Francuska - France

OprezCOVID-19 informacija: Metropolitan Francuska završila je svoje drugo zaključavanje, međutim policijski čas je na snazi ​​od 18:00 do 06:00. Iako su granice EU / EEA i Ujedinjenog Kraljevstva otvorene, ostale su granice zatvorene za nebitna putovanja. Trgovine i neke usluge su otvorene, ali restorani i neka mjesta za slobodno vrijeme zatvoreni su do daljnjeg. Svi putnici koji dođu u Francusku izvan EU-a morat će u roku od 72 sata po dolasku predočiti negativni PCR test, u protivnom ćete se morati testirati po dolasku. Ako morate izaći u bilo koju bitnu svrhu tijekom policijskog sata, vi mora dovršite i predstavite an potvrda o izuzeću. To se također može generirati putem Aplikacija TousAntiCovid na Android i iOS uređajima (na engleskom i francuskom) ili na liniji (Samo na francuskom). Nepoštivanje ovih pravila i / ili pokazivanje ispunjene potvrde podliježe novčanoj kazni od 135 eura.

Pogledajte službena stranica za najnovije informacije.

(Podaci posljednji put ažurirani 19. ožujka 2021.)

Francuska je zemlja s kojom gotovo svaki putnik ima odnos. Mnogi sanjaju o tome radost življenja pokazuju nebrojeni kafići, slikovita sela, i svjetski poznati gastronomija. Neki dolaze slijediti trag velikih francuskih filozofa, književnika i umjetnika ili uroniti u prekrasan jezik koji je dao svijetu. Druge i dalje privlači zemljopisna raznolikost zemlje, s dugim obalama, masivnim planinskim lancima i prekrasnim vidicima na obradivo zemljište.

Francuska je više od dvadeset godina najposjećenija zemlja na svijetu. Primio je 89 milijuna posjetitelja u 2018. Svi ti ljudi dolaze u Francusku iz mnogo razloga: njezini gradovi sadrže neka od najvećih bogatstava na kontinentu, njegovo je selo prosperitetno i njegovano, a može se pohvaliti desecima glavnih turističkih atrakcija, uključujući Europska najpopularnija, Disneyland Pariz. Francuska je jedna od geografski najraznolikijih zemalja u Europi, koja sadrži područja koja se međusobno razlikuju poput urbanog šika Pariz, sunčano Francuska rivijera, vjetrovitim atlantskim plažama, snježnim odmaralištima Francuske Alpe, renesansni dvorci iz Dolina Loare, robusni Celtic Bretanja i povjesničarev san koji je Normandija.

Zemlja poznata po bogatim emocijama, burnoj politici, racionalnom razmišljanju i prosvjetiteljskom blagu; što god želite od odmora, naći ćete ga u Francuskoj.

Regije

Iako se prvenstveno misli na europsku zemlju, Francuska Republika (République française) sastoji se od nekoliko teritorija širom svijeta.

Metropolitanska Francuska

"Metropolitan France" obuhvaća 12 administrativnih regija (francuski: regije) na kopnu plus Korzika, ili drugim riječima sav francuski teritorij unutar Europe. Oni se razlikuju od prekomorskih teritorija zemlje na drugim kontinentima, o čemu se govori u nastavku. 96 odjela (odjeli) su sljedeća razina administrativne podjele, od kojih su dvije trećine nazvane po rijeci, a većina ostalih po drugoj prirodnoj značajci, poput planine ili mora.

Regije Francuska - Karta označena bojama
 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Dom francuskog skijanja, velike vulkanske regije i francuske kulinarske prijestolnice, Lyon.
 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Tone srednjovjekovne povijesti, ugodan prirodni krajolik i Vino bordo.
 Bretanja
Neravan zapadni poluotok, dom Kelta, kromleha i krepea
 Centar-Val de Loire
U velikoj mjeri poljoprivredno i vinogradarsko područje, koje sadrži doline rijeka, dvorce i povijesne gradove duž Loire.
 Korzika
Napoleonovo rodno mjesto je talijanski suptropski otok na Mediteranu.
 Grand Est
Regija u kojoj se šira europska, a posebno germanska kultura stopila s francuskom, dajući zanimljive rezultate.
 Hauts-de-France
Regija u kojoj su svjetski ratovi te uspon i pad teške industrije ostavili mnogo ožiljaka.
 Île-de-France
Gusto naseljena metropola Parizi bogatom okolnom selu.
 Normandija
Neke od najpoznatijih francuskih atrakcija, uključujući Mont Saint-Michel, D-Day plaže i dom Claudea Moneta.
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Najveća francuska regija, definirana više svojim očaravajućim kontrastima nego kao koherentna cjelina.
 Occitanie
Pravo prema jugu, gdje se Pireneji izliti u Sredozemno more.
 Zemlja Loire
Niži Dolina Loare i Vendée područje, na obali Atlantika.
 Provansa-Alpe-Azurna obala
Neizostavan Francuska rivijera, Marseille, Avignon, i Camargue.

Prekomorska Francuska

Francuski posjedi širom svijeta (kliknite za uvećanje)

Iza metropolitanske Francuske, poznate i kao Ja sam šesterokut zbog svog oblika postoji pet prekomorskih odjela (départements d'outre-mer - DOMs), svaki sastavni dio Francuske kao i bilo koji drugi odjel: Francuska Gvajana u Južna Amerika, Guadeloupe i Martinique u Karibi, i Mayotte i Ponovno sjedinjenje među Istočnoafrički otoci.

Uz to, Francuska ima šest organiziranih prekomorskih teritorija (territoires d'outre mer - TOMs) -Francuska Polinezija, nova Kaledonija, Sveti Barthélemy, Sveti Martin, Sveti Pierre i Miquelon i Wallis i Futuna—I neki udaljeni, nenaseljeni otoci kao rezervati prirode, uključujući Otok Clipperton i Francuske južne i antarktičke zemlje. Iako su administrativno dio Francuske, ovi entiteti ovdje nisu dodatno obrađeni, već u svojim člancima.

Zbog mnogih prekomorskih departmana i teritorija raštrkanih širom svijeta, Francuska se zapravo proteže dvanaest vremenske zone - to je više od bilo koje druge zemlje. Dakle, zajedno s Britanijom i njezinim prekomorskim teritorijima, Francuska i njezini teritoriji su drugi entitet na svijetu, moglo bi se reći da sunce nikada ne zalazi. Međutim, cijela se metropolitanska Francuska koristi srednjoeuropskim vremenom (UTC 01:00 zimi, UTC 02:00 ljeti).

Gradovi

Francuska ima brojne gradove od interesa za putnike; dolje je popis devet od najznačajnijih:

  • 1 Pariz - "Grad svjetlosti", ljubav i Eiffelov toranj.
  • 2 bordo - grad vina, tradicionalne kamene vile i pametne terase
  • 3 Lijepo - srce Francuske rivijere sa svjetski poznatom šetnicom uz plažu i vratima u sićušnu naciju Monako
  • 4 Lille - dinamičan sjeverni grad poznat po lijepom središtu i aktivnom kulturnom životu
  • 5 Lyon - Francuska gastronomska prijestolnica s poviješću od rimskog doba do otpora
  • 6 Marseille - Francuski kozmopolitski drugi grad, poznat po svojoj mediteranskoj luci, svom kalankei morski plodovi
  • 7 Nantes - zeleni i vrlo ugodan za život grad poznat po Julesu Verneu, pomorcima i bretonskoj kulturi
  • 8 Strasbourga - lijepo povijesno središte okruženo kanalima i dom mnogih europskih institucija
  • 9 Toulouse - "Ružičasti grad" poznat je po prepoznatljivoj ciglanoj arhitekturi i živopisnoj južnoj atmosferi
Smjestite Bellecour u Lyon

Ostala odredišta

  • 1 Camargue - jedna od najvećih europskih delta rijeka i močvara, s jakom provansalskom kulturom bikova i kauboja.
  • 2 Disneyland Pariz - najposjećenija atrakcija u Europi, Čarobno kraljevstvo čak ima i svoje TGV čvorište.
  • 3 Francuske Alpe - dom najviše planine zapadne Europe, Mont Blanc, ovo je najznačajnija skijaška zemlja.
  • 4 Francuska rivijera (Francuski: Azurna obala "Azurna obala") - glamurozna mediteranska obala s primorskim ljetovalištima, jahtama i poznatim osobama na sunčanju.
  • 5 Dolina Loare - svjetski poznata riječna dolina, najpoznatija po svojim vinima i renesansnim dvorcima.
  • 6 Luberon - stereotipna Provansa slikovitih sela, radost življenja i vino.
  • 7 Mont Saint Michel - samostan i grad izgrađen na malom izdanku stijene u pijesku, koji je u vrijeme oseke odsječen od kopna.
  • 8 Klisura Verdon - prekrasan tirkizno-zeleni kanjon rijeke, izvrstan za kajakaštvo, planinarenje, penjanje po stijenama ili samo vožnju oko vapnenačkih litica.

Shvati

LocationFrance.png
KapitalPariz
Valutaeuro (EUR)
Populacija66,6 milijuna (2016.)
Struja230 volti / 50 herca i 400 volti / 50 herca (Europlug, tip E)
Kod države 33
Vremenska zonaUTC 01:00
Hitne slučajeve112, 15 (hitne medicinske službe), 17 (policija), 18 (vatrogasci), 114 (zajednica gluhih)
Vozačka stranapravo

Klima i teren

Rijeka Rhone

Zemljopisno raznolika zemlja, Francuska ima iznenađujuće varijacije klime zbog svoje veličine. Općenito je da klima ide od hladnije do toplije u smjeru sjever-jug, a vlažnija i suha od zapada prema istoku. Većina zemlje doživljava umjerene zime i topla i često vlažna ljeta, a to se posebno odnosi na Pariz i Dolina Loare. Na sjeveru i sjeverozapadu traju blage, vlažne zime i prohladna ljeta (Bretanja, Normandija, Hauts-de-France) gdje je cjelokupna klima slična onoj u južnoj Engleskoj. Uz istočnu granicu (Grand-Est), postoji kontinentalna klima s hladnim do hladnim zimama i vrućim ljetima. The Dolina Rhone završava s ovog na topliji jug, iako cijela regija osjeća jak, hladan, suh, vjetar sjevernih do sjeverozapadnih poznatih kao maestrala. Mediteran (Occitanie, Provansa-Alpe-Azurna obala, Korzika) uživa u kratkim, blagim zimama i dugim, vrućim ljetima s visokim sunčanim satima tijekom cijele godine. Jugozapad (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie) ima slična vruća ljeta, ali zimi puno kiše, pod utjecajem Atlantika i planina. Očekujte hladne zime s puno snijega u planinskim regijama: Alpama, Pirinejima i Auvergneu. Međutim, zime ponekad mogu biti blage, a vlasnici tvrtki koji se oslanjaju na godišnji zimski sportski bum ostaju zureći u nebo.

Većina središnje, zapadne i sjeverne Francuske sastoji se od ravničarskih ravnica ili blago valjanih brežuljaka, isprekidanih mnogim dugačkim riječnim dolinama. Ovo veliko prostranstvo lakoće, zajedno s prokleto gotovo savršenom klimom, ono je što čini francusku poljoprivredu tako bogatom i produktivnijom. Ostatak zemlje je planinski, s jugoistokom Alpe i jugozapadne Pireneji među najvišim rasponima zapadne Europe. Manji rasponi uključuju Vogezi i Jura na istoku, a Središnji masiv na sredini juga. Koncept terroir izuzetno je važan francuskim poljoprivrednicima i vinogradarima i pokazuje kako se klima, vrsta tla i teren određenog područja kombiniraju kako bi utjecali na okus ili karakter usjeva.

Možete posjetiti Francusku u bilo koje doba godine, i naravno, neke se regije priušte određenim godišnjim dobima (npr. Alpe zimi, Pariz u proljeće), ali općenito proljeće i jesen nude idealnu kombinaciju pristojnog vremena tijekom većine zemlje i mirnija turistička sezona. Ljeto je toplo i sunčano u većini Francuske, a često se događaju mnoga događanja koja iskušavaju putnika, bilo da su to lokalni festivali, sezona koncerata na otvorenom ili godišnji državni praznik 14. srpnja. No, putnicima se savjetuje da izbjegavaju mjesec kolovoz, jer se tada naizgled cijelo stanovništvo Francuske uspinje i kreće prema jugu les vacances. Ovo je najprometnije doba godine za prijevoz, sa samedi noir (crna subota; prvi u mjesecu) koji često vidi do 1000 km gužvi na cestovnoj mreži. Štoviše, naći ćete mnoga lokalna poduzeća, posebno u ruralnim područjima, bez obzira na to ima li ljetnih posjetitelja zatvorenih tijekom cijelog mjeseca. U odsutnosti domaćih ostataka stranih turista gomilaju glavne atrakcije i gradove zemlje, a Pariz posebno može vidjeti kako cijene soba rastu.

Praznici

Na francuske državne praznike utječu važni katolički blagdani, osim Velikog petka koji se obilježava samo u Alzas. Većina ih pada na različite datume, ovisno o godini. Ovaj popis najznačajnije uključuje Uskrs (Pâques) koji ima blagdane u nedjelju i ponedjeljak. Uznesenje Marijino na nebo (Uznesenja) uvijek pada 15. kolovoza, na blagdan Svih svetih (Toussaint) 1. studenog i Božića (Noël) 25. prosinca. Ostali praznici uključuju Novu godinu (Nouvel An / Jour de l'an, 1. siječnja), Prvi maj (Fête du Travail, 1. svibnja), Dan pobjede (8 svibnja, 8. svibnja), Dan Bastilje (Fête nationale, 14. srpnja) i Dan primirja (Jour du Souvenir / Jour de l'Armistice, 11. studenog). Poput nekih svojih susjeda (osobito Španjolske i Njemačke), Francuska ima opsežan kalendar lokalnih praznika i dana svetaca, ali za razliku od tih zemalja, tvrtke i vlade ih uglavnom ne poštuju.

Preporučljivo je unaprijed planirati putničke aranžmane, posebno tijekom francuskog školski praznici koji obično padaju na dva tjedna u sljedećim razdobljima: od kraja listopada do početka studenog, Božića, Uskrsa i između 1. svibnja i Dana pobjede. Nadalje, škole u cijeloj zemlji počinju ljetovati prvog petka u srpnju i vraćaju se u prvi ponedjeljak u rujnu. U današnje vrijeme i oko njih, na cestama je gužva, a cijene vlakova i aviona rastu. Ako u to vrijeme možete izbjeći putovanja, učinite to.

Povijest

Francuska je naseljena još od neolitika. Regija Dordogne posebno je bogata prapovijesnim špiljama, neke se koriste kao stanište, dok druge kao hramovi s izvanrednim slikama životinja i lovaca, poput onih pronađenih u Lascaux.

