Travel information: Paris fast facts A-Z

Addresses

Paris arrondissements are indicated by the last two digits of the postal code: 75002 denotes the second, 75015 the 15th, and so on. The 16th arrondissement is divided into two sectors, 75016 and 75116. Some business addresses have a more detailed postcode, followed by a Cedex number, which indicates the arrondissement; bis or ter is the equivalent of ‘b’ or ‘c’ after a building number.

Age restrictions

Buying cigarettes 16.
Drinking alcohol 18.
Driving 18.
Sex (heterosexual and homosexual couples) 15.

Attitude & etiquette

Parisians take manners seriously and are generally more courteous than their reputation may have led you to believe. If someone brushes you accidentally when passing, they will more often than not say ‘pardon’; you can do likewise, or say ‘c’est pas grave’ (don’t worry). In shops it is normal to greet the assistant with a ‘bonjour madame’ or ‘bonjour monsieur’ when you enter, and say ‘au revoir’ when you leave.

The business of ‘tu’ and ‘vous’ can be tricky for English speakers. Strangers, people significantly older than you and professional contacts should be addressed with the respectful ‘vous’; friends, relatives, children and pets as ‘tu’. When among themselves, young people will often launch straight in with ‘tu’.

Business

The best first stop in Paris for initiating business is the CCIP (see below). Banks can refer you to lawyers, accountants and tax consultants.

Conventions & conferences

Paris is the world’s leading centre for trade fairs.

CNIT
2 pl de la Défense, BP 321, 92053 Paris La Défense (01.72.72.17.00/www.parisexpo.fr). Mº/RER Grande Arche de La Défense.
Mainly computer fairs.

Palais des Congrès
2 pl de la Porte-Maillot, 17th (01.40.68.00.05/www.palais-congres-paris.fr). Mº Porte-Maillot.

Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte
SEPENV 60004, 95970 Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle (01.48.63.31.31/www.expoparisnord.com). RER Parc des Expositions. Trade fair centre near Roissy airport.

Paris-Expo
Porte de Versailles, 15th (01.72.72.16.17/www.parisexpo.fr). Mº Porte de Versailles.
The city’s biggest expo centre.

Courier services

ATV
08.11.65.56.05/www.atoutevitesse.com. Open 24hrs daily. Credit MC, V.
Bike or van messengers 24/7. Rates rise after 8pm weekdays and at weekends.

Chronopost Customer service
08.25.80.18.01/www.chronopost.com. Open 8am-8pm Mon-Fri;9am-3pm Sat. Credit MC, V.
This overnight delivery offshoot of the state-run post office is the most widely used service for parcels.

UPS
34 bd Malesherbes, 8th (08.21.23.38.77/www.ups.com). Mº St-Augustin. Open 8am-7pm Mon-Fri; 8am-1pm Sat. Credit AmEx, MC, V.
International courier services.

Secretarial services

ADECCO International
28 rue Caumartin, 9th (01.45.24.67.78/www.adecco.fr). Mº Havre-Caumartin. Open 8.30am-12.30pm, 2-6.30pm Mon-Fri.
International employment agency specialising in bilingual secretaries and staff. Other locations throughout the city.

Translators & interpreters

Documents such as birth certificates, loan applications and so on must be translated by certified legal translators, listed at the CCIP (see below) or embassies. For business translations there are dozens of reliable independents.

Association des Anciens Elèves de l’Esit
01.44.05.41.46/www.aaeesit.com. Open by phone only, 8am-8pm Mon-Fri; 8am-6pm Sat.
A translation and interpreting co-operative whose 1,000 members are graduates of the Ecole Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs.

International Corporate Communication
3 rue des Batignolles, 17th (01.43.87.29.29/www.iccparis.com). Mº Place de Clichy. Open 9am-1pm, 2-6pm Mon-Fri.
Translators of financial and corporate documents, plus simultaneous translation.

