Bonjour à tous!

I am beginning to plan my 2008 group trip to France and was wondering about the timing of French holidays in May. The past couple of years I've had a few problems (stores closed, train tickets more expensive) on the last weekend of May. I think those holidays were Ascension and Pentecôte.

But for 2008 it appears that those holidays fall much earlier, I guess because Easter is early. Is there any reason we might have any such problems this year for May 30 - June 2? Some of my folks will be taking a train on May 31 and I'd like to get a good deal on their tickets. I have noticed that for some rental properties the last week of May is "high season."

Thanks.

Anyone?

The dates of Ascension and Whitsun vary like the date of Easter, which is very early next year. Ascension Day actually falls on 1 May next year, so France has two public holidays on the same day.
I can't see any reason why there'd be any problem in France in late-May next year, unless you're going somewhere which gets lots of British visitors: the last week of May is normally a half-term holiday for British schools.
The French school holiday dates are on this website:
http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/...-scolaire.html

I guess you know that there are several French holidays that are keyed to Easter, and of course those dates vary each year. Ascencion and Pentecôte are defined by when Easter is. Ascencion was May 17th this year and Pentecôte was May 27th. The day after Pentecost (Whit Monday) is a public holiday, also, and may affect things more because its a Monday, not a Sunday when a lot is closed, anyway. Easter is in late March in 2008, and there are no official holidays at the end of May/early June in France.

OK. Thanks, Geoff and Christina. Just wanted to make sure there wasn't some "unofficial" (non-religious) holiday I wasn't aware of. And thanks for the website and the insight, Geoff. It may be that I saw the higher prices for the last week of May on holidayrentals which is a British website.

We're going to be in Normandy and Brittany for most of the time so I suppose they do get a lot of visitors from the UK.

So I'll hope to get some Prem's for Rennes to Paris and at least normal prices for my two going to Cahors.

Thanks again. B

Holidays in France in May 2008

May 1 - 'Labour Day' AND most unusually, Thursday, Feast of the Ascension - so the French lose a day of holidays
May 8 Victory Europe Day
May 11 - Sunday,Pentecost (Whitsun)
May 12 - Monday, called in France Monday of Pentecost, in England Whit Monday.

Because Easter is so early, holidays that often fall at the end of May are at the beginning.

So it looks as if you are safe at the end of May

Merci, Carlux!

May 1st is the only holiday when everything is closed. For about the last 5 years, all major stores are now open on most other holidays. Pentecost Monday was cancelled as a holiday 3 years ago.

Pentecost Monday may have been officially cancelled as a holiday, and it shouldn't affect tourists, but it seems to me that every year there is chaos with groups who take it, and others who don't - the first year some school buses kept running, but the schools were closed. Probably better organised now, but since people will lose one holiday with Ascension Thursday being on May 1, I suspect many will be lobbying for the Monday off.

Hi Betty,

to avoid paying high rates because of english holidays, why not use the gites de france or logis de france sites - between them they cover rural rental properties, B & B and small country inns.

regards, ann

Train and plane tickets are usually higher during French school holidays:
In the Paris region this year it's 19 April thru 5 May.

http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/...=9&annee=3

Thanks for the additional replies.

Believe me, ann, I have scoured and continue to scour, the GDF website! I have a short list of a half-dozen or so places for Normandy and Brittany that would suit us, almost all of them from GDF. It's been a bit more challenging this time since we will be 12 for the first two weeks. The Loire Valley has been the most difficult because we will be there only 4 nights (Sat-Tues) and I hate to pay for a week's rental for only 4 nights, but B&B's would be as much or more, so I may wind up doing that anyway. (If anyone knows of a gite for 9 people in this area that will rent on a nightly basis, please let me know.)

My original post had more to do with what sort of train prices to expect and it looks like I'll be OK on that score.

Thanks again for the information.