This section covers just the basics on traveling in France (for much more information, see the latest edition of Rick Steves’ France). You can find free advice on specific topics at www.ricksteves.com/tips.
In France, it’s essential to acknowledge the person before getting down to business. Start any conversation, or enter any shop, by saying: “Bonjour, madame (or monsieur).” To ask if they speak English, say, “Parlez-vous anglais?”, and hope they speak more English than you speak French. See “Survival Phrases” at the end of this chapter.
France uses the euro currency: 1 euro (€) = about $1.30. To convert prices in euros to dollars, add about 30 percent: €20 = about $26, €50 = about $65. (Check www.oanda.com for the latest exchange rates.)
The standard way for travelers to get euros is to withdraw money from ATMs (which locals call a distributeur) using a debit or credit card, ideally with a Visa or MasterCard logo. Before departing, call your bank or credit-card company: Confirm that your card(s) will work overseas, find out the PIN code for your credit card, ask about international transaction fees, and alert them that you’ll be making withdrawals in Europe. To keep your valuables safe, wear a money belt.
Dealing with “Chip and PIN”: Much of Europe is adopting a “chip-and-PIN” system for credit cards, and some merchants rely on it exclusively. European chip-and-PIN cards are embedded with an electronic chip, in addition to the magnetic stripe used on our American-style cards. This means that your credit (and debit) card might not work at automated payment machines, such as those at train and subway stations, toll roads, parking garages, luggage lockers, and self-serve gas pumps. Memorizing your credit card’s PIN lets you use it at some chip-and-PIN machines—just enter your PIN when prompted. If a machine won‘t take your card, look for a machine that takes cash or see if there’s a cashier nearby who can process your transaction. The easiest solution is to pay for your purchases with cash you‘ve withdrawn from an ATM using your debit card (Europe’s ATMs still accept magnetic-stripe cards).
Smart travelers use the telephone to reserve or reconfirm rooms, reserve restaurants, get directions, research transportation connections, confirm tour times, phone home, and lots more.
To call France from the US or Canada: Dial 011-33 and then the local number, omitting the initial zero. (The 011 is our international access code, and 33 is France’s country code.)
To call France from a European country: Dial 00-33 followed by the local number, omitting the initial zero. (The 00 is Europe’s international access code.)
To call within France: Just dial the local number (including the initial zero).
To call from France to another country: Dial 00 followed by the country code (for example, 1 for the US or Canada), then the area code and number. If you‘re calling European countries whose phone numbers begin with 0, you’ll usually have to omit that 0 when you dial.
Tips on Phoning: A mobile phone—whether an American one that works in France, or a European one you buy when you arrive—is handy, but can be pricey. If traveling with a smartphone, switch off data-roaming until you have free Wi-Fi. To make cheap international calls while in France, you can buy an international phone card (carte à code; pronounced cart ah code), which works with a scratch-to-reveal PIN code at any phone, allows you to call home to the US for pennies a minute, and also works for domestic calls within France. Insertable phone cards (télécarte; tay-lay-kart), usable only at pay phones, are reasonable for calls within France (and work for international calls as well, but not as cheaply as the international phone cards). Calling from your hotel-room phone is usually expensive, unless you use an international phone card. For much more on phoning, see www.ricksteves.com/phoning.
To ensure the best value, I recommend reserving rooms in advance, particularly during peak season. Email the hotelier with the following key pieces of information: number and type of rooms; number of nights; date of arrival; date of departure; and any special requests. (For a sample form, see www.ricksteves.com/reservation.) Use the European style for writing dates: day/month/year. For example, for a two-night stay in July, you could request: “1 double room for 2 nights, arrive 16/07/13, depart 18/07/13.” Hoteliers typically ask for your credit-card number as a deposit.
These days, many hotels change prices from day to day according to demand. Given the economic downturn, hoteliers are often willing and eager to make a deal. I‘d suggest emailing several hotels to ask for their best price. Comparison-shop and make your choice.
In general, hotel prices can soften if you do any of the following: offer to pay cash, stay at least three nights, or mention this book. You can also try asking for a cheaper room or a discount, or offer to skip breakfast.
