The next school holiday in Belgium is the autumn break: 19–30 October 2026 in Wallonia-Brussels and 2–8 November 2026 in Flanders. Since the French-speaking community reformed its calendar in 2022, the two regions no longer share the same breaks, so check the column for your child's school.
Holiday | Flanders (Dutch-speaking schools) | Wallonia-Brussels (French-speaking schools) |
|---|---|---|
Autumn break | Mon 2 Nov – Sun 8 Nov 2026 | Mon 19 Oct – Fri 30 Oct 2026 |
Christmas break | Mon 21 Dec 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Mon 21 Dec 2026 – Fri 1 Jan 2027 |
Krokus / Carnival break | Mon 8 Feb – Sun 14 Feb 2027 | Mon 22 Feb – Fri 5 Mar 2027 |
Easter / Spring break | Mon 29 Mar – Sun 11 Apr 2027 | Mon 26 Apr – Fri 7 May 2027 |
Summer holiday | Thu 1 Jul – Tue 31 Aug 2027 | From Sat 3 Jul 2027 (last school day Fri 2 Jul) |
Brussels follows the calendar of the school, not the city: Dutch-speaking schools in Brussels use the Flanders dates, French-speaking schools use the Wallonia-Brussels dates.
Autumn break 2026 (herfstvakantie / vacances de Toussaint)
Flanders has one week off, 2–8 November 2026. Wallonia-Brussels has two weeks, 19–30 October 2026. All Saints' Day (1 November) falls on a Sunday this year, which is why the Flemish break starts a week later than usual.
For sun in late October or early November, fly south. The table shows which destinations keep you inside EU roaming and which don't.
Destination | Typical daytime temperature | Inside EU roaming? |
|---|---|---|
Canary Islands (Spain) | 24–26 °C | Yes |
Madeira (Portugal) | 22–24 °C | Yes |
Cyprus | 24–27 °C | Yes |
Antalya (Turkey) | 22–26 °C | No |
Marrakech or Agadir (Morocco) | 25–27 °C | No |
Hurghada (Egypt) | 28–30 °C | No |
Turkey, Morocco and Egypt are outside the EU, so EU roaming rules don't protect you there and charges depend on your Belgian plan. Check your provider's rates before you fly, or use a travel eSIM.
Christmas break 2026 (kerstvakantie / vacances d'hiver)
Both regions are off from Monday 21 December 2026, and both go back to school on Monday 4 January 2027.
Christmas is the most expensive week to fly, so book early or pick a destination you can reach by train or car.
Trip type | Example destinations | Inside EU roaming? |
|---|---|---|
Christmas markets | Cologne, Aachen, Strasbourg, Vienna | Yes |
Winter sun, short flight | Canary Islands, Madeira | Yes |
Winter sun, long flight | Dubai, Thailand, Cape Verde | No |
Snow before New Year | Austria, French Alps | Yes |
Snow in Switzerland | Zermatt, Verbier | No |
Switzerland is in the middle of Europe but outside the EU, so EU roaming rules don't apply there. Check your plan before a Swiss ski trip.
Krokus, Easter and summer 2027
The Krokus break is 8–14 February 2027 in Flanders and 22 February–5 March 2027 in Wallonia-Brussels. Easter is 29 March–11 April 2027 in Flanders and 26 April–7 May 2027 in Wallonia-Brussels. Summer starts on 1 July 2027 in Flanders and 3 July 2027 in Wallonia-Brussels.
Break | Popular trip | Inside EU roaming? |
|---|---|---|
Krokus / Carnival | Skiing in Austria, France or Italy | Yes |
Krokus / Carnival | Skiing in Switzerland | No |
Krokus / Carnival | Winter sun in Dubai or the Canary Islands | Dubai no, Canaries yes |
Easter (Flanders) | Cherry blossom season in Japan, late March to early April | No |
Spring (Wallonia-Brussels) | Andalusia, Portugal, Greek islands | Yes |
Summer | Croatia, Italy, southern France | Yes |
Summer | Turkey, Albania, the US | No |
The Flemish Easter break lines up with Japan's cherry blossom peak, so book flights to Tokyo for those two weeks early.
Public holidays in Belgium 2027 (feestdagen 2027)
Belgium has 10 public holidays in 2027, but three of them fall on a weekend. The best bridge days are Friday 7 May (after Ascension) and Friday 12 November (after Armistice Day): take one day off and get a four-day weekend.
Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
1 January 2027 | Friday | New Year's Day |
29 March 2027 | Monday | Easter Monday |
1 May 2027 | Saturday | Labour Day |
6 May 2027 | Thursday | Ascension Day |
17 May 2027 | Monday | Whit Monday |
21 July 2027 | Wednesday | Belgian National Day |
15 August 2027 | Sunday | Assumption Day |
1 November 2027 | Monday | All Saints' Day |
11 November 2027 | Thursday | Armistice Day |
25 December 2027 | Saturday | Christmas Day |
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, Belgian employees usually get a replacement day off. Your employer or joint committee decides which day.
Staying connected on a school holiday
Inside the EU, leave roaming on: you use your Belgian plan at home prices. Outside the EU, turn on a travel eSIM before you land, or your Belgian provider's roaming rates apply.
A family holiday rarely needs much data. These are typical figures for one phone:
Activity | Typical data use |
|---|---|
Google Maps navigation, 1 hour | 3–5 MB (7–10 MB with live traffic) |
WhatsApp, 100 text messages | under 0.1 MB |
WhatsApp voice call, 10 minutes | 3–5 MB |
Boarding pass download | under 1 MB |
Uber or Bolt ride, booked and tracked | 2–5 MB |
ChatGPT text chat, 1 hour | 1–5 MB |
Instagram feed, 30 minutes | 50–100 MB |
Light day (2 hours of maps, chats, a call, two rides, a little Instagram) | about 150 MB |
Light week | about 1 GB |
Firsty is one eSIM that works in Belgium and in 176 countries, so the whole family keeps their own numbers and nobody swaps a SIM card at the airport. You can pay from €0.98 per GB, take Unlimited from €2 per day, or watch an ad to unlock 20 MB of free data, up to 360 MB a day. Every connection Firsty sells also connects someone in Belgium who needs it.
FAQ
When is the autumn break in 2026?
In Flanders, the autumn break (herfstvakantie) runs from 2 to 8 November 2026. In Wallonia-Brussels, the vacances de Toussaint run from 19 to 30 October 2026.
Why is the Flemish autumn break later in 2026?
Flanders schedules the autumn break around All Saints' Day on 1 November. In 2026 that falls on a Sunday, so the break moves to the week of 2 November.
When is the Krokus break in 2027?
In Flanders, the Krokus break (krokusvakantie) is 8–14 February 2027. In Wallonia-Brussels, the Carnival break (congé de détente) is 22 February–5 March 2027.
Do Flanders and Wallonia have the same school holidays?
No. Since the 2022–2023 school year, French-speaking schools have a shorter summer and two-week autumn and Carnival breaks. Only the Christmas break overlaps fully.
Which school holidays apply in Brussels?
It depends on the school's language. Dutch-speaking schools in Brussels follow the Flemish calendar, and French-speaking schools follow the Wallonia-Brussels calendar.
Do I pay roaming in Switzerland, Turkey or the UK?
They are outside the EU, so EU roaming rules don't apply and costs depend on your Belgian plan. A travel eSIM like Firsty gives you a fixed price per GB or per day instead.
