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LIVING IN FRANCE

Traffic, shops and schools – what to expect in France over Easter weekend

Most of France enjoys a three day weekend over Easter, while one area gets four days off. From traffic and trains to shops, schools and medical services - here's what changes over the long weekend.

Published: 18 March 2024 13:00 CET
Updated: 30 March 2024 16:07 CET
Traffic, shops and schools - what to expect in France over Easter weekend
Easter equals chocolate (Photo by Guillaume BAPTISTE / AFP)

Easter itself falls very early this year: Easter Sunday also coincides with the clocks going forward an hour for summertime, while Easter Monday in 2024 is on April Fool’s Day.

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 just one extra day off – Easter Monday – while Good Friday is a normal working day.

You can also expect Easter celebrations including egg hunts, special markets and – in one region – mock crucifixions.

Giant omelettes and flying bells – how the French celebrate Easter

Here is what to expect for the weekend;

Good Friday

If you are in Alsace-Lorraine you get both Good Friday (March 29th) and Easter Monday (April 2nd) off because of an historic war with Germany and powerful trade unions. In Alsace, you can expect closures and altered hours will resemble those on Easter Sunday and Monday.

However, the rest of France has school and work on Good Friday and as such, opening hours will be normal. If you work in a French company, don’t be surprised to see your colleagues coming into work with suitcases and sloping off early.

As many people will be taking the opportunity to go away for a long weekend, traffic is predicted to be heavy on the roads on Friday early afternoon and evening, especially heading out of cities and towards the coast. Traffic heading our of Paris will be particularly intense.

Likewise trains will be busy on Friday afternoon, with many trains completely booked out.

Saturday

Opening hours across the country will function as they normally do on Saturday.

Easter Sunday and Easter Monday

You can expect smaller or independent shops to be closed on Monday, while supermarkets may operate shorter opening hours, particularly on Easter Monday.

Schools have Monday off.

On Monday evening traffic will again be heavy on the roads as those holidaymakers head back into the city to start work and school again on Tuesday.

No TGVs will run between Bordeaux and Toulouse on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday because of pre-planned works.

There are no services between Orléans and Paris on the same two days for the same reason.

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. 

READ ALSO Why 2024 is a very good year for holidays in France

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 the traditional Easter celebration with loved ones.

Supermarkets

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.

What about schools?

Schools in France will be closed on Easter Monday, but open as normal on Good Friday in all but the Alsace region. Pupils also get a two-week holiday around the Easter period, at different dates depending on the school holiday zones. None of the holiday dates are directly linked to Easter itself this year. 

Schools in Zone C are off from Saturday, April 6th, and return on Monday, April 22nd; schools in Zone A are on holiday from Saturday, April 13th, returning on Monday, April 29th; and those in Zone B are off from Saturday, April 20th, returning on Monday, May 6th – in time to be off again for for three days because of VE Day on May 8th, and the Ascension holidays on May 9th and 10th.

Meanwhile, in Corsica, pupils are off from Saturday, April 27th, returning to classes on Monday, May 13th.

Doctors, 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.

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).

Similarly, pharmacies operate a rota system to ensure that at least one is open in each area. To find your nearest, Google ‘pharmacie de garde’ plus the name of your commune.

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.

Salary payments

If you are a salaried employee in France you may find that your March pay-packet arrives late. This is due to European banking regulations combined with the fact that the Easter weekend is also the end of the month this year.

The European SEPA payment system for automated bank transfers takes a four-day break over Easter, so any bank transfers that you send over the weekend will not arrive until Tuesday.

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PROPERTY

BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you want to grill some ribs, install heavy plants or even hang up your laundry to dry on your balcony in France, then there is one document you'll want to consult beforehand.

Published: 7 May 2024 10:43 CEST
BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you live in an apartment building in France, then you might be curious whether there are any rules regulating what you are allowed and not allowed to do on your French balcony.

The answer is relatively simple: it depends on your copropriété. In France, a copropriété is a type of building that is split up into several different apartments that are individually owned. It is also the name of the individuals who together make up the co-owners of that shared building, similar to a ‘homeowner’s association’.

