Holidays: The French prefer to leave in July
Margaux Fodere
modified to
1:20 p.m., July 30, 2022
After the two-year Covid health crisis, the French were dying to go on holiday. This year we observe that many could not wait any longer and left in July rather than August. The average family budget has also increased despite inflation. An unprecedented enthusiasm.
It’s the big crossover weekend in France. We expect a Black Saturday on the streets for the return of the Juliists and the departure of the Augustians. The opportunity to take stock of these summer holidays 2022. The French went on a lot of vacations in July this year, and even more than usual.
An increasing average budget
There’s no question of skipping vacations: despite the inflation, the French were keen to leave this summer, and the sooner the better. July departures increased by 50% compared to 2019, explains Alain de Mendonça, managing director of travel agencies PromoVacances and Fram. “Exceptionally, probably related to the end of the coronavirus crisis, we felt that many French people wanted to go on vacation as soon as possible to get a change of scenery, rest and sunbathing.”
The French are moving fast, but they’re also spending more this year. After two years of Covid, the French want to enjoy their summer above all else. “It’s a moment of relaxation and pleasure,” said the travel agency director. “There is a desire to have nice holidays and therefore to invest a little more.”
The same observation on the part of accommodation: According to Solange Escure, managing director of Gites de France, the average traveler’s budget has withstood the crisis and the decline in purchasing power. “About 650 to 700 euros per week for a family of four,” she says. “We have no reduction in the average rental budget.”
400,000 SNCF passengers
A trend that should continue in August: the SNCF is already preparing for a record summer. For Bruno Cazeau, President of the National Federation of Transport User Associations, this exceptional influx also marks the end of the Covid years. “Even compared to 2019, SNCF is registering an increase in passengers of around 10%, when 2019 was already a record year.” According to the President, train use was already on the rise before the Covid. “We expected around 400,000 travelers this Saturday by having 800 TGVs in circulation, all of which were full. It’s really a very busy weekend.”
