Visiting France - planning a trip

First things first: preparing your journey

• Passport or ID card? Citizens of the European Union can travel to France on a national identity card, if they have one. EU citizens who do not have an ID card, and citizens of other countries, must be in possession of a valid passport. Visitors from non-EU countries may need a visa, depending on the length of stay and their country of origin. Visas are not required for citizens holding residence status in any other "Schengen" country, whatever their nationality. For the purposes of a short trip (less than 90 days), visas are not required for visitors from the United States, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Venezuela and several other countries. For a full list of visa requirements for short or longer stays, visit the official French foreign ministry website in English.


• Travelling to France by car: Travellers coming from the UK: it is usually sufficient to just turn up at a ferry port or the channel Tunnel, and buy a ticket for the next crossing. However, this is not advisable in the peak holiday season, or at busy weekends. Besides, it is often possible to shop around and get a cheaper price, if you book in advance. Click here to compare ferry price offers and book online. Driving to France from most other neighbouring countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Spain) is no problem at all, as systematic customs and border controls have been abolished within the Schengen area, and traffic flows smoothly across these borders. Customs and passport controls may slow down traffic across borders from Switzerland, though this is not usually the case. The border crossing from Andorra can be very slow, if customs decide to check cars for contraband, notably duty-free cigarettes, as they often do.
  

• Reaching France by air: there are a large number of regional airports in France, with flights from the UK and other countries. For further information, check out the flights to France page. For transatlantic passengers, or passengers from other continents, the general point of arrival in France will be Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. A few intercontinental flights use other French airports, such as Nice, Lyon, Marseilles or Toulouse. Geneva airport, which has flights from the US and Asia, lies on the French-Swiss border, and has a direct exit to France. Brussels, Zurich and Luxembourg airports are also within easy striking distance of France.
  
  
• Currency: France uses the Euro. The easiest way to get holiday money (and often the cheapest) is to withdraw euros from an ATM (hole in the wall, cash dispenser) on arrival in France, or even from a Euro dispenser in the departure area at a major UK airport. Most French ATMs accept foreign cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, etc). (See page on Banks and paying for things in France). Note: If your bank / credit card account is not in Euros, you will pay a commission on each transaction – withdrawal or payment. Commissions are proportionally greater the smaller the transaction, so it is not advisable to use your card regularly for a lot of small transactions. You will pay less (maybe quite a bit less) by withdrawing enough cash for a day or two from an ATM, then paying in cash.

Health: visitors are strongly advised to make sure that they have health insurance cover before travelling to France or any other foreign country. For France, UK visitors should obtain the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which has replaced the old E 111 form; further details on the About-France.com health cover in France page.

• Accommodation: there are hundreds of internet sites offering direct booking for hotels, but beware of sites supposedly offering the "cheapest deals". Check out a few sites before you book.  Visit the hotels page for information on French hotels, or the gites and cottage accommodation page for information on renting a cottage, or bed and breakfast.
  
• Paying in advance; gites, small hotels, campsites. If you need to make a deposit for accommodation, some premises will accept credit cards or Paypal; but for those that do not, it is usually possible to make an "IBAN" transfer, which is quite simple and not expensive. Ask your bank for details.
  
• Driving in France: Technically, if you are driving a car registered in the UK or in another European Union country, you do not need a green card (international insurance card) to travel to Europe, just your national car insurance certificate. However, it may well be that your standard national insurance only provides you with third-party cover once outside the UK; check with your insurer. Extra comprehensive cover can be obtained from your normal insurer, or from an outside source such as the AA. Click here for more  information about driving and motorways in France
  
• Mobile phones / cellphones: if you want to continue using your national mobile phone while abroad, you may need to enable international use by contacting your operator.