Survival Guide
Directory A–Z
Accommodation
Climate
Customs Regulations
Electricity
Health
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
LGBT Travellers
Money
Opening Hours
Public Holidays
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Directory A–Z
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Accommodation
Be it a fairy-tale château, a boutique hideaway or floating pod on a lake, France has accommodation to suit every taste and pocket. If you’re visiting in high season (especially August), reserve ahead – the best addresses on the coast fill up months in advance.
Book Your Stay Online
For more accomodation reviews by Lonely Planet writers, check out, www.lonelyplanet.com/hotels. You'll find independent reviews, as well as recommendations on the best places to stay. Best of all you can book online.
Price Ranges
The following price ranges refer to a double room in high season, with private bathroom (any combination of toilet, bathtub, shower and washbasin), excluding breakfast unless otherwise noted. Breakfast is assumed to be included at a B&B. Where half board (breakfast and dinner) and full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) is included, this is mentioned with the price.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| € | less than €90 (less than €130 in Paris) |
| €€ | €90-190 (€130-250 in Paris) |
| €€€ | more than €190 (more than €250 in Paris) |
Reservations
Midrange, top-end and many budget hotels require a credit card number to secure an advance reservation made by phone; some hostels do not take bookings. Many tourist offices can advise on availability and reserve for you, often for a fee of €5 and usually only if you stop by in person. In the Alps, ski-resort tourist offices run a central reservation service for booking accommodation.
Seasons
oIn ski resorts, high season is Christmas, New Year and the February–March school holidays.
oOn the coast, high season is summer, particularly August.
oHotels in inland cities often charge low-season rates in summer.
oRates often drop outside the high season – in some cases by as much as 50%.
oIn business-oriented hotels in cities, rooms are most expensive from Monday to Thursday and cheaper over the weekend.
oIn the Alps, hotels usually close between seasons, from around May to mid-June and from mid-September to early December.
B&Bs
For charm, a heartfelt bienvenue (welcome) and solid home cooking, it's hard to beat France's privately run chambres d'hôte (B&Bs) – urban rarities but as common as muck in rural areas. By law a chambre d'hôte must have no more than five rooms and breakfast must be included in the price; some hosts prepare a meal (table d'hôte) for an extra charge of around €30 including wine. Pick up lists of chambres d'hôte at tourist offices, or find one to suit online.
oBienvenue à la Ferme (www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com)
oChambres d'Hôtes France (www.chambresdhotesfrance.com)
oFleurs de Soleil (www.fleursdesoleil.fr) Selective collection of 550 stylish maisons d'hôte, mainly in rural France.
oGîtes de France (www.gites-de-france.com) France's primary umbrella organisation for B&Bs and self-catering properties (gîtes); search by region, theme (charm, with kids, by the sea, gourmet, great garden etc), activity (fishing, wine tasting etc) or facilities (pool, dishwasher, fireplace, baby equipment, etc).
oiGuide (www.iguide-hotels.com) Gorgeous presentation of France's most charming and often-times most upmarket B&Bs, organised by region and/or theme (romantic, gastronomic, green, oenological and so forth).
oSamedi Midi Éditions (www.samedimidi.com) Country, mountain, seaside…choose your chambre d'hôte by location or theme (romance, golf, design, cooking courses).
Camping
Be it a Mongolian yurt, boutique treehouse or simple canvas beneath stars, camping in France is in vogue. Thousands of well-equipped campgrounds dot the country, many considerately placed by rivers, lakes and the sea.
oMost campgrounds open March or April to late September or October; popular spots fill up fast in summer so it is wise to call ahead.
o'Sites' refer to fixed-price deals for two people including a tent and a car. Otherwise the price is broken down per adult/tent/car. Factor in a few extra euro per night for taxe de séjour (holiday tax) and electricity.
oPitching up 'wild' in nondesignated spots (camping sauvage) is illegal in France.
Websites with campground listings searchable by location, theme and facilities:
oBienvenue à la Ferme (www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com)
oCamping en France (www.camping.fr)
oCamping France (www.campingfrance.com)
oGîtes de France (www.gites-de-france.com)
oHPA Guide (http://camping.hpaguide.com)
Hostels
Hostels in France range from funky to threadbare, although with a wave of design-driven, up-to-the-minute hostels opening in Paris, Marseille and other big cities, hip hang-outs with perks aplenty seem to easily outweigh the threadbare these days.
oA dorm bed in an auberge de jeunesse (youth hostel) costs €20 to €50 in Paris, and anything from €15 to €40 in the provinces, depending on location, amenities and facilities; sheets are always included, breakfast more often than not.
oTo prevent outbreaks of bed bugs, sleeping bags are not permitted.
oHostels by the sea or in the mountains sometimes offer seasonal outdoor activities.
Hotels
Hotels in France are rated with one to five stars, although the ratings are based on highly objective criteria (eg the size of the entry hall), not the quality of the service, the decor or cleanliness.
oFrench hotels almost never include breakfast in their rates. Unless specified otherwise, prices quoted don't include breakfast, which costs around €8/12/25 in a budget/midrange/top-end hotel.
oWhen you book, hotels usually ask for a credit card number; some require a deposit.
oA double room generally has one double bed (sometimes two singles pushed together!); a room with twin beds (deux lits) is usually more expensive, as is a room with a bathtub instead of a shower.
oFeather pillows are practically nonexistent in France, even in top-end hotels.
oAll hotel restaurant terraces allow smoking; if you are sensitive to smoke, you may need to sit inside.
Which Floor?
In France, as elsewhere in Europe, 'ground floor' refers to the floor at street level; the 1st floor – what would be called the 2nd floor in the US – is the floor above that.
Climate
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Customs Regulations
Goods brought in and out of countries within the EU incur no additional taxes provided duty has been paid somewhere within the EU and the goods are for personal consumption. Duty-free shopping is available only if you are leaving the EU.
