France in February 2027: Riviera sun, Nice Carnival, Menton Lemon Festival, Basque coast, spas, skiing, plus the French school holiday weeks to avoid.
Where should you go in France in February 2027? The short answer: the French Riviera if you want winter sun and two of Europe's best-known winter festivals, the Basque coast if you love the Atlantic, a spa town if you want to slow down, and the mountains only if you really want to ski. The one thing to plan around is the French school calendar: between 6 February and 8 March 2027, French families go on their winter break in three staggered waves, and prices follow them. This guide covers where to go, what is on, typical prices drawn from more than 500 Driing listings, and the weeks to avoid if you can travel any time.
February is one of the quietest and cheapest months of the year in most of France, outside the ski resorts and the school holiday peaks. Museums, old towns and countryside sites are calm, restaurants have time for you, and holiday homes are usually let at their lowest rates of the year.
It is also a month with its own character. The mimosa is in bloom on the Mediterranean coast, Nice and Menton put on their great winter festivals, and the Atlantic is at its most dramatic. If you are coming from abroad, flights and trains are generally easier to book than in summer, as long as you avoid the weeks when French families travel.
France splits its schools into three zones that take their winter break one week apart, so demand peaks in the middle of the period. These are the official dates published by the French government (Service-Public) for the 2026-2027 school year:
Zone C (Paris region, Toulouse, Montpellier): 6 to 22 February 2027.
Zone A (Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Dijon and others): 13 February to 1 March 2027.
Zone B (Marseille, Nice, Lille, Nantes, Strasbourg, Normandy and others): 20 February to 8 March 2027.
Corsica: 13 February to 1 March 2027.
What this means for you:
Holidays start after classes on the Saturday, so expect busy roads and trains on Saturdays throughout the period.
For light and mild days in February, the Mediterranean coast is the safest bet in mainland France. Coastal paths are pleasant to walk without summer heat, and hilltop villages are free of summer crowds.
The seasonal highlight is the mimosa. The Route du Mimosa runs for about 130 kilometres from Bormes-les-Mimosas to Grasse, and the bloom usually lasts from January to March, according to the regional tourist board. Bormes-les-Mimosas, the Tanneron hills and Mandelieu-La Napoule are the classic stops.
For accommodation, the Var is the coastal department with the most direct listings on Driing, with a median price of around €80 a night. The neighbouring Vaucluse, further inland in Provence, is closer to €100. Browse our holiday rentals in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
February is festival month on the Riviera, and in 2027 the two biggest events overlap almost entirely.
The Menton Lemon Festival (Fête du Citron) runs from 13 to 28 February 2027 for its 93rd edition, according to the official website. The programme lists the daytime parades of golden fruits on Sundays 14, 21 and 28 February, the night parades on Thursdays 18 and 25 February, and the illuminated gardens on 16, 19, 23 and 26 February. The giant citrus sculptures can be seen every day.
The Nice Carnival is announced from 9 to 28 February 2027, under the theme "Vive l'Amour!" (Long Live Love), according to the regional tourist board. The detailed programme of parades, flower battles and ticketing was not yet online on the official carnival website at the time of writing, so check it before you fix your dates.
A practical tip: weekdays are far calmer than parade Sundays. A Monday to Thursday stay with a night parade in Menton gives you the spectacle without the weekend crowds, and you also avoid the Saturday holiday changeovers.
The Atlantic in February means powerful winter swells, towns that stay lively all year and low-season prices. It rains more than on the Mediterranean, but a sunny spell over the winter waves is worth the trip.
In the French Basque Country, Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Bayonne keep their markets, food halls and restaurants open out of season. Inland, Espelette, Ainhoa and La Rhune mountain are lovely on dry days, and Spain's San Sebastián is a short drive away. In the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the median Driing listing is around €80 a night.