The French have a simple hotel-rating system based on amenities (zero through five stars, indicated in this book by * through *****). Two-star hotels are my mainstay. Other accommodation options include bed-and-breakfasts (chambres d‘hôtes, usually more affordable than hotels), hostels, campgrounds, or even homes (gîtes, rented by the week).
The cuisine is a highlight of any French adventure. It’s sightseeing for your palate. For a formal meal, go to a restaurant. If you want the option of lighter fare (just soup or a sandwich), head for a café or brasserie instead.
French restaurants usually open for dinner at 19:00 and are typically most crowded around 20:30. Last seating is usually about 21:00 or 22:00 (earlier in villages). If a restaurant serves lunch, it generally goes from about 11:30 to 14:00.
In France, an entrée is the first course, and le plat or le plat du jour is the main course with vegetables. If you ask for the menu (muh-noo), you won‘t get a list of dishes; you’ll get a fixed-price meal—usually your choice of three courses (soup, appetizer, or salad; main course with vegetables; and cheese course or dessert). Drinks are extra. Ask for la carte (lah kart) if you want to see a menu and order à la carte, like the locals do. Request the waiter’s help in deciphering the French.
Cafés and brasseries provide budget-friendly meals. If you‘re hungry between lunch and dinner, when restaurants are closed, go to a brasserie, which generally serves throughout the day. (Some cafés do as well, but others close their kitchens from 14:00 to 18:00.) Compared to restaurants, cafés and brasseries usually have more limited and inexpensive fare, including salads, sandwiches, omelets, plats du jour, and more. Check the price list first, which by law must be posted prominently. There are two sets of prices: You’ll pay more for the same drink if you‘re seated at a table (salle) than if you‘re seated at the bar or counter (comptoir).
A 12-15 percent service charge (service compris) is always included in the bill. Most French never tip, but if you feel the service was exceptional, it’s kind to tip up to 5 percent extra.
By Train: Travelers who need to cover long distances in France by train can get a good deal with a France Railpass, sold only outside Europe. To see if a railpass could save you money, check www.ricksteves.com/rail. To research train schedules, visit Germany’s excellent all-Europe website, www.bahn.com, or France’s SNCF (national railroad) site, www.sncf.fr.
You can buy tickets at train-station ticket windows, SNCF boutiques (small, centrally located offices of the national rail company), and travel agencies.
You are required to validate (composter, kohm-poh-stay) all train tickets and reservations; before boarding look for a yellow machine to stamp your ticket or reservation. Strikes (grève) in France are common but generally last no longer than a day or two; ask your hotelier if one is coming.
By Car: It’s cheaper to arrange most car rentals from the US. For tips on your insurance options, see www.ricksteves.com/cdw. Bring your driver’s license. For route planning, try www.viamichelin.com. France’s toll road (autoroute) system is slick and speedy, but pricey; four hours of driving costs about €25 in tolls (pay cash, since US credit cards won‘t work in the machines). A car is a worthless headache in cities—park it safely (get tips from your hotel or pay to park at well-patrolled lots; look for blue P signs). As break-ins are common, be sure all of your valuables are out of sight and locked in the trunk, or even better, with you or in your hotel room.
Emergency Help: For English-speaking police help, dial 17. To summon an ambulance, call 15. To replace a passport, call the US Consulate and Embassy in Paris (tel. 01 43 12 22 22, 4 Avenue Gabriel, Mo: Concorde, http://france.usembassy.gov) or other US Consulates (Lyon: tel. 04 78 38 36 88; Marseille: tel. 04 91 54 92 00; Nice: tel. 04 93 88 89 55; Strasbourg: tel. 03 88 35 31 04; Bordeaux: tel. 05 56 48 63 85). Canadians can call the Canadian Consulate and Embassy in Paris (tel. 01 44 43 29 00, 35 Avenue Montaigne, Mo: Franklin D. Roosevelt, www.ambcanada.fr) or other Canadian Consulates (Lyon: tel. 04 72 77 64 07; Nice: tel. 04 93 92 93 22). For other concerns, get advice from your hotelier.
Theft or Loss: France has hardworking pickpockets—wear a money belt. Assume beggars are pickpockets and any scuffle is simply a distraction by a team of thieves. If you stop for any commotion or show, put your hands in your pockets before someone else does.