Duty-free allowances (for adults) coming from non-EU countries (including the Channel Islands):
o200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco
o1L spirits or 2L of sparkling wine/other alcoholic drinks less than 22% alcohol
o4L still wine
o16L beer
oother goods up to the value of €300/430 when entering by land/air or sea (€150 for under 15-year-olds)
Higher limits apply if you are coming from Andorra; anything over these limits must be declared. For further details, see www.douane.gouv.fr (partly in English).
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Electricity
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Health
France is a healthy place, so your main risks are likely to be sunburn, foot blisters, insect bites and mild stomach problems from eating and drinking with too much gusto.
Before You Go
oBring your medications in their original, clearly labelled, containers.
oA signed and dated letter from your physician describing your medical conditions and medications, including generic names (French medicine names are often completely different to those in other countries), is also a good idea.
oDental care in France is usually good; however, it is sensible to have a dental check-up before a long trip.
In France
Visitors to France can get excellent health care from hospital (hôpital) emergency rooms/casualty wards (salles des urgences) and at a doctors’ office (cabinet médical).
oFor minor illnesses, trained staff in pharmacies – in every village and town with a green-cross sign outside that flashes when open – give valuable advice, sell medications, can tell you when more specialised help is needed and will point you in the right direction.
oYou will need to pay upfront for any healthcare you receive, be it at a doctor’s surgery, pharmacy or hospital, unless your insurance plan makes payments directly to providers.
oThe standard rate for a consultation with a GP/specialist is €30 to €50.
oEmergency contraception is available with a doctor’s prescription. Condoms (les préservatifs) are readily available.
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Insurance
oComprehensive travel insurance to cover theft, loss and medical problems is highly recommended.
oSome policies specifically exclude dangerous activities such as scuba diving, motorcycling, skiing and even trekking: read the fine print.
oCheck that the policy covers ambulances or an emergency flight home.
oFind out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
oIf you have to claim later, make sure you keep all documentation.
oPaying for your airline ticket with a credit card often provides limited travel accident insurance – ask your credit card company what it is prepared to cover.
oWorldwide travel insurance is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-insurance. You can buy, extend and claim online anytime – even if you’re already on the road.
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Internet Access
oWi-fi (pronounced ‘wee-fee’ in French) is available at major airports, in most hotels, and at many cafes, restaurants, museums and tourist offices.
oFree public wi-fi hotspots are available in cities and many towns: Paris alone has 400 public hotspots in 26 different locations city-wide (www.paris.fr/wifi), including parks, libraries and municipal buildings. In parks look for a purple ‘Zone Wi-Fi’ sign near the entrance and select the 'PARIS_WI-FI_' network to connect.
oTo search for free wi-fi hot spots in France, visit www.hotspot-locations.com.
oTourist offices in some larger cities, including Lyon and Bordeaux, rent out pocket-sized mobile wi-fi devices that you carry around with you, ensuring a fast wi-fi connection while roaming the city.
oAlternatively, rent a mobile wi-fi device online before leaving home and arrange for it to be delivered by post to your hotel in France through HipPocketWifi (http://hippocketwifi.com), Travel WiFi (http://travel-wifi.com) or My Webspot (http://my-webspot.com).
oInternet cafes: at least one can usually be tracked down in cities. Prices range from €2 to €6 per hour.
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Legal Matters
Police
oFrench police have wide powers of search and seizure and can ask you to prove your identity at any time – whether or not there is 'probable cause'.
oForeigners must be able to prove their legal status in France (eg with a passport, visa or residency permit) without delay.
oIf the police stop you for any reason, be polite and remain calm. Verbally (and of course physically) abusing a police officer can lead to a hefty fine, and even imprisonment.
oYou may refuse to sign a police statement, and have the right to ask for a copy.
oPeople who are arrested are considered innocent until proven guilty, but can be held in custody until trial.
Drugs & Alcohol
oFrench law does not distinguish between 'hard' and 'soft' drugs.
oThe penalty for any personal use of stupéfiants (including cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy and heroin) can be a one-year jail sentence and a €3750 fine but, depending on the circumstances, it might be anything from a stern word to a compulsory rehab program.
oImporting, possessing, selling or buying drugs can get you up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to €500,000.
oPolice have been known to search chartered coaches, cars and train passengers for drugs just because they're coming from Amsterdam.
oIvresse (drunkenness) in public is punishable by a fine.
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LGBT Travellers
The rainbow flag flies high in France, a country that left its closet long before many of its European neighbours. Laissez-faire perfectly sums up France's liberal attitude towards homosexuality and people's private lives in general; in part because of a long tradition of public tolerance towards unconventional lifestyles.
oParis has been a thriving gay and lesbian centre since the late 1970s, and most major organisations are based there today.
oAttitudes towards homosexuality tend to be more conservative in the countryside and villages.
oFrance's lesbian scene is less public than its gay male counterpart and is centred mainly on women's cafes and bars.
oSame-sex marriage has been legal in France since May 2013.
oGay Pride marches are held in major French cities mid-May to early July.
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Money
You always get a better exchange rate in-country but it is a good idea to arrive in France with enough euros to take a taxi to a hotel if you have to.
ATMs
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) – known as distributeurs automatiques de billets (DAB) or points d'argent in French – are the cheapest and most convenient way to get money. ATMs connected to international networks are situated in all cities and towns and usually offer an excellent exchange rate.
Credit & Debit Cards
oCredit and debit cards, accepted almost everywhere in France, are convenient, relatively secure and usually offer a better exchange rate than travellers cheques or cash exchanges.
oCredit cards issued in France have embedded chips – you have to type in a PIN to make a purchase.
oVisa, MasterCard and Amex can be used in shops and supermarkets and for train travel, car hire and motorway tolls.
oDon't assume that you can pay for a meal or a budget hotel with a credit card – enquire first.
oCash advances are a supremely convenient way to stay stocked up with euros but getting cash with a credit card involves both fees (sometimes US$10 or more) and interest – ask your credit-card issuer for details. Debit-card fees are usually much less.
