Pont de Mai 2027: Why May Is Quieter, and Where the Ponts Are

What changed since May 2026

In 2026, Labour Day and Victory in Europe Day were both Fridays (Friday 1 May 2026 and Friday 8 May 2026), so the month opened with two free long weekends before Ascension and Pentecost even started. In 2027 they are both Saturdays: Saturday 1 May 2027 and Saturday 8 May 2027. Across the whole year, that leaves 7 public holidays on a weekday in 2027, against 9 in 2026. The ones that fall on a weekend in 2027 are Labour Day on Saturday 1 May 2027, Victory in Europe Day on Saturday 8 May 2027, Assumption Day on Sunday 15 August 2027 and Christmas Day on Saturday 25 December 2027.

Can you claim the lost days back? Not under the law. When a public holiday falls on a day you would not normally work, such as a weekend, you are not entitled to an extra day off, although your collective agreement can be more generous (Service Public: jours fériés et ponts). It is worth a look at your convention collective, but most people should plan without them.

Your 2027 at a glance

This is where 10 days of leave go furthest in France in 2027. Each page is one break.

The pont de l'Ascension

Ascension Day is Thursday 6 May 2027. That Thursday is the classic pont: one day on the Friday lets you book 1 day off (Fri 7 May 2027) and get 4 days off in a row (Thu 6 May – Sun 9 May 2027).

If you can spare more, start on Saturday 1 May 2027. Four days of leave cover the rest of that week:

Your Labour Day is spent on the first day of the break rather than a Friday, but you still get nine days off for four days of leave.

The Pentecost weekend

Whit Monday is Monday 17 May 2027, eleven days after Ascension. One day on the Friday before lets you book 1 day off (Fri 14 May 2027) and get 4 days off in a row (Fri 14 May – Mon 17 May 2027), and four days after it let you book 4 days off (Tue 18, Wed 19, Thu 20 and Fri 21 May 2027) and get 9 days off in a row (Sat 15 May – Sun 23 May 2027).

One caution: the journée de solidarité, an extra unpaid working day each year that funds support for older and disabled people, can be placed on a former public holiday, and Service Public's own example is Whit Monday. If your company does that, Whit Monday is a normal working day for you, and the Pentecost pont costs one more day (Service Public).

Joining Ascension and Pentecost

The two holidays are close enough to join. Six days of leave lets you book 6 days off (Fri 7, Mon 10, Tue 11, Wed 12, Thu 13 and Fri 14 May 2027) and get 12 days off in a row (Thu 6 May – Mon 17 May 2027). With eight days you can book 8 days off (Tue 4, Wed 5, Fri 7, Mon 10, Tue 11, Wed 12, Thu 13 and Fri 14 May 2027) and get 14 days off in a row (Tue 4 May – Mon 17 May 2027). That is a proper spring holiday before the summer rush, and since the legal period for the main summer leave runs from May to October, it is worth asking early so it does not clash with everyone's July and August plans.

Ponts are a favour, not a right

Nothing in the law gives you a pont. Your employer or collective agreement may give the bridge day, and if they do, they can ask you to make up the hours within the 12 months before or after it, without overtime pay (Service Public: jours fériés et ponts). If your employer does not give it, you take it as a day of congés payés, and your employer can refuse the dates you ask for (Service Public: congés payés).

Only Labour Day has to be a day off, apart from jobs that cannot stop, such as hospitals and public transport. In 2027 that guarantee falls on a Saturday, which is a little cruel, but it is the calendar's fault, not your employer's.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your own 2027

Open the France plannerBridge days 2027 (ponts): best days to take off (France)

How we work it out. Every date and number here comes from our holiday data, checked against official government sources (see About). Always confirm days off with your employer.