France

In addition, citizens of Andorra and Monaco may enter and reside in France indefinitely without a visa. Citizens of Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Israel, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Taiwan and Uruguay, as well as British Nationals (Overseas), are permitted to work in France without the need to obtain a visa or any further authorisation fo…

French people have a large number of paid holidays a year (and often contractual overtime is compensated for with extra paid leave) and it is almost compulsory for French people to take time off in summer, with French society divided between those who go on holiday in July (juilletistes) vs the larger number who go on holiday in August (aoûtiens). As a result, large cities become noticeably less busy and large parts of the Paris transport network are often shut down during the summer for planned engineering works. Outside of tourist areas, many of the smaller shops (butcher shops, bakeries...)…

While no longer as ubiquitous as before due to ban on flights if a route is reachable by train within 2 1/2 hours, domestic flying remains a bookable option, especially between Paris and southern France, and if offered as a direct connection from or to an international flight.

French (français) is the sole official language of France. The French are very proud of their language, and any visitor who doesn't put even a bit of effort into speaking it is missing out on an important part of the country's identity and culture, and what many consider to be the most beautiful language in the world.

Crime-related emergencies can be reported to the toll-free number 17 or 112 (European emergency telephone number). Law enforcement agencies are the National Police (Police nationale) in urban areas and the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie national) in the countryside, though for minor crimes such as parking and traffic offences some towns and villages also have a municipal police force (Police municipale).

Tap water

Tap water (eau du robinet) is drinkable, except in rare cases such as in rural rest areas and sinks in railway carriage toilets, in which case it will be clearly signposted as eau non potable. Eau potable is drinkable water (you may, however, not like the taste and prefer bottled water).

Phone numbers

To call a French number from abroad, dial the international prefix + 33 + local number without the leading 0. For example: +33 2 47 66 41 18 All French numbers have 10 digits. The first two digits are:

French people adhere to a strong set of values. They cherish their culture, history, language and cuisine, which is revered by many around the globe. The French have an undeserved reputation for being "rude" or "arrogant" by many around the globe, and this stereotype has been perpetuated far too often. Chances are, you might be doing something the locals consider rude.

It is advisable to plan ahead for your travel arrangements, especially during the French school holidays. The whole country's schools break for the summer on the first Friday of July and return the first Monday of September. This increased demand for travel means busier roads and more expensive plane and train fares. Avoid travelling around these dates if you can. There are also school holidays of about two weeks from late October to early November, at Christmas and Easter, and between May Day a…