Smart Travel

Traveling to France when schools are on holiday may not be a good idea. This is because tourist resorts are teeming with vacationers during this period that one has to fight (figuratively, of course) for space. The Mediterranean coast and the more than 200 ski resorts are particularly crowded, often translating to lodging shortages. This being the case, it is important to know when schools in France are closed. Note the following five sets of school holidays in a year (the French school calendar year starts in early September): 1. Toussaint break - This is a 12-day school break, in observance of All Saints' Day, that usually begins around the latter part of the third week of October. 2. Noel-Le Jour de l'An break - Schools are closed for 15 days for the Christmas/New Year holidays, from December 20 to January 4. This is the period when ski resorts in France "overflow" with people and finding a vacant hotel room is next to impossible. 3. Hiver break - Another 15-day sc...

France celebrates a total of thirteen public holidays, or jours feriés, every year. Of these, eight are observed on fixed dates, which include three important religious celebrations. These eight fixed-dated French public holidays are listed below, in the order of their occurrence. 1. Le Jour de l'An (New Year's Day) - France, like most other countries, celebrates New Year's Day on January 1, the first day based on the Gregorian calendar. The highlight of activities on this holiday, again like in many countries, takes place at midnight that spans the last day of the old year (December 31) to the first day of the new year. Observance of the New Year lasts up to January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. 2. Fête du Travail (Labor Day) - There probably isn't a country that does not observe Labor Day, for on this day workers celebrate their social and economic achievements. In France, Labor Day is celebrated in conjunction with the celebration of "Le Jour du Muguet". In...