Uspon i pad Rimskog carstva

Rimske ruševine u Avignonu

Pisana povijest započela je u Francuskoj invazijom teritorija Rimljani, između 118. i 50. pr. Teritorij koji se danas naziva Francuska postao je dijelom Hrvatske rimsko Carstvo, i Gali (ime koje su Rimljani dali lokalnim Keltima), koji su tamo živjeli prije rimskih invazija, postali su akulturacijski "Galo-Rimljani". Gali su također živjeli u današnjoj sjevernoj Italiji i kao takva "Gallia Cisalpina" bila je prvo galsko područje koje je došlo pod rimsku vlast. Kasnije, područje koje je sada Provansa došao pod rimsku kontrolu pod imenom "Gallia Transalpina" (Galija izvan Alpa) i upravo je kao guverner ove provincije Julije Cezar manipulirao lokalnom politikom između galskih plemena na takav način da je vodio "obrambeni" rat (provincijski guverneri bili su nije dopušteno pokretati napadni rat na vlastitu inicijativu) koji je završio osvajanjem cijele Galije i porazom i zarobljavanjem galskog poglavice i pobunjeničkog vođe Vercingetorixa u bitci kod Alesije. Caeasar i njegov pouzdanik Aulus Hirtius (knjiga 8) napisali su zbirku knjiga o ratu poznatu kao De Bello Gallico, propast latinskih učenika svih razdoblja od tada, jer je propagandni komad hvaljen zbog svog jasnog i jezgrovitog jezika i jednog od rijetkih antičkih izvora u kojima glavna povijesna ličnost piše o vlastitim postupcima. Cezar se u knjizi odnosi na sebe u trećem licu, što je osobina koja se rijetko spominje na kulturnim prikazima poput francuskog stripa Astérix, gdje je to šala koja se ponavlja. Cezarovi postupci bili su sumnjive zakonitosti prema rimskom zakonu, a njegov poznati prijelaz Rubikona izazvao je strah da će se suočiti s kaznenim progonom ako uđe u Italiju bez vojske. Dakle, osvajanje Galije bilo je ključno u lancu događaja koji su uzrokovali pad Rimske Republike.

Car Klaudije rođen je u Lugdunumu, sada Lyon, najvažniji galo-rimski grad u ovo doba. Rimska vladavina u Galiji bila je vrijeme relativnog mira i prosperiteta, ali tijekom krize 3. stoljeća postojali su lokalni uzurpatori koji su osnovali "Galsko carstvo" koje je kontroliralo Galiju i dijelove Germanije u vrijeme slabe središnje kontrole. Neke zgrade koje su Rimljani izgradili u to doba još uvijek postoje, a njihove su ceste ostale u širokoj upotrebi sve do pojave automobila jer je njihova kvaliteta daleko premašivala srednjovjekovnu izgradnju cesta.

Padom Zapadnog Rimskog Carstva u 5. stoljeću poslije Krista, ostala su područja naseljena potomcima međusobnih brakova između Galo-Rimljana i "barbarskih" Istočnjaka (uglavnom Franaka, ali i drugih plemena poput "Burgonda").

The ostavština prisutnosti Rima i dalje je vidljiva, posebno u južnom dijelu zemlje gdje se rimski cirkusi još uvijek koriste za borbe bikova i rock'n'roll koncerte. Neke glavne francuske ceste i dalje slijede rute prvobitno trasirane prije 2000 godina, a urbana organizacija mnogih starih gradskih središta još uvijek prepisuje cardo et decumanus tipična mreža rimskog logora. Ostala glavna naslijeđa rimske civilizacije su Katolička crkva, kodificirani pravni sustav i francuski jezik.

Srednji vijek

Vidi također: Frankovci, Kraljevina Francuska

Clovis, koji je umro 511. godine, smatra se prvim francuskim kraljem, premda se njegovo franačko carstvo nije protezalo mnogo dalje od područja današnje Île-de-France, oko Pariza. Međutim, njegovo krštenje (trinitarno) kršćanstvo - za razliku od arijanizma tada popularnog kod germanskih poglavara - pokazalo bi se važnim za daljnju povijest Europe. Karlo Veliki, koji je okrunjen za cara novog Zapadnog Rimskog Carstva 800. godine, bio je prvi snažni vladar. Pod njegovom vlašću ujedinio je teritorije koje su uključivale Francusku, kao i dijelove današnje Belgije, Njemačke i Italije. Glavno prebivalište mu je bio Aix-la-Chapelle (danas u Njemačkoj, poznat kao Aachen). Kako je gotovo neprestano bio na putu i "vladao sa sedla", nekoliko mjesta može se smatrati njegovim "glavnim gradom" ili "prebivalištem".

U tom je razdoblju Francuska bila napadnuta Vikinzi koji je došao sa sjevera i plovio rijekama uzvodno pljačkajući gradove i opatije. S juga su je napali i muslimanski Saraceni koji su osnovani u Španjolskoj. Vikinzi su dobili dio teritorija (današnja Normandija) 911. godine i brzo su nametnuli feudalni sustav kmetstva domaćim seljacima. Saraceni su zaustavljeni 732 Poitiers Charlesa Martela, djeda Karla Velikog i prilično grubog ratnika koji je kasnije slavljen kao nacionalni heroj.

Počevši od Karla Velikog, osnovano je novo društvo, zasnovano na sustavu feudalizma. Iako se općenito doživljava kao doba stagnacije, može se prikladnije opisati kao razdoblje gospodarskog i kulturnog razvoja (glazba i pjesme trubadura i truvera, gradnja romaničkih i kasnijih gotičkih katedrala) koje slijedi recesija zbog pandemijska bolest i ratovi.

987. Hughes Capet okrunjen je za francuskog kralja; on je korijen kraljevskih obitelji koje će kasnije upravljati Kraljevina Francuska. Zapravo kad su Luja XVI. Francuski revolucionari prisilili na zajedničko ime, "Louis Capet" izabran je u odnosu na Hughesa. 1154. godine veći dio zapadnog dijela Francuske došao je pod englesku vlast vjenčanjem Eleanore iz Akvitanije s engleskim kraljem Henryjem II (grofom Anjoua, rođenim u gradu Le Mansu). Neki kraljevi iz dinastije Plantagenet i danas su pokopani u Francuskoj, a najpoznatiji su Richard I 'Lavlje Srce', slave Waltera Scotta, i njegov otac Henry II, koji leži u Abbaye de Fontevraud. Borba između engleskog i francuskog kralja između 1337. i 1435. poznata je pod nazivom Stogodišnji rat, a njena najpoznatija figura je Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc), koja se danas smatra francuskom nacionalnom heroinom.

Čitanje

Prije odlaska možda ćete htjeti pročitati jedan ili oba Francuski ili neprijatelj od Polly Platt ili Gotovo francuski Sarah Turnbull - zanimljivi, dobro napisani zapisi osoba koje govore engleski jezik i žive u Francuskoj. Probajte za odraslog čitatelja kojeg zanima Parisina reputacija romantike i senzualnosti Senzualni Pariz: Seks, zavođenje i romantika u uzvišenom gradu svjetlosti Jonathana LeBlanca Robertsa

Rano moderno doba

Početkom šesnaestog stoljeća propao je feudalni sustav i pojava Francuske kao 'moderne' države sa svojim granicama relativno blizu današnjih granica (iako Alzas, Korzika, Savoja i regija Nice nisu bili ipak francuski). "Kralj sunca" Luj XIV, kralj od 1643. do 1715. (72 godine), bio je vjerojatno najmoćniji monarh svog doba. Francuski utjecaj proširio se duboko u ostatak Europe, čak se šireći i do Rusija; njegov se jezik koristio na mnogim europskim sudovima, postajući međunarodni jezik diplomacije, a njegova se kultura izvozila po cijelom kontinentu.

To doba i sljedeće stoljeće također su vidjeli ekspanziju francuskog globalnog utjecaja. Ova kolonijalna ekspanzija izazvala je čitav niz ratova s ​​drugim kolonijalnim carstvima, uglavnom Engleskom (kasnije Britanijom) i Španjolskom zbog nadzora nad Amerikama i Indijom. U međuvremenu, glavni vojni inženjer Vauban nadzirao je izgradnju utvrda oko francuskih granica, i njih 12 Utvrde Vauban su pod zaštitom UNESCO-a. Francuska je na kraju izgubila na obje fronte (konačni poraz dolazi u Napoleonski ratovi), ali francuski je utjecaj još uvijek vrlo vidljiv u Louisiana i Quebec (gdje se državno / provincijsko pravo još uvijek temelji na francuskom građanskom pravu, a ne na engleskom uobičajenom pravu).

Doba revolucija

Vidi također: Napoleonski ratovi, Francusko kolonijalno carstvo
Napoleonova grobnica u Dôme des Invalides, Pariz

Francuska revolucija započela je 1789. Kralj Luj XVI. I njegova supruga Marija Antoaneta uhićeni su i na kraju pogubljeni giljotinom, a prva Francuska republika osnovana je umjesto gotovo 1000 godina stare monarhije. Iako je ovo bilo krvavo razdoblje, ono je bilo i ostalo nadahnuće za mnoge druge oslobodilačke borbe širom svijeta. Tijekom revolucije, Francuska je također potpisala prvu "deklaraciju o ljudskim pravima", samo nekoliko mjeseci ispred svog kolege iz Ujedinjene države. Do danas mnogi ustavi uključuju izjavu o pravima koja utječu na ovaj dokument.

Napoleon Bonaparte preuzeo je vlast pučem i na kraju vratio Francusku u monarhijski sustav tako što se 1804. godine okrunio za cara, ali njegova militaristička ambicija zbog koje je postao vladarom većine zapadne Europe bila je njegov pad. Njegov poraz od kraljevske mornarice u bitci kod Trafalgara 1805. godine značio je da nikada nije uspio zaseniti Britance kao dominantnu svjetsku pomorsku silu. 1815. Napoleon je dočekao svoj konačni poraz u bitci kod Waterloo (Belgija) savezom britanskih i pruski snaga, te je zarobljen i protjeran iz Europe. Još uvijek je poštovan u nekim istočnoeuropskim zemljama jer su njegove vojske i vlada sa sobom donijele ideje francuskih filozofa.

Francuska se vratila u monarhiju (prvo restauracija Bourbona, a zatim liberalno kraljevstvo pod vodstvom Louisa Phillipea počevši s revolucijom 1830.) sve dok druga revolucija 1848. nije dopustila nećaku Napoleona da bude izabran za predsjednika, a zatim postaje car pod imenom Napoleon III. Na kraju devetnaestog stoljeća dogodila se industrijalizacija zemlje i razvoj željeznica, ali i početak ogorčenih ratova s ​​Pruskom i kasnije Njemačkom.

Rat 1870. godine koji je izbio zbog manjeg neslaganja u vezi s upražnjenim španjolskim prijestoljem (a Hohenzollern princ je predložen za nasljednika, a francuska vlada zahtijevala je od pruske vlade da odlučno odbije njegovo ime), pokazalo se pogubnim za Francuze. Loše pripremljena vojska zatečena je kad su se mobilizirale ne samo Pruska već i države Južne Njemačke poput Bavarske, dok Francuskoj nitko nije priskočio u pomoć. Da bi uvreda bila veća, Napoleon III je zarobljen u ranoj bitci kod Sedana i proglašena je Treća Republika. Nezadovoljni time, Prusi su nastavili dalje, opsjedajući Pariz (prisiljavajući njegove stanovnike da jedu životinje iz zoološkog vrta) i slamajući kratkotrajnu Parišku komunu. Kad je napokon potpisan mirovni ugovor, Francuska se morala odreći Alzasa i Lorraine, koji su imali stanovništvo njemačkog govornog područja u dijelovima, ali što je još važnije, bogatim nalazištima željezne rude. Uz to Francuska je bila prisiljena platiti pet milijardi franaka zlata, toliko ogromnu svotu da je od nje još nešto ostalo kad je Francuska pobijedila Njemačku. prvi svjetski rat četrdeset godina kasnije.

Iako se u to vrijeme na Treću republiku gledalo kao na privremeno rješenje, rano u svom postojanju imala je monarhističku većinu u Nacionalnoj skupštini, prepirući se između različitih monarhističkih frakcija i odbijanja njihovog "kompromisnog kandidata" da prihvati zastavu Tricolorea kao preduvjet za njegovu krunidba dovela je do toga da je Republika preživjela svoju burnu početnu fazu. Republika je također preživjela aferu Dreyfus, u kojoj je židovski pukovnik lažno osuđen za izdaju pod vojnim sudom, i žestoki vojni prijekor Émilea Zole (J'accuse) i kontroverza koja je uslijedila potresla je Francusku u njezinu kulturnu i političku jezgru. Nakon Prvog svjetskog rata, kao i drugdje u Europi, antidemokratske su snage bile u porastu u međuratnim godinama, zahtijevajući vladu "narodne fronte" koju je vodio Léon Blum koja je uključivala centrističke stranke, kao i komuniste. Treća se republika srušila tek nakon vojnog poraza Francuske u ranoj fazi Drugog svjetskog rata i ostaje najdugovječniji režim koji je Francuska imala od deponiranja Luja XVI. 1792. Sadašnja Peta republika mogla je premašiti Treću republiku samo trajanjem do 2028. ili duže.

20. i 21. stoljeće

1905. godine došlo je do razdvajanja Crkve i države, pod inicijativom poznatom kao laïcité ('sekularizam') kao odgovor na aferu Dreyfus. Ovo je bio traumatičan proces, posebno u ruralnim područjima. Od tada Francuska nije imala ustaljenu religiju. Prema politici "ne pitaj, ne govori", zakon zabranjuje francuskim studentima i državnim službenicima da pokazuju bilo koji znak koji eksplicitno pokazuje njihovu vjeru dok su u školi ili na radnom mjestu. Ova se politika odnosi na nošenje kršćanskih križeva i židovskih kipa, a primijenjena je i na muslimanski hidžab. Početkom 21. stoljeća statistički podaci o odlasku u Crkvu i vjeri u Boga bili su među najnižima u Europi. I dok religija ne igra nikakvu ulogu u politici, laïcité - što se točno pod tim podrazumijeva i dokle bi trebalo ići - znači.

Spomen na poginule u oba svjetska rata, Anemasa

The Prvi svjetski rat (1914.-18.) Bilo je traumatično razdoblje u povijesti Francuske. Unatoč pobjedi koju su postigle Francuska i njezini saveznici, gotovo 1,7 milijuna Francuza je ubijeno, a mnogi gradovi i sela te veliki dijelovi sela uništeni. Velik dio zloglasnog rovovskog rata vodio se u istočnoj polovici Francuske. Francuska je bila dva puta blizu poraza i bila je uvjerena u daljnju borbu samo "čudesnim" zaustavljanjem njemačkog napredovanja 1914. i maršalom Philippeom Pétainom koji je okupio trupe za bitku kod Verdun 1916. Nakon rata Francuska je preuzela kontrolu nad bivšim njemačkim područjima Alzas i Lorraine, kao i nekoliko njemačkih prekomorskih kolonija, te je postao vodeća sila u Europi u sljedećem desetljeću.

The Drugi svjetski rat (1939. - 45.) vidio je kako je Francusku većinu rata okupirala nacistička Njemačka. Sa sjevernom Francuskom pod izravnom njemačkom kontrolom, a jugom je vladala marionetska vlada (poznata kao Vichyjev režim, a stariji ratni heroj maršal Pétain postavljen je kao figura koji predstavlja iluziju kontinuiteta), uvedene su mnoge totalitarne mjere, uključujući prisilno deportaciju Židovi u koncentracijske logore (vidi Sjećanje na holokaust). Vichyev režim pod Pétainom službeno je bio kolaboracionistički s nacistima, a mnogi su ga obični francuski građani slijedili, neki s više žara od drugih. No kako je rat odmicao, opskrba osnovnim namirnicama slaba je, a fašistički ekscesi režima postajali sve gori, broj civila koji su sudjelovali u aktivnom i pasivnom otporu znatno se povećavao. 1944., nakon iskrcavanja saveznika (uključujući prognane francuske vojnike i one iz francuskih carskih kolonija) u Normandiji i na mediteranskoj obali, Francuska je oslobođena njemačke kontrole.

