General Information Location: Europe Local Time: From 30 Mar 08 to 26 Oct 08 GMT +2 From 26 Oct 08 to 29 Mar 09 GMT +1 From 29 Mar 09 to 25 Oct 09 GMT +2 Capital City: Paris Population: Area: square km, square miles. Language(s): French Dialling Code: 33 Emergency: Police: 17. Fire: 18. Ambulance: 15 Directory Enquiries: 12 TV Standard: SECAM/PAL Driving: Driving is on the right. National licence required. Minimum driving age is 18 Electricity: 220V AC 50Hz
Business & CurrencyCurrency: Euro (EUR 1 = 100 Cents) Notes: EUR: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 Coins: EUR: 1, 2. Cents: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50
Credit Cards/Travellers Cheques: Credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted Opening Hours Bank: 0900-1200 & 1400-1600 Mon-Fri (some banks in Paris 1000-1700) Office: 0900-1200 & 1400-1800 Mon-Fri Shops: 0900-1830 Mon-Sat (some shops close between 1200-1430 Mon-Fri & many close all or pm Mon) Public Holidays 2008 Jan 1 New Year's Day, Mar 24 Easter Monday, May 1 Labour Day, May 1 Ascension, May 8 1945 Victory Day, May 12 Whit Monday, Jul 14 Bastille Day, Aug 15 Assumption, Nov 1 All Saints' Day, Nov 11 Remembrance Day, Dec 25 Christmas Day Business/Social Hints: Business is conducted in French, most executives speak English or some German or Spanish. Smoking is very restricted in many public places and always request permission before smoking. Request permission before smoking in offices and cars. Smoking in restaurants is now restricted to specific areas. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants, be punctual and dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated. The minimum drinking age is 18 years Tipping: Service charges are normally added to bills, if so tips are not necessary, but it is customary to leave small change. Tips for taxis around 10%
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AirportsBordeaux (BOD) Caen Carpiquet (CFR) Lille Lesquin (LIL) Limoges International Airport (LIG) lorient (LR) Lyon-Saint Exupery (LYS) Marce (Angers) (ANE) Marseille-Provence (MRS) Montpellier Mediterranee (MPL) Nantes Atlantique (NTE) Nice Cote d'Azur (NCE) Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Paris Orly (ORY) Pontoise Cormeilles en Vexin (POX) Rodez Marcillac Airport (RDZ) Strasbourg International (SXB) Toulouse Blagnac International (TLS)
Passport & VisaThe following details relate to holders of adult normal passports (requirements for children may be different), if any other type of passport or travel document is held, entry requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy or consulate PassportsRequired, but NOT by the following: 1) Holders of National Identity Cards or passports issued to nationals of Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Spain & Switzerland Passport Validity: 1) Where a visa is not required, passport validity varies according to nationality, contact nearest embassy/consulate 2) Where a visa is required, passports must be valid for 3 months Passport Notes: VisasThe following DO NOT require a visa: 1) Nationals of France 2) For stays up to 90 days by: a) Holders of passports endorsed 'British Citizen' b) Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Rep, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (Blue passport holders only), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland Rep, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea (south), Latvia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City & Venezuela
Air TransitRequired by all except: 1) Persons in direct transit by air without leaving the airport & arriving & departing from/to a non-Schengen country (except nationals of Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Bissau, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo Dem Rep, Cote d'Ivoire, Djbouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine (holders of travel documents issued by the Lebanese or Syrian authorities), Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan & Syria, Togo, Turkey Unless they hold a valid residency permit of an EU country, Andorra, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland or United States
Notes: Transit without a visa is not available if any of the subsequent destinations or transit locations are a Schengen country requiring a visa. Therefore, as the passenger is entering the Schengen territory, which is a borderless territory, those nationals of countries requiring a visa for any Schengen state, which they are entering, require a visa at all times Exit PermitsSpecial Notes1) All visitors must hold onward/return tickets, sufficient funds for length of stay & additional requirements as follows (except nationals of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland Rep, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden & United Kingdom): a) for tourist visits holding documents showing tour arrangements & hotel reservations 2) Member of Schengen Visa Agreement, however we strongly recommend that travellers make enquiries prior to travel with the appropriate embassies of the countries within the agreement which they plan to visit |