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France Mini Guide
Source: World Travel Guide
Overview
It is nigh impossible not to like France. As the late French president Charles de Gaulle once remarked, ‘How could one describe a country which has 365 kinds of cheese?' There are myriad attractions in this deeply compelling and multifaceted land that draw millions of visitors back year after year.
France's charms are manifest, whether it is the chic boulevards of Paris, the sparkling ski slopes of the Alps, sunlit vineyards and sun-baked beaches, a dusty game of boules, or coffee and croissants in an undiscovered village. Or perhaps a tour of the majestic chateaux of the Loire, the glamorous jet-set lifestyle of the Mediterranean, or a relaxing picnic in Provence, where the air is fragrant with wild herbs and lavender?
Consider also the delights of other lesser-known regions such as Franche-Comté, Gascony or Berry, deep in the green heart of France - regions firmly rooted to the land, whose sleepy villages offer visitors a chance to sample life in provincial France, and the unspoilt and rugged atmosphere of the island of Corsica, described as ‘a mountain in the sea'.
Eager to avoid a repeat of the destruction caused by two world wars, France was a founding member of the European Union. It continues to be a driving force behind the EU's progress towards economic and political harmonisation and is still active in almost every other part of the world. This arises from a combination of historical reasons (its colonies and self-image as a nuclear and world power), coupled with a desire to confront America-centric global dominance. France also proudly covets its title of the world's number one tourist destination, and this uniquely appealing country has little trouble in tempting first timers back for numerous repeat visits.
Note
For information on French Overseas Departments, Overseas Territories and Overseas Collectivités Territoriales, consult the French Overseas Possessions section. See also the individual sections on French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, Réunion and Tahiti and her Islands.
Passport/Visa
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Passport Required? |
|
British |
Yes |
|
Australian |
Yes |
|
Canadian |
Yes |
|
USA |
Yes |
|
Other EU |
1 |
|
Visa Required? |
|
British |
No |
|
Australian |
No |
|
Canadian |
No |
|
USA |
No |
|
Other EU |
No |
|
Return Ticket Required? |
|
British |
No |
|
Australian |
Yes |
|
Canadian |
Yes |
|
USA |
Yes |
|
Other EU |
No |
Passports
Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.
Passport Note
France is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.
Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for the following durations:
(a) nationals of EU countries for an unlimited period;
(b) nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for stays of up to 90 days.
Money
Currency
Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Currency Exchange
Some first-class hotels are authorised to exchange foreign currency. Shops and hotels are prohibited from accepting foreign currency by law. Travellers should check with their banks for details and current rates.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted.
Traveller's Cheques
Traveller's cheques are accepted nearly everywhere.
Banking Hours
Mon-Sat 0900-1200 and 1400-1700. Some banks close Monday and some are open Saturday. Banks close early (1200) on the day before a bank holiday; in rare cases, they may also close for all or part of the day after.
Exchange Rate Indicators
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Date |
Jul 08 |
|
£1.00= |
€1.25 |
|
$1.00= |
€0.63 |
Health
Vaccinations
|
|
Special Precautions |
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Diphtheria |
No |
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Hepatitis A |
No |
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Malaria |
No |
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Rabies |
No |
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Tetanus |
Yes |
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Typhoid |
No |
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Yellow Fever |
No* |
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Inoculation regulations can change at short notice. Please take medical advice in the case of doubt. Where 'Sometimes' appears in the table above, precautions may be required, depending on the season and region visited. |
* A yellow fever certificate is required for travellers coming from South American and African countries.
Other Risks
Visitors to forested areas should consider vaccination for tick-borne encephalitis. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay.
Health Care
If European visitors or any of their dependants are suddenly taken ill or have an accident during a visit to France, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Full travel insurance is advised for all travellers.
Getting There
Getting There by Air
The national airline is Air France (AF) (website: www.airfrance.com).
Approximate Flight Times
From London to Paris is 1 hour, and from New York is 7 hours.
Main Airports
Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) (website: www.adp.fr) is 23km (14 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches to the city run at least every 20 minutes. Taxis are readily available. Roissybus services operate from the airport to Place de l'Opéra. Air France coaches run to Étoile via Porte Maillot, to Montparnasse via Gare de Lyon and to Orly Airport. Services run every 12 to 20 minutes and take 40 to 50 minutes. The airport is also easily accessible by train on the RER B line or SNCF with connecting ADP shuttle bus. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.
Paris-Orly (ORY) (website: www.adp.fr) is 14km (9 miles) south of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches and buses run to the city every 12 minutes (journey time - 25 minutes) from outside Orly Ouest. Taxis are available. RER B and C line trains run every 15 minutes via Saint-Michel (journey time - 30 minutes). Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.
Lyon (LYS) (Lyon-Saint-Exupéry) (website: www.lyon.aeroport.fr) is 25km (15 miles) east of the city. To/from the airport: Coaches or taxis are available to the city. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.
