France facts, travel guide, geography & history
Facts
Government: Fifth republic.
Population (est.): 60,877,000.
Capital, population (est.): Paris, 9,856,000 (metro. area), 2,111,000 (city proper).
Language: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish).
Monetary unit: Euro (formerly French franc).
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Travel guide
Climate
A lot of variety, but temperate. Cool winters and mild summers on most of the territory, and especially in Paris. Mild winters and hot summers along the
Mediterranean and in the south west( the latter has lots of rain in winter). Mild winters (with lots of rain)and cool summers in the north west (Brittany).
Cool to cold winters and hot summer along the German border (Alsace). Along the Rhône Valley, occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind
known as the mistral. Cold winters with lots of snow in the Montainous regions: Alps, Pyrenees, Auvergne.
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Get in
Passport and Visa;
France is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. European visa policy will be covered in the article about the EU. In brief, a visa to
any other signatory state of the Schengen Agreement is valid in France too. No visa is required for citizens of other EU member states, and those of some
selected nations with whom the European Union or France have special treaties. Inquire at your travel agent or call the local consulate or embassy of
France.
Also, there are hardly any border controls between France and other Schengen Agreement nations, making travel less complicated. However, sometimes cars and
buses are stopped at borders or at the first toll-booth after entering the country.
Australian, Malaysian or Indonesian citizens visiting France for holiday will not need a Visa.
By plane;
The main international airport, Roissy - Charles de Gaulle (CDG), is likely to be your port of entry if you fly into France from outside Europe. CDG is the
home of Air France (AF), the national company, for most intercontinental flights. AF and the companies forming the SkyTeam Alliance (Dutch KLM, AeroMexico,
Alitalia, US Continental, NorthWest and Delta Airlines, Korean Air) use Terminal 2 while most other foreign airlines use Terminal 1. A third terminal is
used for charter flights. If transferring through CDG (especially between the various terminals) it is important to leave substantial time between flights.
Ensure you have no less than one hour between transfers. Add more if you have to change terminals as you will need to clear through security.
Transfers to another flight in France: AF operates domestic flights from CDG too, but a lot of domestic flights, and also some internal European flights,
use Orly, the second Paris airport. For transfers within CDG you can use the free bus shuttle linking all terminals, train station, parking lots and hotels
on the platform. For transfers to Orly there is a (free for AF passengers) bus link operated by AF. The two airports are also linked by a local train
(RER) which is slightly less expensive, runs faster but is much more cumbersome to use with heavy luggage. AF has agreements with the SNCF, the national
rail company, which operates TGVs out of CDG airports (some trains carry flight numbers). The TGV station is located in Terminal 2 and is on the route of
the free shuttle.
Other airports have international destinations: Paris - Orly, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse have flights to
cities in western Europe and North-Africa; those airports are hubs to smaller airports in France and may be useful to avoid the transfer between the two
Paris airports. Two airports, Bâle-Mulhouse and Geneva, are shared by France and Switzerland and can allow entry into either country.
Some low-cost airlines, including Ryanair and Volare, fly to Beauvais airport situated about 80 km northwest of Paris. Buses to Paris are provided by the
airlines.
By train;
The French rail company, SNCF, provides direct service from most European countries using regular trains. French train tickets can be purchased directly
in the US from RailEurope a subsidiary of the SNCF. The Eurostar service uses high-speed to connect Lille and Paris with London, the later via the
Calais-Dover channel tunnel. The Thalys service uses high-speed TGV trains to connect Paris to Brussels and onward to cities in the Netherlands and
Germany.
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Get around
By train;
Trains are a great way to get around in France. You can get pretty much from anywhere to anywhere by train. For long distances, use the TGV (Train a
Grande Vitesse - High-Speed Train). Reservations are obligatory. But, if you have time, take the slow train and enjoy the scenery. The landscape is part
of what makes France one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
The French national railway network is managed by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français). For interregional trains you can get schedules
and book tickets online at voyages-sncf.com. For regional trains, schedules can be found at ter-sncf.com (choose your region, then "Carte and horaires" for
maps and timetables). Booking is available in two classes: première classe (First Class) is less crowded and more comfortable but can also be about
50% more expensive than deuxième classe (Second Class). Note that if your TGV is fully-booked, step aboard seconds before the doors close, and look for
the guard ("contrôleur"). He will find you a seat somewhere.
If you'll be doing more than about 2 return journeys in France, and are younger than 26, getting a "Carte 12-25" will save you money. They cost about 50€
but last a year and generally give a 50% reduction on ticket prices.