READ MORE: PROPERTY: What you need to know about ‘copropriété’ fees in France

Most of the time your building will also hire a syndic, or managing agents for the building.

Every copropriété should have a règlement de copropriété, which is a written document outlining all of the operating rules of the building, as well as the rights and olbigations of the ‘co-owners’ and tenants.

This document governs the common areas of the building and the fees that go into the building’s maintenance (les charges), but it can also regulate the use of private areas under certain circumstances. For example, the règlement might have its own rules about the hours that you can do noisy renovation work, or a list of colours allowed for the shutters on your exterior windows.

So can I barbecue on my balcony?

As you may have guessed from above, the règlement de copropriété may outline the rules for balcony or terrace usage.

This means that the document can dictate anything from whether or not you can hang laundry outside to the weight of plants allowed and the rules on barbecues.

The gist is that the regulations governing balconies and what you can do on them vary widely from one apartment building to another.

Some apartment buildings allow for people to use small electric grills for barbecues, while others might ban grilling and barbecuing altogether.

When asking about your balcony, be sure to find out whether any parts of it are considered ‘shared space’.

Under some circumstances, the règlement may deem balcony railings to be part of the shared space, which would have consequences for the minimum amount of maintenance required by the owner. Though, this would be most likely to occur if the upkeep of your balcony’s railing has a direct impact on the structure of the building or other apartments.

Similarly, the document might consider the actual concrete slab of the balcony to be the responsibility of the copropriété for maintenance and upkeep. In this case, if you had a crack in your balcony then the repair costs would fall on the copropriété and not you individually.

How do I find out about the règlement for my building?

If you have a gardien (doorman) you can start by asking him/her. They would likely have a copy on-hand, or they might just know the answer to your question.

Otherwise, you can reach out to the building’s syndic, or you can even request a copy of the document from the land registration service. The latter option will cost €30, and you would need to file a formal request (you can find the form here).

How are these rules decided?

The règlement for the copropriété is voted on in a general meeting of co-owners, and it can be changed.

To do this, you would need to gather the ‘general assembly’ of co-owners in the building. Then you would need to vote. Depending on the nature of the change, French law can require that the co-owners in the building reach a simple majority (most owners present vote yes) or an absolute majority (out of all owners, including those not present, the majority vote yes).

You can find the voting rules on this government website.

In general, the items outlined in the règlement will be justified somehow. For example, the rules related to furniture and plant height/weight might have to do with concerns about safety and ensuring that the concrete slab of the balcony holds up.

But that does not mean that ‘aesthetic’ concerns are irrelevant – your copropriété might consider something like hanging laundry to dry from your balcony to be an ‘aesthetic harm’ (or hygienic concern) for your building.

The standard for all French copropriétés is that anything that changes the exterior appearance of the building is not allowed, and in order to do so, you must get special permission.

READ MORE: The rules for installing air conditioning in your French home

What about local laws and rules?

In certain situations, there might be additional local laws and rules that regulate activities you might want to do on your balcony.

For example, when it comes to BBQs, some areas – especially if there is a drought – will ban or restrict them to avoid the danger of starting wildfires.

Certain legal clauses might restrict charcoal BBQs and allow gas ones, while others could restrict barbecuing to certain times. Check with your local mairie to see if there are restrictions where you live.

READ MORE: What are the rules of having a BBQ in France?

Departmental health regulations may also contain rules that would apply to balconies and terraces.

For example, in Paris the health regulations prohibit the storing of flammable liquids, seeds, bread crumbs or food of any kind on windows, balconies and outside parts of buildings.

It also stipulates that anything hanging from a balcony or window should be done so in a safe manner so that it does not create a dangerous environment for passers-by or other building occupants.

Overall, you can do what you want with and on your balcony, as long as you comply with the copropriété rules and existing local or departmental health/safety regulations, you do not alter the external appearance of the building or carry out any large-scale, structural work that you’d need a permit for, and as long as whatever you do/install on your balcony does not create a safety risk.

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