A public holiday in the middle of the week can be the perfect day to get things done: no meetings, no emails coming in. Except that on that day, the library is closed, your usual café too, and you end up wandering around with your laptop under your arm.
Good news: not everything is closed. Some coworking spaces, cafés and community spaces open on public holidays, often with shorter hours. The trick is knowing which ones, and checking before you go. Here's how we handle it at Deskover, and where to look in your city.
French public holidays 2026-2027
- All Saints' Day: Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Armistice Day: Wednesday, November 11, 2026
- Christmas: Friday, December 25, 2026
- New Year's Day: Friday, January 1, 2027
- Easter Monday: Monday, March 29, 2027
- Labour Day: Saturday, May 1, 2027
- Ascension Day: Thursday, May 6, 2027
- Victory in Europe Day: Saturday, May 8, 2027
- Whit Monday: Monday, May 17, 2027
- Bastille Day: Wednesday, July 14, 2027
- Assumption Day: Sunday, August 15, 2027
In Alsace and Moselle, add Good Friday (March 26, 2027) and St Stephen's Day (Saturday, December 26, 2026).
Weekday holidays are the trickiest: you expect a normal day and find the door shut. This year, that's November 11, Christmas and New Year's Day.
What opens (and what closes) on a public holiday
There's no single rule, but a few patterns come up:
- Public libraries almost always close on public holidays. That's the first backup plan to go.
- Neighbourhood coworking spaces, open on weekdays during office hours, often close or only open to members.
- Coworking spaces inside hotels and those already open 7 days a week are more likely to stay open: the safest bet for a full workday.
- Cafés do as they please: some close, others open with Sunday hours. The ones already open on Sundays are the most likely to open on a holiday.
Our method: hours rechecked the week of the holiday
Every place on Deskover is checked once a week against its Google listing (opening hours, closures). In the three days before a public holiday, we recheck every place, to catch special hours as soon as they're published.
On each place's page:
- if the place has announced its holiday hours, you'll see them at the top ("Special hours on..." or "Closed on...");
- otherwise, a banner warns you it's a public holiday and hours may change.
To be honest: not every place updates its hours, and some do it the day before. For a place that hasn't said anything, a phone call or an Instagram message is still the safest option.
The smart move: start from places open on Sundays
A place open on Sundays is used to days without office workers: it's the best starting point on a public holiday. More than 500 places in our selection are open 7 days a week. Our Sunday guides list them city by city:
For other cities, see our general guide to working on a Sunday in France, or open the map and filter by city.
All Saints', November 11, Christmas: what to expect this year
All Saints' Day (Sunday, November 1, 2026). It falls on a Sunday, so places open on Sundays are very likely to be open. Our Sunday guides apply as they are.
November 11 (Wednesday). The trap of the year: a Wednesday holiday, mid-week. Libraries are closed, and so are many neighbourhood coworking spaces. Aim for a coworking space open 7 days a week or a café open on Sundays, and check its page the day before. Our city-by-city picks: where to work on November 11.
Christmas and New Year's Day (Fridays, December 25 and January 1). These are the days when the most places close. Special hours are often announced late: check the page again in the days before.
Tips for working on a public holiday
- Check the page the evening before, not a week ahead: that's when special hours show up.
- Have a backup nearby, in case your spot has closed without warning.
- Get there early: the few places that are open fill up fast, especially in the afternoon.
- Watch out for shorter hours: many cafés open on a holiday as they would on a Sunday, and close earlier.
- For a full workday, a coworking day pass at a space open 7 days a week is the safe bet. See our coworking spaces without a membership.
Frequently asked questions
Are libraries open on public holidays in France?
Generally not: public libraries close on public holidays. Check your library's website, as there are some exceptions.
Are cafés open on public holidays in France?
It depends on each café. Those already open on Sundays are the most likely to open, often with shorter hours. On Deskover, special hours announced by the place appear on its page.
Where can I work on November 11?
In a coworking space open 7 days a week or a café open on Sundays. Start from our Sunday guide for your city, then check the place's page the day before.
How do I know if a place is open on a public holiday?
Check its Deskover page: we recheck every place in the three days before a public holiday. If the place hasn't announced anything, a banner tells you, and a phone call is still the safest option.