Lost Cards
For lost cards, these numbers operate 24 hours:
Amex (
%01 47 77 72 00)
MasterCard (%08 00 90 13 87)
Visa (Carte Bleue; %08 00 90 11 79)
Exchange Rates
| Australia | A$1 | €0.70 |
| Canada | C$1 | €0.69 |
| Japan | ¥100 | €0.72 |
| NZ | NZ$1 | €0.64 |
| UK | UK£1 | €1.26 |
| US | US$1 | €0.76 |
For current exchange rates see www.xe.com
Money Changers
oCommercial banks charge up to €5 per foreign-currency transaction – if they even bother to offer exchange services any more.
oIn Paris and major cities, bureaux de change (exchange bureaus) are faster and easier, open longer hours and often give better rates than banks.
oSome post-office branches exchange travellers cheques and banknotes in a variety of currencies but charge a commission for cash; most won't take US$100 bills.
Tipping
By law, restaurant and bar prices are service compris (ie they include a 15% service charge), so there is no need to leave a pourboire (tip). If you were extremely satisfied with the service, however, you can – as many locals do – show your appreciation by leaving a small 'extra' tip for your waiter.
| Where/Who | Customary Tip |
|---|---|
| bar | No tips for drinks served at bar; round to nearest euro for drinks served at table |
| cafe | 5-10% |
| hotel porter | €1-2 per bag |
| restaurant | 10% |
| taxi | 10-15% |
| toilet attendant | €0.50 |
| tour guide | €1-2 per person |
Americans, Take Note!
Travellers with credit cards issued in the US, be aware that you might well find yourself occasionally stuck when it comes to paying with your card: certain places in France – notably, Vélib in Paris and bike-share schemes in other cities, self-service toll booths on the autoroute (highway), and garages with self-service petrol (gas) pumps – only accept credit cards with chips and PINs. There is no solution to this bar ensuring you always have an emergency stash of cash on you.
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Opening Hours
Opening hours vary throughout the year. We list high-season opening hours, but remember that longer summer hours often decrease in shoulder and low seasons.
Banks 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday or Tuesday to Saturday
Restaurants Noon to 2.30pm and 7pm to 11pm six days a week
Cafes 7am to 11pm
Bars 7pm to 1am
Clubs 10pm to 3am, 4am or 5am Thursday to Saturday
Shops 10am to noon and 2pm to 7pm Monday to Saturday
Practicalities
Laundry Virtually all French cities and towns have at least one laverie libre-service (self-service laundrette). Machines run on coins.
Smoking Illegal in all indoor public spaces, including restaurants and pubs (though, of course, smokers still light up on the terraces outside).
Newspapers and magazines Locals read their news in centre-left Le Monde (www.lemonde.fr), right-leaning Le Figaro (www.lefigaro.fr) or left-leaning Libération (www.liberation.fr).
Radio For news, tune in to the French-language France Info (105.5MHz; www.franceinfo.fr), multilanguage RFI (738kHz or 89MHz in Paris; www.rfi.fr) or, in northern France, the BBC World Service (648kHz) and BBC Radio 4 (198kHz). Popular national FM music stations include NRJ (www.nrj.fr), Virgin (www.virginradio.fr), La Radio Plus (www.laradioplus.com) and Nostalgie (www.nostalgie.fr).
TV and video TV is Secam; videos work on the PAL system.
Weights & Measures France uses the metric system.
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Public Holidays
The following jours fériés (public holidays) are observed in France:
New Year's Day (Jour de l'An) 1 January
Easter Sunday & Monday (Pâques & Lundi de Pâques) Late March/April
May Day (Fête du Travail) 1 May
Victoire 1945 8 May
Ascension Thursday (Ascension) May; on the 40th day after Easter
Pentecost/Whit Sunday & Whit Monday (Pentecôte & Lundi de Pentecôte) Mid-May to mid-June; on the seventh Sunday after Easter
Bastille Day/National Day (Fête Nationale) 14 July
Assumption Day (Assomption) 15 August
All Saints' Day (Toussaint) 1 November
Remembrance Day (L'onze Novembre) 11 November
Christmas (Noël) 25 December
The following are not public holidays in France: Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras; the first day of Lent); Maundy (or Holy) Thursday and Good Friday, just before Easter; and Boxing Day (26 December).
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Telephone
Mobile Phones
oFrench mobile phone numbers begin with 06 or 07.
oFrance uses GSM 900/1800, which is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia but not with the North American GSM 1900 or the totally different system in Japan (though some North Americans have tri-band phones that work here).
oCheck with your service provider about roaming charges – dialling a mobile phone from a fixed-line phone or another mobile can be incredibly expensive.
oIt is usually cheaper to buy a local SIM card from a French provider such as Orange, SFR, Bouygues and Free Mobile which gives you a local phone number. To do this, ensure your phone is unlocked.
oIf you already have a compatible phone, you can slip in a SIM card (from €3.90) and rev it up with prepaid credit, though this is likely to run out fast as domestic prepaid calls cost about €0.50 per minute.
oRecharge cards are sold at most tabacs (tobacconist-newsagents), supermarkets and online through websites such as Topengo (www.topengo.fr) or Sim-OK (https://recharge.sim-ok.com).
Phone Codes
Calling France from abroad Dial your country's international access code, then 33 (France's country code), then the 10-digit local number without the initial zero.
Calling internationally from France Dial 00 (the international access code), the indicatif (country code), the area code (without the initial zero if there is one) and the local number. Some country codes are posted in public telephones.
Directory inquiries For national service des renseignements (directory inquiries) dial 11 87 12 or use the service for free online at www.118712.fr.
International directory inquiries For numbers outside France, dial 11 87 00.
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Time
France uses the 24-hour clock and is on Central European Time, which is one hour ahead of GMT/UTC. During daylight saving time, which runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, France is two hours ahead of GMT/UTC.