Useful organisations

American Chamber of Commerce
156 bd Haussmann, 8th (01.56.43.45.67/www.amchamfrance.org). Mº Miromesnil.
Closed to the public, calls only.

British Embassy Commercial Library
35 rue du Fbg-St-Honoré, 8th (01.44.51.31.00/www.amb-grandebretagne.fr). Mº Concorde. Open by appointment.
Stocks trade directories, and assists British companies that wish to develop or set up in France.

CCIP (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris)
27 av de Friedland, 8th (08.20.01.21.12/www.ccip.fr). Mº Charles de Gaulle Etoile. Open 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri.
A variety of services for people doing business in France and is very useful for small businesses. Pick up the free booklet Discovering the Chamber of Commerce from its head office. There’s also a legal advice line (08.92.70.51.00, 9am-4.30pm Mon-Thur, 9am-1pm Fri).

Other locations: Bourse du Commerce, 2 rue de Viarmes, 1st (has a free library and bookshop); 2 rue Adolphe-Jullien, 1st (support for businesses wishing to export goods and services to France).

INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques)
Salle de consultation, 195 rue de Bercy, Tour Gamma A, 12th (08.25.88.94.52/www.insee.fr). Mº Bercy. Open 9.30am-12.30pm, 2-5pm Mon-Thur; 9.30-12.30pm, 2-4pm Fri.
Source of seemingly every statistic to do with French economy and society.

US Commercial Service
Postal address: US Embassy, 2 av Gabriel, 8th. Visit: US Commercial Service, NEO Building, 14 bd Haussmann, 9th (01.43.12.70.57/www.buyusa.gov/france or www.amb-usa.fr). Mº Richelieu Drouot. Open by appointment 9am-6pm Mon-Fri.
Helps American companies looking to trade in France. Advice by fax and email.

Consumer

In the event of a serious problem, try one of the following:

Direction Départementale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes
8 rue Froissart, 3rd (01.40.27.16.00). Mº St-Sébastien Froissart. Open 9am-noon, 2-5pm Mon-Fri.
Come here to file a consumer complaint concerning problems with Paris-based businesses.

Institut National de la Consommation
80 rue Lecourbe, 15th (08.92.70.75.92/www.conso.net). Mº Sèvres Lecourbe. Open by phone 9am-12.30pm Mon-Fri; recorded information at other times.
Questions on consumer, regulatory, housing and administrative issues.

Customs

Custom declarations are not usually necessary if you arrive from another EU country and are carrying legal goods for personal use. The amounts given below are guidelines only: if you come close to the maximums in several categories, you may still have to explain your personal habits to an interested but sceptical customs officer.

• 800 cigarettes, 400 small cigars, 200 cigars or 1kg loose tobacco.
• 10 litres of spirits (more than 22% alcohol), 90 litres of wine (less than 22% alcohol) or 110 litres of beer.

Coming from a non-EU country, you can bring:

• 200 cigarettes, 100 small cigars, 50 cigars or 250g tobacco.
• 1 litre of spirits (more than 22% alcohol) or 2 litres of wine or beer (more than 22% alcohol).
• 50g (1.76oz) of perfume.

Tax refunds

Non-EU residents can claim a refund or détaxe (around 12 per cent) on VAT if they spend over €175 in any one day in one shop and if they live outside the EU for more than six months in the year. At the shop concerned ask for a bordereau de vente à l’exportation, and when you leave France have it stamped by customs. Then send the stamped form back to the shop. Détaxe does not cover food, drink, antiques, services or works of art.

Disabled travellers

It’s always wise to check up on a site’s accessibility and provision for disabled access before you visit. The Office de Tourisme website (www.parisinfo.com) provides useful information for disabled visitors.

Secrétaire d’Etat aux Personnes Handicapées
08.20.03.33.33/www.handicap.gouv.fr.
General information (in French) about access for diabled travellers.

