France 2026 Congés Planning
Best days to take off in France in 2026
Le pont is a French tradition — take one congé day between a jour férié and the weekend for a four-day break. See the best ponts for 2026.
Monday–Friday by default. Tick days you also work.
PTO days used
7
Total days away
38
Breaks planned
11
Efficiency
1 : 5.4
PTO days : days off
Spend 7 PTO days → Get 38 days off
That's 5.4× leverage on your time off
Ranked PTO opportunities — France 2026
- 1
Wed, Nov 11 – Sun, Nov 15
November · Armistice Day (Armistice)
Wednesday bridge (2 PTO days)5
days off
In your planSpend 2 PTO days → Get 5 days off
1 PTO day = 2.5 days off
- PTO used
- 2 days
- Efficiency
- 1 PTO day = 2.5 days off
- PTO dates
- Thursday Nov 12, Friday Nov 13
Plan: take Thu Nov 12, Fri Nov 13 after Armistice Day (Armistice).
Hol11WedPTO12ThuPTO13FriWknd14SatWknd15SunWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 2
Thu, Jan 1 – Sun, Jan 4
January · New Year's Day (Jour de l'An)
Thursday holiday bridge4
days off
In your planSpend 1 PTO day → Get 4 days off
1 PTO day = 4 days off
- PTO used
- 1 day
- Efficiency
- 1 PTO day = 4 days off
- PTO dates
- Friday Jan 2
Plan: take Fri Jan 2 after New Year's Day (Jour de l'An).
Hol1ThuPTO2FriWknd3SatWknd4SunWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 3
Thu, May 14 – Sun, May 17
May · Ascension Day (Ascension)
Thursday holiday bridge4
days off
In your planSpend 1 PTO day → Get 4 days off
1 PTO day = 4 days off
- PTO used
- 1 day
- Efficiency
- 1 PTO day = 4 days off
- PTO dates
- Friday May 15
Plan: take Fri May 15 after Ascension Day (Ascension).
Hol14ThuPTO15FriWknd16SatWknd17SunWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 4
Sat, Jul 11 – Tue, Jul 14
July · Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
Tuesday holiday bridge4
days off
In your planSpend 1 PTO day → Get 4 days off
1 PTO day = 4 days off
- PTO used
- 1 day
- Efficiency
- 1 PTO day = 4 days off
- PTO dates
- Monday Jul 13
Plan: take Mon Jul 13 before Bastille Day (Fête nationale).
Wknd11SatWknd12SunPTO13MonHol14TueWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 5
Sat, Apr 4 – Mon, Apr 6
April · Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
Free long weekend3
days off
In your plan3-day weekend — no PTO needed
- PTO used
- 0 days
- Efficiency
- 0 PTO days needed
- PTO dates
- None
Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) already creates a long weekend — no PTO needed.
Wknd4SatWknd5SunHol6MonWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 6
Fri, May 1 – Sun, May 3
May · Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
Free long weekend3
days off
In your plan3-day weekend — no PTO needed
- PTO used
- 0 days
- Efficiency
- 0 PTO days needed
- PTO dates
- None
Labour Day (Fête du Travail) already creates a long weekend — no PTO needed.
Hol1FriWknd2SatWknd3SunWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 7
Fri, May 8 – Sun, May 10
May · Victory in Europe Day (Victoire 1945)
Free long weekend3
days off
In your plan3-day weekend — no PTO needed
- PTO used
- 0 days
- Efficiency
- 0 PTO days needed
- PTO dates
- None
Victory in Europe Day (Victoire 1945) already creates a long weekend — no PTO needed.
Hol8FriWknd9SatWknd10SunWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 8
Sat, May 23 – Mon, May 25
May · Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
Free long weekend3
days off
In your plan3-day weekend — no PTO needed
- PTO used
- 0 days
- Efficiency
- 0 PTO days needed
- PTO dates
- None
Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte) already creates a long weekend — no PTO needed.
Wknd23SatWknd24SunHol25MonWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 9
Fri, Dec 25 – Sun, Dec 27
December · Christmas Day (Noël)
Free long weekend3
days off
In your plan3-day weekend — no PTO needed
- PTO used
- 0 days
- Efficiency
- 0 PTO days needed
- PTO dates
- None
Christmas Day (Noël) already creates a long weekend — no PTO needed.
Hol25FriWknd26SatWknd27SunWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 10
Sat, Aug 15 – Mon, Aug 17
August · Assumption (Assomption)
Holiday bridge3
days off
In your planSpend 1 PTO day → Get 3 days off
1 PTO day = 3 days off
- PTO used
- 1 day
- Efficiency
- 1 PTO day = 3 days off
- PTO dates
- Monday Aug 17
Plan: take Mon Aug 17 after Assumption (Assomption).
Hol15SatWknd16SunPTO17MonWeekend Holiday PTO Work day - 11
Sat, Oct 31 – Mon, Nov 2
November · All Saints' Day (Toussaint)
Holiday bridge3
days off
In your planSpend 1 PTO day → Get 3 days off
1 PTO day = 3 days off
- PTO used
- 1 day
- Efficiency
- 1 PTO day = 3 days off
- PTO dates
- Monday Nov 2
Plan: take Mon Nov 2 after All Saints' Day (Toussaint).
Wknd31SatHol1SunPTO2MonWeekend Holiday PTO Work day
Your PTO planning stays in your browser and is not uploaded.
Le pont: France's bridge-day tradition
France is one of the best countries in the world for bridge-day strategies. Many jours fériés fall on Thursdays or Tuesdays, making a single congé day (le pont) the key to a four-day weekend.
- Ascension — always a Thursday, making Friday the perfect pont.
- Lundi de Pentecôte — a Monday holiday that naturally extends the weekend.
- Assomption on August 15 — check the 2026 day-of-week for pont opportunities.
- Noël and Jour de l'An — often cluster near the weekend for extended breaks.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best days to take off in France in 2026?
- The best days are working days between a 2026 jour férié and the weekend. France is famous for the "pont" strategy — taking a single day off between a Thursday holiday and the weekend (or between the weekend and a Tuesday holiday).
- What is a pont in French holiday planning?
- A pont (bridge) is the day between a public holiday and the weekend. Taking a pont day as congé turns a single holiday into a four-day weekend. This is a well-established French tradition.
- Does this include all French jours fériés?
- The tool uses France-wide jours fériés. Some regions (Alsace-Moselle) have additional holidays — you can add those by adjusting your work week settings.
- Is my congé planning private?
- Yes. Everything runs in your browser. Your planning stays on your device and is never uploaded.