The following times do not take daylight saving into account:
| City | Noon in Paris |
|---|---|
| Auckland | 11pm |
| Berlin | noon |
| Cape Town | noon |
| London | 11am |
| New York | 6am |
| San Francisco | 3am |
| Sydney | 9pm |
| Tokyo | 8pm |
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Toilets
Public toilets, signposted WC or toilettes, are not always plentiful in France, especially outside the big cities.
Love them (as a sci-fi geek) or loathe them (as a claustrophobe), France's 24-hour self-cleaning toilets are here to stay. Outside Paris these mechanical WCs are free, but in Paris they cost around €0.50 a go. Don't even think about nipping in after someone else to avoid paying unless you fancy a douche (shower) with disinfectant.
Some older establishments and motorway stops still have the hole-in-the-floor toilettes à la turque (squat toilets).
The French are completely blasé about unisex toilets, so save your blushes when tiptoeing past the urinals to reach the ladies' loo.
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Tourist Information
Almost every city, town and village has an office de tourisme (a tourist office run by some unit of local government) or syndicat d'initiative (a tourist office run by an organisation of local merchants). Both are excellent resources and can supply you with local maps as well as details on accommodation, restaurants and activities.
Useful websites:
French Government Tourist Office (www.france.fr) The lowdown on sights, activities, transport and special-interest holidays in all of France's regions. Brochures can be downloaded online.
French Tourist Offices (www.tourisme.fr) Website of tourist offices in France, with mountains of inspirational information organised by theme and region.
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Travellers with Disabilities
While France presents evident challenges for visiteurs handicapés (disabled visitors) – cobblestones, cafe-lined streets that are a nightmare to navigate in a wheelchair (fauteuil roulant), a lack of kerb ramps, older public facilities and many budget hotels without lifts – don't let that stop you from visiting. Efforts are being made to improve the situation and with a little careful planning, a hassle-free accessible stay is possible. Download Lonely Planet's free Accessible Travel guide from http://lptravel.to/AccessibleTravel.
oParis tourist office runs the excellent ‘Tourisme & Handicap’ initiative whereby museums, cultural attractions, hotels and restaurants that provide access or special assistance or facilities for those with physical, mental, visual and/or hearing disabilities display a special logo at their entrances. For a list of qualifying places, go to www.parisinfo.com and click on ‘Practical Paris’.
oParis metro, most of it built decades ago, is hopeless. Line 14 of the metro was built to be wheelchair-accessible, although in reality it remains extremely challenging to navigate in a wheelchair – unlike Paris buses which are 100% accessible.
oParisian taxi company Horizon, part of Taxis G7 (www.taxisg7.fr), has cars especially adapted to carry wheelchairs and drivers trained in helping passengers with disabilities.
oCountrywide, many SNCF train carriages are accessible to people with disabilities. A traveller in a wheelchair can travel in both the TGV and in the 1st-class carriage with a 2nd-class ticket on mainline trains provided they make a reservation by phone or at a train station at least a few hours before departure. Details are available in the SNCF booklet Le Mémento du Voyageur Handicapé (Handicapped Traveller Summary) available at all train stations.
Accès Plus (%08 90 64 06 50, 09 69 32 26 26; www.accessibilite.sncf.com) The SNCF assistance service for rail travellers with disabilities. Can advise on station accessibility and arrange a fauteuil roulant or help getting on or off a train.
Access Travel (%in UK 01942-888 844; www.access-travel.co.uk) Specialised UK-based agency for accessible travel.
Infomobi.com (%09 70 81 83 85; www.infomobi.com) Has comprehensive information on accessible travel in Paris and the surrounding Île de France area.
Mobile en Ville (%09 52 29 60 51; www.mobile-en-ville.asso.fr; 8 rue des Mariniers, 14e) Association that works hard to make independent travel within Paris easier for people in wheelchairs. Among other things it organises some great family randonnées (walks) in and around Paris.
Tourisme et Handicaps (
GOOGLE MAP
; %01 44 11 10 41; www.tourisme-handicaps.org; 43 rue Marx Dormoy, 18e, Paris) Issues the 'Tourisme et Handicap' label to tourist sites, restaurants and hotels that comply with strict accessibility and usability standards. Different symbols indicate the sort of access afforded to people with physical, mental, hearing and/or visual disabilities.
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Visas
oFor up-to-date details on visa requirements, see the website of the Ministère des Affaires Étrangères (Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; www.diplomatie.gouv.fr; 37 quai d’Orsay, 7e; 
mAssemblée Nationale) and click 'Coming to France'.
oEU nationals and citizens of Iceland, Norway and Switzerland need only a passport or a national identity card to enter France and stay in the country, even for stays of over 90 days. However, citizens of new EU member states may be subject to various limitations on living and working in France.
oCitizens of Australia, the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and many Latin American countries do not need visas to visit France as tourists for up to 90 days. For long stays of over 90 days, contact your nearest French embassy or consulate and begin your application well in advance, as it can take months.
oOther people wishing to come to France as tourists have to apply for a Schengen Visa, named after the agreements that have abolished passport controls between 26 European countries. It allows unlimited travel throughout the entire zone for a 90-day period. Apply to the consulate of the country you are entering first, or your main destination. Among other things, you need travel and repatriation insurance and to be able to show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself.
oTourist visas cannot be changed into student visas after arrival. However, short-term visas are available for students sitting university-entrance exams in France.
oTourist visas cannot be extended except in emergencies (such as medical problems). When your visa expires you'll need to leave and reapply from outside France.
Transport
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Getting There & Away
Flights, cars and tours can be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Air
Air France (www.airfrance.com) is the national carrier, with plenty of both domestic and international flights in and out of major French airports.
Climate Change & Travel
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aero- planes, which might use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generat- ed by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
Bicycle
Transporting a bicycle to France is a breeze.
On Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (%in France 08 10 63 03 04, in UK 08443 35 35 35; www.eurotunnel.com) trains through the Channel Tunnel, the fee for a bicycle, including its rider, is from UK£20 one way.
