Free time and holiday in the French Foreign Legion

Experience
I’ve already written about daily life and holiday in the French Foreign Legion in my stories, but I’d like to add a bit more to this topic. It’s important to know how a Legionnaire can pass his time after working hours. This article is destined to future or young legionnaires, and I hope that it will help you to live better your free time or holidays while you’re in the FFL. It will also give you a better understanding of the French Foreign Legion.

The Legionnaire’s Non-Working Hours

As a Legionnaire, you are probably never going to hear about non-working hours (called heures non ouvrables or HNO in French) but in a normal case you shouldn’t have to work after 6pm. If you don’t have any additional activity in your unit, you are free to do whatever you want. Most of the guys do sport somewhere in the regiment, watch a film or just play something on their laptop. You can even leave the base and go out to the city if you’d like to do so, however most legionnaires only go out during the weekend.

In my old regiment (2°REG), it isn’t worth leaving because there’s nothing around, not even a decent bar or restaurant, so I passed most of my free time doing some sport. During the week, caporals and legionnaires have the first assembly at 6am when everyone must be present for the “appel”.

During my service, legionnaires normally lived in the regiment during their first five years unless they became a sergeant or caporal-chef. I never saw anyone become a CCH during their first contract. In 2020, a new rule allowed caporals with more than three years of service to buy a car. It made life a lot easier. The official recruitment website currently describes car purchases as subject to command authorization after five years. That differs from the change I saw in 2020, so confirm the current instructions with your unit.

The Privilege of 45 Days Off a Year

Under Article R4138-19 of the Defence Code, the general entitlement is 45 days of annual leave for a full calendar year of service, subject to the applicable rules and service requirements. Leave for an incomplete year is calculated separately. Your regiment’s missions and schedule determine when you can take it. It gives you time to rest, explore France or, with the necessary authorization, return home. You won’t always be able to take all 45 days, though; in my case, I never had more than 15 days left.

I was also very lucky because almost each year I had a long vacation in the second part of summer. It depends on your unit’s program, but we usually got 3 to 4 weeks off in summer and it’s something that other people can’t afford. It allows you to get some rest both physically and mentally. During these periods I mostly went to somewhere in Europe for a week with my girlfriend and the rest of my free time I spent back home.

Permission for Holidays

If you want to go abroad during your holiday, you must obtain authorization from your chain of command. During my time in the French Foreign Legion, the first request had to be submitted six weeks before departure, and later requests two weeks before. Those are the timings I experienced; follow your unit’s current procedure. I didn’t always ask for official authorization for each country I visited, but after my military situation was regularised (RSM), I always tried to follow the rules. My advice is to obtain the authorization you need before travelling.

Exploring Holiday Possibilities in France

As a legionnaire, it’s quite hard to integrate the French society since you don’t have friends in civilian life. It makes it hard to learn the language and live like normal people. I felt for a long time that even if I was living in France, it was like being in a conclave. Even after years in France, I didn’t know any French people apart from those I met at work making me feel a foreigner even after I obtained the French nationality. So, I need to admit that I regret that I didn’t discover the following possibilities earlier.

Because even as a legionnaire, you have hundreds of possibilities in France allowing you to become a real French citizen.

Discovering Outdoor Sports Holidays with UCPA

The Union nationale des centres sportifs de plein air, shortened to UCPA, is a non-profit French organization that offers outdoor sports holidays for adults, with age limits depending on the trip. You don’t have to be French to participate and the prices are affordable. There are so many different activities that everyone will find its pleasure. You’ll have the choice between excursions, equitation, surf, climbing, diving, paragliding and almost everything you can imagine. It allows you to pass your free time with native French people and make some friends in real life… Learn more about outdoor sports holidays with UCPA

Affordable Travel with IGESA

For those who are already having a family life, IGESA offers quality but low-cost travelling possibilities. IGESA’s eligibility rules primarily cover military and civilian Ministry of the Armed Forces personnel, including retirees, and their families. You may meet other military families, but it isn’t the same atmosphere as the regiment. It also allows you to get in touch with different people that will pull you out of your routine… Read more about IGESA

My life before the Legion

Before joining the Legion, my family and I had the opportunity to visit several countries. This experience ignited a curiosity within me to explore new places. As a legionnaire, I maintained this spirit of adventure, continually seeking out new experiences in France and across Europe. One of the highlights of my service in the 2°REG was the year I spent in the mountains. Over the course of my eight-year tenure, I discovered places that would have remained unknown to me as a civilian. I even managed to conquer a 4000+ summit during a mountain course. An achievement that underscored my love for traveling and exploration as a soldier. If your current lifestyle aligns with the adventurous life we lead in the FFL, don’t hesitate to highlight this during your interview. It could certainly work in your favor.

Here is the article about my First holiday in the French Foreign Legion!