Travel, shops and tourism – what to expect in France over Easter weekend
Easter itself is very late this year, having been very early last year. In fact, there's a near three-week difference. In 2024, Easter Monday fell on April 1st. This year, it's April 21st.
France is, famously, a secular state but for historic reasons, it also has plenty of days off work for Christian holidays. At Easter, however, most of the country gets an extra day off – Easter Monday – while
Good Friday is a normal working day for everyone – unless you live in the historic Alsace region
.
Here is what to expect over the holiday weekend:
Shops
Opening hours across the country are as a normal, non-holiday weekend Saturday.
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Supermarkets may operate shorter hours on Easter Monday (and on Friday in Alsace). Independent shops in towns and cities may well remain closed for the day, but franchise stores are likely to open, as will restaurants and cafes.
Boulangeries, pâtisseries and florists
Boulangeries or pâtisseries will be open pretty much as normal across the Easter weekend – but do watch out for notices advertising some opening hour changes.
But, on the whole, you will be able to buy your necessary breakfast pastries and fresh baguettes, as well as a suitable gateau for an Easter celebration with loved ones.
Schools
Unlike last year, the staggered Spring school holidays take in the Easter weekend. But pupils at school in Zone B – Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Normandie, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg – get a one-day extension to their time off because of Easter Monday.
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Public transport
City public transport runs all throughout the holiday period, albeit often with a slightly reduced timetable as there are usually fewer people travelling. Sunday-level services may operate on Easter Monday, for example.
But mainline train services also run across the period, with many routes running a near-normal timetable. However, the Sud-Rail union has filed a strike notice covering a period from April 17th to June 2nd. Although no stoppages are yet planned, the notice raises the possibility of walkouts during key public holidays across Easter and in May - latest details
here
.
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Roads
Good Friday – despite not being a public holiday across most of France – is set to be a very difficult day on the roads across the whole of the country.
Roads watchdog Bison Futé has issued a general 'red' travel warning – its second-highest alert level, indicating 'very difficult' conditions – covering the whole of the country on Friday, April 18th, for the first time in 2025.
It further expects traffic jams and slowdowns across the Easter weekend, warning that the north-eastern quarter of the country would see the most intense traffic slowdowns on Easter Monday.
Doctors and pharmacies
Doctors' surgeries are usually closed on public holidays, such as Easter Monday, but you can still get a non-emergency medical appointment via on-call medical centres known as
maisons médicales de garde
that provide care at weekends, nights or on public holidays when surgeries and doctors' practices are closed.
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Call 116 or 117 to contact your nearest on-call centre or log on to the
maisonsmedicale.com
website. Be aware, consultations from on-call services like this are more expensive.
SOS Médecins will also operate as usual, and hospital emergency departments and ambulances will be available if you need them (dial 15 for an ambulance, or call the European number on 112).
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Similarly, pharmacies operate a rota system to ensure that at least one is open in each area. To find your nearest, search online for
pharmacie de garde
plus the name of your commune.
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9 surprising things about French pharmacies
Tourist attractions
Many tourist attractions will be open as normal throughout the Easter period, including Good Friday and Easter Monday (the Louvre, for example, is open as usual on both days) but some may operate altered opening hours. Check individual attraction's website before visiting.
Watch out, too, for local Easter festivities in your local area.
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The best Easter activities in France for families
Weather
France has been experiencing some beautiful early spring weather with almost summer temperatures over the last few days.
Unfortunately, this isn't predicted to continue into the Easter holidays with forecasters expecting a sharp down-turn in temperatures and more unsettled weather and rain.
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