11 November 2026 is a Wednesday: how to make a long weekend

11 November 2026: two days of leave for five days off

11 November is a Wednesday, a public holiday in France in memory of the 1918 Armistice. 1 November, a Sunday, marks All Saints’ Day (Toussaint), and Saturday 7 November opens the first useful weekend. There are three ways to combine days off, and they do not cost the same amount of leave.

The first option is to take Monday 9 and Tuesday 10. You are free from Saturday 7 to the evening of Wednesday 11, which is five days. This lets you leave on Friday evening or Saturday morning, enjoy Wednesday and be home for the night. It suits a trip to Lisbon or Seville, where the direct flight takes about two and a half hours.

The second is to take Thursday 12 and Friday 13. You are free from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15, also five days, with a departure on Wednesday and a return on Sunday evening. You can follow the morning commemorations and leave in the afternoon, for example for Brussels or Bruges.

The third takes four days (9, 10, 12 and 13 November) for nine days in a row, from Saturday 7 to Sunday 15. It is the only option that gives a real break, but it needs twice the leave of the first two options to gain four extra days.

Source: calculation on the November 2026 calendar (calendrier-365.fr), checked on 11 October 2026.

For option C, the only lead we found is Madeira. The direct flight takes 3 hr 40 to 3 hr 50 according to partir.com, and TAP offers return fares from €199 from Paris Orly, for a departure from 31 October to 14 November or from 10 to 17 November (flytap.com, accessed 11 October 2026). Flight availability in November is uncertain, because the airlines cited do not agree. So no nine-day trip is developed here.

If you are torn between options, start with your leave balance. A five-day break costs two days of leave, but your employer still has to agree to the dates you want. To prepare the request, read our guide to the May 2026 bridges and the four-leave method, which applies the same logic to another calendar.

A bridge is not a right: what the rule says

This is the point most bridge guides skip. In France, only 1 May must be a day off for all employees. Other public holidays, including 11 November, are days off only if a collective agreement, a company agreement or the employer provides for it. The French government’s public service site says so plainly, and notes that a bridge day « is not subject to any regulation »: it results from an agreement, a collective agreement or a company decision (service-public.gouv.fr, sheet F2405, accessed 11 October 2026).

Two practical consequences follow. First, a public holiday that is taken as a day off cannot lead to any loss of pay. Second, if your company works on Wednesday 11, you take your paid leave or RTT days (days off for reduced working hours) for Thursday and Friday. The same text says unworked hours can be made up at another time, which leaves room for arrangements within the company.

If the company closes for the bridge, the process is not trivial. A firm of employment lawyers notes that the employer must consult the works council (CSE) where one exists, post the new collective timetable, and inform the labour inspectorate of how the hours will be made up (editions-tissot.fr, accessed 11 October 2026).

One last point concerns notice. The notice period for taking a day off is not confirmed in the sources we read. It is set in your collective agreement or company agreement, so check it there before you send your request.

Are schools closed on 9, 10, 12 or 13 November 2026?

No. The 2026 All Saints’ holidays end on Sunday 1 November (official school calendar, data.education.gouv.fr, accessed 11 October 2026). The return is announced for Monday 2 November by faire-le-pont.fr, a private site that compiles dates, and for Tuesday 3 November by another source. Our research did not settle between the two. The conclusion does not change, because classes resume well before 9 November in both cases.

11 November is a public holiday for all pupils. Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 are not holiday days in the mainland French school regions. Corsica and the overseas departments were not checked. So there are no school holidays to build a break around this year. If you have children in France, the week runs as a normal school week, and the trips below assume you only take days from your own leave. If your children are at school in the UK, check your own term dates, which are different.

Ypres: be at the Menin Gate for the Last Post on 11 November

Ypres is the best trip this week for anyone who wants the days to mean something. On Wednesday 11 November, a special ceremony is announced for 11 am. Every evening, the Last Post is sounded at 8 pm under the Menin Gate.

