BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTRY:
France is the largest country in Western Europe, ranked 4th in the list of the richest countries in the world. France is divided into 22 provinces, including Brittany in the Northwest, Burgundy, centered on the city of Dijon, and the Mediterranean island of Corsica. The French Alps is the largest ski area in the world, skiing is open here from mid-December to the end of April. Rest in the famous ski resorts of France (Megeve, Chamonix, Meribel, Courchevel, Val Dizer and Val Thorens) is a European level of service, an atmosphere of elegance and tradition, and amazing French cuisine and wines.
France is a country that never ceases to attract and delight. Anyone who has visited France at least once, got in touch with its culture, felt the breath of time and history, will come back here again and again, discovering something new and interesting every time .
LARGEST CITIES:
Paris is the most elegant capital in Europe. Each street or boulevard has its own history, monuments and museums are known almost all over the world (the Louvre is one of the richest museums in the world; Montmartre, famous for the square of artists; Versailles is an example of the rise of artistic skill). Paris is the patron saint of beauty, art and fashion. The city attracts people of all ages.
Nice is the greenest city in France, a city of museums, theaters and concerts. This is a resort town with the sophisticated beauty of the Promenade des Anglais, a promenade that runs along the beach. Nice is a resting place for the Russian aristocracy. From Nice you can go on an excursion to Cannes, the capital of film festivals.
LANGUAGES: French
RELIGION: Catholicism
FLIGHT: FLIGHT TIME Moscow – Paris – 3.5 hours. During the flight you will be offered drinks, hot meals (1 time during the flight), duty-free goods.
TIME: minus 3 hours from Moscow time
MEDICAL INSURANCE: By booking a tour, you become the owner of an insurance policy.
Be sure to read the instructions in your policy and follow them if necessary.
CUSTOMS REGULATIONS:
OT ENTRY FROM THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION:
Export of currency: presentation of a customs declaration when leaving the Russian Federation is not required if the amount of cash does not exceed 3,000 euros.
To board the flight, you must go through customs inspection, for which you must fill out a customs declaration (if the amount of cash exceeds 3,000 euros). When filling out the declaration, do not forget to indicate the entire amount of foreign currency that you took with you; for the export of more than 10,000 euros, a bank statement (valid for 1 year) or an entry customs declaration (valid for no more than 1 year) with the appropriate customs marks is required.
MONEY: France’s monetary unit is the euro ( EURO ). 1 euro includes 100 euro cents. You can exchange currency in banks (opening hours – from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 12.00 and from 14.00 to 17.00).
CLIMATE: According to Bridgat, France has two climatic zones: Mediterranean and Atlantic. In the northern regions, a mild and humid maritime climate prevails and it is never hot. On the Cote d’Azur, the average temperature in summer is 26-30 C, in winter 13-15 C. In Paris, the climate is mild, snow is very rare, in summer the average temperature is 23-25 C, in winter from 0 to +10 C.
CUISINE: French cuisine is one of the most elegant and refined. Start your meal with a bowl of hot onion soup topped with cheese or escargots. There are 365 varieties of cheese in France! Each region has its own variety. The French believe that a good meal should be crowned with a good cheese, the taste of which will be appreciated by a good wine! “Fondue” (fondue) is made from a mixture of hard cheeses: “Comte”, “Gruyère” and “Emental” and warmed white wine, for those with a sweet tooth – chocolate fondue with fruit, “Raclette” (rocklet) – a special dish of melted Reblochon cheese ” and potatoes. French cuisine is unimaginable without fine wines and cognacs. Bordoux, St. Emilion”, “Medoc” – famous wines of Bordeaux province, red and rosé wines of the Rhone Valley, young “Beaujolais”, “Chardonnay”…
For dessert – apple pie with Tarte Tatin caramel, creme brulee, chocolate mousse, blueberry pie or lemon sherbet with vodka.
EXCURSIONS: we recommend booking individual excursions with an English-speaking guide in advance.
SHOPPING: In all the major cities of France, there are many large department stores in which everything is thought out to receive tourists: translators, exchange, export discount. The boutiques of famous couturiers are mainly located on avenue Montaigne, Faubourg Saint-Honore, Place de la Madelaine, in the Saint-Sulpice or Sevres-Babylone district, between Grenelle, Cherche-Midi and Saints-Peres streets. For young people – in the Les Halles quarter, on Place des Victoires, perfumes and cosmetics in duty-free boutiques in the Opera quarter, souvenirs in tourist places (Rivoli Street).
TIPS: In hotels, cafes and restaurants, a tip of 12 to 15% is usually included in the bill. If you notice that the tip is not included, then add it yourself at your discretion. It is customary to leave change (coins) on the table. In theaters and cinemas, according to tradition, it is customary to tip the ticket attendant who escorts you to your seat, at least 10% of the ticket price.
MAINS VOLTAGE: 220 V, euro sockets.
COMMUNICATION: Telephone communication is expensive, all calls, even within the city, are paid. The one who calls pays. Phone cards for 50 and 120 units can be purchased at newsstands, tobacco shops, post offices, metro ticket offices. With the card you can call any city in the world, in the evening after 19:00 and on weekends calls are cheaper. For a telephone conversation in France, you need to dial a ten-digit number starting with zero. You can ask to call back the pay phone, such machines are equipped with a special sign in the form of a bell and their own number. By toll-free number 08-00-99-00-07 you can order a conversation with Russia at the expense of the subscriber (Russian operators). The tariff from Russia is equal to the tariff for a registered conversation with a foreign country.
To call Russia, dial 007 – area code + subscriber number. From Russia to France – 8-10-33+ nine-digit subscriber number.
SOME IMPORTANT SERVICE NUMBERS:
Ambulance – 15
Fire protection – 18
Police – 17
Reference France Telecom – 12
Consultations, services in Russian – 01 40 07 01 65
Embassy of the Russian Federation in Paris 01 45 04 05 01
TRANSPORT: France has a fast and convenient SNCF rail network and TGV trains that provide high speed connections between the main French cities. Railway tickets must be punched in orange machines before boarding the train – at the entrance to the platform.
There are two types of public transport in Paris: metro (from 06:00 to 01:00) and buses. The transport network is divided into 5 zones, 1.2 zones – within the city, the rest – the suburbs and the airport. Metro stations are located 300-500 m from each other, you can reach anywhere in the city in a few minutes. The cost of zones 1 and 2 is 1.30 EURO.
You will recognize a taxi by a light indicator on the roof, it is better to call a taxi by phone or find it in the parking lot. Taxis in France are metered. The average price is 10 EURO during the day within the city. An additional payment is taken when meeting at the station, transporting luggage, animals and the 4th passenger. It is customary to tip the driver.
RENT A CAR: To rent you need: passport, driver’s license, credit card, age over 23 years old (in some companies it is possible even 18 years old), you need to have a driving experience of at least 1 year. Most companies prefer to rent luxury cars only to respectable people over 30 years old. You can rent a car in one city and drop it off in another. The car is issued with a full tank of fuel and must be returned also with a full tank.
The cost of renting a car for 1 day (per week):
economy class $32 ($155) middle class $58 ($277)
executive class or minibus $110 ($520)
If you are going to a ski resort, find out the condition of the roads, the accessibility of the passes, get a certificate about the need for special equipment for the car (chains, tires with spikes).
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
Passport and travel documents should preferably be kept separately from money; if they are lost, the costs associated with obtaining duplicates are paid independently.
