School breaks at home, Ramadan in Dubai.
A family, club or school party from Germany, the Netherlands or the UK often picks a winter or spring break first and asks about Dubai second. In 2027 the second question matters, because Ramadan is expected to start on 8 February and Eid Al Fitr about a month later. Here are the official break dates, the expected Dubai dates beside them, what the UAE government says about Ramadan for visitors, and what we could not find.
What the official calendars say
In Germany, the Standing Conference of Education Ministers publishes a table, last updated in October 2025, and notes that each state sets its own dates apart from the summer break. In the Netherlands the education ministry gives advice dates, and schools may differ from them. For England and Wales, the government publishes bank holidays. We found no single official source for English school half-term dates, so we give none.
Check your own school’s calendar before you pay for flights. We leave out France, Ireland, Belgium and Switzerland, whose calendars we did not open.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteThe break dates in the sources
These are the sources’ own figures, grouped by break.
| Break | Dates |
|---|---|
| Germany, Christmas | Bavaria 24 Dec to 8 Jan. Baden-Wuerttemberg 23 Dec to 9 Jan. North Rhine-Westphalia 23 Dec to 6 Jan. Berlin 23 Dec to 2 Jan |
| Germany, winter | Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia 1 to 6 Feb. Bavaria and Saarland 8 to 12 Feb. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony 8 to 19 Feb. Some states have none |
| Germany, spring and Easter | Hamburg 1 to 12 Mar. Most states 22 Mar to 2 or 3 Apr. Baden-Wuerttemberg 30 Mar to 3 Apr. Saarland 30 Mar to 9 Apr |
| Netherlands | Christmas 19 Dec to 3 Jan, all regions. Spring 13 to 21 Feb (south) and 20 to 28 Feb (north, middle). May break 24 Apr to 2 May, with an advised extra week 1 to 9 May |
| England and Wales, bank holidays | Fri 25 Dec 2026. Mon 28 Dec 2026 (Boxing Day, substitute). Fri 1 Jan 2027. Good Friday 26 Mar. Easter Monday 29 Mar. Early May bank holiday 3 May |
The Dubai dates beside them
Islamic dates follow moon sighting, so the Dubai dates for 2027 are forecasts. The National newspaper, on 6 October 2026, quoted the UAE Astronomy Centre as projecting that Ramadan begins on 8 February 2027 and lasts 29 or 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr expected on 9 or 10 March. Gulf News, updated on 16 October 2026, agrees. Both are press reports, and we write every date as “expected”.
The UAE government’s rule is clear. Eid Al Fitr is the first three days of Shawwal, and if Ramadan lasts 30 days, day 30 is also a public holiday. A holiday cannot be moved to another day when it falls on a weekend. So the holiday is expected to run 9 to 11 March, or 9 to 12 March, with the weekend after. Easter Sunday 2027 is 28 March by our calculation, with Good Friday on 26 March, which agrees with the UK government’s bank holiday list.
| Break at home | Against the expected Dubai dates |
|---|---|
| German Christmas and Dutch Christmas breaks | Well before Ramadan |
| German winter, 1 to 6 Feb (Berlin and others) | Ends two days before the expected start of Ramadan |
| Bavaria and Saarland, 8 to 12 Feb | The first week of Ramadan |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony, 8 to 19 Feb | The first two weeks of Ramadan |
| Dutch spring break, 13 to 28 Feb | Inside Ramadan |
| Hamburg, 1 to 12 Mar | The last days of Ramadan and the expected Eid Al Fitr holiday |
| Easter, 26 to 29 Mar, and German Easter breaks from 22 Mar | After Eid Al Fitr |
| Dutch May break, 24 Apr to 2 May | After Eid Al Fitr |
So the February breaks fall in Ramadan, the Hamburg break lands on Eid, and the Easter holidays start after Eid Al Fitr has ended.
What the UAE government says about Ramadan for visitors
The UAE government’s Ramadan page says non-Muslims are not required to fast. It says supermarkets open as usual and malls open late, and that amusement parks and cultural and tourist sites stay open through the day. It adds that some restaurants change their hours or close by day, and that malls and food courts have designated dining areas. It says working hours are cut by two hours a day, and that paid parking hours change, so read the meter signs.
The same page warns that taxis can be hard to find in the evening, because many drivers are breaking the fast, and suggests booking ahead. We found nothing official about traffic around the evening break, and we make no claim about it. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) publishes Metro, tram and parking hours for Ramadan only days before. Its 2026 notice came on 16 February, two days before Ramadan began, and we found no hours for 2027. Our weekend and Friday prayers guide covers the weekly pattern.
