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School Holidays 2026/27: The Dates That Set Your Ski and Sun Holiday Price

By Connor Martin · Published 9 Jul 2026 · For today's prices see our Club Med and Mark Warner pages.

If you have children at school, the calendar sets your holiday price before you have even picked a resort. The same room at the same resort can cost thousands more in a school-holiday week than in the week next to it.

This guide puts the 2026/27 school holiday dates in one place, shows which departure dates they translate into, and uses our daily price checks to show what each holiday actually costs a family of four.

The short answer: for most schools in England, February half-term 2027 is 15-19 February, Easter 2027 is early (Easter Sunday 28 March, holidays roughly 26 March to 9 April) and Christmas 2026 runs from 19 December to 3 January. In our Club Med checks in early July 2026, half-term cost a family about 23% more than the lowest January week, Christmas about 41% more than mid-December, and the first Easter week cost slightly less than mid-March.

UK school holiday dates for 2026/27

These are the dates most schools use. Councils set dates for maintained schools, and academies, free schools and independent schools often set their own, so always check your child’s school before you book anything.

Two things stand out for 2026/27. First, Wales takes February half-term a week earlier than England (8-12 February). Second, Easter is early: Easter Sunday falls on 28 March 2027, so most English schools are off from the end of March to 9 April.

Turning term dates into departure dates

Holiday companies sell weeks that start on a fixed day, so the useful question is “which departure do I search for?”

• Club Med ski: the French Alps resorts we track mostly run Sunday to Sunday. Grand Massif and Serre-Chevalier also sell Saturday starts.
• Mark Warner beach resorts: each resort has its own changeover day, and the price we track includes return flights from London Gatwick.

For a typical English family that means:

You can see every one of these weeks priced side by side, resort by resort, on our school holidays page.

Why French school holidays matter if you ski

The Alps fill up with French families as well as British ones. France splits its winter holidays into three zones, so the busy period lasts a month rather than a week:

The UK half-term week (departing 14 February) lands on top of zones A and C at the same time. That is why it is one of the most expensive weeks of the season. It also explains why some resorts price the week before half-term just as high: the Paris zone and the Welsh half-term both start then.

Easter 2027 is the opposite story. Because it is so early, the first English Easter week (departing 28 March) comes before any French zone breaks up, and only the Paris zone overlaps the second week (departing 4 April).

What each school holiday costs: our numbers

We check Club Med prices every morning across 11 French Alps resorts. Here is what a family of four (two adults, two children aged 4-11) was quoted for seven nights, without flights, on 8 July 2026:

Prices checked 8 July 2026, guidance only. They move, so check today’s price on each resort page.

Across all 11 resorts, the pattern was consistent:

• February half-term cost a median 23% more than the lowest-priced week in January at the same resort, roughly £2,200 extra for a family of four.
• Christmas week cost a median 41% more than the week of 13 December, roughly £2,800 extra.
• New Year was the priciest week at most resorts, a median 35% above the lowest January week.
• Easter week 1 cost a median 6% less than the lowest week in mid-March. It is the only school holiday that did not carry a premium.

The size of the premium varies a lot by resort. Val Thorens added just 8% for half-term over January, while La Rosière added 36%. If you are tied to school dates, picking the right resort can matter as much as picking the right week.

How to use this

1. Check your own school’s dates first. One INSET day can open up a cheaper departure, and Welsh, Scottish and independent schools often differ from the English pattern.
2. If you ski, look hard at Easter 2027. It is the one school holiday where you are not paying a holiday premium, and the higher resorts (Val Thorens, Tignes, Val d’Isère) have the most reliable late-March snow.
3. For half-term, compare resorts, not just weeks. The gap between the most and least expensive resorts for the same half-term week was over £5,600 for a family of four.
4. Watch the price after you choose. Prices move in both directions. Our school holidays page shows every holiday week at every resort we track, updated each morning.

Related: When to book a Club Med ski holiday · Is Club Med ski worth it?