If you've booked online on Voyages SNCF, you can pick up your ticket when you get to the train station. Contrary to a common misunderstanding, this web
site allows you to order even if you live in the US; it is not concerned where you live, but where you will pick up the tickets or have them sent; thus if
you wish to pick up the tickets at a SNCF train station or office, answer "France". When at the station, just go to the counter ("Guichet") and ask to have
your ticket issued ("retirer votre billet"). You can ask "Je voudrais retirer mon billet, s'il vous plait", and then hand them the paper with the reference
number.
To find your train, locate your train number and the departure time on the departures board. There will be a track ("Voie") number next to the train and
departure time. Follow signs to that track to board the train. You will have a reserved seat on TGV trains, but you can pick any seat on other trains.
To find your reserved seat, first look for the train car number ("Voit. No"). Pay attention to the possible confusion between track number (Voie) and car
(voiture) number (abbreviated Voit) As you go down the track, the car number will be displayed on an LCD screen on the car, or maybe just written in the
window or right next to the doors.
If you are early, there is often a map somewhere on the track that will show how the train and car numbers will be lined up on the track according to
letters that appear either on the ground or on signs above. That way, you can go stand by the letter corresponding with your car number and wait to board
the train closest to your car number. You can easily go from one car to another, so if you are very late, jump in any car of the same class before the
train starts, wait until most people are seated then walk to your car and place number.
Beware: To avoid any form of fraud, your ticket MUST be punched by an automatic machine ("composteur", older machines are bright orange, newer machines
are yellow and gray) situated at the entrance of all platforms to be valid. Failure to do so may entitle you to a fine even if you are a foreigner with a
limited French vocabulary, depending on how the conductor feels. Likewise if you step aboard a train without a ticket you MUST find the conductor
("contrôleur") and tell him about your situation before he finds you.
French information booths, especially in larger train stations, can be quite ineffective especially if you do not understand much french. If something does
not seem to make sense, just say "excusez-moi", and they should repeat it.
There exist night train services. These include couchettes second class (6 bunk beds in a compartment), first class (4 bunks) and wagon-lit
(real bedding with linen; have to specify sex when booking or travel in couple). Night trains have occasionally be targeted by criminals, though this is
not a widespread problem.
By car;
France has a well-developed system of highways. Most of the freeway (autoroute) links are toll roads. Some have toll station giving you access to a
section, others have entrance and exit toll stations. Don't lose your entrance ticket or you will be charged for the longest distance. All toll stations
accept major credit cards, or you can use the automatic booth, but only if your card is equipped with a chip.
Roads range from the narrow single-lane roads in the countryside to major highways. Most towns and cities were built before the general availability of the
automobile and thus city centers tend to be unwieldy for cars. Keep this in mind when renting: large cars can be very unwieldy. It often makes sense to
just park and then use public transportation. In France they drive on the right.
By thumb;
France is a good country for hitchhiking. Be patient, prepare yourself for a long wait or walk and in the meantime enjoy the landscape. A ride will come
along. People who stop are usually friendly and not dangerous. They never expect any money for the ride.
Remember that getting out of Paris by thumb is almost impossible. You can try your luck at the portes, but heavy traffic and limited areas for stopping
will try your patience. It's a good idea to take the local train to a nearby suburb as your chance of being picked up will increase dramatically.
Outside Paris, it's advisable to try your luck after roundabouts. As it's illegal to hitchhike on the motorways (autoroutes) and they are well observed by
the police, you may try on a motorway entry. The greatest chance is at toll plazas (stations de péage), some of which require all cars to stop and are thus
great places to catch a lift. Some tollbooths are really good, some not so good. If you've been waiting for a while with an indication of where to go, drop
it and try with your thumb only. And also, you can try to get a ride to the next good spot in the wrong direction.
Note, though, that hitching from a péage, while a common practice, isn't legal and French police or highway security, who are normally very tolerant of
hitchhikers, may stop and force you to leave. You can get free maps in the toll offices - these also indicate where you can find the "all-stop-Péage".
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Language
French is the official language of France, although there are regional variations in pronunciation and local words. For example, thoughout France the word
for yes, oui, said "we" is pronounced "waay." It's similiar to the English language usage of "Yeah" instead of "Yes".