Ypres, Belgium

Last Post free of charge Every evening at 8 pm 11 November: 11 am 4-hour tour (Viator listing)

The Last Post under the Menin Gate is played every evening at 8 pm, free of charge and without booking, according to the ceremony’s official site (lastpost.be, accessed 11 October 2026). For 11 November 2026, a special ceremony at 11 am is announced on the same page. The memorial is being restored, and the CWGC advises checking access conditions before you go (cwgc.org, accessed 11 October 2026).

Highlights

• The daily Last Post is free and needs no booking. The special ceremony on 11 November is announced for 11 am.
• A four-hour tour of the Ypres battlefield, according to the title of the Viator listing.
• Prices and available dates change from day to day: check them on the Viator listing before you book.

Pixidia tip: the Viator listing checked on 11 October 2026 shows a first departure at 9:00 am for the cheapest option. The 11 am ceremony therefore falls, in principle, during the four-hour tour. For the bridge window (7 to 15 November), the listing showed 7 days available out of 9: Wednesday 11 was open, while 13 and 14 November were sold out. This dated check does not guarantee a date: check the listing when you book.

Private 4-hour tour of the Ypres battlefield From €330 for 2 travellers (€165 per person), checked on 11 October 2026 · ★ 4.99 (176 reviews)

Check the tour dates

Why this tour rather than another? Because it answers the question the bridge raises: what do you do with a Wednesday when you take two days to travel? It suits anyone who wants to see the battlefield without organising the trip themselves. The price starts at €330 for two travellers, or €165 per person at the lowest rate. The 4.99 rating combines Viator and TripAdvisor reviews, 176 at the time of checking. Work out the total for your group when you book.

The journey from Paris depends on your departure station and the timetable for the day: check it on sncf-connect.com before you book.

Verdun: a memorial open almost all year

Verdun is the other major stop on the 1914-1918 memory trail. The Memorial opens every day except in January, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, according to its official site (memorial-verdun.fr, accessed 11 October 2026). Neither a closure nor a special ceremony on 11 November 2026 appears on that page.

Verdun, Meuse

9:30 am to 5:30 pm Every day except January Tickets stop 45 min before closing

Ticket sales stop 45 minutes before the museum closes, according to museumspass.com (search result accessed 11 October 2026). Plan to buy your tickets at least 45 minutes before closing time.

Highlights

• A site open on 11 November, with no closure announced on the date checked.
• A ticket office that closes 45 minutes before the museum does.
• Opening times read from the official site, not from older listings.

Pixidia tip: an older Lonely Planet listing gives a 6 pm closing time in October and November. The official page does not mention this time. Check memorial-verdun.fr on the day you leave.

In option B (Thursday and Friday off), you can follow the 11 November commemorations in Paris or elsewhere in the morning, then head for the Meuse. For the journey, access depends on your starting point: check times on sncf-connect.com before you book.

Source: lastpost.be, memorial-verdun.fr and cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr, checked on 11 October 2026. The Paris programme will be published later: check again at the end of October.

Lisbon: the shortest direct flight to mild weather

Lisbon remains the simplest destination for a five-day break. The direct flight from Paris takes between 2 hr 25 and 2 hr 40, depending on the source. Air France flies from Paris Charles de Gaulle and TAP from Orly, according to partir.com data accessed 11 October 2026. Compare airports when you book, as several low-cost airlines serve both.

Lisbon, Portugal

Direct flight 2 hr 25 to 2 hr 40 TAP from €159 return 16 to 20°C (2025)

The TAP fare from €159 return, for a departure between 11 and 22 November 2026, is shown on the airline’s page as checked on 11 October 2026 (flytap.com). It is an indicative price that changes with dates and booking time. Liligo gives an average of €129 for a return with no set date (liligo.fr).

Highlights

• A direct flight of around 2 hr 30 for a five-day break.
• A tram ride costs €3.10 according to Citi (secondary source), handy for the hilly neighbourhoods.
• Mild maximum temperatures in November, according to the 2025 historical record.

