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Facts for the Traveler
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| Area |
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547,030 square kilometer |
| National Capital |
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Paris |
| Coastline |
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3,427 kilometers |
| Geography |
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Western Europe, bordering the Bay of
Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of
the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain |
| Terrain |
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Mostly flat plains or gently rolling
hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees
in south, Alps in east |
| Time Zone |
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GMT + 1 Hour |
| Elevation Extremes
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lowest point: Rhone River delta -2
m; highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m |
| Population |
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60.5 Mio (2004) |
| Language |
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French 100%, rapidly declining regional
dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican,
Catalan, Basque, Flemish) |
| Currency |
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EURO |
| Climate |
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Generally cool winters and mild summers,
but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean |
| Natural Resources
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Coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber,
zinc, potash. |
| Religion |
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Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish
1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6% |
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Visas: Nationals of the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and Israel do not need visas to visit France as tourists for up to
three months. Except for the citizens of a handful of other European
countries, everyone else must have a visa. To apply, you'll need a passport
(valid for a period of three months beyond your departure date from France),
a ticket in and out of France, proof of money and possibly of
accommodations, two passport-sized photos and the visa fee in cash. Tourist
visas cannot be extended except in emergencies (eg medical problems). You
might try calling the Préfecture de Police (tel 01 53 71 51 68) for
guidance. If you don't need a visa to visit France, you'll almost certainly
qualify for another automatic three-month stay if you take the train to
Geneva or Brussels and then re-enter France.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Dialling Code: 33
Electricity: 230V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
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When to Go
Spring offers the best weather to visitors, with beach tourism picking
up in May. Temperatures aren't too bad in autumn, although the short days
mean limited sunlight and the cold starts to make itself felt towards the
end of the season, even along the Côte d'Azur. Winter means playing in the
snow in France's Alps and Pyrenees, though the Christmas school holidays
send hordes of tadpoles in uniform scurrying for the slopes. Mid-July
through to the end of August is when most city dwellers take their annual
five weeks' vacation to the coasts and mountains, and the half-desolate
cities tend to shut down a bit accordingly. The same happens during February
and March.
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Events
Tennis French Open 24 May - 7 Jun 2009 at Stade Roland Garros
The French Open, one of the four tennis Grand Slams, is one of France's biggest sporting events. For two weeks the world's best battle it out on Roland Garros' clay courts - watching matches live is the ultimate fashion statement!
Demand is sky ...
Eiffel Tower Dinner, Paris Moulin Rouge Show and Seine River Cruise
Enjoy a night out in Paris and combine dinner at the Eiffel Tower and a Seine River cruise with an exotic show at the Moulin Rouge. You'll enjoy dinner at the Eiffel Tower's Altitude 95 restaurant followed by a one-hour river cruise on the Seine. ...
Food festivals to attract visitors to Brittany in 2009
The region of Brittany in France will play host to gastronomes from all over Europe and the world this year as it hosts a number of food festivals.
Saint-Quay-Portrieux in the Cotes d'Armor region on Brittany's north coast will host the Scallop ...
Christmas Market and First Montpellier Winter Festival
From 4 to 31 December 2008
It's bigger, it's longer and it's prettier... the 2008 Montpellier Christmas Market has been transformed; it has a new name: the Winter Festival.
From 4 to 31 December, this first Winter Festival, lasting 4 weeks, ...
Strasbourg Christmas Market
01 Nov 2007 - 31 Dec 2007
Strasbourg Christmas Market is the biggest Christmas market in France and attracts thousands of visitors each year who flock here to do Christmas shopping and soak up the festive atmosphere. It dates back to 1570 and is ...
The French are a festive bunch, with many cities hosting music, dance,
theatre, cinema or art events each year. Rural villages hold fairs and
fetes, which celebrate everything from local saints to agricultural
progress. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in Provence is the venue for a colourful
gypsy festival in late May honouring Sarah, patron saint of the gypsies.
Enthusiastic singing and dancing characterise this extravaganza. Prominent
national days off are May Day (1 May), when people trade gifts of muguet
(lily of the valley) for good luck; and Bastille Day (14 July), which is
celebrated by throwing firecrackers at friends. Regional events include the
primping and preening prêt à porter fashion show in Paris (early February);
the glittering and often-canned Cannes Film Festival (mid-May); the
International Music Festival in Strasbourg (first three weeks of June); the
mainstream and fringe theatre of the Festival d'Avignon (mid-July to
mid-August) and the Jazz Festival in Nancy (9-24 October).
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