A bike that's been dismantled to the size of a suitcase can be carried on board a Eurostar (%in France 08 92 35 35 39, in UK 08432 186 186; www.eurostar.com) train from London or Brussels just like any other luggage. Otherwise, there's a UK£30 charge and you'll need advance reservations. For links relevant to taking your bike on other international trains to France, see RailPassenger Info (www.railpassenger.info).
On ferries, foot passengers – where allowed – can usually (but not always) bring along a bicycle for no charge.
European Bike Express (%in UK 01430 422 111; www.bike-express.co.uk) transports cyclists and their bikes from the UK to places around France.
Bus
Eurolines (%08 92 89 90 91; www.eurolines.eu), a grouping of 32 long-haul coach operators (including the UK's National Express), links France with cities all across Europe, Morocco and Russia. Discounts are available to people under 26 and over 60. Make advance reservations, especially in July and August.
A single Paris–London fare is between €18 and €40, including a Channel crossing by ferry or the Channel Tunnel. Book as far ahead as possible to bag the cheapest ticket.
Car & Motorcycle
A right-hand-drive vehicle brought to France from the UK or Ireland must have deflectors affixed to the headlights to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. In the UK, information on driving in France is available from the RAC (www.rac.co.uk/driving-abroad/france) and the AA (www.theaa.com).
A foreign motor vehicle entering France must display a sticker or licence plate identifying its country of registration.
Eurotunnel
The Channel Tunnel (Chunnel), inaugurated in 1994, is the first dry-land link between England and France since the last ice age.
High-speed Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (%in France 08 10 63 03 04, in UK 08443 35 35 35; www.eurotunnel.com) trains whisk bicycles, motorcycles, cars and coaches in 35 minutes from Folkestone through the Channel Tunnel to Coquelles, 5km southwest of Calais. Shuttles run 24 hours a day, with up to three departures an hour during peak periods. LPG and CNG tanks are not permitted, meaning gas-powered cars and many campers and caravans have to travel by ferry.
Eurotunnel sets its fares the way budget airlines do: the further in advance you book and the lower the demand for a particular crossing, the less you pay; same-day fares can cost a small fortune. Fares for a car, including up to nine passengers, start at UK£23/€32.
Train
Rail services link France with virtually every country in Europe.
oBook tickets and get train information from Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com). In the UK contact Railteam (www.railteam.co.uk).
oA very useful train-travel resource is the information-packed website The Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com).
Eurostar
The Eurostar (%in France 08 92 35 35 39, in UK 08432 186 186; www.eurostar.com) whisks you from London to Paris in 2¼ hours.
Except late at night, trains link London (St Pancras International) with Paris (Gare du Nord; hourly), Calais (Calais-Fréthun; one hour, three daily), Lille (Gare Lille-Europe; 1½ hours, eight daily), Disneyland Resort Paris (2½ hours, one direct daily), Lyon (4¾ hours, one to five per week), Avignon (5¾ hours, one to five per week) and Marseille (6½ hours, one to five per week), with less frequent services departing from Ebbsfleet and Ashford in Kent. Weekend ski trains connect England with the French Alps late December to mid-April. Potential future new routes include a direct London–Bordeaux service.
Eurostar offers a bewildering array of fares. A semi-flexible 2nd-class one-way ticket from Paris to London costs €66.50; super-discount fares start at €39.
For the best deals buy a return ticket, stay over a Saturday night, book up to 120 days in advance and don't mind nonexchangeability and nonrefundability. Discount fares are available for under 26s or over 60s.
Sea
Some ferry companies have started setting fares the way budget airlines do: the longer in advance you book and the lower the demand for a particular sailing, the less you pay. Seasonal demand is a crucial factor (Christmas, Easter, UK and French school holidays, July and August are especially busy), as is the time of day (an early-evening ferry can cost much more than one at 4am). People under 25 and over 60 may qualify for discounts.
To get the best fares, check Ferry Savers (%in UK 0844 371 8021; www.ferrysavers.com).
Foot passengers are not allowed on Dover–Boulogne, Dover–Dunkirk or Dover–Calais car ferries except for daytime (and, from Calais to Dover, evening) crossings run by P&O Ferries. On ferries that do allow foot passengers, taking a bicycle is usually free.
P
Getting Around
Driving is the simplest way to get around France but a car is a liability in traffic-plagued, parking-starved city centres, and petrol bills and autoroute (dual carriageway/divided highway) tolls add up.
France is famous for its excellent public-transport network, which serves everywhere bar some very rural areas. The state-owned Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) takes care of almost all land transport between départements (counties). Transport within départements is handled by a combination of short-haul trains, SNCF buses and local bus companies.
Bicycle
France is great for cycling. Much of the countryside is drop-dead gorgeous and the country has a growing number of urban and rural pistes cyclables (bike paths and lanes; see Voies Vertes online at www.voievertes.com) and an extensive network of secondary and tertiary roads with relatively light traffic.
French law requires that bicycles must have two functioning brakes, a bell, a red reflector on the back and yellow reflectors on the pedals. After sunset and when visibility is poor, cyclists must turn on a white headlamp and a red tail lamp. When being overtaken by a vehicle, cyclists must ride in single file. Towing children in a bike trailer is permitted.
Never leave your bicycle locked up outside overnight if you want to see it – or at least most of its parts – again. Some hotels offer enclosed bicycle parking.
Bicycle Rental
Most French cities and towns have at least one bike shop that rents out vélos tout terrains (mountain bikes; around €15 a day), known as VTTs, as well as more road-oriented vélos tout chemin (VTCs), or cheaper city bikes. You usually have to leave ID and/or a deposit (often a credit-card slip of €250) that you forfeit if the bike is damaged or stolen.
A growing number of cities – including Paris, Lyon, Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Caen, Marseille, Nice, Rouen and Vannes – have automatic bike-rental systems, intended to encourage cycling as a form of urban transport, with computerised pick-up and drop-off sites all over town. In general, you have to sign up either short term or long term, providing credit-card details, and can then use the bikes for no charge for the first half-hour; after that, hourly charges rise quickly.
