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France travel guide - France
holidays, flights & hotels.
Top destination guides for France holidays;
Paris
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Biarritz
| Bordeaux
| Brest
| Lyon
| Marseille
| Montpellier
| Nantes
Nice
| Pau
| Toulouse
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France Holidays, France Holiday Packages Overview
Wherever you choose to begin or end
a sojourn in Europe's largest country, and however long you spend
exploring you'll simply be scratching the surface of this vast and
varied land. France's geography stretches from rugged coastline to
seemingly infinite beaches, from bustling cities to quaint
countryside villages and from a sun-drenched isle to luxury
mountain ski resorts. A civilisation dating back
to 50,000 BC and a history spanning Roman and Frankish invasion,
wars of power and religion, a wealthy and powerful monarchy
ultimately crushed by revolution, the rise of Napoleon and a new
battle between monarchy and republic, and two world wars, has left
the country brimming with a rich heritage. Cave paintings, castles,
cathedrals and battle scars are scattered across the land, yet much
of the French countryside remains untouched, and traditional rural
life still flourishes. This is a country that
has inspired Monet's reinvention of colour, Toulouse Lautrec's dark
underbelly of Paris society, and the haunting harmonies of Debussy.
It has tantalised our taste buds with foie gras and frogs' legs,
and captured the imagination of the world's jet-set with the
resorts of St Tropez and Port Grimaud. Discover France, and
rediscover the meaning of joie de
vivre.
Tourist Offices - Maison de la France (Tourist Information
Agency), Paris: +33 (0)1 4296 1023 or www.franceguide.com
Search for a Holiday deal.
There are options for all France holidays,
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Entry Requirements
Visitors are advised to hold a return or
onward ticket and proof of financial means. The borderless region
known as the Schengen area includes the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Spain and Sweden. All these countries issue a standard Schengen
visa that allows the holder, in principal, to travel freely within
the borders of all.
- For Australians -
Australians must have a valid passport. No visa is
required for a stay of up to three months.
- New Zealand nationals must have a valid passport. No
visa is required for a stay of up to three months.
- United States citizens must have a valid passport. A
visa is not required for a stay of up to three
months.
- United States citizens must have a valid passport. A
visa is not required for a stay of up to three
months.
- British nationals must have a valid passport. A visa
is not required for a stay of up to three months for travellers
holding a passport endorsed British Citizen or British Overseas
Territories Citizen. In all other cases, a visa is required. EU
nationals intending to live and work in France do not require a
work permit or visa.
France Holidays - Currency of France
The Euro (EUR) is the official currency in France.
Currency can be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change and some
large hotels, though you will get a better exchange rate at the
ATMs. Major credit cards are widely accepted, as are travellers
cheques, particularly in major tourist destinations. Foreign
currency is not accepted.
France
Telephone Access Codes and Communications
The international access code for France
is +33. The outgoing code depends on what network is used to dial
out on (e.g. 00 for France Telecom), which is followed by the
relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Other
codes are used if using different networks. The area code for Paris
is (0)1. Most public telephones accept phone cards, which are
available in newsagents. Most hotels add a surcharge to calls; the
cheapest way to call abroad is often with a phone card. The local
mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements
with most international mobile phone companies. Internet cafes are
available in most towns throughout
France.
France
Duty Free Allowances & Restrictions
Travellers from non-EU countries over 17 years
entering France can bring in the following items duty-free: 200
cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g tobacco; 1
litre of spirits with alcohol content 22% and over, or 2 litres of
dessert wine or sparkling wine not exceeding 22% alcohol volume,
and 2 litres of table wine; 50g perfume or 250ml eau de toilette;
gold jewellery not exceeding 500g; 500g coffee; 100g tea; and other
goods to the value of EUR175 per adult or EUR90 for children under
15 years.
France
Holidays & Packages- Tipping Information
Most restaurants and hotels automatically add a
15% service charge so a tip is not necessary, although another 2-3%
is customary if the service has been good. If service is not
included then 15% is customary. Taxi drivers expect 10-15% of the
fare and hairdressers 10%. Hotel staff generally receive EUR1.50 a
day and tips of EUR1 are given to washroom and cloakroom attendants
and museum tour guides. Tour bus drivers and guides are also
tipped.
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