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, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Venezuela and several other countries. For a full list of visa requirements for short or longer stays, visit the official French visa info website in English.



• Travelling to France by car: (Click here for ► Driving in France).  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  customs and border controls have been abolished within the Schengen area, and traffic flows seamlessly 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.
     Driving license. Drivers from the UK,  EU and EEA countries can use their national license in France for up to a year. Drivers with licenses from the USA can also do so, but are recommended to have an IDP too. Drivers from other countries must have a valid national license PLUS either an official translation into French or an IDP (International Drivers Permit)), which can be obtained ► here.
• Reaching France by air:
  From the UK and Europe. There are more than twenty regional airports in France, with flights from the UK and other countries. For further information, check out the flights to France page. 
• Flights from North America. The airline with most direct flights from North America to France is Air France which has direct flights from a dozen or more cities in North America .  For transatlantic passengers, or passengers from other continents, the general point of arrival in France will be Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. Nice airport is served by Delta from JFK. 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. Check out options and best value flights on Expedia.
     For visitors from Canada or NE United States, Air Transat has direct and relatively good value flights from Montreal to Basel-Mulhouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse, as well as Paris.
     For flights to France from Australia, Asia-Pacific area and all other long-haul flights to France, consult your travel agency or online ticketing websites for  options and prices.
  
  
• 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 Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which has replaced the old EHIC form but provides just the same cover; further details on the About-France.com health cover in France page.

Other points

Find hotels in France

Click for best online rates for hotels in French towns and cities.

 Calais
 Paris
 Reims
 Dijon
Beaune
 Lyon
 Rouen
 Orleans
 Tours
 Poitiers
 Bordeaux
 Montpellier  Nice  Clermont-Fd.

About-France.com is partnered with Europe's leading hotel booking portal, Booking.com, to bring you the best online prices

• Accommodation and hotels  :
  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, else our information on Paris hotels,  or the interactive holiday rentals maps on Gitelink.com  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 (also known as an electronic funds 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  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 abroad; 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 or on driving south from Calais
  
• 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. Since Brexit, many UK phone operators have reintroduced roaming charges; consult your operator for details.  See more details for using US cellphones in France.
• When to visit France : The best times of year are, of course, between April and October: July and August tend to be very busy in most tourist areas. The Spring and the Early Autumn are a great time to visit France, if you are not bound by the requirements of school term dates or work.
  Climate change: with summer heatwaves increasingly common in the south of France, there is an upsurge in spring and autumn tourism among those who are not bound by school holiday calendars. The tourist industry is fast adapting to cater for them, with  sites and restaurants extending their summer season until the end of September, or even later.
• For  day trips to France from the UK  compare the options available.