Easter itself is quite early this year, falling on Sunday, April 5th.
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 only gets one extra day off – Easter Monday – while Good Friday (April 3rd this year) 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.
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 cafés.
Boulangeries, chocolateries, 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.
Easter is a peak time of year for chocolateries as people buy chocolate gifts for friends and relatives - but don't expect these shops to be open on Easter Sunday or Monday.
Schools
The spring school holiday is a staggered one so only schools in Zone A (central and south-west France) are on holiday over the Easter weekend, with their holidays running from April 4th to 20th.
Zone B (Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Lille, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Nice, Normandie, Orléans-Tours, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg) are on holiday from April 11th to 27th, while Zone C (Paris, Toulouse, Montepellier, Creteil) are on holiday from April 18th to May 4th.
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. At the time of writing, there are no planned strikes on trains, buses or planes over the Easter weekend.
Roads
Driving, however, might be a problem. The roads are, as usual predicted to be busier than normal over the holiday weekend with traffic forecaster Bison futé predicting heavy traffic across the country on Friday, with the Alps worst affected. On Monday, heavy traffic is expected in the north west, including the greater Paris region as families return from the holiday weekend.
Further problems are linked to the war in the Middle East - petrol and diesel prices have soared in France and some filling stations are reporting shortages, largely linked to panic buying.
Hauliers associations are protesting over what they say is a lack of government help and have planned a series of roadblocks and blockades throughout the week before Easter, which may extend into the holiday weekend.
READ ALSO: Blockades, fuel prices and strikes: What to know if you’re travelling in France over Easter✎
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.
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).
READ ALSO Who you should call in an emergency in France and what you should say
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.
READ ALSO 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 Eiffel Tower, for example, is open as usual on both days) but some may operate altered opening hours. Check individual the attraction's website before visiting - worth noting that the Louvre can only be visited with a pre-booked ticket over the Easter period.
Watch out, too, for local Easter festivities in your local area.
READ ALSO The best Easter activities in France for families
Weather
After some beautiful early spring weather with almost summer temperatures, France plunged briefly back into winter with overnight frosts and hail storms.
The forecaster for the Easter weekend is mixed - sunshine and cloud with average temperatures for most of the country, and sunshine along the south coast. The best forecast is on Monday where most of the country will be sunny with temperatures ranging from 12C in Brittany to 24C in the south.
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