Car & Motorcycle
Having your own wheels gives you exceptional freedom and makes it easy to visit more remote parts of France. Depending on the number of passengers, it can also work out cheaper than the train. For example, by autoroute, the 930km drive from Paris to Nice (9½ hours of driving) in a small car costs about €75 for petrol and another €75 in tolls – by comparison, a one-way, 2nd-class TGV ticket for the 5½-hour Paris to Nice run costs anything from €45 to €140 per person.
In the cities, traffic and finding a place to park can be a major headache. During holiday periods and bank-holiday weekends, roads throughout France also get backed up with traffic jams (bouchons).
Motorcyclists will find France great for touring, with winding roads of good quality and lots of stunning scenery. Just make sure your wet-weather gear is up to scratch.
France (along with Belgium) has the densest highway network in Europe. There are four types of intercity roads:
Autoroutes (highway names beginning with A) Multilane divided highways, usually (except near Calais and Lille) with tolls (péages). Generously outfitted with rest stops.
Routes Nationales (N, RN) National highways. Some sections have divider strips.
Routes Départementales (D) Local highways and roads.
Routes Communales (C, V) Minor rural roads.
For information on autoroute tolls, rest areas, traffic and weather, go to the Sociétés d'Autoroutes website (www.autoroutes.fr).
Bison Futé (www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr) is also a good source of information about traffic conditions. Plot itineraries between your departure and arrival points, and calculate toll costs with an online mapper like Via Michelin (www.viamichelin.com) or Mappy (www.mappy.fr).
Theft from cars is a major problem in France, especially in the south.
Car Hire
To hire a car in France, you'll generally need to be over 21 years old, have had a driving licence for at least a year, and have an international credit card. Drivers under 25 usually have to pay a surcharge (frais jeune conducteur) of €25 to €35 per day.
Car-hire companies provide mandatory third-party liability insurance but things such as collision-damage waivers (CDW, or assurance tous risques) vary greatly from company to company. When comparing rates and conditions (ie the fine print), the most important thing to check is the franchise (deductible/excess), which for a small car is usually around €600 for damage and €800 for theft. With many companies, you can reduce the excess by half, and perhaps to zero, by paying a daily insurance supplement of up to €20. Your credit card may cover CDW if you use it to pay for the rental but the car-hire company won't know anything about this – verify conditions and details with your credit-card issuer to be sure.
Arranging your car hire or fly/drive package before you leave home is usually considerably cheaper than a walk-in rental, but beware of website offers that don't include a CDW or you may be liable for up to 100% of the car's value.
International car-hire companies:
Avis (%08 21 23 07 60, from abroad 01 70 99 47 35; www.avis.com)
Budget (%08 25 00 35 64; www.budget.fr)
EasyCar (%in France 08 26 10 73 23, in the UK 0800 640 7000; www.easycar.com)
Europcar (%08 25 35 83 58; www.europcar.com)
Hertz (%08 25 86 18 61, 01 41 91 95 25; www.hertz.com)
Sixt (%08 20 00 74 98; www.sixt.fr)
French car-hire companies:
ADA (%08 99 46 46 36; www.ada.fr)
DLM (www.dlm.fr)
France Cars (www.francecars.fr)
Locauto (%04 93 07 72 62; www.locauto.fr)
Renault Rent (%08 25 10 11 12; www.renault-rent.com)
Rent a Car (%08 91 700 200; www.rentacar.fr)
Deals can be found on the internet and through companies such as:
Auto Europe (%in USA 888-223-5555; www.autoeurope.com)
DriveAway Holidays (%in Australia 1300 363 500; www.driveaway.com.au)
Holiday Autos (%in UK 020 3740 9859; www.holidayautos.co.uk)
Rental cars with automatic transmission are very much the exception in France; they usually need to be ordered well in advance and are more expensive than manual cars.
For insurance reasons, it is usually forbidden to take rental cars on ferries, eg to Corsica.
All rental cars registered in France have a distinctive number on the licence plate, making them easily identifiable – including to thieves. Never leave anything of value in a parked car, even in the boot (trunk).
Driving Licence & Documents
An International Driving Permit (IDP), valid only if accompanied by your original licence, is good for a year and can be issued by your local automobile association before you leave home.
Drivers must carry the following at all times:
opassport or an EU national ID card
ovalid driving licence (permis de conduire; most foreign licences can be used in France for up to a year)
ocar-ownership papers, known as a carte grise (grey card)
oproof of third-party liability assurance (insurance)
Fuel
Essence (petrol), also known as carburant (fuel), costs around €1.28 per litre for 95 unleaded (Sans Plomb 95 or SP95, usually available from a green pump) and €1 to €1.30 for diesel (diesel, gazole or gasoil, usually available from a yellow pump). Check and compare current prices countrywide at www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr.
Filling up (faire le plein) is most expensive at autoroute rest stops, and usually cheapest at hypermarkets.
Many small petrol stations close on Sunday afternoons and, even in cities, it can be hard to find a staffed station open late at night. In general, after-hours purchases (eg at hypermarkets' fully automatic, 24-hour stations) can only be made with a credit card that has an embedded PIN chip, so if all you've got is cash or a magnetic-strip credit card, you could be stuck.
Insurance
Third-party liability insurance (assurance au tiers) is compulsory for all vehicles in France, including cars brought in from abroad. Normally, cars registered and insured in other European countries can circulate freely in France, but it's a good idea to contact your insurance company before you leave home to make sure you have coverage – and to check who to contact in case of a breakdown or accident.
If you get into a minor accident with no injuries, the easiest way for drivers to sort things out with their insurance companies is to fill out a Constat Aimable d'Accident Automobile (European Accident Statement), a standardised way of recording important details about what happened. In rental cars it's usually in the packet of documents in the glove compartment. Make sure the report includes any information that will help you prove that the accident was not your fault. Remember, if it was your fault you may be liable for a hefty insurance deductible/excess. Don't sign anything you don't fully understand. If problems crop up, call the police (17).
