Spring and Easter holidays in France 2027: school holiday weeks to avoid, best regions by trip type, and median rental prices from over 500 listings.
Where should you go in France for the spring and Easter holidays in 2027? The short answer: Brittany and the Atlantic coast for empty beaches and cliff walks, the Auvergne volcanoes and the Pyrenees for hiking, Provence and the Loire Valley for villages, gardens and châteaux. Easter falls early in 2027 (Sunday 28 March), and French school holidays run from 3 April to 3 May depending on the zone, according to the official French government calendar. Below: the dates that matter to foreign visitors, the weeks to avoid, the best areas by type of trip, and median nightly prices from over 500 Driing rentals, including family-friendly holiday rentals.
If you can travel whenever you like, the most useful thing to know is when French families are on the move. France splits its schools into three zones (A, B and C) whose spring holidays are staggered by one week, so demand and prices rise across most of April.
French spring school holidays 2027 at a glance
Zone C (Paris region, Montpellier, Toulouse): Saturday 3 April to Monday 19 April.
Zone A (Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand and others): Saturday 10 April to Monday 26 April.
Zone B (Nantes, Rennes, Lille, Strasbourg, Marseille, Nice, Normandy and others): Saturday 17 April to Monday 3 May.
Corsica: same dates as Zone A.
Busiest: 10 to 25 April, when two zones overlap, and especially the weekend of 17 and 18 April, when all three are off.
Quietest: before 3 April and the week of 26 April, when only Zone B is still on holiday.
Holidays start after school on the Saturday, and pupils return on the morning of the Monday shown. These dates come from the decree of 22 October 2025 that sets the 2026-2027 French school calendar.
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027 and Easter Monday (29 March) is a public holiday in France, but it falls before any French school holiday. For visitors from countries where Easter and school breaks coincide, this is good news: the Easter weekend itself is busy only around big cities, and the following week is calm almost everywhere.
Two other public holidays in May fall on a Saturday in 2027 (1 May and 8 May), so they create no long weekend. Ascension Day, Thursday 6 May, is the one bridge holiday of the spring, when many French people take the Friday off. Our guide to where to go in France in February 2027 uses the same zone logic if you are planning a winter trip too.
The French coast in April means near-empty beaches and coastal paths in bloom, but not swimming weather. Sea temperatures are still cool everywhere in mainland France: come to walk, cycle and breathe, not to swim.
Brittany is the classic spring choice. Yellow gorse covers the cliffs, the long coastal footpath is pleasant without the summer heat, and the famous sites stay quiet on weekdays: the wild coast of Quiberon, the standing stones of Carnac, the islands of the Gulf of Morbihan. Median prices for holiday rentals in Brittany on Driing sit around €75 to €80 a night.
On the Atlantic, Charente-Maritime is made for cycling: the Île de Ré, the Île d'Oléron and the salt marshes are flat, with migrating birds everywhere. Expect around €85 a night for our seaside rentals in Charente-Maritime.
On the Mediterranean, the Var department has the brightest days. From Hyères, the Giens peninsula and the Golden Isles offer coastal walks before the summer ferry crowds. The median price in the department is close to €80 a night.
Spring is the best time for walking in France's mid-altitude mountains, while skiing becomes a high-altitude affair. Meadows turn green, waterfalls swell with snowmelt, and trails are still quiet.
In the Puy-de-Dôme department, the Chaîne des Puys volcanoes and the Sancy massif offer family-friendly hikes, with snow that can linger on the summits into April. Driing's median price there is around €80 a night.
In the Pyrenees, the valleys around Cauterets and Gavarnie reveal their waterfalls and glacial cirques as the snow retreats. Our mountain rentals in the Hautes-Pyrénées have a median price of around €80 a night.
For spring skiing, think altitude. The provisional calendar compiled by the French site Alti-Mag lists closing dates up to 2 May 2027 for the highest Alpine resorts, such as Tignes and Val Thorens. In the Pyrenees and lower ranges, some resorts plan to close in early April. Always check the resort's closing date before you book.
April is the ideal month for rural France: orchards blossom, markets get back into full swing, and the big sights have no queues.
In the Vaucluse, the hilltop villages of the Luberon (Gordes, Bonnieux, Ménerbes) and the slopes of Mont Ventoux are best discovered on foot or by bike, without the summer heat and traffic. Lourmarin, south of the Luberon range, makes a lovely base. This is the priciest area in this guide, at around €100 a night in median terms.
In the Loire Valley, spring is the season of château gardens. The Château de Chenonceau, which spans the river Cher at Chenonceaux, pairs well with Amboise, Chambord and the ZooParc de Beauval for a family trip. The regional median price on Driing is around €90 a night.
