A May bank holiday break in Le Touquet

May bank holidays 2027: the calendar

For British visitors, May 2027 brings two bank holiday weekends: the Early May bank holiday on Monday 3 May and the Spring bank holiday on Monday 31 May. The French calendar is different. May Day and VE Day (8 May) both fall on a Saturday in 2027, so there is no extra day off for them; but Ascension Thursday (6 May) is a public holiday, and French schools are closed on Friday 7 May, which creates a four-day weekend. Whit Monday, 17 May, follows ten days later. Here are the dates side by side.

May is also when Le Touquet Classic, the international show-jumping competition, takes place: check our events calendar for the exact dates.

Why Le Touquet for a long weekend

For three or four days, Le Touquet is easy to reach from London via the Channel Tunnel or the ferries, and once you arrive you can do everything on foot. In May the days are long, the beach has not yet filled up for summer and the forest is at its greenest. Here is a sample car-free long weekend:

1. Day 1: check in from 3 pm, a first stroll along the promenade and supper on the terrace with barbecue.
2. Day 2: cycling in the forest, lunch near rue Saint-Jean, an afternoon on the beach or sand yachting.
3. Day 3: market in the morning, then a walk by the Bay of Canche or a trip to Montreuil-sur-Mer, see things to do around Le Touquet.
4. Day 4: a lie-in and one last beach walk before check-out at 11 am, or later if the schedule allows.

More ideas for a short stay in our guide to a weekend in Le Touquet.

Booking your May break

• Book early: Ascension and Whitsun are among the most requested dates of spring, as French and Belgian families travel too.
• Check both flats: Hélios and Cassiopée are let separately and their calendars are live on our booking page.
• Stay flexible: the UK bank holiday weekends often fall when the French are at work. The minimum stay is 2 nights.
• Book direct: it costs less than on Airbnb, and early check-in or late check-out is offered whenever the schedule allows, a real bonus on a three-day break.

Prices depend on your dates: from €140 a night, plus a €50 cleaning and linen fee per stay, sheets and towels included.

Friends or two families together

Each flat sleeps 4 plus a baby, with two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a terrace with barbecue. For two families or a group of friends, book Hélios and Cassiopée together: 8 people, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, see our page on rentals for 8. Good to know before you travel as a group: sound carries in the house, parties are not allowed and quiet hours run from 10 pm to 9 am. Perfect for long dinners and slow mornings, less so for partying into the night.

Charles's tip: for the late May bank holiday, the French and Belgians are back at work, so the beach is often quieter than over Ascension. Take the Friday off and make it a four-night stay.