France

French is the official language, and while English is widely understood in Paris and major tourist areas, it's less reliable in smaller towns and rural regions. Starting any interaction with "Bonjour" before switching to English, even in a shop or café, is noticeably appreciated and often changes the tone of the exchange.

Prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs are sold at supermarkets, phone shops, and airport kiosks; a passport is typically requested for registration. Coverage is strong in cities and along main routes, with some gaps in mountainous areas like the Alps and Pyrenees.

Tap water is safe to drink throughout France. Pharmacies (pharmacie), marked with a green cross, are common and can advise on minor ailments; at least one stays open late or overnight in most towns (pharmacie de garde). EU/EEA citizens' EHIC, and UK citizens' GHIC, cover reciprocal state healthcare on the same terms as French residents (not full costs); other visitors should carry travel insurance, as France's public healthcare doesn't automatically cover non-residents.

France is part of the Schengen Area, so EU/EEA citizens can enter freely, and citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Citizens of other countries need a Schengen visa arranged in advance.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently — including a planned ETIAS travel authorization for visa-exempt visitors that has been repeatedly delayed. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Always greet with "Bonjour" (or "Bonsoir" in the evening) when entering a shop, café, or starting a conversation — skipping it can come across as rude, even to someone who speaks no French. Meals are usually unhurried, especially lunch, and asking for the bill ("l'addition") is expected rather than having it brought automatically.

Dress is generally a notch more polished than casual sportswear, particularly in restaurants and cities.

Bastille Day (July 14) is the biggest national holiday, marked by fireworks and a military parade in Paris. Many businesses, especially outside Paris, close for part or all of August as owners take their own summer holiday — worth checking ahead if visiting smaller towns then.

Most shops close on Sundays outside tourist areas, and many close Monday mornings as well.

• By train: the TGV high-speed network connects major cities quickly — Paris to Lyon in as little as under 2 hours on the fastest direct services (many trains take closer to 2–2.5 hours), Paris to Marseille in about 3 — and booking ahead on the SNCF site or app gets noticeably cheaper fares than buying on the day.
• By air: domestic flights make sense for longer distances, such as Paris to Nice or Toulouse, where the train takes considerably longer.
• By bus: intercity coaches (Flixbus, BlaBlaBus) are the cheapest way to travel between smaller towns not well served by rail.

Within cities, Paris's Métro is extensive and easy to use, while Lyon and Strasbourg rely on efficient tram networks.

Meals follow a fairly fixed rhythm: lunch around 12–2pm and dinner from 7:30pm, with many restaurant kitchens closed in between — arriving at 3pm looking for a hot meal often means a closed door outside tourist zones. A proper meal is typically several courses: starter, main, cheese, and dessert, though a lighter version is normal for weekday lunches.

Regional cooking varies more than the stereotypes suggest: butter and cream define Normandy, olive oil and herbs define Provence, and hearty stews and cheese fondue define the Alpine east. Markets (marché) remain a genuine weekly ritual in most towns, and a fresh baguette from a local bakery is a daily habit rather than a tourist photo prop.

Paris is the natural starting point for most visits, with the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre-Dame anchoring a city that rewards weeks, not days. Lyon, often called France's food capital, pairs a well-preserved old town with some of the country's best bouchon-style dining.

On the coast, Nice is the gateway to the French Riviera's beaches and pastel old town, while Bordeaux anchors one of the country's best-known wine regions. Strasbourg, on the German border, blends French and Alsatian architecture and is especially known for its Christmas markets. Versailles, just outside Paris, and Mont-Saint-Michel, off the Normandy coast, are two of the most popular day trips from those bases.