The weeks
of 2012 Saturday to Saturday
Busy
holiday weeks; 2012. A holiday planner, showing the busy and off-peak
vacation / holiday weeks in France.
Planning
a trip to France.
Prepare your holiday in
France, decide when and where to go, what to take with you, where to
stay and how to get there.
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Tourism in France
The
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Holiday accommodation in
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Gites,
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Planning
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Use this table to check the peak holiday weeks, when tourist traffic is
heaviest and resorts most crowded, the intermediate weeks , and the
off-peak weeks when holiday traffic is lightest, and hotels and resorts
least crowded.
Key: Busiest holiday
weeks _____
Busy weeks _____
:
Recommended off peak weeks (winter) _____
: summer / autumn ______
Special
events (throughout France) are highlighted in yellow:
- Bank holidays (public
holidays) are marked in red
- Museums night 2012;
19th May Nuit des Mus�es - hundreds of museums open free
until 1 a.m.
- Gardens weekend:
first weekend in June ( to be confirmed) - Journ�es des
Jardins -
thousands of public and private gardens all over France open for free
visits. Some only open this weekend.
- Music night: F�te
de la Musique: Midsummer's Day. Many free concerts, plus music in the
streets in most towns until midnight or later. In 2012 it's a Thursday
night
- Heritage Days
- 15th-16th Sept. Journ�es du Patrimoine: an opportunity to
visit
monuments that are not usually open to the public, as well as those
that are. Special guided tours at many locations.
- NB: Weeks in the
table below are indicated Saturday to Saturday
inclusive, in line with common holiday accommodation and
package booking habits.
Week
Sat-Sat |
Dates
Sat-Sat |
Holiday status / special events |
|
Week
Sat-Sat |
Dates
Sat-Sat |
Holiday status / special events |
Week 1: |
31
Dec.
- 7 Jan. |
Belgian
schools on holiday
|
|
Week
27: |
30
June - 7 July |
French
school summer holidays |
Week
2: |
7 Jan.
- 14 Jan. |
|
|
Week
28: |
7 July
- 14 July |
French
school summer holidays Public
Holiday: Saturday 14th July |
Week
3: |
14
Jan. - 21 Jan. |
|
|
Week
29: |
14
July - 21 July |
French
school summer holidays |
Week
4: |
21
Jan. - 28 Jan. |
|
|
Week
30: |
21
July - 28 July |
French
school summer holidays |
Week
5: |
28
Jan. - 4 Feb. |
|
|
Week
31: |
28
Jul. - 4 Aug. |
French
school summer holidays |
Week
6: |
4 Feb.
- 11 Feb. |
|
|
Week
32: |
4 Aug.
- 11 Aug. |
French
school summer holidays
|
Week
7: |
11
Feb. - 18 Feb. |
School
holidays France - zone A *
|
|
Week
33: |
11
Aug. - 18 Aug. |
French
school summer holidays Public
Holiday: Wednesday 15th August |
Week
8: |
18
Feb. - 25 Feb. |
School
holidays France - zone A
School holidays France - zone C
School holidays in Belgium
|
|
Week
34: |
18
Aug. - 25 Aug. |
French
school summer holidays |
Week
9: |
25
Feb. - 3 Mar. |
School
holidays France - zone B
School holidays France - zone C |
|
Week
35: |
25
Aug. - 1 Sep. |
|
Week
10: |
3 Mar.
- 10 Mar. |
School
holidays France - zone B
|
|
Week
36: |
1 Sep.
- 8 Sep. |
French
schools go back: Tuesday 4th Sept |
Week
11: |
10
Mar. - 17 Mar. |
|
|
Week
37: |
8 Sep.
- 15 Sep. |
15th-16th Sept
Heritage Days |
Week
12: |
17
Mar. - 24 Mar. |
|
|
Week
38: |
15
Sep. - 22 Sep. |
Week
13: |
24
Mar. - 31 Mar |
|
|
Week
39: |
22
Sep. - 29 Sep. |
|
Week
14: |
31
Mar.
- 7 Apr. |
School
holidays in Belgium
|
|
Week
40: |
29
Sep - 6 Oct. |
|
Week
15: |
7 Apr.
- 14 Apr. |
School
holidays France -
zone A
School holidays Belgium
Public
Holiday: 9th April Easter Monday
|
|
Week
41: |
6 Oct.
- 1
13 Oct. |
|
Week
16: |
14
Apr. - 21 Apr. |
School
holidays France - zone C
School holidays France - zone A |
|
Week
42: |
13
Oct. - 20 Oct. |
|
Week
17: |
21
Apr. - 28 Apr |
School
holidays France zone
C
School holidays France - zone B
|
|
Week
43: |
20
Oct. - 27 Oct. |
|
Week
18: |
28
Apr - 5 May |
Public
Holiday: - Tuesday 1st May
School holidays France - zone B
|
|
Week
44: |
27
Oct. - 3 Nov. |
Public
Holiday: Toussaint, Tues 1st Nov.
French schools on holiday
Belgian school half term.
|
Week
19: |
5 May
- 12 May |
Public
Holiday: - Tuesday 8th May - VE Day
|
|
Week
45: |
3 Nov.
- 10 Nov. |
French
schools on holiday until 7th Nov. |
Week
20: |
12
May - 19 May |
Public
Holiday: Thursday 17th May - Ascension Day |
|
Week
46: |
10
Nov. - 17 Nov. |
Public
Holiday: Armistice day 11th Nov.
|
Week
21: |
19
May - 26 May |
Sat 19th May:
Museums night - Free entry until 1 a.m
|
|
Week
47: |
17
Nov. - 24 Nov. |
|
Week
22: |
26
May - 2 June |
Public
Holiday: Monday 28th May - Pentec�te (Whit
Monday -
France)
Sat
2nd June: Gardens weekend |
|
Week
48: |
24
Nov. - 1 Dec. |
|
Week
23: |
2 June
- 9 June |
Sun 3rd June :
Gardens weekend |
|
Week
49: |
1 Dec.
- 8 Dec. |
|
Week
24: |
9 June
- 16 June |
|
|
Week
50: |
8 Dec.
- 15 Dec. |
|
Week
25: |
16
June - 23 June |
Thursday 21st
June - F�te de la Musique |
|
Week
51: |
15
Dec. - 22 Dec. |
|
Week
26: |
23
June - 30 June |
|
|
Week
52: |
22
Dec. - 29 Dec |
French
school holidays
Belgian school holidays
|
* French school
holiday zones: France is divided into three parts for
certain school holiday dates. Zone
C is notably the Greater Paris area, and the zone that
causes most extra holiday traffic on the roads. Full details on French school holiday zones
Points worth bearing in mind:
Driving
conditons:
in busy holiday/ vacation periods, motorways towards holiday areas (and
from holiday areas) are busiest at the weekend, particularly on
Saturdays. During other periods of the year, Saturdays and Sundays are
the best time to travel, as traffic is lighter, and there are less
lorries / trucks on the roads. See Driving in France
for more details.
Hotels,
attractions, restaurants:
Out of season, and specifically in places where tourism is the main
industry, many hotels, restaurants and attractions are closed. Those
that are open are often cheaper out of season that at peak periods. For
more information about hotels, attractions, eating out, visit:
|
***
|