France: In the Country

Categories of Restaurant

 

• Brasseries

Sandwiches, salads and cooked dishes.

• Gastronomic restaurants

More elaborate dishes. For further information consult the Michelin Guide to gastronomic restaurants in France.

• Traditional regional cuisine

Based on the specialties of a region (Brittany, Dordogne, Corsica, Alsace, etc.)

• Fast food

Self-service restaurants for basic catering. Cafeterias for traditional cooking.

• Wine bars

Wine is at the heart of the meal.

• Foreign cuisine restaurants

Many Indian restaurants, also Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Moroccan, etc.

Rules For Eating Out

The prices displayed in restaurants and cafés are shown with taxes and service included. A tip is not compulsory, but people often leave change on the table after paying the bill (about 5% of the bill).

Price Indications

Food Specialties

France has a rich culinary culture, and its cuisine is diverse. With dishes such as: tournedos; rib steak with béarnaise sauce served with green kidney beans or pommes dauphines; meat on skewers; blanquette of veal; etc. Near the sea, fish and seafood, such as mussels, cockles and shrimp are abundant. Alsace and Lorraine are the regions where you find sauerkraut, kugelhof, quiche Lorraine and tarte flambée. Lyon, the biggest city in the Rhône valley, is the heart of French cuisine. One of the region's specialties is pike quenelles. France produces 365 types of cheeses; for example, Camembert, Brie, Roquefort, Reblochon and the blues of Auvergne and Bresse.

Drinks

In France, wine is the most common alcoholic beverage: Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Côtes de Provence, Côtes du Rhône and wines from the Loire Valley region, etc. Aperitifs and liqueurs are also common: Pastis, Pineau, Muscat, Chartreuse, fruit liqueurs, brandies, etc.

Dietary Restrictions

There are no dietary restrictions in the country.

Table Manners

Table manners are Continental. Before starting, you wish everyone "bon appétit" ("enjoy your meal"). If you are invited to dinner with a French family, wait to be shown your place before sitting down.

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Recommendation

Almost all French cities have a public transport network, which is safe and high in quality (in regards to frequency, comfort, safety/security, limited risk of accidents, etc.). Where there are only buses in the smallest towns, the biggest cities have trams, metros, buses and self-service bicycles. Using taxis is also very practical. However, they are very difficult to find during rush hours except for people who have a season ticket. The Paris metro is one of the most extensive in the world. In the ranking of the world's ten best metro systems, it is in second position. As in many large cities worldwide, one should be alert to the dangers of pickpockets while in public places.

Maps of Urban Networks

The Paris RATP network (Paris city transport authority)
The Ile de France Transilien train network
The Lyon transport network
The Marseille transport network

Urban Transport Agencies

The RATP (Paris city transport authority)

Taxi Companies

French taxis (Fares, taxi stands, etc.)

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:

Airport	Distance	Taxi	Bus	Train	Car Rental
Paris - Charles de Gaulle/Roissy (CDG)	24km / 15 miles	EUR 50-60 / 45 min	EUR 14 - EUR 6.15 / 35-60 min	EUR 8.10 / 50 min	Available
Paris - Orly (ORY)	14km / 9 miles	EUR 35-55 / 20-35 min	EUR 9 / 20-30 min	EUR 7.20, EUR 9.30 + RER ticket / 40-50 min	Available
Marseille - Provence (MRS)	21 km / 13 miles of Marseille or Aix-en-Provence	EUR 40-50 / 30 min	EUR 8.5-7.5 / 25-30 min	-	Available
Lyon - St Exupéry (LYS)	19 km / 12 miles	EUR 40-50 / 30-40 min	EUR 8.40 / 45 min	-	Available
Lille - Lesquin (LIL)	8 km / 5 miles	EUR 15 / 12-20 min	EUR 4.6 / 20 min	-	Available
Nice - Côte d'Azur (NCE)	7 km / 4 miles	EUR 20-30 / 15 min	-	-	Available
Toulouse - Blagnac (TLS)	8 km / 5 miles	EUR 20-25 / 10-20 min	EUR 4 / 20 min	-	Available
Bordeaux - Merignac (BOD)	9 km / 6 miles	EUR 45 / 20-25 min	EUR 6.5 / 30-45 min	-	Available

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Recommendation

To travel from city to city, the best means of transport is the train. From Paris you should expect between 2 and 4 hours to reach other big cities; fares are affordable, the trains are comfortable and you arrive directly in the city centre.
By plane it is about 1 hour 30 minutes' travel time to go from one end of the country to another.
As soon as you leave the city centres, you really need a car to get around.

Rail Companies

The SNCF (French national rail company) and its on-line reservation service

Airlines

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelling By Yourself

Recommendation

Travelling by your own means in France poses few problems; it is easy to rent a vehicle, the road network is very good and the road sign system is very clear (in French).
The French authorities have set up a large number of speed cameras on the roads to encourage drivers to keep to speed limits. For further information, consult the driving regulations and penalties enforced (in French).
There is a high risk of traffic jams in and around the big cities.

Driver's License

The EU driver's license is recognized in France. Other driver's licenses are also recognized on condition that they are accompanied by an official translation. After living in France for a year, the foreign resident must exchange his license for a French one.
For further information, consult the conditions for recognizing and exchanging foreign driver's licenses.

Conditions For Renting a Vehicle

Being at least 21 years of age, and having had one's driver's license for more than two years.

Rental Agencies

Hertz
Avis
Europcar

Tolls or Taxes

You have to pay on motorways. Payment is made at the entrance or exit of the motorway, at the tollbooth. Keep your ticket carefully until you come to pay.

Road Maps

Map of the motorway network

Find an Itinerary

ViaMichelin
Mappy

Traffic Conditions Online

Real-time traffic conditions on French motorways

Parking Facilities

Parking in town is regulated and you generally have to pay. Payment is made at a ticket machine located in the street, with coins or parking cards which you can buy at a tobacco shop. Authorized parking places are shown by white markings on the ground.
All cities have parking lots (most often underground), in the center or on the outskirts, with connections with means of public transport.

Rules of the Road

Minimum Driving Age

18

Side of the Road For Driving

Right

Speed Limits

50km/h in town, 90 on main roads, 130 on motorways

Safety Belts

Obligatory

Permitted Amount of Alcohol in the Blood

0.5 g/liter of blood, i.e. 0.25 mg of alcohol per liter of air breathed out

National Roads Organizations

Road safety department

Quality of Communications

The means of communication in France are extensive and cover the whole country. They form a sophisticated network of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic satellite system. Cell phone service is widely available, and has roaming service to foreign countries. However, the use of mobile phones or Internet may be difficult in rural areas.

Telephone Codes

To Make a Call From France, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in France, Dial +33

Number of Digits of National Telephone Numbers

10
0 + number of the region + 8 other figures

Mobile Telephone Standards

GSM, EDGE, GPRS, Radiocom 2000, UMTS, WCDMA.

National Mobile Phone Operators

Free, Orange, SFR Altice, Bouygues Télécom

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix

.fr

National Internet Access Providers

Free, Orange, SFR Altice, Bouygues Télécom

Access in Public Places

Cybercafés are found in towns. More and more bars are offering Wifi access.

Access in Hotels

Apart from some exceptions, only hotels in big cities have an Internet connection.