France   

France is the third largest country in Europe (after Russia and Ukraine. It is also one of the most geographically diverse. Its landscape ranges from the rolling meadows and apple orchards of Normandy and Brittany to the vineyards and olive groves of the far south, from the ragged snow-capped Alps of the Swiss border to the explosive volcanic craters, canyons, and caves in the forested Auvergne. Historically too, this has been one of the most important regions in Europe since the first Merovingians rampaged across the continent in the 6th century AD. Today, France is a peaceful if still politically volatile democracy, but the map of modern France was only drawn in 1860, and in many ways it is still not one country but a patchwork of different cultures, traditions, and strong local pride.

These sensitivities have led through the ages to appalling bloodshed, but have also created an immense cultural wealth that has kept the area at the forefront of the arts for a millennium. The flowering of medieval Gothic cathedrals, built by crusading kings such as Saint Louis, were accompanied by fearsome battles against the Anglo-Norman lords of Aquitaine. The renaissance splendour of François I's magnificent chateaux was followed by the ugliness of the Wars of Religion, which destroyed much of beauty and left the Huguenots fleeing for their lives. The self-centred glories of the court of the “Sun King”, Louis XIV, and his successors, led directly to the Revolution of 1789 and the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. During Napoléon's brief empire France seemed invincible, but his downfall in 1815 led to 50 years of rebellion and counter-revolution. No sooner had these upheavals settled down into another golden age, the Belle Époque, than the horrors of modern warfare swept across the country, with the trenches of World War I followed by the German invasion and the Occupation of World War II.

France's most enduring legacy is to the senses and the intellect. Each region has its own cuisine, from butter-rich Normandy to the foie gras and walnuts of the Périgord, the basil, garlic, and tomatoes of Provence, or the cabbage and sausage of Alsace. French style, too, has led the world. The seductive clash of philosophy and image has created magnificent literature, from the satires of Rabelais and Molière to the social treatises of Balzac and Hugo or the philosophies of Sartre. A willingness to experiment led artists such as Manet and Monet to create Impressionism and George Braque to invent Cubism, while Cocteau and Satie were at the forefront of the avant-garde. Singers such as Josephine Baker and Edith Piaf transformed cabaret, while more recently Roger Vadim and Brigitte Bardot created cinema's Nouvelle Vague. Dozens of leading fashion designers have been nurtured in France, including Balmain, Cardin, Chanel, Dior, and St-Laurent. Even politicians have added chic, with presidents Pompidou and Mitterrand sponsoring some of the most innovative architecture of the late 20th century in projects such as the Pompidou Centre or the glass pyramid at the refurbished Louvre Museum.

Citizens of the European Union (EU), as well as citizens of Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Switzerland, can enter France with a valid national identity card. However, citizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland, where there is no identity card system, must carry a valid passport. Other nationals should consult the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence before departure, for details of any visa requirements.

Emergency medical treatment: 15
Police: 17
Fire brigade, paramedics: 18
Alternative pan-European emergency number for all services: 112

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus one hour. Clocks are put forward another hour from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the end of October.

Check with your motor vehicle insurance company regarding any insurance documents you will need and whether additional insurance is required. Make sure you have a red warning triangle in the car in case of an accident or breakdown. The international registration letters of your country of residence must be displayed at the rear of the car.

Always carry your full valid driving licence or International Driving Permit, vehicle registration documents, and insurance documents with you in the car. Although a Green Card is not mandatory, it is still advisable. Seat belts must be worn by both front- and back-seat passengers. Children under ten and/or under 1.5 metres (5 feet) are not allowed to travel in the front seat unless they are placed in an approved fitted seat facing backwards. Right-hand-drive cars must be fitted with headlamp deflectors. Driving with faulty bulbs is illegal, so carry spare bulbs. Fines for traffic infringements may be exacted on the spot. The highest level of alcohol permitted in the bloodstream is 50 mg per 100 ml (5g/l).

France's 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) of motorways are mostly toll roads (autoroutes à péage), which are always marked with an “A”. Toll roads can prove expensive over long distances, but they provide the fastest, most efficient routes. You can pay by cash or credit card (usually Visa, MasterCard, and Eurocard) for sums over 50 francs. Some foreign notes (but no coins) may be accepted. If you are not in a hurry, use the “N” roads (routes nationales) and “D” roads (routes départementales). These are usually spacious and less crowded than the motorways. Speed limits are 130 kilometres (80 miles) per hour on toll motorways, 110 kilometres (69 miles) per hour on dual carriageways and motorways without tolls, 90 kilometres (55 miles) per hour on other roads outside built-up areas, and 50 kilometres (31 miles) per hour in towns and cities. You are expected to reduce your speed significantly on wet roads. Where visibility is less than 50 metres (55 yards), the optimum speed limit on motorways is 50 kilometres (31 miles) per hour.

