France Tourism - Travel to France
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| Quick Facts | |
| Capital | Paris |
| Government | republic |
| Currency | euro (EUR) |
| Area | 547,030 sq km |
| Population | 59,765,983 (July 2002 est.) |
| Language | French 100%, some regional dialects |
| Religion | Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% |
France is a country in Western Europe. It has coastlines on the Bay of Biscay and English Channel as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It lies southeast of the United Kingdom and has Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast, Spain and Andorra to the southwest, Monaco and Italy to the southeast, Germany and Switzerland to the east.
France is renowned for its gastronomy.
| Table of contents |
Regions in France
Map of France
France is divided into 22 administrative regions, which themselves can be grouped into 7 main "cultural regions", which share common points.
- The Ile de France is the region surrounding the capital, Paris.
- The North is a region where the world wars have left scars. It includes Nord-Pas de Calais, Picardie, and Haute-Normandie.
- The North-East is a region where the European culture (and specially German culture) has merged with the French culture, giving interesting results. It includes Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne-Ardenne and Franche-Comte.
- The Great West is an oceanic region, with a culture more influenced by the ancient Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon people. It includes Brittany (French: Bretagne), Basse-Normandie, and Pays de la Loire.
- The Center is an agricultural region, with valleys and old mountains. It includes Centre, Poitou-Charentes, Bourgogne, Limousin, and Auvergne.
- The South-West is a region of sea and wine, with nice beaches over the Atlantic ocean, as well as young, high mountains close to Spain. It includes Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrenees.
- The South-East is the main touristic region of the country, with a warm climate and sea, as well as tall mountains. It includes Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Corsica (French: Corse).
Cities in France
Map of France with prefectures
Listed below are the biggest cities in France, and the cities which cannot be missed if you wish to thoroughly explore the country.
- Aix-en-Provence -- lively university town
- Arles -- the gate to the Camargue and the city of Van Gogh
- Avignon -- the city of the popes and the great theatre festival
- Bordeaux -- city of wine, capital of South-West
- Brest -- the heart of maritime Bretagne
- Dijon -- the heart of Bourgogne, region of great wines
- Grenoble -- the 1968 Winter Olympic Games and an important new technologies center
- Lille -- great northern city, industrial, European City of Culture 2004
- Lyon -- History from Roman times to the Resistance, restaurants (Beaujolais and delicatessen)
- Marseille -- big harbor, heart of Provence
- Nancy
- Nantes -- big harbor, city of Jules Verne, a great traveler
- Nice -- the sun and glamour of the Riviera
- Paris -- the "city of lights", capital of France
- Strasbourg -- European capital (EU parliament and European Council)
- Toulouse -- very nice and lively city
Cities with the most of Roman monuments:
Understand France Tourism
Climate in France
Generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral.
Terrain
Mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east- Elevation extremes
- lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
History of France
France is a very old country. Until the Roman invasion, it was pretty much uncivilized. The Romans brought culture, roads, technology, and order. A lot of Roman artifacts are still visible, particularly in the south part of the country. Some of the main roads still follow the routes originally traced 2,000 years ago, and the urban organisation of many old town centers still transcript the cardo and the decumanus of the former Roman camp.
Get into France
France is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. European visa policy will be covered in the article about the EU. In brief, a visa to any other signatory state of the Schengen Agreement is valid in France too. No visa is required for citizens of other EU member states, and those of some selected nations with whom the European Union or France have special treaties. Inquire at your travel agent or call the local consulate or embassy of France.Also, there are hardly any border controls between France and other Schengen Agreement nations, making travel less complicated. However, sometimes cars and buses are stopped at borders or at the first toll-booth after entering the country.
Travel to France By Plane
Most overseas travellers will arrive via Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. From here, you can take a train to Paris or other parts of France, usually changing at one of Paris' train stations. Smaller regional airports exist, for example in Lyon, Marseille and Nice have daily flights to many European cities. Several low-fare airlines operate to and from France, these include easyJet, Ryanair and Volare.
Travel to France By Train
The Eurostar service uses high-speed TGV trains to connect Lille and Paris with Brussels and London, the later via the Calais-Dover channel tunnel.
