FRANCE TRAVEL INFORMATION:

This bit of information is for general travel throughout France. Each of our tour clients will receive this in addition to more detailed information about their tour.

Paris Hotels - see our site at www.hotelsparis.net
Hotels throughout France - see our site at www.francegetaways.com
Regional Tourist Offices throughout France - see our links page

See our new Vocabulary and interactive Language page

Arriving in Paris: most flights now arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport from foreign destinations. There are still some charters and inter France flights going out of Orly. Our site at www.gotoparis.net discusses in detail the different options available for getting into the city. These options include: express buses, trains, taxis, and private transfers.

To get from CDG airport to Orly, the best is by Air France bus. They depart every 30 minutes between 6:30 am and 10:30 pm.

Traveling around in France:

France is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. +1). This makes it 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (E.S.T. +6, and +9 PST).
The time is the same all over the country.

The country is divided in 95 departments – each has its name and its number and this number is set by alphabetical order. That number is found at the beginning of each zip code of the department as well as the last 2 digits of the car plates.

Documentation
U.S citizens only need a valid passport to travel to France as long as their stay does not exceed 3 months. You are required to carry identification with you at all times when traveling in France. If you lose your passport, contact:

American Consulate
2, rue Saint Florentin - 75001 Paris
Tel: 01.42.96.12.02 or 01.42.61.80.75

Consular Section for Canadians
35, Avenue de Montaigne - 75008 Paris
Tel: 01.44.43.32.00

Post Office - Mail / Shipping
The Post Office is called LA POSTE or PTT. Generally open M-F from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 12pm.

Telephone
France is divided by 5 zones for the telephone. The 2 first digits of a phone number tells you the area: 01 is Paris / 02 northwest / 03 northeast / 04 southeast / 05 southwest.
From the States, you don’t need to dial the 0. But once in France, you have to dial the 0. Phone numbers must have 10 digits (including the first 0), no exception – except of course the emergency numbers. Public phones in France require a telephone card, or they can often work also with a credit card. Check for the signs “Visa”, “Master Card”, etc…

Emergency telephone numbers throughout France

24 hour ambulance (called “SAMU”): 15
Police: 17
Fire: 18

Other telephone numbers in Paris:
24 hour doctor: 01.47.07.77.77
24 hour dentist: 01.43.37.51.00
English language crisis line: 01.47.23.80.80


Public Holidays

January 1st / Easter Monday / May 1st = Labor Day / May 8th / Ascension Thursday (last Thursday of May) / Pentecote Monday (beginning of June) / July 14 = Bastille Day / August 15 = Assumption / November 1st / November 11th / December 25th.

Electric current
Electricity in France runs on 220 volt, 50-cycle AC current. If you bring electrical devices, you will need to have a transformer and plug adapter.

Banking / Purchasing
Banks are generally open weekdays 9am - 4:30pm. In many cities outside Paris banks close for lunch, sometimes for 2 hours. Most banks are closed Saturday and Sunday and all holidays. The main banks are: BNP / Credit Agricole / Societe Generale / Caisse d’Epargne / Credit du Nord, etc…
The Euro - €
As of January 1, 2002, the Euro is the official currency in France and the 11 other countries currently participating in European currency union. The old French Franc is now part of history and is no longer accepted as a payment form. Check before departure the equivalent of the Euro compare to the U.S Dollar. The Euro paper currency will be the same in all 12 countries, in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros. The coins however, will bear a different face according to the country. There are 8 coins: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euros.

Driving in France

Document / Insurance / Law
- An American driver’s license is valid for Americans driving in France. Have another ID document with you like your passport.
- Insurance is highly recommended, be sure you are set before you leave home.
- The legal age to drive in France is 18.
- Trucks – except with special authorization – are not allowed to drive on Sunday.
- Seat belts must be worn at all times – children under 12 must sit in the backseat
- Park your car only where it is authorized, fines arrive quickly! And cars are often towed away.

Car rental
The legal age to rent a car is 21– but most companies require being 25 years old.
See our links page for companies, and insurance options.

Gas
Taxes on gas are very high in France, which explains the price of the liter:
On the petrol pump “Sans Plomb” means unleaded petrol. Gas stations along highways are open 24 h / 7 days. French usually get gas at large stores like Carrefour, Leclerc, Casino, etc… You can go at any time, help yourself and use your credit card

Types of roads
Interstate toll way / Motorway = A + the number of the road / 130km/h is the speed limit. This is also a toll road, you can pay tolls with a credit card; this is the fast way to travel, but is not cheap! Every 20 km you have restaurants, gas station, sometimes shops, restrooms…
National road = N + number of the road / 90km/h. If you are not traveling too far or if you have plenty of time, then the more scenic and free way to go is on the National roads. A famous road in France is the National 7 / N7. There is even a song ? about that road sung by Charles TRENET!
Department road = D + number of the road / 50km/h. Great for seeing the back country of France; very slow going.

PARIS - some basic info is below.

Museum passes, metro passes, day tours, shows, bus tours, more: www.gotoparis.net

TOURIST OFFICES
There are many convenient locations within Paris:

Carrousel du Louvre: 99 Rue de Rivoli, 75001. Metro: Palais Royal / Louvre (1,7)
Montmartre: 21 Place du Tertre, 75018. Metro: Abbesses (12)
Gare du Nord: Metro / RER (B,D,4,5)
Tour Eiffel: Metro / RER: Champs de Mars / Tour Eiffel (C), Bir-Hakeim (6)
Gare de Lyon: Metro / RER (A,D,1,14)
Opera – Grands Magasins: 11 rue Scribe, 75009/ Metro: Opera (3,7,8) / RER: Auber (A)

Train Stations in Paris:
Gare du Nord: North of France, Belgium, Eurostar to London, UK
Gare de L’Est: Champagne, Alsace / Germany
Gare de Lyon: Southeast, Provence – Cote d’Azur / Italy
Gare Austerlitz: Loire Valley, Southwest France
Gare Montparnasse: Brittany, TGV to Loire and Southwest
Gare Saint Lazare: Normandy, western coast

More detailed travel information is available at the French Governement Tourist Office Website at www.franceguide.com