Nakon završetka Drugog svjetskog rata, Francuska je prošla razdoblje obnove, a novi prosperitet postignut je razvojem industrije, a od tada je prerasla u drugo najveće europsko gospodarstvo nakon Njemačke. Francuska i Njemačka bile su među prvim članicama ugovora koji su na kraju evoluirali u Europsku uniju. Tijekom poslijeratnog razdoblja Francuska je prošla kroz bolne procese dekolonijalizacije u Indokini (vidi Ratovi Indokine) i Alžira i gotovo sve ostale posjede pustio u neovisnost. Iako se Francuska morala nositi s činjenicom da je njihov status velike moći prošlost, postignut je tehnološki napredak koji je barem djelomično trebao pokazati svijetu da je Francuska još uvijek velika. Bio to TGV, francuski svemirski program ili francuski nuklearni program. S druge strane, francusko-britanski odnosi, koji su bili teški čak i u vrijeme službenog saveza u prošlosti, postali su bolji, posebno kroz projekte poput Tunela pod Ronalom i zajednički projekt Concorde. Jedna od najvidljivijih posljedica članstva Francuske u EU bilo je uvođenje eura (€) 2002. godine. Sada je to zajednička valuta šesnaest europskih zemalja, koje zajedno čine 'eurozonu'.

Danas je Francuska republika s predsjednikom izabranim na petogodišnji mandat (quinquennat). Trenutni ustav takozvane Pete republike napisan je nakon propasti poslijeratne Četvrte republike, uglavnom prema željama Charlesa de Gaullea. Dosadašnji predsjednik Republike je Emmanuel Macron. Aktualna pitanja s kojima se zemlja suočava uključuju daljnju integraciju Francuske u EU i usvajanje zajedničkih standarda za gospodarstvo, obranu i druga područja.

Struja

Struja napaja se na 220 do 230 V 50 Hz. Izlazi su CEE7 / 5 (izbočeni muški zatik za uzemljenje) i prihvaćaju CEE 7/5 (uzemljeni), CEE 7/7 (uzemljeni) ili CEE 7/16 (neuzemljeni) utikači. Stariji čepovi CEE 7/4 njemačkog tipa nisu kompatibilni jer ne sadrže uzemljivač koji se nalazi na ovoj vrsti utičnice. Međutim, većina modernih europskih uređaja opremljena je hibridnim CEE 7/7 utikačem koji odgovara i CEE 7/5 (Belgija i Francuska) i CEE 7/4 (Njemačka, Nizozemska, Španjolska, Švedska i veći dio Europe) utičnicama.

Utikači Putnici iz Velike Britanije, Irske, Australije, Novog Zelanda, Danske, Italije, Švicarske i drugih zemalja koje koriste 230 V 50 Hz i koriste različite utikače, jednostavno trebaju adapter za utikač kako bi koristili svoje uređaje u Francuskoj. Ispravljači utikača za utikače iz SAD-a i Velike Britanije dostupni su u trgovinama električnom energijom i "uradi sam" poput Bricorame.

Napon: Putnicima iz SAD-a, Kanade, Japana i drugih zemalja koji koriste 110 V 60 Hz možda će trebati pretvarač napona. Međutim, neka prijenosna računala, punjači za mobilne telefone i drugi uređaji mogu prihvatiti ili 110 V ili 230 V, pa je potreban samo jednostavan adapter za utikač. Prije spajanja provjerite naponske pločice na uređajima.

Razgovor

Vidi također: Francuski rječnik fraza

francuski (français) je službeni jezik Francuske. Francuzi su vrlo ponosni na svoj jezik, a svaki posjetitelj koji ne uloži ni truda da progovori, propušta važan dio identiteta i kulture zemlje, a ono što mnogi smatraju najljepšim jezikom u svijet.

Ostali jezici koji se koriste u Francuskoj

U Alzas i dio Lorraine, dijalekt njemačkog naziva alzaški govori se, što je gotovo nerazumljivo za govornike standardnoga visokog njemačkog. Na zapadu od Bretanja, neki ljudi govore Bretonski; ovaj je keltski jezik srodnik velškog. Na jugu neki još uvijek govore dijalekte Okcitanski (također se naziva langue d'Oc jer je riječ za "da" òc): Auvergnat, Gascon, Languedocian, Limousin i Provansalski. Okcitanski je romanski jezik i vrlo je blizak rođak katalonskog i susjednih talijanskih dijalekata. U dijelovima Atlantski Pirineji, baskijski govori se, ali ne toliko kao na španjolskoj strani granice. U Korzika, Korzikanac jezik ima snažan talijanski utjecaj.

Ti su jezici bez iznimke u padu i na mnogim mjestima govore samo starije osobe i akademici. Češći su, ali još uvijek u opadanju, regionalni dijalekti francuskog jezika, koji se lokalno često nazivaju žargon. Ako imate sluha za naglaske, čut ćete i varijacije u izgovoru standardnog francuskog dok putujete zemljom.

Sve ovo rečeno, svi u Francuskoj govore standardni francuski, a turisti vjerojatno nikada neće trebati govoriti nešto drugo, iako ćete možda htjeti naučiti jednu ili dvije osnovne fraze ili pozdrave kako biste pokazali da prepoznajete baštinu regije.

Sljedeće fraze ići dug put:

  • Izvinite, monsieur / madame - Oprostite, gospodine / gospođo (ehk-SKEW-zay MWAH muh-SYUH / ma-DAHM)
  • S'il vous plaît - Molim (seel voo PLEH)
  • Merci - Hvala vam (merr-VIDI)
  • Au revoir - Doviđenja (oh ruh-VWAHR)
  • Parlez-vous engleski? - GovoriŠ li engleski? (par-lay VOO ahng-LEH)

As France is a multicultural society with immigrants from all over the world (particularly from former French colonies), many African languages, Arabic, Chinese dialects (such as Teochew), Vietnamese, Lao, and Khmer are spoken. French is in the Romance family of languages, along with Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Italian and Romanian, so if you speak any of those languages, you will recognise many cognates, particularly in written form.

Although most French people, including virtually everyone born after 1990, have studied Engleski in school, proficiency has historically been poor, with only a small minority being conversant in it. With that said, things have changed dramatically since the late 2000s. You can now expect major hotels and tourist attractions to have staff who speak basic English and other foreign languages (German and Spanish being the most common). Furthermore, the younger generation of French (especially those in larger urban areas) is far more proficient in English than their elders.

When approaching the locals, always be sure to begin the conversation in French, as assuming that a foreign language will be spoken is considered to be very rude. The French understand that their language is a challenging one for foreigners to learn, but generally react well to even clumsy, but sincere, attempts to speak their language, and will feel much more inclined to respond using whatever English they know if they judge you to have made an effort.

Foreign shows and movies usually come in two formats: VF (version française), dubbed in French, and VO (version originale) or VOSTFR (version originale sous-titrée en français), original audio with French subtitles.

The standard sign language is Francuski znakovni jezik, locally known by its native initialism LSF (langue des signes française). Whenever an interpreter is present at a public event, he or she will use LSF. It's partially mutually intelligible with American Sign Language, Quebec Sign Language, and Irish Sign Language. However, it's not mutually intelligible at all with British Sign Language, Auslan, or New Zealand Sign Language.

Uđi

Uvjeti za prijavu

Minimum validity of travel documents

  • EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, as well as non-EU citizens who are visa-exempt (e.g. New Zealanders and Australians), need only produce a passport which is valid for the entirety of their stay in France.
  • Other nationals who are required to have a visa (e.g. South Africans), however, must have a passport which has at least 3 months' validity beyond their period of stay in France in order for a Schengen visa to be granted.
The French impressionist painter Claude Monet's house in Giverny, Normandy, Northern France

France is a member of the Schengenski sporazum.

  • Obično ne postoji granična kontrola između zemalja koje su potpisale i provodile ugovor. To uključuje veći dio Europske unije i nekoliko drugih zemalja.
  • Obično se provjeravaju identitet prije ulaska u međunarodne letove ili brodove. Ponekad postoje privremene granične kontrole na kopnenim granicama.
  • Isto tako, a Visa dodijeljena za bilo kojeg člana Schengena vrijedi u svim ostalim zemljama koje su potpisale ugovor i provodio ugovor.
  • Molim te vidi Putovanje po schengenskom području za više informacija o tome kako shema funkcionira, koje su države članice i koji su zahtjevi za vašu nacionalnost.

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), jesu permitted to work in France without the need to obtain a visa or any further authorisation for the period of their 90 day visa-free stay. All other visa-exempt nationals are exempt from holding a visa for short-term employment if they possess a valid work permit, with limited exceptions. However, this ability to work visa-free does not necessarily extend to other Schengen countries. Za više informacija posjetite this webpage of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign nationals who are ne visa-exempt (e.g. South Africans) must make a 'declaration of entry' (déclaration d'entrée) at a police station or to border inspection personnel if they arrive in France directly from another country of the Schengen Area (e.g. Italija), unless they hold a long-term visa or residence permit issued by a Schengen member state. Their passports will be endorsed by the authorities to prove that such a declaration has been made. This government webpage (in French) provides more information.

If you intend to stay in France for longer than 90 days, regardless of purpose, an advance long-stay visa is stalno required of non-EEA or non-Swiss citizens. It is almost impossible to switch from a "C" (visitor) entry status to a "D" (long-stay) status from inside France.

As of 2009, certain categories of long-stay visa, such as "visitor" (visiteur), family (vie privée et familiale), "student" (étudiant), "salaried worker" (salarié), and "short-term worker" (travailleur temporaire), do not require persons to obtain a separate residence permit (carte de séjour) for the first year of the stay in France. However, the long-stay visa must be validated by the OFII within three months of entering France. This is done by sending in a form to the OFII received along with the visa with the address of residence in France, completing a medical examination, and attending an introductory meeting to validate the visa. As of 2013, the tax paid to OFII must now be paid at the consulate where the visa is obtained. The validated visa will serve as a residence permit and, likewise, allow travel throughout the other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in a 6 month period. After the first year, however, and for many other visa categories which state carte de séjour à solliciter dès l'arrivée, a carte de séjour je potrebno. Consult the OFII for more information.

French overseas departments and territories are ne part of the Schengen Area and operate a separate immigration regime to metropolitan France.

Avionom

Flights to/from Paris

The main international airport, Roissy - Charles de Gaulle (CDG IATA), is likely to be your port of entry if you fly into France from outside Europe. CDG is the main intercontinental hub for national airline Air France. AF and the companies forming the SkyTeam Alliance (KLM, Aeroméxico, Alitalia, Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, Saudia) use Terminal 2, as do Oneworld airlines, while most Star Alliance airlines use Terminal 1. A third terminal is used mainly for charter and some low-costs flights. If transferring through CDG (especially between the various terminals) it is important to leave substantial time between flights. Ensure you have no less than one hour between transfers. Add more if you have to change terminals as you will need to clear through security. For transfers within CDG you can use the free train shuttle linking all terminals, train stations, parking lots and hotels in the airport.

Transfers to another flight in France: AF operates domestic flights from CDG too, but a lot of domestic flights, and also some internal European flights, use Orly (ORY IATA), the second Paris airport. For transfers to Orly there is a bus link operated by AF (free for AF passengers). The two airports are also linked by a local train (RER) which is slightly less expensive, runs faster but is much more cumbersome to use with heavy luggage.

AF, Corsair, Emirates, Qatar Airways have agreements with SNCF, the national rail company, which operates TGVs services, serving CDG airport (some trains even carry flight numbers). The TGV station is in Terminal 2 and is on the route of the free shuttle. For transfers to the city centre of Paris, see Pariz.

Some low-cost airlines, including Ryanair and Volare, fly to Beauvais airport situated about 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Paris. Buses to Paris are provided by the airlines. Check schedules and fares on their websites.

Flights to/from regional airports

Many airports outside Paris have flights to/from international destinations: among the most served are Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse, they have flights to cities in western Europe and North Africa; these airports are hubs to smaller airports in France and may be useful to avoid the transfer between the two Paris airports. Two airports, Basel-Mulhouse and Geneva, are shared by France and Switzerland and can allow entry into either country.

Regional airports in France also have long-haul flights from these cities:

  • Dubai: Lyon (Emirates), Nice (Emirates)
  • Montreal: Bordeaux (Air Transat), Marseille (Air Transat), Lyon (Air Canada, Air Transat), Nantes (Air Transat), Nice (Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat), Toulouse (Air Transat)
  • New York City: Nice (Delta Air Lines)
  • Toronto: Marseille (Air Transat)

Brodom

The coast at Quiberon, Brittany

France is served by numerous services from England to France:

Prices vary considerably depending on which route you choose. Generally the cheapest route is the short sea route across the English Channel which is Dover do Calais, so it is worth comparing prices before you decide which is the most suitable route to France.

Passengers travelling from Dover by ferry to France go through French passport/identity card checks in the UK before boarding, rather than on arrival in France. Passengers travelling from all other UK ports to France go through French passport/identity card checks on arrival in France.

There are also connections from Ireland to France:

Vlakom

Vidi također: Rail travel in France

The French rail company, SNCF, as well as many other companies (sometimes in cooperation with SNCF), provide direct service from most European countries using regular as well as high speed trains.

  • TGVs between Paris, Metz and Luxembourg, as well as TGV between Brussels and France (except Paris) are operated by SNCF
  • TGVs between Paris, Lille, Calais and Ebbsfleet, Ashford and London in the UK, through the Channel Tunnel (also called Chunnel by some), are operated by Eurostar
  • TGVs between Paris, Lille, Belgium, Netherlands and northwest Germany (Cologne, Essen) are operated by Thalys
  • High speed trains between France and South Germany (Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich) are operated by Alleo[mrtva veza], with either a SNCF TGV or a Deutsche Bahn ICE, and bilingual crew from both countries.
  • TGVs between France and Switzerland are operated by Lyria
  • TGVs between France and Italy are operated by TGV France Italie
  • TGVs between France and Barcelona/Madrid are operated by Elipsos, with either a SNCF TGV or a RENFE AVE, and bilingual crew.
  • Night trains between Paris, Dijon and Italy are operated by Thello
  • Day trains between Marseille and Milan (via Nice) are operated by Thello as well
  • Night trains between Moscow and Paris operated by the russian RZD run weekly, they stop en-route in Belarus (Minsk), Poland (Warsaw, Poznan) and Germany (Berlin, Erfurt)
  • Night trains between Moscow and Nice operated by the Russian company RZD run weekly, they stop en-route in Belarus (Minsk), Poland (Warsaw, Katowice), Austria (Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck) and Italy
  • Upon reservation, you can take your bicikl with you in night trains and single-deck TGV's.

Autobusom

Vidi također: Intercity buses in France, Međugradski autobusi u Njemačkoj

Several companies operate between France and the rest of Europe:

Automobilom

Several weekends throughout the year in France are known as 'Black Saturday' (Samedi noir) because of the start or end of school holidays and the coinciding traffic jams on French roads caused by thousands of tourists travelling to and from their holiday destinations. When possible it is wise to avoid these days. For traffic reports, see the website of the French traffic service .

Ridesharing, or carpooling, is very popular in France. Websites such as BlaBlaCar allow drivers with empty seats to safely connect with passengers looking for a ride.

Vidi također: Driving in France.

From the United Kingdom

In the Channel Tunnel vehicle car

The Channel Tunnel provides a rail / road connection between South East England and France. Shuttle trains operated by Eurotunnel carry vehicles from Folkestone u Kent do Calais (Hauts-de-France) in 35 minutes, though you only spend about 20 minutes in the tunnel itself. Passengers remain with their vehicles for the duration, with trips to the toilet allowed. Fares start at £23 one way and can be booked online months in advance, though it is entirely possible to 'turn up and go' without a reservation, at a cost of course! The terminal on the British side is in Cheriton, 3 mi (4.8 km) outside Folkestone, and directly accessible from junction 11a of the M20 motorway, about 70 mi (110 km) from London. Passengers undergo French passport/identity card and customs checks and British exit checks before departure. On arrival at Calais, you can drive straight on to the A16 (E402) motorway which heads towards Pariz in one direction and Belgija in the other. Mainland Europe drives on the right and uses the metric system for distance and speed limit measures. In the reverse direction, you will go through British passport control in France before driving onto the train.

See the 'By boat' section above for information on car ferries to France from the Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo i Irska.