Marseille (MRS) (Marseille-Marignane) (website: www.marseille-provence.aeroport.fr) is 30km (19 miles) northwest of the city. To/from the airport: A coach service departs to the city and taxis are available. Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and car hire.
Departure Tax
None.
Getting There by Water
Main ports:
Atlantic: La Rochelle (website: www.portlarochelle.com): leisure boating.
North Sea: Boulogne (website: www.portboulogne.com): leisure boating and cross channel services; Calais (website: www.calais-port.com): cross-channel services; Le Havre (website: www.havre-port.net): scheduled services and cruise lines to national and international destinations.
Mediterranean: Marseille (website: www.marseille-port.fr): cruises and scheduled services to Corsica, Sardinia, Algeria and Tunisia; Nice: leisure boating and ferries to Corsica (website: www.riviera-ports.com).
The popular Channel passenger services connect the English port of Dover with Calais. Major operators include P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333, in the UK; website www.poferries.com) and SeaFrance (tel: 0870 443 1653, in the UK; website: www.seafrance.com). In the Mediterranean Corsica Ferries/Sardinia Ferries (tel: (04) 9532 9595; website: www.corsicaferries.com) service Sardinia from the French mainland.
Cruise ships regularly stop at various French ports.
Getting There by Rail
International trains run from the channel ports and Paris to destinations throughout Europe. For up-to-date routes and timetables, contact French Railways (SNCF) (tel: (0) 825 888 088; website: www.sncf.com) or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; website: www.raileurope.co.uk). Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK; www.eurostar.com) is a service provided by the railways of Belgium, the UK and France, operating direct high-speed trains from London (St Pancras International) to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes 2 hours 15 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels.
Rail Passes
InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The Eurailpass Saver ticket offers discounts for two or more people travelling together. The Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those aged under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The Eurailpass Flexi allows either 10 or 15 travel days within a two-month period. The Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows four to 10 travel days in a two-month period in one of nine regions (usually two or more countries). The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation. Available from The Eurail Group (website: www.eurail.com).
Getting There by Road
There are numerous and excellent road links with all neighbouring countries.
Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com) runs regular coach services from the UK to France. Passes: Travellers can buy a 15- or 30-day pass.
The Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel runs shuttle trains for cars, bicycles, motorcycles, coaches, minibuses, caravans and campervans between Folkestone in Kent, UK, with direct road access from the M20, and Calais, with links to the A16/A26 motorway (Exit 13). All road vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and around 1 hour from motorway to motorway. Fares are charged according to length of stay and time of year and whether or not you have a reservation. For further information, contact Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK; website: www.eurotunnel.com).
Climate
A temperate climate in the north; northeastern areas have a more continental climate with warm summers and colder winters. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with some snow likely in winter. The Jura Mountains have an alpine climate. Lorraine, sheltered by bordering hills, has a relatively mild climate. Mediterranean climate in the south; mountains are cooler with heavy snow in winter.
The Atlantic influences the climate of the western coastal areas from the Loire to the Basque region where the weather is temperate and relatively mild with rainfall throughout the year. Summers can be very hot and sunny. Inland areas are mild and the French slopes of the Pyrenees are renowned for their sunshine record. A Mediterranean climate exists on the Riviera, and in Provence and Roussillon. Weather in the French Alps is variable. Continental weather is present in Auvergne, Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. Very strong winds (such as the Mistral) can occur throughout the entire region.
Required Clothing
European, according to season. Light breathable clothing for summer in all areas and waterproof winter gear for the mountains all year round. In winter even the Mediterranean resorts often require a sweater or jacket for the evenings.
Contacts
Embassy of the French Republic in the UK
58 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7JT, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1000.
Website: www.ambafrance-uk.org
French Consulate General in the UK
21 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2EN, UK
Visa section: 6A Cromwell Place, London SW7 2EW, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1200 (consular section) or 1250 (visa section) or 1295 (visa applications in progress; 1500-1700 only) or 09065 508 940 (visa information service; calls cost £1 per minute) or 266 654 (24-hour visa application form request service; calls cost £1.50 per minute) or 540 700 (24-hour automated visa appointment booking service).
Website: www.consulfrance-londres.org
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0845-1200 and Fri 0845-1130.
Maison de la France (French Government Tourist Office) in the UK
178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL, UK
Tel: 09068 244 123 (calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.franceguide.com
Embassy of the French Republic in the USA
4101 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 944 6195.
Website: www.ambafrance-us.org
French Government Tourist Office in the USA
444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: (514) 288 1904.
Website: www.franceguide.com
Paris Marriott Hotel Champs-Elysees
Official Site - Marriott Paris Hotel. Luxury Paris Hotel on the Champs-Elysees. Reserve Online.
70 Avenue des Champs-Elysees
Website: www.ParisMarriott.com
Renaissance Paris Hotel Le Parc Trocadero
Official Site - Renaissance Le Parc Trocadero Paris. Luxury Hotel in Central Paris. Reserve Online.
55-59 Avenue Raymond Poincaré
Website: www.ParisRenaissance.com
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