In Alsace and part of Lorraine, a kind of German, called "Alsacian", is spoken. In the south, some still speak dialects of the Langue d'Oc
(because the word for "yes" is oc): Languedocien, Limousin, Auvergnat, or Provençal. Langue d'Oc is a Romance language, a very close relative of Italian,
Spanish, or Catalan. In the west part of Brittany, a few people, mainly old or scholars, speak Breton; this Celtic language is closer to Welsh than to
French. In parts of Aquitaine Basque is spoken, but not as much as on the Spanish side of the border. In Corsica a kind of Italian is spoken. However,
almost everyone speaks French and tourists are unlikely to ever come across regional languages, except in order to give a "folkloric" flair to things.
Hardly anybody understands British or US units such as gallons or degrees Fahrenheit. Stick to metric units.
The French are generally attached to politeness and will react coolly to strangers that forget it. You might be surprised to see that you are greeted by
other customers when you walk into a restaurant or shop. Return the courtesy and address your hellos/goodbyes to everyone when you enter or leave small
shops and cafes. It is, for the French, very impolite to start a conversation with a stranger (even a shopkeeper or client) without at least a polite word
like "bonjour". For this reason, starting the conversation with at least a few basic French phrases, or some equivalent polite form in English, goes a
long way to convince them to try and help you.
Note that French spoken with an English or American accent can be very difficult for the average French person to understand. In such circumstances, it may
be best to write down what you are trying to say. But tales of waiters refusing to serve tourists because their pronunciation doesn't meet French standards
are highly exaggerated. A good-faith effort will usually be appreciated, but don't be offended if a waiter responds to your fractured French, or even
fluent but accented, in English (If you are a fluent French speaker and the waiter speaks to you in English when you'd prefer to speak French, continue to
respond in French and the waiter will usually switch back - this is a common occurrence in touristy areas, especially in Paris).
Please note that some parts of France (such as Paris) are at times overrun by tourists. The locals there may have some blasé feelings about helping for the
umpteenth time foreign tourists who speak in an unintelligible language and ask for directions to the other side of the city. Be courteous and
understanding.
Arabophones could speak Arabic in many parts of France (especially in the big cities). But please note that French arabophones tend to speak only Arabic
with a Maghrebin (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) accent which is considered difficult to understand by other arabophones. So try to use the standard written
Arab language to communicate. As France is a very multicultural society, many african languages, Chinese dialects, Vietnamese or Cambodian could be spoken.
The French tend to think that they can speak and understand Spanish because of the resemblance of the two languages.
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Buy
France is part of the Eurozone, so as in many other European Union countries the currency used is the euro (symbol: €). Some foreign currencies such as the
US dollar and the British Pound are occasionally accepted, especially in touristic areas and in higher-end places, but one should not count on it;
furthermore, the merchant may apply some unfavourable rate. In general, shops will refuse transactions in foreign currency.
It is compulsory, for the large majority of businesses, to post prices in windows. Hotels and restaurants must have their rates visible from outside.
Almost all stores, restaurants and hotels take the CB French debit card, and its foreign affiliations, Visa and Mastercard. American Express tends to be
accepted only in high-end shops. Check with your bank for applicable fees (typically, banks apply the wholesale inter-bank exchange rate, which is the best
available, but may slap a proportional and/or a fixed fee).
French CB cards (and CB/Visa and CB/Mastercard cards) have a "smart chip" on them allowing PIN authentication of transactions. This system, initiated in
France, has now evolved to an international standard and newer British cards are compatible. Some automatic retail machines (such as those vending tickets)
may be compatible only with cards with the microchip. In addition, cashiers unaccustomed to foreign cards possibly do not know that foreign Visa or
Mastercard cards have to be swiped and a signature obtained, while French customers systematically use PIN and don't sign the transactions.
There is (virtually) no way to get a cash advance from a credit card without a PIN in France.
Automatic teller machines (ATM) all take CB, Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus and Plus and are plentiful throughout France. They may accept other kinds of card;
check for the logos on the ATM and on your card (on the back, generally) if at least one matches. It is possible that some machines do not handle 6-digit
PIN codes (only 4-digit ones), or that they do not offer the choice between different accounts (defaulting on the checking account). They are by far the
best way to get money in France. Check with your bank about applicable fees, which may vary greatly (typically, banks apply the wholesale inter-bank
exchange rate, which is the best available, but may slap a proportional and/or a fixed fee; because of the fixed fee it is generally better to withdraw
money in big chunks rather than 20€ at a time). Also, check about applicable maximal withdrawal limits.