Biciklom

Bicycles may be taken on car ferries and on Eurotunnel shuttle trains. They may also be carried on aeroplanes, though you should consult your airline beforehand: bikes often count as "oversized luggage" and there is sometimes an extra charge to check them in. You may also be asked to partially dismantle your bicycle, but this policy will vary from carrier to carrier. Eurostar allows folding bikes on all its trains, and offers a more restricted service for other bikes, but has quite strict and specific rules that are worth reading up on before you travel.

Iz Londona

The adventurous (and fit!) may want to try cycling between two great capitals - London and Paris. The Avenue Verte follows high quality bike trails all the way from the London Eye to Notre Dame, passing through beautiful countryside on both sides of the Channel. Highlights of the 406 km (252 mile) journey include the South Downs' rolling chalk hills, the ferry crossing between Newhaven i Dieppe, and the rich farmland of Normandy. The itinerary is fully signposted all the way, and its accompanying website gives a detailed breakdown of the route, its points of interest and practical information such as places to rest, eat and sleep the night. Count on at least four days in the saddle, depending how fit you are and how you pace yourself. As there is plenty to see and do en route, there's no rush!

By tram

The Strasbourga tram system inaugurated a cross-border link to the German town of Kehl in 2017. There is another cross-border link under construction between Basel in Switzerland and Saint Louis in France. While the German-French border imposes no problems, as both countries are EU members, going to/from Switzerland, you are leaving (or entering) the EU and thus crossing a customs border with the limits on imports that implies and there may be customs checks. However, Switzerland is in the Schengensko područje so those with no goods to declare shouldn't worry.

Zaobiđi se

Avionom

The following carriers offer domestic flights within France:

  1. Air France has the biggest domestic network in France
  2. HOP!, a subsidiary of Air France, operates domestic flights with smaller aircrafts than Air France
  3. easyJet, a low-cost airline, has the second biggest domestic network in France
  4. Ryanair, an Irish low-cost airline, serves mainly secondary airports
  5. Volotea has a network of domestic flights
  6. Air Corsica links Corsica with mainland France
  7. Twin Jet operates domestic flights with 19-seat Beech 1900D aircrafts
  8. Hex'Air operates flights between Paris-Orly and Lourdes, using 19-seat Beech 1900D aircrafts
  9. Eastern Airways operates domestic flights between Lyon and Lorient
  10. Chalair zrakoplovstvo has a limited network of domestic flights, using mainly 19-seat Beech 1900D aircrafts
  11. Heli Securite (Cannes (Croisette Heliport), Nice (Cote D'Azur Airport))

Automobilom

Vidi također:Driving in France

Driving in France

France has a well-developed system of highways. Most of the motorway (autoputa) network is made up of toll roads. Some have a single toll station giving you access to a section, others have entrance and exit toll stations at every junction. Upon entering a tolled section of a road, you must collect an entry ticket from a machine which records the point on the road you started at and ensures you only pay for the distance you travel. Be careful not to lose your entrance ticket or you will be charged for the longest possible distance. All toll stations accept major credit cards although they may not accept foreign credit cards. It is also possible to use the automatic booth, but only if your card is equipped with a special chip.

Roads range from the narrow single-carriageway lanes found in the countryside to major highways. Most towns and cities were built before the general availability of the automobile and thus city centres tend to be unwieldy for cars. Keep this in mind when renting: large cars can be very unwieldy. It often makes sense to just park and then use public transportation.

A French driver flashing headlights is asserting right of way and warning you of intentions and presence. Do not use it to mean thanks. Flashing headlights can also mean, "Watch out as there's a police speed-check ahead of you!" Horns should be used only in legitimate emergencies; use of the horn in urban areas outside such circumstances might win you a traffic ticket. Parisian drivers were notorious for honking their horns at anything and everything, though increased enforcement has greatly reduced this practice.

Don't forget that, in France and the rest of continental Europe, they drive on the pravo!

Iznajmljivanje automobila

Once you arrive in France you may need to use car hire services. Most of the leading companies operate from French airports and it is advisable to book car hire in advance. It is a common experience at smaller French airports to not get the type of car you booked online but an alternative model. Sometimes the alternative model is quite different so check carefully before accepting the vehicle and stand your ground if it does not match your booking request and is not suitable to your needs.

Most cars in France are equipped with standard transmissions (voiture à boîte manuelle / mécanique), a fact that derives equally from the preferences of the driving public and the peculiarities of French licensing laws. Automatic transmissions (voiture à boîte automatique) are generally only used by the elderly or those with physical disabilities. This extends to vehicle categories that in other countries (read: the US) are virtually never equipped with a manual transmission, such as vans and large sedans. Accordingly, virtually all of the vehicles available for rent at the average car hire will be equipped with a manual gearbox. If you do not know how to drive a car with a manual transmission and don't have the time to learn before your trip, be certain to reserve your rental car well in advance and confirm your reservation. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a car that is much larger than you can afford (or with no car at all).

It is a good tip when travelling in numbers to get one member of the party with hand luggage to go straight through to the car hire desk ahead of everybody else, this will avoid the crush once the main luggage is picked up from the conveyor.

Palcem

France is a good country for hitchhiking. Be patient, prepare yourself for a long wait or walk and in the meantime enjoy the landscape. A ride will come along. People who stop are usually friendly and not dangerous. They will like you more if you speak a little French. They never expect any money for the ride.

Remember that getting out of Paris by thumb is almost impossible. You can try your luck at the portes (city gates), but heavy traffic and limited areas for stopping will try your patience. It's a good idea to take the local train to a nearby suburb as your chance of being picked up will increase dramatically.

Outside Paris, it's advisable to try your luck by roundabouts. As it's illegal to hitchhike on the motorways (autoroutes) and they are well observed by the police, you may try at a motorway junction.

The greatest chance is at toll plazas (stations de péage), some of which require all cars to stop and are thus great places to catch a lift. If you've been waiting for a while with an indication of where to go, drop it and try with your thumb only. You can also try to get a ride to the next good spot in the wrong direction. However, while hitching from a péage is a common practice, it is illegal. French police or highway security, who are normally very tolerant of hitchhikers, may stop and force you to leave. You can get free maps in the toll offices - these also indicate where you can find the "all-stop-Péage".

By shared ride

Blablacar has a quasi-monopoly in France, but it is still a convenient, economical and efficient way to see the country. Prices for distances are below the ones of the train and buses, about €8-10 per 100 km. Between the largest cities you will find many options, some starting in the centre, others just going by the highway—checkout the exact meeting point before committing to a booking. BlaBlaCar has a rating system and the rides are very reliable.

Vlakom

Glavni članak: Rail travel in France
A TGV crossing the Cize-Bolozon viaduct over the Ain river

Trains are a great way to get around in France. You can get from pretty much anywhere to anywhere else by train. For long distances, use the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse, ili High-speed train) on which 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. Like many things in France, the TGV network is focused on Paris to an almost ridiculous degree, and you may be out of luck when searching for a fast connection between secondary cities. Quite often a considerable detour via the Paris region can be faster than the direct train would be. Usually, if you need to change trains, you can do so at one of three out of town TGV stations: Krupan, Marne-la-Vallée ili Charles de Gaulle Airport, which are on a connection line linking the northern, eastern, south-eastern and south-western high-speed lines, but it is still sometimes necessary to change in central Paris. However, the capital has several terminus stations, which are not linked by mainline rail, so you'll likely have to use the RER or metro to transfer from one train to another.

The French national railway network is managed by SNCF Réseaux, a branch of the nationalised company SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français). The SNCF is the butt of jokes about delays and industrial action, but it actually offers a reliable, punctual service on the two days a year there are no strikes on.

For regional trains, schedules can be found at ter.sncf.com (choose your region, then "Carte and horaires" for maps and timetables). Booking is available in two classes: première classe (first class) is less crowded and more comfortable but can also be about 50% more expensive than deuxième classe (second class).

The SNCF website Gares & Connexions provides live train schedules, keeping you informed about platform numbers and delays. This information is also available on smartphones via the free application SNCF.

There are a number of different kinds of high speed and normal trains:

  • TER (Train Express Régional): Regional trains form the backbone of the SNCF system. TER are sometimes slower but do serve most stations. Available on Eurail i InterRail passes.
  • Intercités
  • TGV (Trains à Grande Vitesse): The world-famous French high-speed trains run several times a day from Paris to the south-east Lijepo (5-6h), Marseille (3h) and Avignon (2.5 h), the east Ženeva (3h) or Lozana, Švicarska i Dijon (1h15), the south-west bordo (3h), the west Rennes (2h), Nantes (2h), Brest (4h) and the north Lille (1h). Eurostar to London (2h15) and Thalys to Brussels (1h20) use almost identical trains. Reservations are compulsory.
  • Night train services (Intercités de Nuit) include couchettes second class (6 bunk beds in a compartment), first class (4 bunks) and reclining seats. You can ask for a "private room" (in first class). Night trains have been gradually phased out, and there were only a handful of them still in service in 2015.

Booking online

Booking tickets online can be quite a confusing process: SNCF does not sell tickets online by itself, and it is possible to book the same journey through a number of different travel agencies websites (in different languages and currencies). The fares for journeys inside France are the same with every travel agency.

  • Voyages-sncf.com French language booking website by Expedia and the SNCF. It can get sometimes confusing, and is known to hardly work when you try to buy a ticket from abroad or with a non-French credit card. Be careful: you will need the credit card that has been used for payment to retrieve your tickets from the ticket machines. If you don't have it, your tickets will be lost, and you will need to buy new tickets.
  • Trainline French, English, German, Spanish and Italian language booking website. It aims to be as easy to use as possible. Unlike "Voyages SNCF", you don't need your credit card to retrieve the tickets, only the reservation number and the last name entered for reservation. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Paypal. Tickets can be printed or downloaded on your mobile phone or Apple watch or Android watch.
  • RailEurope are booking agencies owned by the SNCF. Fares will often be more expensive on these sites than on the "official" sites, but they are generally easier to use than the SNCF sites.

Beware: To avoid any form of fraud, your ticket mora be punched by an automatic machine ("composteur") before entering the platform area to be valid. The machines are situated at the entrance of all platforms. Međutim, e-Billet electronic tickets do not have to be punched: in doubt, punch it anyway, you won't be fined for punching an e-Billet.

French information booths, especially in larger train stations, can be quite unhelpful, especially if you do not understand much French. If something does not seem to make sense, just say "excusez-moi" and they should repeat it.

It is cheaper to book and purchase train tickets, especially those with reservations, in advance.

Autobusom

Vidi također: Intercity buses in France

There is no single national bus service. Buses used to be limited to local mass transit or departmental/regional service. However, a market liberalization (similar to that in Germany) has meant that long distance buses are now allowed to run everywhere in France and prices can be quite low, especially when booked in advance. However, journey time and comfort tend to be worse than on the train.

The tourist information will often recommend the train before the bus, even though there are often many options to choose from. Be insistent when asking for the bus there, and they will hand you a local long distance bus time table.

On local/city buses always validate your ticket if necessary, especially the card-like tickets with magnet-band.

Biciklom

Glavni članak: Cycling in France

France is not a particularly cyclist-friendly country (unlike, say, the Netherlands), but the situation is improving: more cycle paths are being built and about 40 cities have a bike-sharing system.

Beware of bike thieves. If you have to park your bike in the street, make sure to lock it properly, particularly in larger cities and at night. Avoid using the cable-locks that can be cut within seconds, instead use U-shaped locks, chains or folding locks. Lock your bike to a solid fixed support like a U-Rack. Lock the frame (not only the wheels) and make sure that your wheels cannot be removed without a more-determined thief with tools.

Vidjeti

The cathedral at Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, Northeastern France

If your first thought of France is the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe or the smile on the Mona Lisa, you're thinking of Paris. Paris, the "City of Light" and the capital of romance has been a travellers' magnet for centuries, hosting intellectuals who drank coffee in its lively cafés and dancers and jazz musicians who performed for them in the historic bars and nightclubs of Montmartre. But there is much more to France than Paris. France is full of gorgeous villages in the countryside; there are splendid châteaux, especially in the Loire Valley, and you can also find areas of lavender fields or vineyards as far as the eye can see. It is impossible to cover all of France's sights and attractions, but we present a summary below and more details are in city and region guides.

The French countryside

Some 156 villages have been identified as the most beautiful in France, or "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France". Numerous villages are dotted with medieval villages and castles.

The Alpe i Pireneji, with their many winter sports resorts, possess lush river valleys, dense forests and huge stretches of farmland and vineyards.

The western region of Bretanja boasts many megalithic monuments such as those near Carnac.

Plaže u Normandy, also on the Atlantic coast, are famed for the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. Although the humbling cemeteries and countless museums, memorials and wartime remains keep memory of those dark days alive, the region is now a pleasant and popular destination. Its picturesque coastline includes both long stretches of beach and steep limestone cliffs, such as those near Étretat). The region is also home to the splendid and World Heritage-listed Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay.

The lush hills of the Dordogne are pockmarked with špilje, many of which house treasure troves of prehistoric art. The area is also famous for its dvorci, with over 1,500 of them.

Châteaux

The rolling riverine landscape of the Dolina Loare is home to many great châteaux, of which Amboise, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Chambord i Chenonceau are some of the finest examples. The Château d'Angers is also important for the fantastic Tapestries of the Apocalypse, the largest and best preserved series of 14th-century tapestries in the world.

There are also châteaux in Île-de-France, including the famous Château de Versailles, the former royal court of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and Vaux-le-Vicomte, which it was based on. Chantilly, north of Paris, is home to another château which has an excellent art collection.

Kuće bogoslužja

Just north of Paris, Saint-Denis is where the first Gothic cathedral was built, and though its style is now eclectic from later additions, it's still well worth visiting. Other famous cathedrals in France include those at Chartres, Reims, Rouen (famously painted in several kinds of light by Monet), Amiens, Bourges, Strasbourga i Sens, and it's well worth your while to emulate centuries of French pilgrims and visitors by visiting these awe-inspiring houses of worship. Notre Dame de Pariz is damaged for now, but you can see the intact Sainte-Chapelle, which though much smaller is comparably lovely. Also worth special note is the tiny town and impressive Romanesque/Gothic cathedral of Vézelay, a traditional point of departure for the Put svetog Jakova to the Spanish Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

Though many of France's most famous houses of worship are Medieval, all intervening styles are also represented, and one highlight in Alpes-Maritimes in the south, just outside the centre of the small city of Vence, is the Chapelle du Rosaire des Dominicaines, which was completely designed by the Modernist artist, Henri Matisse.

Art museums

At the Louvre you can see possibly the world's most famous painting...

The grandeur and fame of the Musée du Louvre u Pariz can hardly be matched by any other museum in the world. It boasts a fabulous collection of art from antiquity to the 19th century and is home of the Mona Lisa and many other renowned works.

The Musée d'Orsay is another world class museum that picks up roughly where the Louvre's collections ends. It's in an old railway station and houses the national collection of art works from 1848 to 1914. Its excellent collection includes some of the best French Impressionist, post-Impressionist and Art Nouveau works, including Degas' ballerinas and Monet's water-lilies.

The Musée National d'Art Moderne u Centre Pompidou, still in France's capital, is the largest museum for modern art in Europe.

The Museum of Fine Arts u Lyon has an excellent collection varying from ancient Egypt antiquities to Modern art paintings and sculptures.

U Lille you'll find the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, one of the country's largest museums. Its varied collection is the second largest after the Louvre and boasts everything from antiquities to modern art.

Smaller, but still outstanding, are the collections of the Musée Fabre u Montpellier, Musée Toulouse-Lautrec u Albi i Picasso Museum u Parizu. Marseille has many galleries and the Musée Cantini has a good collection of modern art associated with Marseille as well as several works by Picasso. Fondation Maeght houses modern art too and is situated in Saint-Paul de Vence.

Parks & natural attractions

Disneyland Resort Paris is by far France's most popular park, visited by families from all over the world.

