Public Holidays in France: What Changes for Your Stay in Paris

Calendar of public holidays 2026

Calendar of public holidays 2027

1 May: the most closed day of the year

Unlike the other public holidays, 1 May is an almost absolute day off in France: it is the only date on which the law prohibits work as a matter of principle (with rare exceptions), which translates into far wider closures than on other public holidays. Most major Paris museums and monuments close on that day, the Louvre, musée d'Orsay, musée Rodin and musée Picasso first among them. The Centre Pompidou is one of the notable exceptions that stay open. Public transport runs, but often on a Sunday-type timetable, with reduced service. If your stay falls on 1 May, it is best to plan an outdoor activity (a stroll, a park) rather than a museum visit, and to check the opening hours of the site you are interested in case by case.

The other public holidays: more nuance

On 1 January and 25 December, most major museums also close, but a few establishments are exceptions (the Centre Pompidou, the musée de l'Orangerie and the musée d'Orsay, for example, have in some years stayed open with adapted hours): check case by case before heading over. For the other public holidays (Easter Monday, 8 May, Ascension, Whit Monday, 14 July, 15 August, All Saints' Day, 11 November), the rule is far less clear-cut: many museums and monuments stay open with their usual hours, in particular the major sites heavily visited by tourists (Eiffel Tower, Louvre on weekdays other than 1 May/1 January/25 December). In every case, checking the hours for the exact day on each monument's official website remains the only reliable way to avoid a wasted trip.

Shops and transport

Department stores and the majority of Paris shops traditionally close on 1 May; on the other public holidays, some shops stay open (particularly in tourist areas that benefit from exemptions), but with less uniform coverage than on an ordinary day — some neighbourhood shops stay closed by choice, since there is no legal obligation to close other than on 1 May. Restaurants and bakeries, especially in tourist districts, generally remain widely open, with the occasional exception of the morning of 25 December. As for transport, the metro, bus and RER run on every public holiday, but often at a reduced, Sunday-type frequency: it is best to allow a few extra minutes of waiting.

Public holidays not to be confused with mere festivals

Some highly publicised dates in Paris are not official public holidays and therefore have no impact on shop opening or transport: this is the case, for example, of Chinese New Year, which brings celebrations and parades in certain neighbourhoods but remains an ordinary day in the legal sense.

In short, to prepare your stay

If your stay covers a public holiday, first check whether it is 1 May (maximum impact, to be avoided for museums), then whether it is 1 January or 25 December (strong impact but with a few exceptions), and in all other cases, assume that the majority of tourist sites will stay open while keeping a reasonable doubt to be checked site by site before heading over.

For the details of each major date, see our dedicated guides: Bastille Day on 14 July, Christmas in Paris, New Year's Eve and Easter in Paris.