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France

General Information

Capital City:
Paris
Population:
64 million
Area:
211,209 square miles
Language:
French
Electricity:
220V AC 50Hz
Direct Dial:
33
Driving:
Driving is on the right. National licence required. Minimum driving age is 18
Currency:
Euro (EUR 1 = 100 Cents)

Business Hours

Bank:
0900-1200 & 1400-1600 Mon-Fri (some banks in Paris 1000-1700)
Office:
0900-1200 & 1400-1800 Mon-Fri
Shops:
0900-1830 Mon-Sat (some shops close between 1200-1430 Mon-Fri & many close all or pm Mon)
Public Holidays:
<b>2012</b> 01 Jan : New Year's Day 09 Apr : Easter Monday 01 May : Labour Day 08 May : 1945 Victory Day 17 May : Ascension 28 May : Whit Monday 14 Jul : Bastille Day 15 Aug : Assumption 01 Nov : All Saints' Day 11 Nov : Remembrance Day 25 Dec : Christmas Day

Business and social hints

General:
Business is conducted in French, most executives speak English or some German or Spanish. Smoking is very restricted in many public places and always request permission before smoking. Request permission before smoking in offices and cars. Smoking in restaurants is now restricted to specific areas. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants, be punctual and dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated. The minimum drinking age is 18 years
Tipping:
Service charges are normally added to bills, if so tips are not necessary, but it is customary to leave small change. Tips for taxis around 10%
Clothing:
Mediumweights in winter with topcoat necessary in mountain areas and in the north. Medium or lightweights in summer
Emergency Services:
Police: 17. Fire: 18. Ambulance: 15
Hotel Classification:
Hotels in France are officially graded in categories from no stars up to 4 star with an additional de luxe category of "4-star Luxe" shown here as ****L. Apartments (Residences de Tourisme) with a minimum of 100 beds are also officially classified in the same way but without the top de luxe category.

Climate

The north and northwest has a maritime climate which is changeable. Winters are usually mild, summers are moderate and rainfall occurs throughout the year. Southwestern France has a markedly warmer summer although it can be rather wet, and winters are usually mild. Central and eastern areas have a more continental climate with colder winters and a little warmer summers. Rainfall is usually low and tends to fall in summer. The Mediterranean coastlands have a warm/hot summer period when rainfall is scarce. Winters are usually mild although changeable cold weather can be brought by the northerly wind called the `Mistral'(which can blow at any time of the year). The mountainous areas are the wettest and coldest regions where much of the winter rain falls as snow. Summers are relatively fine although there are frequent and sudden periods of cloud and rain

Paris

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum Temperature °C 6 7 11 16 19 23 25 24 21 15 9 6
Minimum Temperature °C 1 1 2 5 8 11 15 12 10 7 3 1
Average Humidity (mornings) % 90 90 88 80 79 79 81 84 91 94 93 92
Average Humidity (afternoons) % 71 69 59 50 52 55 58 54 59 68 76 80
Average Rainfall 56 47 35 42 57 54 59 64 55 50 51 50

Customs

Import Allowances:
For persons of 17 years of age or older: 1) Travellers entering from non-EU countries (including Canary Islands, Channel Islands & Gibraltar): a) 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250gr of tobacco b) 1 lit of spirits of more than 22% proof or 2 lit of desert and sparkling wine up to 22% proof c) 2 lit of table wines d) 2 kilo of fish e) 250 gr caviar f) 1 kilo of animal origin products g) Other goods to the value of EUR 430 (EUR 90 for travellers under 15 years) 2) Travellers entering from EU countries (Including French Guiana, French Overseas Departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion): a) 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars & 1 kg of tobacco b) 10 lit of spirits over 22%, 20 lit of alcoholic beverages less than 22%, 90 lit of wine (of which, a max of 60 lit of sparkling wine) & 110 lit of beer
Contraband:
Gold must be declared with exceptions of personal jewellery under 500 gr. Firearms & ammunition, explosives, flick knives, Drugs & narcotics, Toxic products, Counterfeit goods and products of animal origin not originated from an E.U member state.

Health

Participant of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC scheme) which allows visitors on short-term stays to other member countries to use the public health care sector for free or reduced-cost medical treatment and emergency care. EHIC replaces the E111 form. <b>Please note:</b> The EHIC scheme is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will <b>not</b> cover any private medical healthcare or the cost of things such as mountain rescue in ski resorts repatriation to the UK lost or stolen property etc. For full details on eligibility and how to apply for a card visit www.nhs.uk or click<a href="https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do"> here</a>

Compulsary Vaccinations
None. Other vaccines to consider: tetanus
Recommended Immunisations
None required, however for those travelling to France frequently or intending to spend extended time there, Tick-Borne Encephalitis should be considered.
Risks
None. <b>GENERAL INFO FOR ALL TRAVELLERS:</b> Details listed can occasionally change at very short notice and it's recommended that all travellers seek advice from their Practice Nurse, GP or Travel Clinic when planning a visit to France. It should be noted that some vaccinations and treatments required may require one or more visits and should be planned well in advance of travel. Primary courses and boosters should always be up to date as recommended for life in the UK. This should include vaccines given to special groups due to complications or risk exposure such as Hepatitis B for health care workers, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly etc.

Immigration and Passport

Passports and passport replacing documents must be valid on arrival.

The following DO NOT require a visa: 1) Nationals of France. 2) For an unrestricted length of stay by: a) Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Rep. of), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. b) Holders of British passports endorsed "British Citizen" 3) For stays of up to 3 months by: a) Nationals of Albania (Biometric Passports), Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia Herzegovina (Biometric Passports), Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Macedonia (Biometric Passports), Israel, Japan, Liechstenstein, Macao (SAR Passports), Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro (Biometric Passports), New Zealand, Hong-Kong (SAR Passports), Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Christopher and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia (Biometric Passports), Seychelles, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan (Passports must contain ID number), United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela b) Holders of British passports endorsed "British National (Overseas)"

See Notes in passport section for passengers arriving/departing from Geneva (GVA) or Basle/Mulhouse/Freiberg (BSL) airports.

Useful Contacts

Embassy

Embassy of France 58 Knightsbridge London SW1X 7JT tel: +44 20 7073 1000 fax: +44 20 7073 1004 Consular Section 21 Cromwell Road London SW7 2EN tel: +44 20 7073 1200 fax: +44 20 7073 1201 Visa Section 6A Cromwell Place London SW7 2EW tel: +44 20 7073 1250 fax:+44 20 7073 1246 office hours: Monday to Friday, 0830 to 1630 website: www.ambafrance-uk.org/-Consulate-general-in-London-

Airports

  • Ajaccio (Corsica)
  • Bastia Poretta (Corsica)
  • Bordeaux
  • Brest Bretagne
  • Caen Carpiquet
  • Chambery
  • Clermont-Ferrand/Auvergne
  • Dijon Bourgogne
  • Grenoble Saint Geoirs
  • Le Havre Octeville
  • Lille Lesquin
  • Limoges International Airport
  • Lyon-Saint Exupery
  • Marce (Angers)
  • Marseille-Provence
  • Montpellier Mediterranee
  • Nantes Atlantique
  • Nice Cote d'Azur
  • Paris Beauvais
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle
  • Paris Orly
  • Pau Pyrenees
  • Perpignan/Rivesaltes Intl
  • Pontoise Cormeilles en Vexin
  • Rennes
  • Rodez Marcillac Airport
  • Rouen Vallee de Seine
  • Strasbourg International
  • Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees Intl
  • Toulouse Blagnac International

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