France Public Holidays 2028: Long Weekend Guide

There's a particular kind of joy in realising a public holiday lands on exactly the right day. You glance at the calendar, do a little mental arithmetic, and suddenly a single day of leave blossoms into four days by the sea. France hands you that feeling more than almost anywhere — if you know where to look.

This is your no-nonsense guide to making the most of France's calendar, which holidays to build a trip around, and how to stretch your annual leave further than it has any right to go.

Public holidays France 2028

France observes 11 public holidays in 2028. Here they are, with the day of the week that makes all the difference:

• Saturday 1 January — New Year's Day
• Monday 17 April — Easter Monday
• Monday 1 May — Labour Day
• Monday 8 May — Victory in Europe Day
• Thursday 25 May — Ascension Day
• Monday 5 June — Whit Monday
• Friday 14 July — Bastille Day
• Tuesday 15 August — Assumption Day
• Wednesday 1 November — All Saints' Day
• Saturday 11 November — Armistice Day
• Monday 25 December — Christmas Day

The smartest bridge days 2028

Here's where strategy beats luck. A single day of leave next to a holiday can turn two days off into four:

• Easter Monday (Monday 17 April): already a three-day weekend — add the Tuesday for four days.
• Labour Day (Monday 1 May): already a three-day weekend — add the Tuesday for four days.
• Victory in Europe Day (Monday 8 May): already a three-day weekend — add the Tuesday for four days.
• Ascension Day (Thursday 25 May): book the Friday after off for a four-day weekend — the best-value leave day around it.
• Whit Monday (Monday 5 June): already a three-day weekend — add the Tuesday for four days.
• Bastille Day (Friday 14 July): a built-in three-day weekend — add the Thursday before for four.
• Assumption Day (Tuesday 15 August): take the Monday before off and enjoy a four-day break.
• Christmas Day (Monday 25 December): already a three-day weekend — add the Tuesday for four days.

Plan your exact dates with the leave planner

Best travel ideas for each long weekend

City breaks

The early-season long weekends are made for cities, before summer crowds arrive and while the light is soft and golden.

• Lyon for the food — bouchons, Saturday markets, and an old town that glows at dusk.
• Bordeaux for wine country on your doorstep and a riverfront built for slow strolls.
• Strasbourg for half-timbered streets and an easy hop across the Rhine.

Nature escapes

With four-day stretches, go further than a day trip.

• The Calanques near Marseille, where limestone cliffs drop into impossibly blue water.
• The Verdon Gorge for turquoise kayaking and clifftop drives.
• Brittany's pink granite coast for windswept walks and seafood straight off the boat.

Budget trips

When dates fall in peak season, lean on places that stay affordable: the Auvergne volcanoes, the Ardèche for river swimming, or a slow few days in a small Dordogne village where a gîte costs a fraction of the coast.

Hidden gems most travellers miss

Everyone knows Paris and Nice. The travellers who come home glowing went somewhere quieter.

• Collioure, a Catalan fishing village near the Spanish border where Matisse found his colours.
• Annecy, the "Venice of the Alps", with a lake so clear it looks photoshopped.
• Uzès, a honey-stone town in the Gard with one of the best Saturday markets in the south.
• Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, a medieval harbour town in the north that feels like a secret even to the French.

Smart planning: maximise your days off France 2028

• Mind the school-holiday zones. France staggers its school breaks by region, which swings prices hard; travelling just outside them saves real money.

The pattern repeats — we also map France's long weekends for 2027, so you can plan a year ahead.

Budget tips

• Fly or leave midweek. A Tuesday departure is often half the price of a Friday into a long weekend.
• Go regional. Domestic TGV and Ouigo fares, booked four to six weeks ahead, undercut last-minute flights across mainland France.
• Stay just outside the postcard. A room 20 minutes from Annecy or Bordeaux costs a fraction of the centre, and you'll eat better.
• Travel the shoulder holidays. All Saints' and the early-January bridge are the cheapest escapes of the year.

Make this the year you actually use your days off

Open the leave planner and map your escapes before the best dates are gone.

FAQ

How many public holidays does France have in 2028?

France has 11 public holidays in 2028. The full list with exact dates is above.

How do I turn 2028 public holidays into long weekends?

Book one or two days of leave next to a public holiday to bridge into a four-day break. Use the leave planner to map the best combinations for France.