French-registered cars have details of their insurance company printed on a little green square affixed to the windscreen.
Parking
In city centres, most on-the-street parking places are payant (metered) from about 9am to 7pm (sometimes with a break from noon to 2pm) Monday to Saturday, except bank holidays.
Speed-Fiends, Take Note
When it comes to catching and punishing speed fiends, France has upped its act in recent years. Automatic speed cameras, not necessarily visible, are widespread and the chances are you'll get 'flashed' at least once during your trip. Should this occur, a letter from the French government (stamped 'Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité – Liberty, Equality, Fraternity') will land on your door mat informing you of your amende (fine) and, should you hold a French licence, how many points you have lost. Motorists driving up to 20km/h over the limit in a 50km/h zone are fined €68 and one point; driving up to 20km/h over the limit in a zone with a speed limit of more than 50km/h costs €135 and one point.
There is no room for complacency. Moreover should you be driving a rental car, the rental company will charge you an additional fee for the time they spent sharing your contact details with the French government.
Road Rules
Enforcement of French traffic laws (see www.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr) has been stepped up considerably in recent years. Speed cameras are common, as are radar traps and unmarked police vehicles. Fines for many infractions are given on the spot, and serious violations can lead to the confiscation of your driving licence and car.
Speed limits outside built-up areas (except where signposted otherwise):
Undivided N and D highways 90km/h (80km/h when raining)
Non-autoroute divided highways 110km/h (100km/h when raining)
Autoroutes 130km/h (110km/h when raining, 60km/h in icy conditions)
To reduce carbon emissions, autoroute speed limits have recently been reduced to 110km/h in some areas.
Unless otherwise signposted, a limit of 50km/h applies in all areas designated as built up, no matter how rural they may appear. You must slow to 50km/h the moment you come to a white sign with a red border and a place name written on it; the speed limit applies until you pass an identical sign with a horizontal bar through it.
Other important driving rules:
oBlood-alcohol limit is 0.05% (0.5g per litre of blood) – the equivalent of two glasses of wine for a 75kg adult. Police often conduct random breathalyser tests and penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
oAll passengers, including those in the back seat, must wear seat belts.
oMobile phones may be used only if they are equipped with a hands-free kit or speakerphone.
oTurning right on a red light is illegal.
oCars from the UK and Ireland must have deflectors affixed to their headlights to avoid dazzling oncoming motorists.
oRadar detectors, even if they're switched off, are illegal; fines are hefty.
oChildren under 10 are not permitted to ride in the front seat (unless the back is already occupied by other children under 10).
oA child under 13kg must travel in a backward-facing child seat (permitted in the front seat only for babies under 9kg and if the airbag is deactivated).
oUp to age 10 and/or a minimum height of 140cm, children must use a size-appropriate type of front-facing child seat or booster.
oAll vehicles driven in France must carry a high-visibility reflective safety vest (stored inside the vehicle, not in the trunk/boot), a reflective triangle, and a portable, single-use breathalyser kit.
oIf you'll be driving on snowy roads, make sure you have snow chains (chaînes neige), required by law whenever and wherever the police post signs.
oRiders of any type of two-wheeled vehicle with a motor (except motor-assisted bicycles) must wear a helmet. No special licence is required to ride a motorbike whose engine is smaller than 50cc, which is why rental scooters are often rated at 49.9cc.
Priority to the Right
Under the priorité à droite ('priority to the right') rule, any car entering an intersection (including a T-junction) from a road (including a tiny village backstreet) on your right has the right of way. Locals assume every driver knows this, so don't be surprised if they courteously cede the right of way when you're about to turn from an alley onto a highway – and boldly assert their rights when you're the one zipping down a main road.
Priorité à droite is suspended (eg on arterial roads) when you pass a sign showing an upended yellow square with a black square in the middle. The same sign with a horizontal bar through the square lozenge reinstates the priorité à droite rule.
When you arrive at a roundabout at which you do not have the right of way (ie the cars already in the roundabout do), you'll often see signs reading vous n'avez pas la priorité (you do not have right of way) or cédez le passage (give way).
Hitching
Hitching is never entirely safe in any country in the world, and we don't recommend it. Travellers who decide to hitch should understand that they are taking a small but potentially serious risk. Remember that it's safer to travel in pairs and be sure to inform someone of your intended destination. Hitching is not really part of French culture.
Hitching from city centres is pretty much hopeless, so your best bet is to take public transport to the outskirts. It is illegal to hitch on autoroutes, but you can stand near an entrance ramp as long as you don't block traffic. Hitching in remote rural areas is better, but once you get off the routes nationales traffic can be light and local. If your itinerary includes a ferry crossing, it's worth trying to score a ride before the ferry since vehicle tickets usually include a number of passengers free of charge. At dusk, give up and think about finding somewhere to stay.
Ride Share
A number of organisations around France arrange covoiturage (car sharing), ie putting people looking for rides in touch with drivers going to the same destination. The best known is Allo Stop (www.allostop.net) where you pay €3/5/8/10 for a single journey up to 50/100/150/200km. You might also try Covoiturage (www.covoiturage.fr), Bla Bla Car (www.blablacar.fr) or, for international journeys, Karzoo (www.karzoo.eu).
Travel Conditions
In many areas, Autoroute Info (107.7MHz; www.autorouteinfo.fr) has round-the-clock traffic information for motorists.
Local Transport
France's cities and larger towns have world-class public-transport systems. There are métros (underground subway systems) in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille and Toulouse and ultramodern light-rail lines (tramways) in cities such as Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Reims, Rouen and Strasbourg, as well as parts of greater Paris.
In addition to a billet à l'unité (single ticket), you can purchase a carnet (booklet or bunch) of 10 tickets or a pass journée (all-day pass).
Train
Travelling by train in France is a comfortable and environmentally sustainable way to see the country. Since many train stations have car-hire agencies, it's easy to combine rail travel with rural exploration by car.
