Languages
French. You can get by in English in Paris and the major cities, but it becomes more difficult in smaller areas. Ultimately most people speak a little English, but the French are proud of their native language and it would help if you try and learn a little.
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Cash is occasionally helpful in France. You’ll need it for markets and incidentals. Generally you can get by with credit cards most places, but it’s a good idea to carry a little bit of cash.
International Airports
There are 34 of them. The biggest include:
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CGD)
- Orly (ORY)
- Nice (NCE)
- Lyon (LYS)
- Toulouse (TLS)
- Marseille (MRS)
- Moulhouse (MLH)
- Bordeaux (BOD)
- Nantes (NTE)
Tipping
- Restaurants – round up or can consider 10% (for a nice restaurant)
- Bars – not expected unless table service, in which case round to nearest euro
- Taxis – 10% or up to the nearest euro
- Hotels – 1 euro per bag if someone carries it in for you
- Tours – 1-2 euro per person for great guides (on top of tour fee)
Airlines with Good Deals
- Air France
- French Bee
- Norwegian
- Vueling
- Easy Jet
- Ryanair
Most airlines fly to France, use KAYAK, Kiwi, or Skyscanner to find the best deals
Best Rental Car Companies
All of the major rental car companies are there. We like holidayauto.com in Europe.
Not-to-miss Local Food, Beer, Drink
Food
French food has for a long time been recognized as the best food in the world. It has incredible variety, potentially enormous sophistication, and it’s really a regional thing. This is the home of froie gras, escargot, and lots of butter. The French do food right, and you should sample as much while you are there.
- Crepes
- Croissants and pain au chocolate
- Baguettes
- Pâté
- Cassoulet
- Soup l’onignon
- Coq au Vin
- Ratatouille
- Bouillabaisse
- Gratin Dauphinois
- Steak Tartar
- Beef Bourgenon
- Raclette
- Quiche
- Duck confit
- Croque monsieur
- Steak frites
- Nicoise salade
- moules frites
- Escargot
- Millions of types of cheese.
- FYI Cheval means horse.
Desserts
- Creme Brule
- Tarte tartine
- Profiteroles
- Soufflé
- Macarons
Drinks
Water
Drinking tap water in this country is fine. Bring your reusable water bottle and request tap water at restaurants (carafe d’eau)
Wine
France is the most famous country in the world for wine. We’ll give you some regions to look for (and you might want to visit). Great places to try French wine include Loire Valley and Bordeaux.
- Bordeaux (reds)
- Burgundy (reds, some whites)
- Loire Valley (whites)
- Rhone (reds)
- Alsace (whites)
- Languedoc Roussillon (reds and rose)
- Provence (rose)
- Champagne (…champagne)
Other Drinks
- Chambois
- Absinthe
- Pernod
- Pastis
- Brandies – armegnac, cognac
- Calvedos
- Grand marnier
- Creme de Cassis
Movies/Literature
Movies:
- Midnight in Paris
- Amelie
- La Cage aux Follies
- La Vie en Rose
- Les Miserables
- Chocolat
- An American in Paris
- Marie Antoinette
- The Messenger
- Le Divorce
- Ratatouille
- Moulin Rouge!
- Paris, I Love You
- Dangerous Liaisons
- Cyrano de Bergerac
- The Longest Day (if you visit Normandy beaches)
- Saving Private Ryan (if you visit Normandy beaches)
- King of Hearts
Books:
- All the Light We Cannot See
- Chocolat
- Labyrinth
- Timeline (if you’re visiting Sarlat)
- A Tale of Two Cities
- Madame Bovary
- A Very Long Engagement
- The Count of Monte Cristo
Not-to-miss Sites:
- Paris: Louvre, Musee D’Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, St. Chapelle, Versailles
- Loire Valley: chateaus
- Normandy and D-Day Beaches
- French Riviera
- Provence: Arles, Avignon
- Burgundy: Beaune
- Alps: Chamonix