To replace a passport, you’ll need to go in person to an embassy or consulate (see facing page). Cancel and replace your credit and debit cards by calling these 24-hour US numbers collect: Visa—tel. 303/967-1096, MasterCard—tel. 636/722-7111, American Express—tel. 336/393-1111. In France, to make a collect call to the US, dial 00 00 11 to reach an international operator. File a police report either on the spot or within a day or two; it’s required if you submit an insurance claim for lost or stolen railpasses or travel gear, and can help with replacing your passport or credit and debit cards. Precautionary measures can minimize the effects of loss—back up your photos and other files frequently. For more information, see www.ricksteves.com/help.
Time: France uses the 24-hour clock. It’s the same through 12:00 noon, then keep going: 13:00, 14:00, and so on. France, like most of continental Europe, is six/nine hours ahead of the East/West Coasts of the US.
Business Hours: Most shops are open from Monday through Saturday (generally 10:00–12:00 & 14:00–19:00) and closed on Sunday, though some grocery stores, bakeries, and street markets are open Sunday morning until noon. In smaller towns, some businesses are closed on Monday until 14:00 and sometimes all day. Touristy shops are usually open daily.
Sights: Opening and closing hours of sights can change unexpectedly; confirm the latest times with the local tourist information office or its website. Some major churches enforce a modest dress code (no bare shoulders or shorts) for everyone, even children.
Holidays and Festivals: France celebrates many holidays, which can close sights and attract crowds (book hotel rooms ahead). For information on holidays and festivals, check France’s website: www.franceguide.com. For a simple list showing major—though not all—events, see www.ricksteves.com/festivals.
Numbers and Stumblers: What Americans call the second floor of a building is the first floor in Europe. Europeans write dates as day/month/year, so Christmas is 25/12/13. Commas are decimal points and vice versa—a dollar and a half is 1,50, a thousand is 1.000, and there are 5.280 feet in a mile. France uses the metric system: A kilogram is 2.2 pounds; a liter is about a quart; and a kilometer is six-tenths of a mile.
This Snapshot guide is excerpted from the latest edition of Rick Steves’ France, which is one of more than 30 titles in my series of guidebooks on European travel. I also produce a public television series, Rick Steves’ Europe, and a public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves. My website, www.ricksteves.com, offers free travel information, a Graffiti Wall for travelers’ comments, guidebook updates, my travel blog, an online travel store, and information on European railpasses and our tours of Europe. If you‘re bringing a mobile device on your trip, you can download free information from Rick Steves Audio Europe, featuring podcasts of my radio shows, free audio tours of major sights in Europe, and travel interviews about France (via www.ricksteves.com/audioeurope, iTunes, Google Play, or the Rick Steves Audio Europe free smartphone app). You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.
Tourist Information: www.franceguide.com
Passports and Red Tape: www.travel.state.gov
Packing List: www.ricksteves.com/packlist
Travel Insurance: www.ricksteves.com/insurance
Cheap Flights: www.kayak.com
Airplane Carry-on Restrictions: www.tsa.gov/travelers
Updates for This Book: www.ricksteves.com/update
If you’d like to share your tips, concerns, and discoveries after using this book, please fill out the survey at www.ricksteves.com/feedback. Thanks in advance—it helps a lot.
When using the phonetics, try to nasalize the n sound.
