Sale time: make a date with the French sales

France is one of the few countries in the world (we think!) where shop sales are government controlled. Find out when the sales (les soldes) start so you can plan to be here in a motorhome or campervan when they kick off!

Sales in France are guaranteed to offer fantastic bargains in every shop in France. These sales have the same feel as Boxing Day sales in the UK or Black Friday sales in the USA, but better because they last from mid-January right up until mid-February, so you can take your time.

This year the winter sales – les soldes d’hiver – start on Wednesday, 11 January and last for six weeks until 16 February, 2017 – with a few regional variations (see the illustration below).

2017 Winter and summer sale dates in France

And, as you can see, summer sale (soldes d’été) dates are published too: from Wednesday, 28 June to Tuesday, 8 August.

So… if there’s anything typically French that you can’t get anywhere else, those sales dates are the time to plan a trip to France!