If you plan to stay in the centre of Paris, you will probably make little use of your car. Public transport is excellent and parking in the centre of the city can be difficult and expensive. If you must drive in or around Paris, try to avoid the rush hours (07.00 to 09.30 and 16.30 to 19.30). Roads in France tend to be crowded at weekends before and after school holidays, especially around the main cities. Information on roadworks and traffic jams is given on the radio frequency FM 107.7. Heavy on-the-spot fines can be imposed for motoring offences. Failure to pay can result in the car being impounded. Driving licences can also be confiscated and without a second driver you will be unable to continue your journey by car.

Car parks and rest areas are located every 10 to 20 kilometres (6 to 12 miles) on French motorways, and orange emergency telephones can be found every 2 kilometres (1.2 miles). In the event of a breakdown on a motorway or on the Paris périphérique (ring road), you must call the official French breakdown service operating in that area, not your own motoring organisation. If you break down elsewhere, try to find the nearest garage and, if this proves impossible, phone the police on 17.

The electrical current in France is 220 volts AC. Round, two-pin plugs are used. An adapter is essential for UK and Irish appliances.

The official monetary unit in France is the franc. There are 100 centimes in a franc. Notes come in denominations of F500, 200, 100, 50, and 20. Coins are in denominations of F20, 10, 5, 2, and 1, and 50, 20, 10, and 5 centimes. France is one of 11 European Union countries which will adopt the Euro (€) as its currency on 1 January 2002. Prices and bills are increasingly quoted in both francs and Euros. The fixed exchange rate is €1=FF6.55957. Franc notes and coins will cease to be legal tender on 1 July 2002.

Travellers cheques are the safest way to carry money, and you should buy these in your country of residence before departure. The credit card most widely accepted in France is the Carte Bleue, which is equivalent to Visa and MasterCard. The letters CB indicate where these cards are welcome. Most hotels, restaurants, and shops accept other major cards, but it is worth checking in advance. In cities, small towns, and frequently visited villages you will find banks and agencies where foreign cash and travellers cheques can be changed. (Some do not charge commission.) Banks are open weekdays from 09.00 to 16.00 and many close for lunch. They are also closed Sundays, holidays, and the afternoon before holidays, as well as Saturdays in Paris and Mondays in the provinces. Bureaux de change usually keep longer hours than banks.

A service charge of 15 percent is usually included in restaurant bills, but further tips are often expected. If you are satisfied with the service, leave some small change as a gesture of appreciation. Tips in hotels are discretionary, but porters expect about F5 to F10 per piece of luggage. Give tour guides around F5 to F10 per person, depending on the length of the tour. Leave about F1 to F3 to toilet attendants in cafés and restaurants. Ushers in cinemas and theatres expect F1 to F2. The sign Pourboire Interdit means that tipping is forbidden.

1 January: New Year's Day
Easter Sunday
Easter Monday
1 May: Labour Day
8 May: Victory in Europe Day and Ascension Day
!3 May
Whit Monday
14 July: Bastille Day
15 August: Assumption Day
1 November: All Saints' Day
11 November: Remembrance Day
25 December: Christmas Day

Main cities and resorts have some wheelchair-accessible hotels, and a number of public buildings such as monuments and museums are equipped with lifts, ramps, and special toilets for visitors with disabilities. Look for the sign accessible aux handicapés. Regional hotel lists indicate where rooms are accessible to wheelchair-users. Public transport is not always convenient for wheelchairs, although the SNCF (French Railways) does have some railway cars designed and reserved especially for travellers with disabilities. Organisations that can provide further information include the Association des Paralysés de France (APF), Service Information, 17 boulevard Auguste Blanqui, 75013 Paris, tel: +33 1 40 78 69 00, fax: +33 1 40 78 69 63, and the Comité National Français de Liaison pour la Réadaption des Handicapés (CNFLRH), 236 bis rue de Tolbiac, 75013 Paris, tel: +33 1 53 80 66 66, fax: +33 1 53 80 66 67.

The buses in Paris run fairly efficiently and are an attractive option if you are sightseeing. Tickets can be bought on the bus or in metro stations. After boarding the bus, validate your ticket in the machine next to the bus driver. If you have a carte orange, show it to the bus driver. Note that buses with two-digit numbers serve inner Paris while those with three-digit numbers serve the outskirts. Buses run from around 06.30 to 21.00 and night services operate on ten different routes, from the Place du Châtelet near the Hôtel de Ville. The Paris Métro is clean, efficient, and convenient. Metro lines are named after the last stop on the line. (You can pick up a free map at any metro station.) If in doubt, look for the end destination on the front and sides of the train. Various useful passes for frequent travel are available covering periods from one day to a month; these are valid on the bus, metro, and suburban train system (RER). The metro operates daily from 05.30 to 24.20 or 01.00.

A number of car ferries service France's offshore islands. Corsica can be reached by ferry from Nice, Toulon, and Marseilles. Ferries land at the ports of Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi, L'Île-Rousse, or Propriano. Car ferries also run to Le Palais in Belle Île from Port Maria in Quiberon, and from Vannes in the summer. A passenger ferry also sails from Quiberon to the smaller islands of Houat and Hoëdic.