Pixidia tip: for the week of 12 to 15 November, the 2025 records show heavy rain, from 20 to 55 mm a day. If you leave on Wednesday 11 and return on Sunday 15, plan a backup for those days.

The climate is the surprise of the week. Between 7 and 15 November 2025, maximum temperatures in Lisbon ranged from 16.2 to 19.9°C, with minimums of 10.7 to 15.4°C. These are historical values: they describe a past year, not the weather in Lisbon in 2026. Keep only the order of magnitude, and the heavier rain at the end of the week.

Seville: the warmest option, with a flight of about two and a half hours

Seville offers the sharpest contrast with Paris, especially in climate. The direct flight takes about 2 hr 25: Transavia and Vueling operate it, according to the comparison sites partir.com and ou-et-quand.net accessed 11 October 2026. The average price given for a November ticket is €146, with no direction of travel specified. Treat that figure as an order of magnitude and check the fare for your direction.

Seville, Andalusia

Direct flight of about 2 hr 25 €146 on average 18 to 23°C (2025)

The cathedral and the Alcázar are the two landmarks of the historic centre, to be paired with the Santa Cruz quarter. The historical record for the Madrid grid point, the nearest to Seville in the Open-Meteo database, gives maximums of 17.9 to 23.5°C between 7 and 15 November 2025.

Highlights

• Maximums of 18 to 23°C in the 2025 records, the highest of the direct flights in this article.
• Direct flights that run every day, according to the comparison site.
• A flight of about 2 hr 25, close to the Lisbon journey time.

Pixidia tip: the same week also brought heavy rain on 13, 14 and 15 November, from 25 to 39 mm a day in this record.

Lisbon and Seville do not come at the same price or in the same climate. If you want the most sun, Seville wins. In both cases, the mid-November rain is the main risk in the records. Before you book, check the direction of travel: the Seville record does not say which one it covers, and the price changes with it.

Eurostar: Brussels, London and Amsterdam from Paris

Three northern destinations are reached by train from Paris, with no flight. Brussels is 1 hr 23 according to Eurostar, and 1 hr 22 in its FAQ, except for line works (eurostar.com, Brussels-Paris, accessed 11 October 2026). The fare shown starts at €29 per journey, with no date given.

For the number of trains, figures vary by source. The Eurostar site lists up to 22 direct trains on weekdays, 16 on Saturdays and 22 on Sundays. An interview published on 5 October 2026 cites up to 64 trains a day between Brussels and Paris, without giving the direction or the services. The two figures are not comparable: use the one from the official site, and check it for your travel date.

Source: eurostar.com, Brussels-Paris, checked on 11 October 2026. Fares are dynamic and are confirmed at booking.

For Bruges, the Christmas markets open on 20 November 2026, and not before (info-lux.com, accessed 11 October 2026). Watch out for the namesake, though: the commune of Bruges in Gironde announces its own market from 11 to 13 December, which is not the one you are looking for. Opening hours still need confirming on the Bruges city website.

London: ETA at £20, and ETIAS with no date

European nationals generally need an electronic travel authorisation, the ETA, rather than a visa, to travel to the United Kingdom. It costs £20 according to the official gov.uk page (accessed 11 October 2026), for a stay of up to six months. If you hold a British passport, you do not need one. Pay only on the official gov.uk site, and be wary of third-party sites that present themselves as such. The page we read does not give the date the current fee took effect: if you see an older amount elsewhere, do not use it.

For Schengen countries, the future ETIAS authorisation is not in service on the date checked, and no new official date exists. The press mentions 2027, with no decision from the Commission. The official European portal could not be read for this article. Do not pay for an « ETIAS authorisation » on a third-party site, and check again before you leave, as the timetable may still change.

Christmas markets: almost all open after the bridge

This is the point that guides mix up most often: the 11 November bridge comes before the big markets. No verified official market opens before 20 November 2026. Some listing sites give 12 or 13 November for Paris or other cities, but no official page we checked confirms it. If you want a Christmas market, aim for the following week.