Vanoise National Park is the oldest and one of the largest parks, named after the Vanoise massif. Its highest peak is the Grande Casse at 3,855 m.

The impressive natural landscapes of Parc national des Pyrénées are right on the southern border of France and extend well into Španjolska. The whole area is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the French part, the glacial cirques of Gavarnie, Estaubé and Troumouse are some of the best sights, as is the wall of Barroud.

The again mountainous Cévennes National Park covers parts, Occitanie (including the popular Ardèche) i Auvergene-Rhône-Alpes regijama. The park's main offices are in the castle of Florac, but there are towns all over the park. Donkey rides are available and the cave formation of Aven Armand is one of the park's best sights.

Not yet under a protected status, but highly popular, is Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe and attractive for climbing, hiking and skiing. From the French side, it is mostly explored from Chamonix, a well known resort at the foot of the mountain.

Čini

Place du Général de Gaulle, Lille

There's a plethora of activities for the budding traveller to engage in. Some suggestions include the following:

  • Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower u Pariz
  • Stroll grand Parisian Boulevards
  • Uspon Montmartre Hill in Pariz
  • See the Gothic monuments on the Île de la Cité, in particular the Sainte-Chapelle i Notre-Dame
  • See some of the world-famous art in the Louvre, or visit the equally stunning Musée d'Orsay, installed in a former railway terminus
  • See the modern architecture in the business district of La Defense
  • See the Science Museum in Villette Park, and the other odd attractions assembled there
  • Stroll an old train viaduct on the Promenade Plantée in Pariz
  • See the stunning, but crowded, Versailles Palace
  • Vozite se TGV, the train which holds the speed record for a conventional (wheel-on-rails) train, from Pariz do Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourga ili Lille.
  • See the "D-Day beaches" of Normandy and their museums
  • Popnite se na vrh Mont Saint Michel
  • Explore Chartres Katedrala
  • See the quaintness of the Alsace
  • Sunbathe on the beaches of the French Riviera
  • Climb the Dune du Pilat, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  • See the decorations of Stanislas Square (Place Stanislas) in Nancy

Classical music

Just like in neighbouring Germany, Italy and Austria, France has one of the world's strongest classical music traditions. French composers such as Lully, Rameau, Berlioz, Fauré, Gounod, Debussy, Bizet, Saint-Saëns, Ravel, Massenet, Delibes and Messiaen are generally well-known among classical music circles, and even to some members of the general public. Even if you have never heard of them, chances are you are already familiar with some of their pieces, which are commonly quoted in advertising, film scores and even modern pop music.

Even though Ballet originated during the days of the Italian Renaissance, France played a very important role in the development of the art form, and to this day, many modern-day terms used by ballerinas originate from French. The Paris Opera Ballet is one of the most famous ballet companies in the world, along with the Royal Ballet in London, the Bolshoi Ballet in Moskva, and the Mariinsky Ballet in Sankt Peterburg. Competition for admission into the Opera Ballet is extremely fierce.

French opera is widely revered throughout Europe. Unlike in the rest of Europe, Italian opera never gained a foothold in France, which instead developed its own unique operatic tradition. One such style is the grand opéra, which combines opera and ballet into a single performance. Another style is operetta, developed by Jacques Offenbach, which combines elements of comedy, light-hearted music, and humour. Not only have French composers contributed to the development of French opera, but so have foreign composers such as Gluck, Rossini, Verdi, and Meyerbeer.

Neke od najpoznatijih opernih kuća u zemlji uključuju sljedeće:

Sport za gledatelje

Posljednja dionica Tour de Francea 2017. godine

Bez sumnje su najpopularniji timski sportovi gledatelja u Francuskoj (iako ne nužno tim redoslijedom) ragbi savez, nogomet i (europski / momčadski / olimpijski) rukomet s jakom domaćom konkurencijom i nacionalnom stranom koja je različito osvajala šest nacija, svjetske kupove i europska prvenstva i s kojima obično treba računati na globalnoj razini.

Biciklizam je još jedan popularan sport u Francuskoj, a brojne se utrke održavaju diljem zemlje tijekom cijele godine. The Obilazak Francuske, najprestižnija biciklistička utrka, održava se svakog srpnja tijekom tri tjedna. Utrka sadrži niz od 21 cjelodnevne etape duž cesta diljem Francuske i obično prelazi 3.500 km. Iako se turneja uvijek završava na Elizejskim poljanama u Parizu, određena ruta do tamo mijenja se svake godine. Početak utrke poznat je pod nazivom Grand Départ, karnevaleskna afera kojoj će se priređivati ​​regije diljem Francuske i doista zapadne Europe. Tour je besplatan za gledanje u svim fazama i vrlo je dostupan. Najbolje ga je gledati u scenskim gradovima i na njegovim najuzbudljivijim dijelovima: masovni sprintovi na kraju ravne pozornice, kaldrmirani dijelovi i planinarski usponi, gdje je atmosfera najveća.

Kupiti

Odmori

Mnogi Francuzi odmaraju se u kolovozu. Kao rezultat toga, izvan manjih turističkih područja mnoge će manje trgovine (mesnice, pekare ...) biti zatvorene tijekom dijelova kolovoza. To se također odnosi na mnoge korporacije, kao i na liječnike. Očito je da će u turističkim područjima trgovine biti otvorene kad turisti dođu, posebno u srpnju i kolovozu. Suprotno tome, mnoge će atrakcije biti užasno krcate tijekom tih mjeseci i tijekom uskrsnog vikenda.

Neke atrakcije, posebno u ruralnim područjima, zatvaraju ili imaju smanjeno radno vrijeme izvan turističke sezone.

Planinska područja obično imaju dvije turističke sezone: zimi za skijanje, krpljanje i druge aktivnosti povezane sa snijegom, a ljeti za razgledavanje i planinarenje.

Novac

Tečajevi za eure

Od 04. siječnja 2021 .:

  • 1 US $ ≈ 0,816 €
  • UK 1 £ ≈ 1,12 €
  • Australski $ 1 ≈ 0,63 €
  • Kanadski $ 1 ≈ 0,642 €

Tečajne razlike variraju. Trenutne cijene za ove i druge valute dostupne su na XE.com

Francuska koristi euro, poput nekoliko drugih europskih zemalja. Jedan euro podijeljen je na 100 centi. Službeni simbol eura je €, a ISO kod je EUR. Ne postoji službeni simbol za cent.

Sve novčanice i kovanice ove zajedničke valute zakonsko su sredstvo plaćanja u svim zemljama, osim što se u nekim od njih postupno ukidaju kovanice niskog apoena (jedan i dva centa). Novčanice izgledaju jednako u svim zemljama, dok kovanice imaju standardni zajednički dizajn na naličju, izražavajući vrijednost, i nacionalni dizajn specifičan za svaku zemlju na aversu. Avers se također koristi za različite dizajne prigodnih kovanica. Dizajn aversa ne utječe na upotrebu novčića.

Povremeno se prihvaćaju neke strane valute poput američkog dolara i britanske funte, posebno u turističkim područjima i na višim mjestima, ali na to ne treba računati; nadalje, blagajnik može naplatiti nepovoljan tečaj. Općenito, trgovine će odbiti transakcije u stranoj valuti.

Za veliku većinu tvrtki obvezno je objavljivanje cijena na prozorima. Hoteli i restorani moraju imati vidljive cijene izvana (međutim, mnogi hoteli nude niže cijene od objavljenih ako smatraju da će im biti teško napuniti sobe; objavljena cijena je samo maksimalna).

Gotovo sve trgovine (osim manjih neovisnih trgovina, uključujući neke turističke trgovine i duhanske trgovine), restorani i hoteli imaju CB francusku debitnu karticu i njene inozemne podružnice Visa i MasterCard. American Express prihvaća se samo u vrhunskim trgovinama. Trgovci će knjižiti do blagajne ako je potrebna minimalna potrošnja prije upotrebe kartice. Provjerite kod svoje banke za primjenjive naknade (obično banke primjenjuju veleprodajni tečaj međubankarskog tečaja, koji je najbolji dostupan, ali može umanjiti proporcionalnu i / ili fiksnu naknadu).

Knjižara u bordo

Francuske CB kartice (i CB / Visa i CB / MasterCard kartice) na sebi imaju "pametni čip" koji omogućuje provjeru autentičnosti transakcija PIN-om. Ovaj sustav, pokrenut u Francuskoj, sada se razvio u međunarodni standard i novije britanske kartice su kompatibilne. Neki automatski automati za maloprodaju (poput onih koji prodaju karte) mogu biti kompatibilni samo s karticama s mikročipom. Uz to, blagajnici koji nisu navikli na strane kartice možda ne znaju da se strane kartice Visa ili MasterCard moraju zamahnuti i dobiti potpis, dok francuski kupci sustavno koriste PIN i ne potpisuju transakcije. Prihvaćanje beskontaktnih kartica također postaje sve raširenije.

U Francuskoj praktički ne možete dobiti gotovinu s kreditne kartice bez PIN-a.

Automatski blagajni (ATM) daleko su najbolji način za novac u Francuskoj. Svi uzimaju CB, Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus i Plus i obiluju cijelom Francuskom. Mogu prihvatiti druge vrste kartica; provjerite postoje li logotipi na bankomatu i na vašoj kartici (općenito na poleđini) ako se barem jedan podudara. Moguće je da neki strojevi ne rukuju 6-znamenkastim PIN kodovima (samo četveroznamenkastim) ili da ne nude izbor između različitih računa (zadano na tekućem računu). Provjerite sa svojom bankom o primjenjivim naknadama, koje se mogu uvelike razlikovati (banke obično primjenjuju veleprodajni tečaj međubankarskog tečaja, koji je najbolji dostupan, ali može umanjiti proporcionalnu i / ili fiksnu naknadu; zbog fiksne naknade to je općenito je bolje podizati novac velikim dijelovima, umjesto 20 eura odjednom). Također, provjerite primjenjive maksimalne granice povlačenja.

Putničke čekove je teško koristiti - većina ih trgovaca neće prihvatiti, a njihova zamjena može uključivati ​​pronalazak banke koja ih prihvaća i eventualno plaćanje naknade.

Pošta je ujedno i banka, pa će pošte često imati bankomat. Kao rezultat toga, čak će i manji gradovi imati bankomate koji se mogu koristiti sa stranim karticama.

Mjenjačnice (biroi za promjenu) sada su rjeđi s pojavom eura - općenito će se naći samo u gradovima sa značajnom stranom turističkom prisutnošću, poput Pariza. Neke banke mijenjaju novac, često uz visoke naknade. Francuska banka više ne vrši devize.

Čini Stavite novac na svoj tekući račun, nosite bankomat s karticom s Cirrus ili Plus logotipom i četveroznamenkastom pribadačom koja ne počinje s '0' te podižite gotovinu s bankomata. Veće transakcije (hotel, restorani ...) plaćajte Visa ili MasterCard karticom. Uvijek ponesite nešto eura u gotovini za hitne slučajeve.

Nemoj Nosite devize ili putničke čekove i mijenjajte ih u pokretu ili očekujte da ih trgovine prihvate.

Napojnice

Savjeti se u Francuskoj ne očekuju jer su naknade uključene u račun. Međutim, Francuzi obično ostavljaju sitniš koji ostane nakon plaćanja računa ili jedan do pet eura ako su zadovoljni kvalitetom usluge.

Trgovine

U gradovima i gradskim središtima uvijek ćete pronaći manje trgovine, lanac prehrambenih trgovina (Casino), kao i povremeno robne kuće i mali trgovački centri. Stambeni prostori često će imati male supermarkete (poput Tržnica Carrefour ili Intermarché). Veliki supermarketi (hipermarketi kao što su Auchan, Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Casino Géant) uglavnom su na periferiji gradova i vjerojatno nisu korisni ako nemate pristup automobilu.

Cijene su naznačene s uključenim svim porezima (naime, TVA ili porezom na dodanu vrijednost). Stanovnici koji nisu članice EU-a mogu dobiti djelomični povrat po odlasku iz određenih trgovina koje imaju naljepnicu "oporezivanje kupovine"; raspitati se unutar. TVA iznosi 20% za većinu stvari, ali 10% za neke stvari poput knjiga, obroka u restoranima i javnom prijevozu i 5,5% za hranu kupljenu u trgovinama (osim za slatkiše!). Alkoholna pića uvijek se oporezuju s 20%, bez obzira na to gdje su kupljena.

Jesti

Vidi također: Francuska kuhinja
Unutar L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges u blizini Lyona, restoran s 3 Michelin-zvjezdice od 1965. godine i glavni restoran pokojnog zvijezda chefa Paula Bocusea

Sa svojom međunarodnom reputacijom za otmjena večera, malo tko bi se iznenadio kad bi čuo da francuska kuhinja zasigurno može biti jako dobra. Kao dokaz toga, Francuska je vezana uz Japan za prvo mjesto kao zemlja s najviše restorana s Michelinovom zvjezdicom. Francuska kuhinja u cjelini uvrštena je na UNESCO-ov popis nematerijalne kulturne baštine. Nažalost, lokalna hrana također može biti prilično razočaravajuća; mnogi restorani koji ugošćuju turiste poslužuju sasvim uobičajene obroke, a neki su i krađe. Stoga je vrlo važno pronaći pravi restoran i restoran u koji odlaze Francuzi - pokušajte zatražiti preporuke od lokalnog stanovništva, hotelskog osoblja ili čak pregledavanja vodiča ili web stranica restorana, jer jednostavno ulazak s ulice može biti hit i miss afera. Loša je strana što je izvan turističkih zamki vrlo rijetko pronaći restoran s konobarima koji govore engleski, pa budite spremni da morate razgovarati na francuskom.

U Francuskoj postoje mnoga mjesta za probati francusku hranu, od Michelin restorana s tri zvjezdice do francuskih brasseries ili bistroti koje možete pronaći na gotovo svakom uglu, posebno u velikim gradovima. Općenito, treba pokušati jesti tamo gdje je lokalno stanovništvo, imajući najbolje šanse za nezaboravan obrok. Većina malih gradova ili čak sela imaju lokalne restorane koji su ponekad navedeni u najpouzdanijim vodičima. Zapravo su mnogi restorani s finom kuhinjom u ruralnim selima, a ne u velikim gradovima, a Francuzi se često odvoze u ta sela da večeraju u posebnim prigodama. Čak je i među gradovima Pariz ne Francuzi smatraju najboljom scenom fine dininga; ta čast ide Lyonu. Postoje i specifični lokalni restorani, poput bouchons lyonnais u Lyonu, kreperi u Bretanji (i na pariškom području Montparnasse) i baraque à frites na sjeveru

Kineski, vijetnamski, kambodžanski, pa i tajlandski restorani lako su dostupni u Parizu, bilo kao redovni restorani ili traiteurs (brza hrana). Nisu toliko česti, a skuplji su i u manjim francuskim gradovima. Mnoga mjesta imaju "talijanske" restorane, mada su to često samo nemaštovite saloni za pizzu i tjesteninu. Pronaći ćete i marokansku, alžirsku, tunisku, kao i grčku i libanonsku hranu. Dostupni su i sveprisutni barovi s hamburgerima - američki original ili njihove francuske kopije.

U Francuskoj su porezi (7% od ukupnog broja u restoranima) i usluge (obično 10%) uvijek uključeni u račun, pa je sve što zaštitnici dodaju na račun "dodatni savjet". Oglašavanoj cijeni ne bi trebalo biti dodataka, ne ustručavajte se dovesti u pitanje takve dodatke. Francuzi obično ostavljaju jedan ili dva novčića ako su zadovoljni uslugom, ali to nije obavezno. Kruh i voda iz slavine uvijek su besplatni, a za posuđe se ne smije primjenjivati ​​dodatna cijena.