Spring suits France's mid-sized cities, where you can sit on a café terrace without the heat or the queues. Tours is an ideal base for the Loire châteaux without a car, thanks to regional trains along the valley. Aix-en-Provence offers markets and fountains before summer, at a higher price: above €110 a night in median terms in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Albi, Nîmes and Annecy round off the list for a long weekend.
With children, pick an area that combines one big attraction with free outdoor activities.
The Vendée, on the Atlantic coast, ticks every box: the Puy du Fou historical theme park opens its 2027 season on Saturday 27 March, according to its official website, which means it is open over the Easter weekend. The Vendée coast and the Marais Poitevin wetlands complete the trip. Our family rentals in the Vendée have a median price of around €75 a night, one of the lowest on the coast.
For a stress-free stay, look for a rental with an enclosed garden and enough indoor space for rainy days, and ask the host which baby equipment is available (travel cot, high chair).
Spring offers the best balance between weather and price, as long as you choose areas that are not yet on everyone's radar. On Driing, the lowest medians among well-stocked departments are:
The Pyrénées-Orientales, in French Catalonia, are the best-value spring pick: Collioure and its rocky coast, Catalan villages inland and the first mild days on the Mediterranean. Browse our affordable rentals in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
French spring weather is unpredictable, and no guide can promise you sunshine. April can be mild in Brittany and rainy in Provence, or the other way round. Plan indoor fallbacks (museums, châteaux, spas) and pack for every temperature.
Some restaurants, campsites and bike-hire shops on the islands and in small seaside resorts only reopen at Easter, or even in May. Finally, the median prices quoted here are advertised prices recorded in October 2026: hosts often adjust their rates during French school holidays, so always ask for the exact price for your dates.
Booking direct means paying the price set by the host, with no service fee on top. Driing is a French holiday rental platform that charges no commission to guests or hosts: travellers save 17% on average compared with commission-based platforms, between 15% and 24% depending on the region.
Every host is checked before their listing goes live: identity, proof of ownership of the property, and a real conversation with the Driing team. A fraudster cannot list a property that is not theirs.
Here is how it works: you contact the host through the listing's form or the contact details shown, you agree on dates and terms together, and the payment and rental contract are arranged directly between you and the host. Ask about heating, linen, bike storage and children's equipment before you commit. You can browse every listing on Driing.
When are the French spring school holidays in 2027?
According to the official calendar, Zone C is on holiday from 3 to 19 April 2027, Zone A from 10 to 26 April and Zone B from 17 April to 3 May. Corsica follows the Zone A dates. Paris and its region are in Zone C.
When is Easter 2027 in France?
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027 and Easter Monday, 29 March, is a public holiday. The Easter weekend falls before the French spring school holidays in every zone, so the week after Easter is usually quiet.
Which weeks should I avoid in France in April 2027?
The busiest period is 10 to 25 April, when two school zones are on holiday at the same time, and the weekend of 17 and 18 April, when all three are. The week starting 3 April and the week of 26 April are calmer.
Where is the weather best in France in April?
The Var, the Côte Vermeille in the Pyrénées-Orientales and inland Provence usually have the brightest days in April. The sea is still too cold for most swimmers. Spring weather is never guaranteed, so plan indoor options.
Can you still ski in France during the Easter holidays 2027?
Yes, but mainly at high altitude. Alti-Mag's provisional calendar lists closing dates up to 2 May 2027 for the highest Alpine resorts, while several Pyrenean and lower resorts plan to close in early April. Check the resort's closing date before booking.
Where should families go in France in spring?
The Vendée is a safe bet: the Puy du Fou opens its 2027 season on 27 March, and the coast and the Marais Poitevin are ideal for family outings. The Loire châteaux with the ZooParc de Beauval and the Auvergne volcanoes are other good options.
How much does a holiday rental cost in France in spring?
On Driing, the median advertised price is around €85 a night, from about €65 in the Pyrénées-Orientales to €100 in the Vaucluse. Hosts often adjust their rates during French school holidays, so always ask for the exact price for your dates.
French spring school holidays run from 3 April to 3 May 2027 depending on the zone, with peak demand between 10 and 25 April, and an early Easter weekend (28 and 29 March) just before. April is the season for Brittany and the Atlantic by bike, hiking in Auvergne and the Pyrenees, Provence and the Loire Valley châteaux.
To pay the right price, travel in the week before 3 April or after 26 April, and book early if your dates overlap with two French zones. If you are travelling by train, our rentals near a train station make a car-free holiday easy.
Find your spring rental direct, commission-free and with verified hosts, on Driing.
Photo credits: cover, Rich Martello on Unsplash; Quiberon, Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash; Chenonceau, Dorian Mongel on Unsplash.
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