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 Euro

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.