Izbornici s fiksnom cijenom rijetko uključuju pića. Ako želite vodu, konobari će vam često pokušati prodati mineralnu ili gaziranu vodu uz nadoplatu; pitajte za carafe d'eau za vodu iz slavine koja je besplatna i sigurna za piće. Voda nikada dolazi s ledom, osim ako to nije zatraženo, a voda s ledom možda neće biti dostupna.

Kao i u drugim zemljama, restorani imaju tendenciju da od pića ostvare veliku zaradu. Očekujte da će vino koštati mnogo više nego što bi koštalo u supermarketu.

Naručivanje se vrši putem izbornika s fiksnom cijenom (popravka izbornika) ili à la carte.

Tipični izbornik s fiksnom cijenom sadržavat će:

  • predjelo, zvano predjela ili predjelo
  • glavno jelo, nazvano a plat [glavni]
  • desert (desert) ili sir (oluja)

Ponekad restorani nude mogućnost pohađanja samo dva od tri slijeda, po sniženoj cijeni.

Kava se uvijek poslužuje kao posljednji korak, iako je mogu popratiti likeri. Kava će se uvijek posluživati ​​crna, osim ako se drugačije ne zatraži. Za bijelu kavu tražite café au lait. Zahtjev za kavom tijekom obroka smatrat će se čudnim.

Nisu svi restorani otvoreni i za ručak i za večeru, niti su uvijek otvoreni tijekom cijele godine. Stoga je poželjno pažljivo provjeriti radno vrijeme i dane. Restoran otvoren za ručak obično započinje s poslugom u podne i prihvaća pokrovitelje do 13:30. Večera započinje oko 19:30, a pokrovitelji se primaju do 21:30. Restorani s dužim radnim vremenom obično se mogu naći samo u većim gradovima i u gradskim središtima. Pronaći restoran otvoren u subotu, a posebno u nedjelju može biti izazov, osim ako se ne zadržite u blizini turističkih područja.

U razumnom broju restorana, posebno izvan turističkih područja, rezervacija je obavezna i ljudi se mogu odbiti bez i jednog, čak i ako restoran očito nije popunjen do kraja. Iz tog razloga može biti korisno unaprijed istražiti potencijalne ugostiteljske objekte i rezervirati potrebne da biste izbjegli razočaranje, pogotovo ako je restoran o kojem razmišljate posebno preporučen u vodičima.

Ručak od 2-3 slijeda za dvoje na izbornik uključujući vino i kavu koštat će vas (od 2018.) u prosjeku 30-50 eura. Glavno jelo za večeru koštat će 15-30 eura u tipičnom restoranu, dok će tipična večera za dvoje s pićima koštati 50-110 eura. Isto s pivom u lokalu bistro ili a crêperie oko 35-55 €. Možete, ili naravno, potrošiti znatno više.

Izvan Pariza i glavnih gradova cijene nisu uvijek niže, ali na jelovniku će se često naći i četvrto jelo, obično sir. Kao i svugdje, pripazite na turističke zamke koje su brojne oko užurbanih mjesta i mogu pružiti lijep pogled, ali na vašem tanjuru malo za pamćenje.

Etiketa restorana

Francuski su konobari na glasu kao bezobrazni, ali to je uglavnom nezasluženo. Iako zasigurno postoji nekoliko loših jajašaca koji će se naizgled potruditi pokazati svoj prezir prema vama kao kupcu, većina percepcija bezobrazluka jednostavno se svodi na putnike koji imaju određena očekivanja od usluge koja se razlikuju od francuske kulturne norme.

Slijede neke važne razlike od ostalih zemalja koje govore engleski jezik. U Francuskoj kupac nije prvi. Ti si ne uvijek u pravu, svaki vaš hir čini ne morate se prepustiti, a iznos novca koji bljesnete će ne pravo na vrhunsku uslugu drugima u sobi. Velika većina restorana u Francuskoj su neovisni u privatnom vlasništvu, sa svim vlasničkim ponosom koji za sobom povlači; vi kao kupac niste ništa drugo nego privremeni gost u restoratorovom domu. To znači da će se prema vama odnositi dobro, sve dok budete pristojni i slijedite nekoliko kućnih pravila. Poniznost i smisao za humor kada se dogode pogreške mogu u velikoj mjeri u ovoj igri!

Po dolasku u restoran, pričekajte na vratima da vas prikažu vašem stolu. Sjedenje sebe bez poziva da to učinite često se smatra drskim i može dovesti do toga da siđete na krivu nogu prije nego što uopće možete reći dobar dan. Zahtjev za promjenom jela iz bilo kojeg razloga neobičan je i može se shvatiti kao kritika kuharskog kuhanja. Ako vam se ne sviđa kako se određeno jelo priprema ili ne možete jesti jedan od sastojaka, naručite nešto drugo. Postoji razlog zašto je puni jelovnik objavljen na svim vratima restorana, a to je da se ljudima omogući da shvate što se nudi prije nego što se obvežu da će tamo jesti. Dok objedujete, smatra se nepristojnim imati laktove na stolu; isto tako za polaganje ruku u krilo. Ako vam uz čašu daju čašu ili šalicu, upotrijebite je.

Konobarenje je cijenjena profesija u Francuskoj. U francuskoj je psihi dobar konobar koji će osigurati da svoj obrok i piće primite na pravi način, a zatim vam se maknuti s puta kako biste mogli uživati ​​u miru. Ako nešto trebate, slobodno ćete doći do pitanja, ali nemojte očekivati ​​da će vam se obratiti tijekom obroka ili da će vaše potrebe biti unaprijed predviđene. Iznad svega, ne obraćajte se konobaru kao garçon (dječak), jer je ovo ponižavajuće i otprilike stoljeće zastarjelo u bontonu. Jednostavan excusez-moi je više nego dovoljan da privuče pažnju poslužitelja. Jedan od načina da se osigura dobra usluga jest traženje preporuka konobara za vino ili ukazivanje na lokalne specijalitete s jelovnika; to pokazuje da poštujete njihovu stručnost i daje vam priliku da saznate više o lokalnoj kuhinji.

Na kraju možete pokazati svoju zahvalnost ostavljajući mali Savjet. Davanje napojnica nije ni obvezno ni očekivano jer uslužno osoblje prima punu plaću, a mnogi objekti u cijenu hrane ubrajaju naknadu od 10% za uslugu (to se signalizira s usluga obuhvaća otisnuto na računu ili jelovniku). Većina Francuza, kad odluče dati napojnicu, samo će zaokružiti račun na sljedeći višestruki broj od pet - ako račun dođe do 26 eura, nazovite ga 30 eura i svi su sretni.

Kruh

Pekara i kupac s baguetteom

Pekare (boulangeries) su nešto poput francuske institucije i mogu se naći u cijeloj zemlji, od najmanjih sela do gradskih ulica. Sve varijante bijelog kruha čuvaju se samo kratko vrijeme i moraju se jesti isti dan, ili se spremaju za umakanje u juhu ili vruću čokoladu sljedećeg jutra. Stoga pekari peku najmanje dva puta dnevno.

  • Poznati baguette: duga, tanka pogača;
  • Varijante baguette: la ficelle (još tanji), la flûte, la tradicija (baguette općenito nježnijeg okusa, ali i skupljeg);
  • Pain de campagne ili Dovršena bol: napravljeno od cjelovitog zrna koje se relativno dobro drži.

Kolači

Peciva su velik dio francuske kuhinje. Hotelski doručak obično je lagan, sastoji se od tartine (komadići kruha s maslacem ili džemom) ili poznati kroasani i bolovi au čokolada, koji se ne razlikuje od kroasana punjenog čokoladom, već je kvadratnog oblika, a ne polumjeseca.

Peciva se mogu naći u a pâtisserie ali i u većini boulangeries.

Regionalna jela

Bouillabaisse
Foie gras može se poslužiti na mnogo različitih načina

Svaka francuska regija ima svoja jela. Ova jela prate lokalne proizvode iz regije iz poljoprivrede, lova i ribarstva. Evo malog popisa regionalnih jela koja možete lako pronaći u Francuskoj. Općenito svaka regija ima jedinstveno i rašireno jelo, obično zato što je to bila hrana za mase:

  • Cassoulet (na jugozapadu): grah, patka, svinjetina i kobasice
  • Choucroute, ili kiseli kupus (u Elzasu): ogoljena fermentirana svinjska kupusnjača
  • Fondue Savoyarde (središnje Alpe): topljeni / vrući sir s bijelim vinom
  • Fondue Bourguignonne (u Burgundiji): komadi govedine (u prokuhanom ulju), koji se obično poslužuju s izborom raznih umaka.
  • Raclette (središnje Alpe): topljeni sir i krumpir / meso
  • Pot-au-feu (nalazi se u cijeloj Francuskoj): kuhana govedina s povrćem
  • Boeuf Bourguignon (Burgundija): sporo kuhana govedina s umakom od crvenog vina
  • Gratin dauphinois (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes): kriške krumpira pržene na krišci s kiselim vrhnjem i sirom
  • Aligot (Aveyron): topljeni sir pomiješan s pireom od krumpira
  • Bouillabaisse (riblji šafran) (Marseille i Francuska rivijera). Nemojte se zavaravati! Stvarno bouillabaisse je stvarno skupo jelo zbog potrebne količine svježe ribe. Budite spremni platiti najmanje 30 eura po osobi. Ako nađete restorane koji tvrde da ih poslužuju bouillabaisse za nešto poput 15 eura po osobi vidjet ćete da je vrlo loše kvalitete.
  • Tartiflette (Savoja): Otopljeni sir Reblochon, krumpir i svinjetina ili slanina.
  • Confit de Canard (jugozapad): Duck Confit, sastoji se od nogu i krila okupanih mašću. Ta je mast zapravo vrlo zdrava i s crnim je vinom jedan od identificiranih izvora takozvanog "francuskog paradoksa" (jedi bogato, živi dugo).
  • Foie Gras (jugozapad): Jetra patke ili guske. Iako obično prilično skupo, foie gras mogu se naći u supermarketima po nižoj cijeni (zbog njihove kupovne moći) oko božićne sezone. To je doba godine kada većina foie gras konzumira se u Francuskoj. Jako dobro ide uz šampanjac.
  • Moules marinière (nalaze se duž cijele obale, s velikim regionalnim razlikama): Dagnje na pari u vinu ili jabukovači (Bretanja i Normandija) s raznim lokalnim proizvodima, na pr. jednostavna ljutika i češnjak na sjeveru, vrhnje na zapadu, rajčica i paprika na jugu itd ... Obično se poslužuje s hrskavim kruhom i frites.

Kuhanje i piće značajan je dio francuske kulture; uzmite vremena za jelo i otkrijte nova jela.

Neobična hrana

Escargoti

Suprotno stereotipu, puževi i žablje krake prilično su rijetka hrana u Francuskoj, a mnogi Francuzi ne uživaju ni u jednom, a ponekad ih niti nisu okusili. Kvalitetni ih restorani ponekad imaju na svom jelovniku: ako ste znatiželjni probati novu hranu, samo naprijed.

  • Žablji kraci (cuisses de grenouille) imaju vrlo fin i nježan okus s mesom koji se ne razlikuje od piletine. Često se poslužuju u preljevu od češnjaka i nisu čudniji za jesti od, recimo, rakova.
  • Većina okusa Burgundski puževi (escargots de bourgogne) dolazi iz izdašne količine maslaca, češnjaka i peršina u kojem se kuhaju. Imaju vrlo posebnu spužvasto-kožnu teksturu i, iz očitih razloga, snažnog okusa češnjaka. Puževi u katalonskom stilu (tereti) napravljeni su na potpuno drugačiji način, a okus im je još čudniji!
Tatarski biftek

Navedimo i:

  • Rillettes sarthoises također poznat kao Rillettes du Mans. Vrsta mesa u loncu, napravljeno od fino usitnjene i začinjene svinjetine. Ukusan specijalitet područja Sarthe na sjeveru Pays de la Loire i ne treba ga miješati rillettes s drugih područja, koja su više poput grube pašteta.
  • Goveđa koštana srž (os à moelle). Općenito se poslužuje u malim količinama, s velikom stranicom. Dakle, samo naprijed: ako vam se ne sviđa, imat ćete još nešto za jelo na tanjuru!
  • Teleći slatki kruh (ris de veau), vrlo je fina (i općenito skupa) delicija, koja se često poslužuje s smrčkama ili u složenijim jelima poput bouchées à la reine.
  • Goveđa crijeva (tripice) poslužuje se bilo à la mode de Caen (s umakom od bijelog vina, nazvan po gradu u Normandiji) ili à la catalane (s malo začinjenim umakom od rajčice)
  • Andouillettes su kobasice napravljene od tripica, specijalitet Liona
  • Tricandilles su začinjena i svinjska tripica s roštilja iz regije Bordeaux
  • Goveđi jezik (langue de bœuf) i goveđi nos (museau) i teleća glava (tête de veau) obično se jedu hladni (ali temeljito kuhani!) kao predjelo.
  • Kamenice (huîtres) najčešće se poslužuju sirove u pola ljuske. Često se ocjenjuju prema veličini, a broj 1 je najveći (i najskuplji).
  • Naši grijesi (morski ježevi), za one koji vole koncentrirani jod.
  • Tatarski biftek velika pljeskavica od goveđeg mesa sušenog u kiselini za razliku od kuhanog, često posluženog sa sirovim jajetom. Dobar tartar od bifteka bit će pripremljen po narudžbi pored stola. Slično jelo je boeuf carpaccio, a to su tanke kriške ili trake sirovog odreska prelivene maslinovim uljem i začinskim biljem.
  • Cervelle (izgovara se ser-VELL), janjeći mozak.

Sir

Francuska je sigurno the zemlja za sir (oluja), s gotovo 400 različitih vrsta. Doista, citiran je bivši predsjednik general Charles De Gaulle koji je rekao: "Kako možete upravljati državom koja ima 365 vrsta sira?".

Dijetalna ograničenja

Vegetarijanstvo nije tako rijetko kao nekada, posebno u većim gradovima. Ipak, vrlo malo restorana nudi vegetarijanske jelovnike, pa ako zatražite nešto vegetarijansko, jedino što mogu imati na raspolaganju su prilozi od salate i povrća.

Još uvijek može postojati zabuna između vegetarijanstva i pescetarijanstva. Počinju se pojavljivati ​​restorani s vegetarijanskom i organskom hranom. Međutim, "tradicionalni" francuski restorani možda nemaju ništa vegetarijansko popravak izbornika, pa ćete možda morati nešto odabrati à la carte, što je obično skuplje.

Srećom, sjevernoafrička kuhinja je vrlo popularna u Francuskoj, kus-kus je jedno od najpopularnijih jela u Francuskoj (posebno u istočnoj Francuskoj) i široko je dostupan.

Veganstvo je, iako je u porastu, još uvijek vrlo rijetko i možda će biti teško pronaći veganske restorane. Unatoč tome, francuska veganska zajednica izradila je nekoliko alata za pronalaženje veganske hrane i restorana: vegan-mafia.com i vegoresto.fr. Pariz ima jednu od najbrže rastućih veganskih zajednica u Europi, pa biste trebali pronaći veganski restoran ili dva.

Gotovo svaki grad ima barem jedan halal restoran ili hranu za poneti, a mnogi imaju i halal mesare. Košer (potražite znakove s kasher, cachère i druge slične riječi) restorani i trgovine rjeđi su izvan velikih gradova.

Doručak

Doručak u Francuskoj obično je vrlo lagan, obično se sastoji od kave i kroasana ili nekog drugog viennoiserie u posebnim prigodama. U normalnim danima većina ljudi popije napitak (kavu, čaj, vruću čokoladu, sok od naranče) i tost baguette ili tost kruh s maslacem i džemom / medom / Nutellom koji se mogu umočiti u topli napitak, ili žitarice s mlijekom ili voćem i jogurt. Francuski je doručak uglavnom sladak, ali sve se može promijeniti i danas možete poslat slane doručke.