Traveller's cheques are difficult to use — most merchants will not accept them, and exchanging them may involve finding a bank that accepts to exchange
them and possibly paying a fee.
Note that the postal service doubles as a bank, so often post offices will have an ATM. As a result, even minor towns will have ATMs usable with foreign
cards.
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Eat
With its international reputation for fine dining, few people would be surprised to hear that French cuisine can certainly be very good. Unfortunately, it
can also be quite disappointing. Finding the right restaurant is therefore very important - try asking locals, hotel staff or even browsing restaurant
guides for recommendations as simply walking in off the street can be a hit and miss affair.
There are many places to try French food in France, from three-star Michelin restaurants to French "brasseries" or "bistros" that you can find at almost
every corner, especially in big cities. These usually offer a relatively consistent and virtually standardised menu of relatively inexpensive cuisine.
To obtain a greater variety of dishes, a larger outlay of money is often necessary. In general, one should try to eat where the locals do for the best
chance of a memorable meal. Most small cities or even villages have local restaurants which are sometimes listed in the most reliable guides. There are
also specific local restaurants, like "bouchons lyonnais" in Lyons, "crêperies" in Brittany (or in the Montparnasse area of Paris), etc. Ethnic food is
available throughout France, Chinese restaurants and takeaways (actually most of them are Vietnamese) are everywhere, and large cities have North African,
Greek, Italian (pizzerias) restaurants and eateries. The ubiquitous hamburger eateries (US original or their French copies) is also available.
In France, taxes (19.6 per cent of the total) and service (usually 15 per cent) are always included in the bill ; so anything patrons add to the bill
amount is an "extra-tip". French people usually leave one or two coins if they were happy with the service.
Menu fixed price seldom include beverages. If you want water, waiters will often try to sell you mineral water (Évian, Thonon) or fizzy water (Badoit,
Perrier), at a premium; ask for a carafe d'eau for tap water, which is free and safe to drink. Water never comes with ice in it unless so requested
(and water with ice may not be available).
Ordering is made either from fixed price menus (prix fixe) or à la carte. A typical fixed price menu will comprise:
- appetizer, called entrées or hors d'œuvres
- main dish, called plat
- dessert (dessert) or cheese (fromage)
Sometimes, restaurants offer the option to take only two of three steps, at a reduced price.
Coffee is always served as a final step (though it may be followed by liquors). A request for coffee during the meal will be considered retarded, or weird
at best.
Not all restaurants are open for lunch and dinner, nor are they open all year around. It is therefore advisable to check carefully the opening times and
days. A restaurant open for lunch will usually start service at noon and accept guests until 13:30. Dinner begins at around 19:30 and guests are accepted
until 21:30. Restaurants with longer service hours are usually found only in the larger cities and in the downtown area. Finding a restaurant open on
Saturday and especially Sunday can be a challenge unless you stay close to the tourist areas.
In a reasonable number of restaurants, especially outside tourist areas, a booking is compulsory and people may be turned away without one, even if the
restaurant is clearly not filled to capacity. For this reason, it can be worthwhile to research potential eateries in advance and make the necessary
reservations in order to avoid disappointment, especially if the restaurant you're considering is specially advised in guide books.
A lunch or dinner for two on the "menu" including wine and coffee will cost you (as of 2004) €70 to €100 in a listed restaurant in Paris. The same with
beer in a local "bistro" or a "crêperie" around €50. A lunch or dinner for one person in a decent Chinese restaurant in Paris can cost as little as €6 if
one looks carefully.
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Drink
Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, the Loire Valley...France is the home of wine. It can be found cheaply just about anywhere. Beer (lager) is also
extremely popular, in particular in northern France, where "[Biere de Garde]" can be found. Note that in France, the minimum age to buy alcohol at cafés
is 16, but this is not always strictly enforced; however, laws against drunk driving are strictly enforced, with stiff penalties.
Wine and liquors may be purchased from supermarkets, or from specialized stores such as the Nicolas chain. Nicolas offers good advice on what to buy
(specify the kind of wine and the price range you desire). In general, only French wines are available unless a foreign wine is a "specialty" with no
equivalent in France (such as port), and they are classified by region of origin, not by grape.
Never drink alcoholic beverages (especially red wine or strong alcohol such as cognac) directly from a 75 cl bottle. Such behaviour is generally associated
with bums and drunkards. Drinking beer from a 25 to 50cl can or bottle is ok.