The jewel in the crown of France's public-transport system – alongside the Paris métro – is its extensive rail network, almost all of it run by SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français, French National Railway Company; %from abroad +33 8 92 35 35 35, in France 36 35; http://en.voyages-sncf.com). Although it employs the most advanced rail technology, the network's layout reflects the country's centuries-old Paris-centric nature: most of the principal rail lines radiate out from Paris like the spokes of a wheel, the result being that services between provincial towns situated on different spokes can be infrequent and slow.
Up-to-the-minute information on perturbations (service disruptions), eg because of strikes, can be found on www.infolignes.com.
Since its inauguration in the 1980s, the pride and joy of SNCF is the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse; www.tgv.com), pronounced 'teh zheh veh', which zips passengers along at speeds of up to 320km/h (198mph).
The main TGV lines (or LGVs, short for lignes à grande vitesse, ie high-speed rail lines) head north, east, southeast and southwest from Paris (trains use slower local tracks to get to destinations off the main line):
TGV Nord, Thalys and Eurostar Link Paris Gare du Nord with Arras, Lille, Calais, Brussels (Bruxelles-Midi), Amsterdam, Cologne and, via the Channel Tunnel, Ashford, Ebbsfleet and London St Pancras.
LGV Est Européene (www.lgv-est.com) Connects Paris Gare de l'Est with Reims, Nancy, Metz, Strasbourg, Zurich and Germany, including Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The super-high-speed track will stretch as far east as Strasbourg by July 2016.
TGV Sud-Est and TGV Midi-Méditerranée Link Paris Gare de Lyon with the southeast, including Dijon, Lyon, Geneva, the Alps, Avignon, Marseille, Nice and Montpellier.
TGV Atlantique Sud-Ouest and TGV Atlantique Ouest Link Paris Gare Montparnasse with western and southwestern France, including Brittany (Rennes, Brest, Quimper), Tours, Nantes, Poitiers, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Biarritz and Toulouse.
LGV Rhin-Rhône High-speed rail route bypasses Paris altogether in its bid to better link the provinces. Six services a day speed between Strasbourg and Lyon, with most continuing south to Marseille or Montpellier on the Mediterranean.
TGV tracks are interconnected, making it possible to go directly from, say, Lyon to Nantes or Bordeaux to Lille without having to switch trains in Paris or transfer from one of Paris' six main train stations to another. Stops on the link-up, which runs east and south of Paris, include Charles de Gaulle airport and Disneyland Resort Paris.
Long-distance trains sometimes split at a station – that is, each half of the train heads off for a different destination. Check the destination panel on your car as you board or you could wind up very far from where you intended to go.
Other types of train include the following:
Téoz (www.corailteoz.com) Especially comfortable trains that run southward from Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to Clermont-Ferrand, Limoges, Cahors, Toulouse, Montpellier, Perpignan, Marseille and Nice.
TER (Train Express Régional; www.ter-sncf.com) A train that is not a TGV is often referred to as a corail, a classique or, for intraregional services, a TER.
Transilien (www.transilien.com) SNCF services in the Île de France area in and around Paris.
SNCF Fares & Discounts
Full-fare tickets can be quite expensive. Fortunately, a dizzying array of discounts are available and station staff are very good about helping travellers find the very best fare. But first, the basics:
o1st-class travel, where available, costs 20% to 30% extra.
oTicket prices for some trains, including most TGVs, are pricier during peak periods.
oThe further in advance you reserve, the lower the fares.
oChildren under four travel for free, or €9 with a forfait bambin to any destination if they need a seat.
oChildren aged four to 11 travel for half price.
Ouigo & iDTGV
Ouigo (www.ouigo.com) is a low-cost TGV service whereby you can travel on high-speed TGVs for a snip of the usual price. Ouigo trains only serve a handful of TGV stations, including Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Marseille, Nîmes and Paris Disneyland's Marne-La Vallée-Chessy.
oTickets can only be purchased online from three weeks until four hours before departure; tickets are emailed four days before departure and must be printed out or readable on a smartphone with the Ouigo app (iPhone and Android).
oThe minimum single fare is €10. Children under 12 pay a flat €5 single fare.
oTo plug in while aboard, reserve a seat with electric plug socket for an additional €2.
Not to be confused with Ouigo is iDTGV (www.idtgv.com), another SNCF subsidiary that sells tickets (online only) for as little as €19 for advance-purchase TGV travel between 30-odd cities.
Discount Tickets
The SNCF's most heavily discounted tickets are called Prem's, available online, at ticket windows and from ticket machines: 100% Prem's are available from Thursday evening to Monday night, for last-minute travel that weekend; Saturday-return Prem's are valid for return travel on a Saturday; and three-month Prem's can be booked a maximum of 90 days in advance. Prem's are nonrefundable and nonchangeable.
Bons Plans (Special Deals) fares, a grab bag of really cheap options, are advertised on the SNCF website under 'Fares & Cards/Special Deals'.
On regional trains, discount fares requiring neither a discount card nor advance purchase include the following:
Loisir Week-End rates Good for return travel that includes a Saturday night at your destination or involves travel on a Saturday or Sunday.
Découverte fares Available for low-demand 'blue-period' trains to people aged 12 to 25, seniors and the adult travel companions of children under 12.
Mini-Groupe tickets In some regions, these bring big savings for three to six people travelling together, provided you spend a Saturday night at your destination.
Discount Cards
Reductions of at least 25% (for last-minute bookings), and of 40%, 50% or even 60% (if you reserve well ahead or travel during low-volume 'blue' periods), are available with several discount cards (valid for one year):
Carte Jeune (€50) Available to travellers aged 12 to 27.
Carte Enfant+ (€75) For one to four adults travelling with a child aged four to 11.
Carte Weekend (€75) For people aged 26 to 59. Discounts on return journeys of at least 200km that either include a Saturday night away or only involve travel on a Saturday or Sunday.
Carte Sénior+ (€60) For travellers over 60.