Piće

Šampanjac!

Šampanjac, Burgundija, Bordeaux, Rhone, dolina Loire ... Francuska je dom vino (vin). Možete ga pronaći jeftino, gotovo bilo gdje. Pivo (bière) je također izuzetno popularan, posebno u sjevernoj Francuskoj, gdje se može naći "Bière de Garde". Dob kupnje alkohola je 18 za sva pića, ali to se uvijek ne provodi strogo; međutim, zakoni protiv vožnje u pijanom stanju strogo se provode, uz stroge kazne.

Francusko vino klasificira se uglavnom prema regiji iz koje dolazi. Mnoga vina ne označavaju sortu grožđa koja je korištena, pa da biste znali što dobivate, morate naučiti po kojim je vrstama vina poznata svaka regija. Vina su obično označena regijom (koja može biti široka ili vrlo specifična) i razinom kvalitete:

  • Otprilike polovica svih vina jesu AOP (Appellation d'origine štićenica), ili AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) u vinima prije 2012. Za ovaj najviši nivo, vino mora dolaziti iz određenih područja s ograničenjima na sorte grožđa, metode proizvodnje vina i profil okusa.
  • Druga trećina vina jesu IGP (Oznaka géographique štićenica), ili Vin de Pays prije 2012. Ocjenjuje se da i oni ispunjavaju karakter vina regije, ali imaju manje ograničenja od vina AOP / AOC.
  • Najniži stupanj su Vin de France, ili Vin de Table prije 2010., to su svakodnevna stolna vina koja nisu označena po regijama.

Vino i žestoka pića možete kupiti u supermarketima ili u specijaliziranim prodavaonicama poput lanca Nicolas. Nicolas nudi dobar savjet o tome što kupiti (navedite vrstu vina i raspon cijena koji želite). Općenito, dostupna su samo francuska vina, osim ako inozemno vino nije "specijalitet" bez ekvivalenta u Francuskoj (poput luke), a klasificirano je prema regiji podrijetla, a ne prema grožđu.

Etiketno, ne biste smjeli piti alkoholna pića (posebno crno vino ili jaki alkohol poput konjaka) izravno iz boce od 70 cl. Takvo ponašanje uglavnom je povezano s pijanicama (iako ako ste okruženi studentima, možda ste dobro). Ispijanje piva iz limenke ili boce od 25 do 50 cl je u redu.

Cijene hrane i pića varirat će ovisno o tome poslužuju li vam se za šankom ili sjede za stolom - ista šalica espressa može koštati 0,50 eura više ako se poslužuje za stolom nego za šankom, a opet 0,50 eura više ako posluženo na terasi. Stvarno, ne plaćate toliko za piće koliko za mjesto za stolom. Ipak razmislite o šanku - iako ćete morati stajati, kafići su često mjesta u kojima se događa velik dio javnog diskursa i interakcije. U svakom slučaju, kafići po zakonu moraju objaviti svoje cijene negdje u objektu, obično na prozoru ili na zidu pored šanka.

Postoji nekoliko miješanih pića koja su, čini se, manje-više jedinstvena za Francusku i obližnje frankofonske zemlje.

  • Perjanica mješavina je piva i limunade, u osnovi pivskog sjenila.
  • Monako je Panaché s dodanim malo sirupa grenadine.
  • Kir je ugodan aperitiv bijelog vina (u teoriji, Bourgogne Aligoté) ili, rjeđe, šampanjca (tada nazvan kir kraljevski i otprilike dvostruko više od cijene redovnog kira) i cassisa (likera od crnog ribiza), ili pekea (breskve), ili okružiti zidinama (kupina).
  • Pastis je alkohol na bazi anisa (s okusom sladića), sličnog okusa Sambuci ili Ouzo, koji se poslužuje s nekoliko grudica šećera i malim vrčem hladne vode za razrjeđivanje likera. Tradicionalno se uživa u vrlo vrućim danima i kao takav je popularniji na jugu zemlje, ali dostupan manje-više svugdje.

Postoji mnoštvo flaširane vode, uključujući:

  • Évian, Thonon, Contrex, Volvic: mineralna voda
  • Perrier: gazirana voda
  • Badoit: blago gazirana i slana voda.

Spavati

Francuska je raznolika i živopisna zemlja, a pronaći ćete sve, od zapanjujućih brvnara u Alpama, zamkova na selu i vila na plaži na rivijeri ... kao i svega između!

Hoteli

Hoteli dolaze u 5 kategorija od 1 do 5 zvjezdica. To je službena ocjena koju je dalo Ministarstvo turizma, a istaknuta je na ulazu na plavom štitu. Zvijezde se dodjeljuju prema objektivnim, a donekle zastarjelim administrativnim kriterijima (površina recepcije, postotak soba s vlastitom kupaonicom ...).

Cijene se razlikuju ovisno o smještaju, položaju i ponekad visokoj ili niskoj sezoni ili posebnim događajima.

Od 2004. godine cijena za *** hotel navedena u pouzdanom vodiču pada između 70 € (jeftino) i 110 € (skupo) za dvokrevetnu sobu bez doručka.

Svi hoteli, prema zakonu, moraju imati objavljene cijene vani (ili vidljive izvana). To su maksimalne cijene: hotel uvijek može ponuditi nižu cijenu kako bi napunio svoje sobe. Cjenkanje nije norma, ali uvijek možete tražiti popust.

Hoteli u gradskim središtima ili u blizini željezničkih stanica često su vrlo mali (15-30 soba), što znači da biste trebali rezervirati unaprijed. Mnogi noviji hoteli, poslovno orijentirani, nalaze se na periferiji gradova, a ponekad su i veće građevine (100 soba ili više); do njih možda nije lako doći javnim prijevozom. Noviji hoteli često su dio nacionalnih ili međunarodnih lanaca i imaju visoke standarde. Mnogi su stariji hoteli sada dio lanca i pružaju standardizirane usluge, ali zadržavaju vlastitu atmosferu.

Prilikom posjeta Parizu savjetuje se boravak u gradu; u predgrađima postoje jeftiniji turistički hoteli, ali oni udovoljavaju skupinama u autobusima; do njih će biti teško doći javnim prijevozom.

Uz mrežu autocesta i na ulazu u gradove pronaći ćete motele u američkom stilu; vrlo su često dostupni samo automobilom. Neki moteli (npr. Formula 1) imaju minimalnu uslugu, ako nađete kasno, nađete automat nalik bankomatu, koristeći kreditne kartice, koji će dostaviti kôd kako biste stigli do vaše dodijeljene sobe.

Noćenja s doručkom i Gîtes

Gîte rural

Možete pronaći diljem Francuske, uglavnom u ruralnim područjima, ali i u gradovima Noćenja s doručkom i gîtes.

Noćenja s doručkom su poznati na francuskom kao "chambres d'hôtes"i obično su dostupni svake noći. Prema zakonu, doručak MORA biti uključen u oglašenu cijenu za chambre d'hôte. Imajte to na umu kada uspoređujete cijene s hotelima, gdje doručak NIJE uključen u cijenu sobe.

Gîtes ili gîtes ruraux su vikendice i uglavnom se iznajmljuju kao cjelovita smještajna jedinica, uključujući kuhinju, uglavnom na tjednoj bazi. Doslovno francuska riječ gîte samo znači mjesto za noć; međutim, sada se uglavnom koristi za opis vikendica za iznajmljivanje ili kuća za odmor s opremom za kuhanje, obično u ruralnim dijelovima Francuske. Ima ih vrlo malo u blizini ili u gradovima. Njihovo pronalaženje zahtijeva kupnju vodiča ili, za veći izbor, korištenje interneta, jer na putu nećete naći puno putokaza.

Tradicionalno su vratašca pružala osnovni smještaj vrijedne vrijednosti, tik uz vlasnikovo domaćinstvo ili u obližnjoj gospodarskoj zgradi. Pojam se sada može koristiti i za opisivanje većine smještaja za samostalan boravak u Francuskoj u zemlji. Stoga uključuje smještaj raznolik poput malih vikendica do vila s privatnim bazenima.

Tijekom vrhunca ljetnih mjeseci najbolje kućne ljubimce s vlastitom hranom zahtijeva rezervaciju nekoliko mjeseci unaprijed.

There are thousands of B&Bs and gîtes in France rented out by foreign owners, particularly British and Dutch, and these tend to be listed, sometimes exclusively, with English-language or international organisations and websites that can be found by keying the words "chambres d'hôtes", "gîtes" or "gîtes de france" into any of the major search engines.

There is a large number of organisations and websites offering gîtes.

Gîtes de France

A France-wide cooperative organisation, Gîtes de France groups more than 50,000 rural places of accommodation together and was the first in France to offer a consistent rating system with comprehensive descriptions.

Despite the name, Gîtes de France offers B&B as well as holiday rental (gîte) accommodation.

The Gîtes de France rating system uses wheat stalks called épis (equivalent to a star rating), based on amenities rather than quality - though generally the two go together.

Through its website, bookings can be done directly with owners or through the local Gîtes de France booking agency (no extra fee for the traveller). Although an English language version is available for many of the website pages, for some departments the pages giving details of an individual gîte are only in French.

There is no particular advantage in using Gîtes de France rather than one of the other online gîtes sites, or booking directly with a gîte owner. The procedure is pretty standard for all gîte booking sites, whether French or foreign - with the advantage that the whole booking process can be done in English, which is not always the case with Gîtes de France.

After making a gîte booking you will receive, by post, a contract to sign (for gîtes only). Sign and return one copy. When signing write the words "Read and approved", and the name of your home town, before signing and dating the contract. You will normally be asked to pay a deposit of a quarter to a third of the booking fee. The rest will be required one month before the start of your holiday. When you arrive at the gîte a security deposit, specified in the contact, should be given to the owner in cash. This will be returned at the end of your stay, minus any fuel charges and breakages.

Another great resource for booking gîtes and villas in France is Holiday France Direct, which enables you to deal directly with the property owners and offers customers discounted ferry travel with Brittany Ferries.

Gîtes d'étape

Another possibility is gîtes d'étape. These are more like overnight stays for hikers, like a mountain hut. They are mostly cheaper than the Gîtes de France but also much more basic.

Short term rentals

Travellers should definitely consider short-term villa/apartment/studio rentals as an alternative to other accommodation options. Short term can be as few as several days up to months at a stretch. Summer rentals are usually from Saturday to Saturday only (July & August). This type accommodation belongs to a private party, and can range from basic to luxurious. A particular advantage, aside from competitive prices, is that the accommodations come with fully fitted kitchens.

Hundreds of agencies offer accommodation for short term rentals on behalf of the owner, and can guide you into finding the best property, at the best price in the most suitable location for you. An internet search for the location and type of property you're looking for will usually return the names of several listing sites, each of which may have hundreds or thousands of properties for you to choose from. There are plenty of sites in both English and French, and the rental properties may be owned by people of any nationality.

Well established holiday rental sites include Gitelink France, Holidaylettings.co.uk, Owners Direct i Alpha Holiday Lettings. If you are looking to stay in just a room or part of the property, Airbnb matches holiday makers with hosts who only rent out part of their homes.

Kampiranje

Camping on the beach

Camping is very common in France. Most camp sites are a little way out of town and virtually all cater not just for tents but also for camper vans and caravans. While all camp sites have the basic facilities of shower and toilet blocks, larger sites tend to offer a range of additional facilities such as bars and restaurants, self-service launderettes, swimming pools or bicycle hire. All camp sites except for very small 'farm camping' establishments must be registered with the authorities, and are officially graded using a system of stars.

In coastal areas, three-star and four-star camp grounds must generally be booked in advance during the months of July and August, and many people book from one year to the next. In rural areas, outside of popular tourist spots, it is usually possible to show up unannounced, and find a place; this is particularly true with the municipal camp sites that can be found in most small towns; though even then it may be advisable to ring up or email in advance to make sure. There are always exceptions.

In France it's forbidden to camp:

  • in woods, natural, regional and national parks
  • on public roads and streets
  • on beaches
  • less than 200 metres from watering places used for human consumption
  • on natural protected sites
  • less than 500 metres from a protected monument
  • everywhere where it's forbidden by local laws
  • on private properties without the owner's consent.

Having said that, generally, camping in car parks near the beach is not prohibited and is a great way to be near the beach and camp for free. There are some comfy and less busy ones, even sometimes with shade around, especially in the evening after most other visitors have left.

Camping is a great way to explore the local area as it offers you the freedom of being able to travel around at short notice. Larger more popular campsites can be booked through websites such as Eurocamp, Canvas Holidays, Go Camp France i France Break[ranije mrtva veza].

Naučiti

Education in France is generally of superior quality, and the country is home to many reputed, prestigious universities. A lot of courses are generally conducted in French, though some programmes are offered in English.

Some of the most reputed universities in the country include École normale supérieure de Paris, École Polytechnique, i Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD).

Grades in France are scored from 0 to 20, with 20 being the highest possible grade. Academic grading is noted for being competitive and strict, to the point that the French have various sayings about it. One of the most famous sayings is "20 is for God, 19 is for the king, 18 is for the Président de la République" (or variations thereof).

Raditi

View of La Défense, the business district of Paris

If you are by law required to obtain a visa or other type of authorisation to work and fail to do so, you risk possible arrest, prosecution, expulsion and prohibition from re-entering France and the Schengen area.

Citizens of EU and EEA countries (save from some Eastern European countries, for a temporary period) and Switzerland can work in France without having to secure a work permit. Most non-EU citizens will need a work permit - however, some non-EU citizens (such as Canadians, New Zealanders etc.) do ne require a visa or work permit to work during their 90 day visa-free period of stay in France (see the 'Get in' section above for more information).

If you are an EU citizen or from an EEA country and want to earn money to continue travelling, 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 McDonald's 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 travellers, and foreigners are often very welcome. Such example jobs include giving private English lessons, taking care of young children (i.e. au pairing) among other things...check out the buildings of various universities as they often have a lot of advertisements. An easy way to find jobs in France is to use dedicated search engines offered by various employment websites.

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. However, 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). However, don't overestimate your chances of finding work; there are often more people applying for jobs than there are vacancies.

The French labour 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.

Ostati siguran

Crimes

Municipal police officers in Strasbourg

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) u urbanim sredinama i na Gendarmerie nationale 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).

While it remains among the safest countries in the world, France has experienced a noticeable surge in crime, mostly in large metropolitan areas that are plagued with the usual woes. Violent crime against visitors is generally rare, but pickpocketing and purse-snatching are very common, some of which may result in aggravated assaults. If the usual precautions against these are taken, you should be safe.

The inner city areas and some (mostly wealthy) suburbs are usually safe at all hours. In large cities, especially Paris and Marseille, there are a few areas which should be avoided. Parts of the suburbs are hives of youth gang-related activities and drug dealing; however these are almost always far from tourist areas and you should have no reason to visit them. Common sense applies: it is very easy to spot derelict areas.

The subject of crime in poorer suburbs and areas is very touchy as it may easily have racist overtones or interpretations, since many people associate it with working-class youth of North African, Arabic and Sub-Saharan origins. You probably should not express an opinion on the issue.

While it is not compulsory for French citizens to carry identification, they usually do so. Foreigners should carry some kind of official identity document. Although random checks are not the norm, you may be asked for ID in some kinds of situations, for example if you cannot show a valid ticket when using public transportation; not having one in such cases will result in you being taken to a police station for further checks. Even if you feel that law enforcement officers have no right to check your identity (they can do so only in certain circumstances), it is a bad idea to enter a legal discussion with them; it is better to put up with it and show your ID. Again, the subject is sensitive as the police have often been accused of targeting people according to criteria of ethnicity (e.g. délit de sale gueule = literally "crime of a dirty face" but perhaps equivalent to the American "driving while black.")