Café prices depend heavily on location. Remember, you're not paying so much for the beverage as for the table spot; and accordingly, in general, it is
cheaper to drink at the bar than seated at a table. Cafés in touristic areas, especially in Paris, are very expensive. If your intent is simply to have a
drink, you'll be better off buying beverages from a grocery store and drinking them in a park.
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Sleep
Travelers should definitely consider short term apartment/studio rentals as an alternative to other accommodations options. Short term can be as few as
several days up to months at a stretch. Weekly rentals are usually from Saturday to Saturday. This type accommodation belongs to a private party, and can
range from basic to luxurious. A particular advantage, aside from competitive prices, is that the accommodations come with fully fitted kitchens.
The French usually call these appartments 'gîtes' if they are outside of cities.
However, great care should be taken if one is dealing with a commercial agency, most of which charge a stiff non returnable fee, and do not actually
verify the information that the apartment/studio owners provide. Further, partial or 100% upfront payment is required as is a complex "contract" process.
Avoid agencies if you can.
Hotels come in 4 categories from 1 to 4 stars. This is the official rating given by the Ministry of Tourism, and it is posted at the entrance on a blue
shield. Rates vary according to accommodation, location and sometimes high or low season or special events.
As of 2004, the rate for a *** hotel listed in a reliable guidebook falls between 70 euros (cheap) and 110 euros (expensive) for a double without
breakfast.
All hotels, by law, must have their rates posted outside (or visible from outside). Bargaining is not the norm but you can always ask for a discount.
Hotels located in city centers or near train stations are often very small (15 to 30 rooms) which means that you should book ahead. The newer hotels,
business oriented, are found in the outskirts of cities and are sometimes larger structures (100 rooms or more); they may not be easy to reach with public
transportation. Along the highways, at the entrance of cities, you find US-like motels ; they are very often reachable only by car. When visiting Paris, it
is essential to stay in the city. The Latin Quarter is a good location if you plan on visiting a variety of attractions. Some motels have minimal service,
if you come in late you find an ATM-like machine, using credit cards, which will deliver a code in order to reach your assigned room. The newer hotels are
often part of national or international chains and have high standards. Many older hotels are now part of chains and provide standardized service but
they retain their own atmosphere.
Throughout France, mainly in rural areas but also in towns and cities, you can find B & B's and gîtes. B&B's are known in French as "Chambres d'hôtes", and
are generally available on a nightly basis, possibly with breakfast but not always; gites or gites ruraux are holiday cottages, and generally rented out as
a complete accommodation unit including a kitchen, mostly on a weekly basis. There are very few near or in the cities. Finding them requires buying a guide
or, for greater choice, using the internet, as you will not find a lot of signposts on the road.
Traditionally, gites provided basic good value accommodation, typically adjacent to the owners household or in a nearby outbuilding. More recently the term
has been extended, and can now be used to describe most country-based self-catering accommodation in France. Hence it includes accommodation as varied as
small cottages and luxury villas with private swimming pools.
During peak summer months most self-catering gites require booking several months in advance.
There are thousands of B&Bs and gites in France rented out by foreign owners, particularly British and Dutch, and these tend to be listed, sometimes
exclusively, with English-language or international organisations and websites that can be found by keying the words "gites" or "gites de france" into any
of the major search engines.
There is a large number of organisations and websites offering "gites". Literally the French word gite just means a place to spend the night; however it
now largely used to describe rental cottages or self-catering holiday homes, usually in rural parts of France.
Another possibility is gîtes d'étape. These are more like overnight stays for hikers, like a mountain hut. They are mostly much cheaper than the Gîtes de
France but also much more basic.
Camping is very common in France. Most campsite are a little way out of the city centre and virtually all cater not just for tents but for Camper
Vans/Caravans also. While all campsites have the basic facilities of Shower/toilet blocks, larger sites tend to offer a range of additional facilities such
as bars and restaurants, self-service laundries, swimming pools or bicycle hire. All campsites except for very small "farm camping" establishments must be
registered with the authorities, and are officially graded using a system of stars.
In coastal areas, three-star and four-star campgrounds must generally be booked in advance during the months of July and August, and many people book from
one year to the next. In rural areas, outside of popular tourist spots, it is usually possible to show up unannounced, and find a place; this is
particularly true with the municipal campsites that can be found in most small towns; though even then it may be advisable to ring up or email in advance
to make sure. There are always exceptions.
Adopted from and read more at:
wikitravel.org/en/France
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Geography
If you are interested in this country's geography, please take a look
here.
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History
If you are interested in this country's history, please take a look
here.
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