Summer 2025: When Does Vacation Start in France and for How Long?

In France, the summer holidays are the longest break in the school calendar, spanning two months from July to the beginning of September, coinciding with the start of the new school year. During a visit to Colmar on February 2, 2025, President Emmanuel Macron reignited discussions on the duration of school vacations, suggesting the possibility of shortening them.

“One question we might consider for our children is whether we should revise the vacation schedule to relax the weeks and enhance learning,” explained the President. “France has longer vacations than many countries. Many countries start their vacations around July 14. Our summer vacations are very, very lengthy. Children who lack adequate family support often experience a decline in academic performance. This is an issue we’re opening up for discussion, but it needs to be thoroughly debated,” he added. However, for the Snes-FSU, the major teaching union, the focus on vacation duration is not a priority. The union believes that resources should rather be allocated towards hiring, salaries, and improving working conditions for teachers.

This year in France, schoolchildren will start their vacation on Saturday, July 5, 2025, across all academic zones, resuming classes on Monday, September 1, 2025, marking the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. Students will thus enjoy eight weeks of summer vacation, which is still shorter than the European average of 9.2 weeks. For comparison, Italian students have 13 weeks of summer break, and Portuguese students have 10.2 weeks.