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Population
59.5
million (2002)
Capital
City
Paris
Language
French
Principal
Religions
France
is a predominantly Catholic country and marks more feast
days with public holidays than the UK does.
International
dialling code from UK
00
33
Local
currency
France
is a member of the euro zone.
Weights
and measures
Metric
Public
holidays
Fixed
Public Holidays
| New
Year's Day |
1
January |
| Labour
Day |
1
May |
| Fete
de la Victoire 1945 (WWII Victory Day) |
8
May |
| Bastille
Day 14 |
14
July |
| Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
15
August |
| All
Saints Day |
1
November |
| Armistice
Day |
11
November |
| Christmas
Day |
25
December |
|
2nd Day of Christmas (Alsace Lorraine only) |
26
December |
Passports
/ Visas
Remember
to carry your passport with you at all times as it is
a legal requirement in France to carry ID. If you are
planning to remain in France for more than three months,
you need to register with the police. In order to do
this, you should report to the local "Prefecture
de Police" and ask to apply for a "Carte de
Sejour"
Health
advice / risks
Risks
to health in France are the same as those in the UK,
although many French people prefer to drink bottled
water. The form E111 from any Post Office, will enable
UK visitors to get urgent medical treatment for free
in France. This should be completed and stamped at the
Post Office before you leave and carried with you. Visits
to the doctor are not fully refundable and you are advised
to either find out exactly how to claim in France and
take out additional insurance, or to have an insurance
policy which will give you full cover. A publication
called "Working in France" contains some information
on how to claim and can be obtained from the Europe
Directorate.
Travel
routes to France
The
main international airport is Charles de Gaulle, which
is 30km outside Paris. Flights take about 1 hour from
London. The second airport in Paris is Orly, 15km south
of the city. Other main international airports are in
Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice and Toulouse.
Eurostar
is a cheap and fast alternative, particularly for travellers
from London and the South, and trains regularly depart
from London Waterloo station or Ashford, Kent for Paris
and Lille main train stations. The journey takes about
3 hours. Road vehicles are also carried through the
channel tunnel on 'Le Shuttle' between the UK terminal
near Folkstone and the French terminal near Calais.
Journey time is about 35 minutes.
Ferries
cover a number of routes from several UK and French
ports, which is convenient for those wishing to take
their own transport across the Channel. Ferry crossings
can vary in length of journey time, but the fastest
route, Dover to Calais, takes about 1.15 hours.The main
international airport is Charles de Gaulle which is
30km outside Paris. Flights take about 1 hour from London.
The second airport in Paris is Orly, 15km south of the
city. Other main international airports are in Bordeaux,
Lille, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice and Toulouse.
How
to get to & from the airport
The
fastest way of getting from Charles de Gaulle into Paris
is by RER train, which runs right into the centre of
Paris. Cost is approx. FF50. There is also a bus service.
A taxi will cost approx FF200.
Travelling
in France
France
has an excellent internal rail system, especially the
TGV intercity service. You must pay a supplement to
travel on the faster TGV trains. Remember to validate
(compostez) your ticket before boarding the train or
risk a large fine. You do not need to go to the ticket
office to composte your ticket - the validation machines
are usually located at the entrance to platforms.
The
Paris underground system (the Metro) is quick and efficient,
with a comprehensible underground map. Any good travel
guide will contain a map of the Metro. Trains are labelled
according to the two end destinations of the line, but
the colour-coding of lines is sometimes inconsistent
on maps and not a reliable indicator of line destination.
An orange sign above the platform marked "Correspondence"
indicates the direction to follow for an interchange.
A carnet of 10 tickets can be bought offering a considerable
price reduction per ticket.
You
can use metro tickets on the buses but you must validate
them in the machines provided on board the bus. Buses
are a good choice for short distances as they are plentiful.
There is also a night bus service.
Taxis
can be hailed, but not within 50m of a taxi rank. Since
taxi ranks are common it is often better to wait at
the nearest one. A tip of 10-15% is normal and taxis
charge extra for luggage.
Hotels
Hotel
prices are generally less expensive in Paris than in
London. A list of hotels in Paris can be obtained from
the British Embassy. Credit cards are widely accepted.
France has a standard star-rating system.
Restaurants
There
is a wide range of restaurants offering menus to suit
all budgets in France, and food is usually of a high
standard. Many restaurants offer set menus, which offer
good value for money, although vegetarian and ethnic
food is not as widely available as in the UK. The menu
or bill will state whether or not service is included.
If service is "compris", which is usual, it
is included and it is customary to leave a few coins.
If service is "non-compris" a tip of 15% is
customary.
Electricity
supply
220V
AC. Plugs with two round pins are used. Adaptors are
recommended.
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