Travel to France By car
Travel to France By Bus
Travel to France By Boat
Get around in France
France Tourism By Car
France has a well-developed system of highways. You need to be aware, however, that they have a toll system much like the one in use in America. Every few dozen kilometers you have to pay a few Euros. Keep cash handy. All toll stations accept credit cards. Policemen sometimes read your ticket at the toll station to see how long you took since joining the autoroute: it could cost you a speeding fine.
France is a good country for hitchhiking.
Travel to France By Train
Trains are a great way to get around in France. You can get pretty much from anywhere to anywhere else by train. For long distances, use the TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse - High-Speed Train). Reservations are obligatory. But, if you have time, take the slow train and enjoy the scenery. The landscape is part of what makes France one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
The national railway network is managed by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français). You can get schedules and book a ticket from their website. Booking is available in two classes: première classe (First Class) is less crowded but also 50% more expensive than deuxième classe (Second Class). If your TGV is fully-booked, step aboard seconds before the doors close: the guard will find you a seat somewhere.
France Talk
French is the official language of France, although there are regional variations.
In Alsace and part of Lorraine a kind of German is spoken. In the south, the language is closer to Catalan than to French, and is called Langue d'Oc (because the word for "yes" is oc) or Provençal. In Brittany, Breton is spoken; this Celtic language sounds like French, but is incomprehensible unless you also know Welsh. In parts of Aquitaine they speak Basque, but not as much as on the Spanish side of the border. In Corsica a kind of Italian is spoken.
Overall, though, everyone speaks French. The regional languages are (sadly) disappearing, despite some valiant efforts to keep them alive. This is due to the laws in France trying to unify the nation: 1 nation = 1 language.
Many French people speak some English, but are often embarrassed to use it because it is often rusty. You can get them to speak English if you try speaking some French to them first - then they will open up. If you try to speak English directly, they will think you are arrogant and may pretend that they don't understand you.
Be aware that some Parisians are snobbish about French and will correct your French if it is wrong, or reply to you in English if they can tell that you are not French (even if your French is near-perfect). People elsewhere in France are more tolerant.
See also: French phrasebook
Buy
France is part of the Eurozone, so like in many other European Union countries the currency here is the euro (symbol: €).
Eat - Travel to France
The food is reason enough to go to France. Even the most curmudgeonly visitors admit that the food is better there than anywhere else. That is because food is not just food to the French - it's a passion. There are various places to enjoy French food in France, from three-star Michelin restaurants to French "brasseries" that you can find at almost every corner, especially in big cities like Paris, Lille, Bordeaux. There are also specific local restaurants, like "bouchons lyonnais" in Lyons, "crêperies" in Brittany (or in the Montparnasse area of Paris), etc. Most French people still have a standard meal for lunch, so many restaurants and brasseries are packed at lunchtime.
People from the English-speaking world must be aware that, in France, taxes (19.6 per cent of the total) and service (15 per cent) are always included in the bill ; so anything patrons add to the bill amount is an "extra-tip". French people usually leave one or two coins if they were happy with the service.
Drink
Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, the Loire...France is the home of wine, and it can be found cheaply just about anywhere.
Sleep - France Tourism
Learn
Work
For European people coming from an EEC country, working in France is allowed without problem, and working in many French cities is possible. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Depending on your qualifications, you can find a lot of different jobs.
If you want to earn money to continue traveling, Interim agencies (e.g. Adecco, Manpower) are a good source of temporary jobs. You can also consider working in bars, restaurants, and/or nightclubs (they are often looking for English-speaking workers, particularly those restaurants in tourist areas - fast-food restaurants such as McDonalds and Quick are also always looking for people).
A lot of "student jobs", if you happen to be in a big city, are also available for younger travelers, and foreigners are often very welcome. Such jobs include, for example, giving private English tuition, taking care of young children or many other things...check out the university buildings, they often have a lot of advertisements.
Don't forget that being an English speaker is a big advantage when you're looking for a job - French employers really have a problem finding English-speaking workers. Do note, however, that it will be much easier for you if you know a bit of French, for the same reason (your colleagues are not likely to speak English).
The French work market tends to operate through personal contacts - if you know someone that works somewhere, you can probably figure out quite an easy way to work at that place too. It always helps to know people living in the area you wish to work. In France, a job application without a photo is as big a faux-pas as forgetting to include your name.
Stay safe - France Tourism
Stay Healthy While You Travel to France
Respect
Contact
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