| Good day. | Bonjour. | bohn-zhoor |
| Mrs. / Mr. | Madame / Monsieur | mah-dahm / muhs-yur |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? | par-lay-voo ahn-glay |
| Yes. / No. | Oui. / Non. | wee / nohn |
| I understand. | Je comprends. | zhuh kohn-prahn |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. | zhuh nuh kohn-prahn pah |
| Please. | S’il vous plaît. | see voo play |
| Thank you. | Merci. | Mehr-see |
| I’m sorry. | Désolé. | day-zoh-lay |
| Excuse me. | Pardon. | par-dohn |
| (No) problem. | (Pas de) problème. | (pah duh) proh-blehm |
| It’s good. | C’est bon. | say bohn |
| Goodbye. | Au revoir. | oh vwahr |
| one / two | un / deux | uhn / duh |
| three / four | trois / quatre | twah / kah-truh |
| five / six | cinq / six | sank / sees |
| seven / eight | sept / huit | seht / weet |
| nine / ten | neuf / dix | nuhf / dees |
| How much is it? | Combien? | kohn-bee-an |
| Write it? | Ecrivez? | ay-kree-vay |
| Is it free? | C’est gratuit? | say grah-twee |
| Included? | Inclus? | an-klew |
| Where can I buy / find...? | Où puis-je acheter / trouver...? | oo pwee-zhuh ah-shuh-tay/troo-vay |
| I’d like / We’d like... | Je voudrais / Nous voudrions... | zhuh voo-dray / noo voo-dree-ohn |
| ...a room. | ...une chambre. | ewn shahn-bruh |
| ...a ticket to ___. | ...un billet pour ___. | uhn bee-yay poor |
| Is it possible? | C’est possible? | say poh-see-bluh |
| Where is...? | Où est...? | oo ay |
| ... the train station | ...la gare | lah gar |
| ... the bus station | ...la gare routière | lah gar root-yehr |
| ...tourist information | ...l’office du tourisme | loh-fees dew too-reez-muh |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? | Oo sohn lay twah-leht |
| men | hommes | Ohm |
| women | dames | dahm |
| left / right | à gauche / à droite | ah gohsh / ah dwa |
| straight | tout droit | too dwah |
| When does this open/close? | Ça ouvre / ferme à quelle heure? | Sah oo-vruh/fehrm ah kehl ur |
| At what time? | À quelle heure? | ahkehl ur |
| Just a moment. | Un moment. | uhn moh-mahn |
| now/soon/later | maintenant / bientôt / plus tard | man-tuh-nahn/bee-an-toh, plew tar |
| today/tomorrow | aujourd’hui / demain | oh-zhoor-dwee/duh-man |
| I’d like / We’d like... | Je voudrais / Nous voudrions... | zhuh voo-dray / noo voo-dree-ohn |
| ...to reserve... | ...réserver... | ray-zehr-vay |
| ...a table for one / two. | ...une table pour un / deux. | ewn tah-bluh poor uhn / duh |
| Non-smoking. | Non fumeur. | nohn few-mur |
| Is this seat free? | C’est libre? | say lee-bruh |
| The menu (in English), please | La carte (en anglais), s’il vous plaît. | lah kart (ahn ahn-glay) see voo play |
| service (not) included | service (non) compris | sehr-vees (nohn) kohn-pree |
| to go | à emporter | ah ahn-por-tay |
| with / without | avec / sans | ah-vehk / sahn |
| and / or | et / ou | ay / oo |
| special of the day | plat du jour | plah dew zhoor |
| specialty of the house | spécialité de la maison | spay-see-ah-lee-tay duh lah may-zohn |
| appetizers | hors-d’oeuvre | or-duh-vruh |
| first course (soup, salad) | entrée | ahn-tray |
| main course (meat, fish) | plat principal | plah pran-see-pahl |
| bread | pain | pan |
| cheese | fromage | froh-mahzh |
| sandwich | sandwich | sahnd-weech |
| soup | soupe | soop |
| salad | salade | sah-lahd |
| meat | viande | vee-ahnd |
| chicken | poulet | poo-lay |
| fish | poisson | pwah-sohn |
| seafood | fruit de mer | frwee duh mehr |
| fruit | fruit | frwee |
| vegetables | légumes | lay-gewn |
| dessert | dessert | duh-sehr |
| mineral water | eau minérale | oh mee-nay-rahl |
| tap water | I’eau du robinet | loh dew roh-bee-nay |
| milk | lait | lay |
| (orange) juice | jus (d’orange) | zhew (doh-rahnzh) |
| coffee | café | kah-fay |
| tea | thé | tay |
| wine | vin | van |
| red/white | rouge / blanc | roozh/blahn |
| glass/bottle | verre / bouteille | vehr/boo-teh-ee |
| beer | bière | bee-ehr |
| Cheers! | Santé! | sahn-tay |
| More./Another. | Plus. / Un autre. | plew/uhn oh-truh |
| The same. | La même chose. | lah mehm shohz |
| The bill, please. | L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | lah-dee-see-ohn see voo play |
| tip | pourboire | poor-bwar |
| Delicious! | Délicieux! | day-lee-see-uh |
For more user-friendly French phrases, check our Rick Steves’ French Phrase Book and Dictionary or Rick Steves’ French, Italian & German Phrase Book.