Further north, Charente-Maritime (Île de Ré, Île d'Oléron, La Rochelle) and the Arcachon Bay near Bordeaux offer empty beaches and working harbours, at around €85 to €90 a night. See our holiday rentals in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
February is a good month for a wellness break, as long as you aim for leisure spas rather than medical cures. France has a long tradition of thermal spa towns, but many medical cure centres close or reduce their activity in winter, while leisure thermal spas often welcome visitors by the session or half-day. Check opening times before booking.
February is the calmest month of the year in rural France, which is exactly the point. In Burgundy, Beaune, Dijon and the villages of the Côte de Nuits can be explored through wine cellars open for tastings, with a median price of around €80 a night. See our rentals in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The Loire Valley works well for families: several châteaux stay open in winter with shorter hours, at around €90 a night.
In the south-west, Albi, Carcassonne and Uzès keep a real local life in winter and make excellent short breaks, far from the crowds you would meet in summer.
If you want snow, France's smaller ranges are the best way to ski in February without the prices of the big Alpine resorts. The Vosges, Jura, Massif Central, Pyrenees and Southern Alps offer cheaper lift passes and accommodation than famous Northern Alps resorts. Keep in mind that the ski resorts are exactly where French families go during the school holidays, so the date advice above matters most there. At lower altitudes, keep a back-up plan (snowshoeing, spas) in case snow is thin.
The median nightly price of a Driing listing is around €85 across France, from about €70 in the Grand Est to €90 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. These are median advertised prices, not guaranteed February rates.
Driing is a French holiday rental platform with no commission, for guests or hosts. No service fee is added to the price set by the host, which means guests save 17% on average compared with commission-based platforms, and around 21% in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Before any listing goes live, Driing checks the host's identity and proof of ownership of the property, and has a real conversation with the host. A fraudster therefore cannot publish a fake listing or rent out a home that is not theirs, which matters to visitors booking from abroad.
How it works: you contact the host through the listing's form or the contact details shown on the page, agree on dates and terms directly with them, and then payment and the rental agreement are handled between you and the host. It is a good opportunity to ask the questions that matter in winter: heating, parking, access. Browse all listings on Driing.
When are the French school holidays in February 2027?
Zone C (including Paris) is off from 6 to 22 February 2027, zone A from 13 February to 1 March, and zone B from 20 February to 8 March. Corsica follows the zone A dates. The busiest period is from 13 to 27 February, when two zones overlap.
Where is the warmest place in France in February?
The French Riviera and the Var coast are usually the mildest and sunniest parts of mainland France in February. It is also mimosa season, with blooms from January to March between Bormes-les-Mimosas and Grasse. Sunshine is never guaranteed, though.
When is the Nice Carnival 2027?
The Nice Carnival 2027 is announced from 9 to 28 February 2027, under the theme "Vive l'Amour!", according to the regional tourist board. Check the official carnival website for the detailed parade and flower battle programme before booking.
When is the Menton Lemon Festival 2027?
The 93rd Menton Lemon Festival runs from 13 to 28 February 2027. Daytime parades take place on Sundays 14, 21 and 28 February and night parades on Thursdays 18 and 25 February, according to the official website.
Is February a good time to visit France?
Yes, if you avoid the school holiday peak and choose your region well. February offers low prices, quiet sites, mimosa on the Riviera and major winter festivals. Expect winter weather and some seasonal closures, especially on the coast.
How much does a holiday rental cost in France in February?
On Driing, the median advertised price is around €85 a night, from about €70 in the Grand Est to €90 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Hosts often adjust prices during the French school holidays, so always ask for the exact rate for your dates.
French winter school holidays run from 6 February to 8 March 2027, with the peak between 13 and 27 February. February is not only about skiing: winter sun and mimosa on the Riviera, the Nice Carnival and Menton Lemon Festival, the Basque coast, spa towns and quiet countryside all make great trips.
For the best prices, travel before 6 February or from 1 March, and book in December if your dates fall in the middle of the period.
Find your February rental with verified hosts and no commission on Driing.
Photo credits: cover, Ellena McGuinness on Unsplash; mimosa, Reika Makes on Unsplash; Biarritz, Pierre Archi on Unsplash.
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