France

Trip preparation

Area 674,843 km ², including overseas territories (Corsica, New Caledonia, Reunion, French Guyana.) Population 65.4 million Official name République Française  

General

Airports/ Car rental   There are approximately 478 airports that you can fly to. Paris-Charles de Gaulle, on the outskirts of Paris, is the largest and busiest airport in the country. Air France is the national airline, although there are many other private companies.

Language

  The official language is French, but there are also a number of regional languages and dialects. 75 regional and minority languages are spoken, such as Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Occitan, Basque, Alsace, Tahitian and Melanesian.

Currency

France joined the Euro in 2002.

Electricity

The major mobile phone networks are Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR.

Best travel time

France has a temperate climate. The Mediterranean influence gives it short mild winters and hot summers. The rainfall is moderate, but few regions have a rainfall less than 500 mm. There are three climatic zones: the oceanic area (such as unstable weather in Brittany and Normandy), the Mediterranean (clear skies and dry weather in Marseille and Nice) and the continental area (Eastern areas and Alsace ).

Visa requirements

European EU citizens can travel to France with an identity card or passport. Travellers from outside the European Union must have a valid passport for the border.

Vaccinations

No specific vaccinations required for France. Please refer to your country of origin.

Traditions and Culture

French culture is reflected in literature, architecture, music, architecture, films drama and visual arts. There are many theatres and various national and local events that happen throughout the year. The rich and diverse culture has affected other cultures in Europe in many ways. Its values of freedom, equality and fraternity are the motto of France. The main feature of the modern French culture is their commitment to individual freedom. A very characteristic feature of the Gauls is the love for its own products. France has traditionally been one of the initiators of racial tolerance and cultural diversity. The French are very proud of their own language and rarely seek to speak others. France has more than 65 million inhabitants. 11 million of them live in Paris, making it one of the world’s largest cities. Other cities with more than a million people are Lyon and Marseilles. Life expectancy is 84.5 years for women and 77.8 years for men. France is a country of immigration and today one in four residents is foreign born. The largest number of immigrants in recent years came from North Africa and there has been a recent surge of Chinese immigrants.

Religion

The French Republic is officially a secular state secular, religious freedom is a constitutional right. The French population is divided between the main religious: 51% of the population is Catholic, 27% non-believers, 9% Muslim, Protestant 2%, 1.5% Jews.

By bus

The rail network is the largest in Western Europe. It is operated by the SNCF (French National Railways) and high-speed trains Thalys, Eurostar and TGV. Eurostar runs through the Channel Tunnel between France and the UK. There are ten major ports, the largest in Marseille. 14,932 miles of waterways traverse France including the Canal du Midi to the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean connects, and the river Garonne.

By taxi

There are approximately 1,000,960 kilometers of roads in the country. The Paris region is connected to almost all parts of the country, and with Belgium, Spain, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Most motorways are toll roads.

Experience and enjoy

  Besides the most famous Tour de France, France has many other events to offer visitors: • The festival of the Bastille. • Lorient Celtic Festival in August. • La Fiesta de la Música (free music concerts) • Astropolis (the first electro music festival in France) • The Vieilles Charrues Festival. • La Primavera de Bourges (one of the oldest festivals in France, held annually in April.)

Sights

France is a country with multiple points of interest: besides having one of the greatest historical and artistic heritage sites of the world, and a great culture, the country offers varied terrain form beach to mountains. The Eiffel Tower is possibly the most famous simply of France. The Pont du Gard (40 and 60 AD) in Nimes, which was declared a World Heritage in 1985. The Gothic style had its birth in this country and is reflected in cathedrals such as Chartres, Amiens, Notre Dame of Strasbourg.

Food

France of course it the world’s kitchen. The international popularity of its chefs, such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Carême, Escoffier, Bocuse Ducasse have contributed to the spread of dishes from the late thirteenth century onwards. Local areas have many different specialty dishes including the popular bouillabaisse and cassoulet. The famous Michelin Red Guide (Michelin Guide Rouge) provides a ranking of the best restaurants. Highlights from the kitchen include: bread, cheese, pastries, foie gras, and provincial herbs. Popular wines come from all over the country from the red wines of Bordeaux to the world famous sparkling Champagne. Typical French spirits and aperitifs include Absinthe, Armagnac, Calvados, Chartreuse, Cointreau, Cognac and Pastis.