Strasbourg, Alsace

Opens 27 November End date not yet published

Strasbourg officially opens on Friday 27 November 2026, according to the market’s page (noel.strasbourg.eu, accessed 11 October 2026). The end date and opening hours are not yet published. The 2025 edition ran from 26 November to 24 December: that is a guide to the calendar, not a date for 2026.

Highlights

• A market that falls after the bridge window.
• An official opening date, not to be confused with the dates given by listing sites.

Pixidia tip: for the 11 to 15 November window, Strasbourg is not an option. For a market weekend, wait for the week of 27 November, or go to Metz or Nancy, which open on 20 November.

Source: info-lux.com, updated 16 September 2026, and noel.strasbourg.eu, checked on 11 October 2026. Dates on listing sites sometimes differ by a day; official dates take precedence.

Weather: 2025 values, not a forecast

The figures below are the daily records from 7 to 15 November 2025, taken from the Open-Meteo archive, accessed 11 October 2026. They give an idea of the climate for the period, not the weather this year.

Source: Open-Meteo, climate archive, checked on 11 October 2026. Historical values from another year, not a forecast. Some cities use a nearby grid point.

Keep two things in mind. Seville, Rome and Marrakech had higher maximums than Paris in the same week of 2025. For rain, the Paris figure is 24.9 mm on 15 November 2025. In Lisbon, the records show rain of 20 to 55 mm a day between 12 and 15 November: that is the window to plan a backup for.

Budget: the costs we checked

The costs below are those checked on 11 October 2026. No accommodation or meal prices were checked for these dates: compare hotels directly on their websites.

• Flight to Lisbon: from €159 return for a departure between 11 and 22 November, according to TAP. Liligo gives an average of €129 with no date.
• Flight to Seville: €146 on average, direction not specified.
• Train to Brussels: from €29 per journey. To Amsterdam: from €35 one way.
• UK formality: the ETA costs £20 for European nationals, according to gov.uk.
• Ypres activity: from €330 for two travellers, or €165 per person at the lowest rate. Work out the cost for your group.

To reduce the bill without giving up the programme, two levers work. The first is to compare airports: according to partir.com, TAP flies from Orly and Air France from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Lisbon, and comparison sites show low-cost airlines on both. The second is to compare train and plane on short routes, counting the transfer time to the station or airport.

One last tip: if you combine Ypres and Brussels, leave a margin for connections, whose timetables still need checking on the day. For the wider week, our All Saints 2026 destinations under three hours’ flight give more ideas for the same season.

What other guides don’t tell you

The points below come from an official source, checked on 11 October 2026. Several guides we read leave them out or contradict them: the Lonely Planet listing for Verdun, Google’s AI answer, which presents the bridge as an obvious option, and pontsferies.com, whose calendar covers 2025 only.

• Only 1 May is a day off for everyone. 11 November is one only if the collective agreement, an agreement or the employer provides for it (service-public.gouv.fr, F2405, accessed 11 October 2026).
• The bridge is not subject to any regulation. It results from an agreement or a decision by the employer, and unworked hours can be made up (service-public.gouv.fr, F2405, accessed 11 October 2026).
• All Saints 2026 ends on 1 November, but the return is not settled between 2 and 3 November. Pupils are not on holiday on 9, 10, 12 and 13 November in mainland France (data.education.gouv.fr, school calendar, accessed 11 October 2026).
• The Verdun Memorial opens 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, except in January. Older listings give 6 pm in October and November; the official page says nothing about this (memorial-verdun.fr, accessed 11 October 2026).
• The Last Post at Ypres has a special ceremony at 11 am on 11 November 2026. The guides we read only mention the daily 8 pm event (lastpost.be, accessed 11 October 2026).
• Strasbourg opens on 27 November 2026, according to its official page. Some listing sites still give 25 or 26 November (noel.strasbourg.eu, accessed 11 October 2026).