What we could not find
We found no official dates for English school half terms, no attraction hours for Ramadan 2027, and no RTA hours for any 2027 holiday. We did not open the French, Irish, Belgian or Swiss calendars. We do not recommend one week over another.
Check the government’s announcements once the moon is sighted, and we adjust a quote if your dates change. Several events in the region were postponed or cancelled in 2026, so book what you can change.
Planning the break
Work from the Dubai start date back to your own calendar. As an example, take a Bavarian group with the school break from Monday 8 to Friday 12 February. Monday 8 February is the expected first day of Ramadan, and a one-day shift after the moon is sighted would move it. Plan the first day as a travel and rest day, keep one fixed return time each evening, and ask your hotel and venues for their hours near the date.
The time gap is smaller than for the US. Until the clocks go forward on 28 March 2027, we calculate that the UK is 4 hours behind the UAE and Germany and the Netherlands are 3 hours behind. After that, it is 3 hours and 2 hours. Our time difference guide has the full table.
For the wider season, read peak season in Dubai and a family holiday in Dubai. A school party can check school trip bus costs, and a three-generation family multi-generation family transport.
Choosing the vehicle
Count passengers first and bags second. Our guide figures:
- Mercedes V-Class: up to 7 passengers and 6 bags.
- 13-seater HiAce: up to 13 passengers and about 10 suitcases.
- Mercedes Sprinter: up to 16 passengers and up to 12 suitcases.
- 30-seater mini coach and 50-seater coach for school-age groups and tour parties.
How a booked vehicle fits
- Send the plan. Dates, hotel area, party size, bags and the evenings you want a fixed return.
- Ask for a fixed written quote. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
- Read the pick-up and drop-off arrangement. The quote states it, and we update it when venues publish theirs.
- Agree the return times. We plan the margin and tell you what is not yet published.
- Tell us if plans change. We adjust where we can, and cannot promise to beat traffic.
Keep reading
- Ramadan 2027 in Dubai: group transport: Ramadan 2027 in Dubai is expected to start around 8 February. What the UAE government says changes for visitors, last year’s RTA hours as a precedent, and how to plan transfers.
- Australian school holidays 2026 to 2027 and Dubai: Victorian school holidays from December 2026 to October 2027 laid against Dubai’s calendar: Ramadan, Easter, the shopping festival, older average temperatures and the time difference.
- Eid Al Fitr 2027 in Dubai: group transfers: Eid Al Fitr 2027 in Dubai: the holiday rule, the dates expected so far, what the RTA changed for Eid in 2026, and how to book a group trip around a date that moves with the moon.
- School trip bus rental: Mini coaches and 50-seat coaches with a driver for class trips, fixtures and residentials, with a seat belt on every seat.
- Eid Al Adha 2027 and Whitsun in Dubai: Eid Al Adha 2027 is expected around Whit weekend. The holiday rule, the expected dates, the German and Dutch May breaks and what past RTA notices suggest, for a group from Europe.
- Japan holiday windows for Dubai trips: Japanese national holidays from November 2026 to Golden Week 2027, laid against the expected dates of Ramadan and Eid in the UAE and against Dubai’s monthly heat.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
When is Ramadan in 2027?
It is expected to start on Monday 8 February 2027 and last 29 or 30 days, according to press forecasts. The date depends on moon sighting, so treat it as a forecast until it is announced.
When is Eid Al Fitr in 2027?
Expected on 9 or 10 March 2027, subject to moon sighting. The UAE holiday is the first three days of Shawwal, with day 30 of Ramadan added if Ramadan has 30 days.
Do the German winter breaks fall in Ramadan?
Most of them. Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia break from 1 to 6 February, before the expected start. Bavaria and Saarland break on 8 to 12 February, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony on 8 to 19 February.
Does the Dutch spring break fall in Ramadan?
On the expected dates, yes. The ministry gives 13 to 21 February for the south and 20 to 28 February for the north and middle. Schools may differ from the advice dates.
Do visitors have to fast during Ramadan?
No. The UAE government says non-Muslims are not required to fast. It also says attractions stay open, some restaurants change hours and taxis can be hard to find in the evening, so book ahead.
What if the Ramadan or Eid dates move?
The dates follow moon sighting. Check the government’s announcements, and we adjust a quote if your dates change.
How do I get a price?
Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking form with the dates, hotel area, party size and bags. Nothing is charged until you confirm.
Break dates set? Plan the ground side.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.