Due to the international threat of terrorism, police with the help of military units, often patrol monuments, the Paris Metro, train stations and airports. Depending on the status of the "Vigipirate" plan (anti terrorist units) it is not uncommon to see armed patrols in those areas. The presence of police should be of help to tourists, as it also deters pickpockets and the like. However, suspicious behaviour, public disturbances etc., may attract police officers' attention for the wrong reasons.

In France, failing to offer assistance to 'a person in danger' is a criminal offence in itself. This means that if you fail to stop upon witnessing a motor accident, fail to report such an accident to emergency services, or ignore appeals for help or urgent assistance, you may be charged. Penalties include suspended prison sentence and fines. The law does not apply in situations where answering an appeal for help might endanger your life or the lives of others.

Kontrolirane tvari

Carrying or using narcotic substances, from marijuana to hard drugs, is illegal whatever the quantity. The penalty can be severe especially if you are suspected of dealing. Trains and cars coming from countries which have a more lenient attitude (such as the Netherlands) are especially targeted. Police have often been known to stop entire coaches and search every passenger and their bags thoroughly.

France has a liberal policy with respect to alcohol; there are usually no ID checks for purchasing alcohol (unless you look much younger than 18). However, causing problems due to public drunkenness is a misdemeanor and may result in a night spent in the cells of a police station. Drunk driving is a severe offence and may result in heavy fines and jail sentences.

A little etiquette note: while it is common to drink beer straight from the bottle at informal meetings, doing the same with wine is normally only done by tramps (clochards).

Ostati zdrav

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).

Tap water is generally acceptable in taste, but mineral water (eau minérale) is generally considered to taste better, except in areas that use mountain water from the Alps for their municipal supply. Volvic and Évian are cheap and available most everywhere, and many locals consider them nothing special. You may find Vittel a more interesting-tasting inexpensive French mineral water, and Badoit, a sparkling water, is quite good.

Medical help

French pharmacy signs often feature a display showing time and temperature

Health care in France is of a very high standard.

Pharmacies are denoted by a green cross, usually in flashing neon (or LED). They sell medicine, contraceptives, and often beauty and related products (though these can be very expensive). Medicines must be ordered from the counter, even non-prescription medicines. The pharmacist may ask you questions about your symptoms and then can recommend various medicines and suggest generic drugs.

Since drug brand names vary across countries even though the effective ingredients stay the same, it is better to carry prescriptions using the international nomenclature in addition to the commercial brand name. Prescription drugs, including oral contraceptives (aka "the pill"), will only be delivered if a doctor's prescription is shown.

In addition, supermarkets sell condoms (préservatifs) and also often personal lubricant, bandages, disinfectant and other minor medical items. Condom machines are often found in bar toilets, etc.

Medical treatment can be obtained from self-employed physicians, clinics and hospitals. Most general practitioners, specialists (e.g. gynaecologists), and dentists are self-employed; look for signs saying Docteur (médecin généraliste means general practitioner). The normal price for a consultation with a general practitioner is €23, though some physicians charge more (this is the full price and not a co-payment). Physicians may also do home calls, but these are more expensive.

Residents of the European Union are covered by the French social security system, which will reimburse or directly pay for 70% of health expenses (30% co-payment) in general, though many physicians and surgeons apply surcharges. Other travellers are ne covered and will be billed the full price, even when at a public hospital; non-EU travellers should have travel insurance covering medical costs.

Hitne slučajeve

Hospitals will have an emergency room signposted Urgences.

The following numbers are toll-free:

  • 15 Medical emergencies
  • 17 Law enforcement emergencies (for e.g. reporting a crime)
  • 18 Firefighters
  • 112 European standard emergency number.

Operators at these numbers can transfer requests to other services if needed (e.g. some medical emergencies may be answered by firefighter groups).

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited by law in all enclosed spaces accessible to the public (this includes train and metro cars, and station enclosures, workplaces, restaurants and cafés), except in areas specifically designated for smoking, and there are few of these. There is no longer an exception for restaurants and cafés. You may face a fine of €68 if you are found smoking in these places.

As well as police officers, metro and train conductors can and do enforce the anti-smoking law and will fine you for smoking in non-designated places; if you encounter problems with a smoker in train, you may go find the conductor.

As hotels are not considered public places, some offer smoking and non-smoking rooms.

Only people over the age of 18 may purchase tobacco products. Shopkeepers may request a photo ID. A pack of 20 cigarettes costs around €10.20 (Nov 2020).

Poštovanje

The French adhere to a strong set of values. They cherish their culture, history, language and cuisine, which is revered by many around the globe. Once gained acquaintance, the French become warm, sincere and welcoming.

The French have an undeserved reputation for being "rude" or "arrogant" by many around the globe, but this is simply a cross-cultural misunderstanding. Compared to other European countries, the French are direct in a way that might seem abrupt in other parts of the world, and at times they might come across as being dissatisfied with everything and anything, including yourself. Do not be annoyed as it is unlikely that they intend to insult, cause offense or make you feel uncomfortable. Directness is usually seen as a platform to initiate friendly arguments, intellectual conversations, and/or invite opinions on something.

The French take matters of etiquette seriously, and it's not uncommon to be dismissed, ignored, or told off for exhibiting behaviour that is seen as impolite. When conversing with locals, always exchange a simple pleasantry (Excusez-moi, Bonjour, ili Bonsoir) and wait for them to reply before getting into something. It's also customary to use the terms Monsieur (male) or Madame (female) with people you don't know on a personal level. By applying a bit of common courtesy, you'll find that the French are approachable and friendly.

On the Métro

Beautiful entrance to a Métropolitain station in Paris

The Métro subway system is a great way to get around Paris (or Lyon, Marseille, et al.), a fact which is readily apparent by the throngs of people that use it to get to work, school, and the like. If you do not ride the train at home, or if you come from a place that doesn't have a subway system, there are certain points of etiquette that you may not be aware of:

  • When boarding at the station, let those exiting the train step off onto the platform before boarding, and once aboard move to the centre of the car.
  • If you have luggage, move it as far out of the path of others as possible.
  • Certain stations have moving walkways to cover the distances between platforms - walk on the left and stand on the right!
  • Finally, the doors on French subway cars don't generally open automatically once the train has stopped at the station; rather, most cars have a small button or lever on the doors that opens them. If you should happen to be standing near the door in a crowded car you might hear someone behind you say "la porte, s'il vous plait," which means that person would like to get off the train and is asking you to open the door for him/her. Pop the door open and step aside (or down onto the platform) while that person exits the train - the driver will wait for you to get back on.

Noise

The French consider it very rude to be loud in a crowded indoor place, such as a museum or restaurant, and you can expect to be told off for doing so.

Shopping etiquette

In many shops, it's customary to exchange pleasantries with the staff and have them take items for you. Even if you're exploring a shop, always request a staff member to guide you around.

Kodeks odijevanja

Pravila odijevanja are fast disappearing, but generally speaking, the French are conservative dressers. To avoid being seen in a negative light, you should avoid white trainers, baseball caps, tracksuits, shorts (except in summer) and flip-flops (except at the beach).

At the beach and at hotel swimming pool, it is normal for women to take off their bikinis while sunbathing. Taking off your bikini bottom is reserved to designated nude beaches. Most resort cities insist on your wearing a shirt when leaving the beach area.

Everyone at public swimming pools is required by law to wear suitable swimming attire. This means swim caps (even if you're bald) and snug-fitting Lycra-based swimsuits. Baggy or "board" swim shorts are banned, as are T-shirts, UV-protective rash guards, and other cover-ups. If you're unlucky in your choice, then most public pools sell pre-approved swimsuits from vending machines on-site, often for rather inflated prices. Watch also for local prohibitions on sunscreen, which can mess with older pools' filtration systems.

Breastfeeding in public is very rare, but nobody will mind if you do.

Addressing people (tu i vous)

The French language has two variants of the word "you". Oni su tu, which is used for people you're on familiar terms with or with people much younger than you, and vous, which is used for people much older than you, people you're not on familiar terms with, and/or a group of people. As a general rule, the only time you should use tu with an adult is if that person indicates it's alright to do so, usually by saying "On peut se tutoyer." For more information on tu i vous, see the Francuski rječnik fraza

Sensitive issues

Politics:

  • Unless you really follow French news closely, you should steer clear of discussing French politics, especially sensitive issues such as immigration. Be aware of the position that being a foreigner puts you in. It is considered rude to ask a person point-blank about which candidate they voted for in an election; instead, talk about the issues and take it from there.

Religion:

  • It is generally considered impolite to have a conversation about religion with someone you do not know well. The French are fiercely protective of their tradition of secularism (laïcité). For instance, the wearing of religious items of clothing, such as hijabs, kippas or crucifixes, is illegal for public servants when they are at work, and for all students and staff at public schools. It is also illegal to cover your face in public, which effectively outlaws the burqa (and masks, balaclavas etc.) This has been interpreted by some as an anti-Muslim law.
  • France remains a majority Roman Catholic country, though due to the culture of secularism, religion plays virtually no role in French public life, and church attendance levels are among the lowest in the world. However, you are still expected to behave in a respectful manner when visiting churches.

Money:

  • You should also avoid presenting yourself through your possessions (house, car, etc.). It is considered to be quite crass to discuss your salary, or to ask someone else directly about theirs. Instead express your enthusiasm about how great are the responsibilities, or how lucky you were to get there, etc.

City/rural differences:

  • While roughly one sixth of the country's population lives in the Paris region, don't treat France as Paris or assume that all French people act like Parisians. Life in Paris can be closer to life in London or New York City than in the rest of France, and Parisian customs and opinions differ from those found en province. Bretanja, Korzika i Baskija in particular have their own national identities.

Spojiti

Phone numbers

To call a French number from abroad, dial: 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:

  • 01 for the Paris region, 02 for the northwest, 03 for the northeast, 04 for southeast, 05 for southwest,
  • 06 i 07 for cellphones
  • 08 have special prices that can be deduced from the two following figures: from free - 08 00 - to very costly (as far as €20.40 per hour) - 08 99. Skype numbers also start with 08.
  • 09 if they are attached to voice-over IP telephones connected to DSL modems from French DSL providers that integrate such functions.

You cannot drop the first two digits even if your call remains within the same area. The initial '0' may be replaced by some other digit or longer code indicating a choice of long-distance operator. Don't use this unless explicitly told to.

When speaking phone numbers, people will usually group the digits by sets of two. Na primjer, 02 47 76 41 94 will be said as "zéro deux, quarante-sept, soixante-seize, quarante-et-un, quatre-vingt-quatorze". The two-digit pair 00 is said as "zéro zéro", not "double zéro". If you find it too hard to follow, you may ask the person to say the number digit-by-digit ("chiffre par chiffre"). It would then be "zéro, deux, quatre, sept, sept, six, quatre, un, neuf, quatre".

Toll-free

There are few companies that provide toll-free numbers (often starting with 08 00) and there are also numbers which start with 081, for which you pay the cost of a local call regardless of where you are in the country. Numbers starting with 089 carry a premium toll.

Emergency numbers are 15 (medical aid), 17 (police station) and 18 (fire/rescue). You can also use the European emergency number 112 (perhaps a better choice if you don't speak French). These calls are free and accessible from virtually any phone, including locked cellphones. In case of a serious emergency, if you find a code-protected cellphone, enter a random code three times: the phone will lock, but you will be able to dial emergency numbers.

Cheap international calls

To enjoy cheap international calls from France travellers can get a local SIM card online before they leave or use low-cost dial-around services. Dial-around services are directly available from any landline in France. No contract or registration is required. Most dial-around services allows you to call the USA, Canada, Western Europe and many other countries at the local rate (tarif local). They also work from payphones, though the first minute is surcharged by France Télécom.

Fixed line

If you need a landline (ligne fixe) in France, use VoIP over DSL, such as the Livebox or Freebox service (free long distance calls within France and to a number of countries).

Phone booths

Phone booths have been largely removed. You may still find one in some rural areas. Most use a card (no coins). They accept CB, Visa or MasterCard cards but almost always only with a microchip.

Mobilni

France uses the GSM standard of cellular phones (900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands) used in most of the world outside of the U.S. Many companies (e.g., Orange, SFR, Free, Bouygues Télécom, Virgin Mobile) offer wireless service. The country is almost totally covered but you may have difficulties using your mobile phone in rural or mountainous areas. However, for emergency numbers, the three companies are required by law to accept your call if they are able to, even if you are not one of their customers.

If you stay for some time, it may be advisable to buy a pre-paid cell phone card that you can use in any phone that supports the GSM standard on the 900/1800 MHz bands. Then incoming calls and SMSes are free. You can get it from most mobile service providers, but they have a very short validity for the card if you don't recharge it.

An Orange pre-paid SIM card is called a Mobicarte, costs €9.90 and comes with a credit of €5 included. SMSes within Orange France cost €0.12; to international mobile GSM users €0.28. Other operators (SFR, Bouygues) have similar prices. The mobile operator Free offers €2/month subscription without any minimum subscription time including 120 minutes per month, 50 MB internet, and unlimited national SMSes (as of Oct 2020). This is only available through the web and you need a postal address.

Internet

Internet cafés: Internet access is available in cyber cafés all over large and medium-sized cities. Service is usually around €4 per hour.

Residential broadband: In all major cities, there are multiple companies offering residential broadband service. Typical prices are €30 a month for unmetered ADSL (with speeds of up to 24 megabits per second), digital HDTV over DSL and free unlimited voice-over-IP phone calls to land lines within France and about twenty other countries (including the EU, and the U.S.) with external SIP access too (the price includes a modem/router/switch with integrated WiFi MiMo access point).

Wi-Fi: You'll also find wi-fi access (in cities and towns) in a lot of cafés usually those that are a bit trendy. There will be a sign on the door or on the wall. Also look for the @ symbol prominently displayed, which indicates internet availability. However, cyber cafés are increasingly hard to find, especially outside the major cities. Also, check out Carrefour, most of them have free Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is prounonced "wee-fee" in France even by English speakers. Asking for "wye-fie" will generally not be understood.

Short-term SIM cards

(for smartphones and tablets)

Orange has nearly-unlimited Internet 1-month package for €9 called InternetMax. The official limit of 500MB is not enforced. Tethering is not allowed, but this is also not enforced. Email (POP3/SMTP/IMAP) is not covered, and sold as a separate package for €9 per month. P2P, VoIP and USENET are specifically banned, and risk getting your plan cancelled as well as the loss of any call credit remaining on your account.

As the plan is not marketed by Orange, staff at outlets and hotline operators are often completely unaware of it, and Orange website tells very little on it even in French. If your French is poor, detailed third-party instructions can be very helpful.

Objavi

Post offices ("La Poste") are found in all cities and villages but their opening hours vary. In the main cities the central office may be open during lunchtime; typically the day's opening hours are 09:00 to 18:00. Most offices are only open on Saturday morning and there is only one office in Paris which is open 24 hours and 365 days (on the Rue du Louvre).

Letter boxes are coloured in yellow.

Postal rates

There are three levels of service for French domestic mail, as of May 2019 (Andorra and Monaco included):

  • Priority Letter (lettre prioritaire), usually arrives next day. Cost (up to 20g): €1.05
  • Green Letter (lettre verte), usually arrives in two days. Cost (up to 20g): €0.88
  • Economy Letter (écopli), usually arrives in four days. Cost (up to 20g): €0.86

For international mail, there is only one service:

  • Priority Letter (lettre prioritaire), cost (up to 20g): €1.30 (to European Union and Switzerland), €1.30 (all other countries)

Parcels

International delivery services like FedEx and UPS are available in cities, however you generally have to call them for them to come to you as they have very few physical locations. Another option is to simply use La Poste with a wide network around the country and the same services as its competitors.

Ovaj turistički vodič za zemlju Francuska je iskoristiv članak. It has information about the country and for getting in, as well as links to several destinations. Avanturistična osoba mogla bi koristiti ovaj članak, ali slobodno ga poboljšajte uređivanjem stranice.