 3 weeks time each time we have holidays. Does it make sense?

Edit : I should have precised that most workers have children this is why they don't really choose.... they stick to their children holidays!
AND firms decide who is going on holidays and when most of the time

 

[Yorick]

I should have added that SWMBO is a teacher so we have to go in summer hols. But thanks for all input so far

 

[scousebird]

I should have added that SWMBO is a teacher so we have to go in summer hols. But thanks for all input so far

Looks like your doomed then

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[bernardfeay]

The Frogs don't even know that holidays should be tagged on to a weekend. You find yourself on any random day wondering where everybody is and there on a bloody saint's day.

 

[yodeli]

The Frogs don't even know that holidays should be tagged on to a weekend. You find yourself on any random day wondering where everybody is and there on a bloody saint's day.

The very few days we might have as holidays are catholic dates. Lundi de Pâques, Ascension, Lundi de Pentecôte.
And they are related to a week end that we call "pont".... Somehow equivalent of bank holiday.

 

[yodeli]

Each french worker can take 40 days without working per year.

They like these periods ( but this is NOT cut in stone ):
- End of June-beginning of September (sometime in between )
- One week in the end of October
- Two weeks to celebrate christmas and the new year
- Two weeks in February/March
- Two weeks in April

Oh and BTW .... The day they will give us 40 days off... gosh I'll be running all over the place in joy!!!!

We only have 25 days off/year from Mondays to Fridays which are 5 weeks . We can't take more than 3 weeks at a time. Usually firms give a compulsory week at Christmas, leaving the choice to workers to split the rest of their hols according to their needs...if it fits with the firms 'needs!
Only independents workers have more hols, but they usually have less time as they have to do it all.
Then teachers work 36 weeks /year .... !
What we call "fonctionnaires de la fonction publique" might have more, OR they have a 13th month salary instead. The "Poste" used to have 15 months salary .... disgusting!

I am for 3/4, independent, and 1/4 employee, it makes my life quite difficult as I have 4 employers (sometimes even 5!)

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[Parcverger]

Frankie's "pont" is geared to the fact that the French bank holidays take place on the day rather than on a Monday, so 1st May is a bank holiday whatever day it is on, whereas in the UK it is the first Monday in May. The "pont" in French translates into "bridge" in English, and so when bank holidays fall on a Tuesday for example, many businesses and offices may close or be understaffed on the Monday, i.e., it is a bridge to the weekend. This also applies to a Thursday with Friday being the bridge day.

As for traveling at weekends, as per posts above avoid the first and last in both July and August, but weekday travel in those months is not normally a problem.

Bob
www.parcverger.com

 

[Deleted34567]

Would it be easier to ask".........
"When do the French work"? ........ LOL

 

[gus-lopez]

The very few days we might have as holidays are catholic dates. Lundi de Pâques, Ascension, Lundi de Pentecôte.
And they are related to a week end that we call "pont".... Somehow equivalent of bank holiday.

Yes, same here "Puente" in Spanish, bridge in English , except they don't have them .

Frankie's "pont" is geared to the fact that the French bank holidays take place on the day rather than on a Monday, so 1st May is a bank holiday whatever day it is on, whereas in the UK it is the first Monday in May. The "pont" in French translates into "bridge" in English, and so when bank holidays fall on a Tuesday for example, many businesses and offices may close or be understaffed on the Monday, i.e., it is a bridge to the weekend. This also applies to a Thursday with Friday being the bridge day.

As for traveling at weekends, as per posts above avoid the first and last in both July and August, but weekday travel in those months is not normally a problem.

Bob
www.parcverger.com

Yes same here except when we get the 2 bank holidays in December , the 6th & 8th , fall on a Tuesday & Thursday then we get a " viaducto " !! No point working Monday , as Tuesday is Constitution Day & no point working Wednesday as Thursday Is the Day of the Immaculate Conception & hardly worth working Friday as It's the weekend . So you end up with the usual government offices , council's ,etc; shut for a week .

Back to the summer & you also have to throw in the fact that the Germans summer holidays are done region by region , same as France & I've never really found any July or August day , especially around weekends, where the traffic was anything other than horrendous in either direction & same on the A roads as on the toll roads, which are better except at the toll booths where I've seen 20 km queue's just caused by sheer amount of traffic.

Alas poor Yorick, as Scousebird said , you're doomed !

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