Association des Paralysés de France
13 pl de Rungis, 13th (01.53.80.92.98/www.apf.asso.fr). Mº Place d’Italie. Open 9am-12.30pm, 2-6pm Mon-Fri.
Publishes Guide 98 Musées, Cinémas (€3.81) listing accessible museums and cinemas, and a guide to restaurants and sights.

Fédération APAJH (Association pour Adultes et Jeunes Handicapés)
185 Bureaux de la Colline, 92213 St-Cloud Cedex (01.55.39.56.00/www.apajh.org).
Advice for disabled people living in France.

Plateforme d’Accueil et d’Information des Personnes Handicapées de la Mairie de Paris
08.00.03.37.48/01.43.47.77.99.
Advice available in French to disabled persons living in or visiting Paris.

Getting around

Most of the métro and buses are not wheelchair-accessible, but there are exceptions:

Métro lines 14 (Méteor), stations Barbès-Rochechouard (line 2) and Esplanade de la Défense (line 1).

Bus lines 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 38, 39, 43, 53, 54, 60, 62, 63, 64, 80, 81, 88, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96 and PC (Petite Ceinture) 1, 2 and 3.

Forward seats on buses are intended for people with poor mobility. RER lines A, B, C, D and some SNCF trains are wheelchair-accessible in parts.

For a full list of wheelchair-accessible stations: 08.10.64.64.64, www.infomobi.com.

All Paris taxis are obliged by law to take passengers in wheelchairs.

Aihrop
3 av Paul-Doumer, 92508 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex (01.41.29.01.29/www.aihrop.com). Open 9.30am-12.30pm, 1.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri. Closed Aug.
Transport for the disabled, anywhere in Paris and Ile-de-France; book 48 hours in advance.

Drugs

French police have the power to stop and search anyone. It’s wise to keep prescription drugs in their original containers and, if possible, to carry copies of the original prescriptions. If you're caught in possession of illegal drugs, you can expect a prison sentence and/or a fine. See also below Health.

Electricity & gas

Electricity in France runs on 220V. Visitors with British 240V appliances can change the plug or use an adaptor (adaptateur). For US 110V appliances, you’ll need to use a transformer (transformateur), available at BHV or branches of Fnac and Darty. Gas and electricity are supplied by the state-owned Electricité de France-Gaz de France.

EDF-GDF
08.20.82.13.33/www.edf.fr/www.gazdefrance.com.
Information about supply, bills, power failures and gas leaks.

Embassies & consulates

For a full list of embassies and consulates, see the Pages Jaunes (www.pagesjaunes.fr) under ‘Ambassades et Consulats’. Consular services (passports, etc) are for citizens of that country only.

Australian Embassy
4 rue Jean-Rey, 15th (01.40.59.33.00/www.france.embassy.gov.au).
Mº Bir-Hakeim. Open Consular services 9.15am-noon, 2-4.30pm Mon-Fri; Visas 10am-noon Mon-Fri.

British Embassy
35 rue du Fbg-St-Honoré, 8th (01.44.51.31.00/www.amb-grandebretagne.fr). Mº Concorde. Consular services: 18bis rue d’Anjou, 8th. Mº Concorde. Open 9.30am-12.30pm, 2.30-4.30pm Mon-Fri.

Visas: 16 rue d’Anjou, 8th (01.44.51.31.01). Open 9.30am-noon by phone; 2.30-4.30pm.
British citizens wanting consular services (new passports, etc) should ignore the long queue stretching along rue d’Anjou for the visa department, and instead walk straight in at no.18bis.

Canadian Embassy
35 av Montaigne, 8th (01.44.43.29.00/www.amb-canada.fr). Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt. Open 9am-noon, 2-5pm Mon-Fri.
Consular services: 01.44.43.29.02. Open 9am-noon Mon-Fri.

Visas: 37 av Montaigne, 8th (01.44.43.29.16). Open 8.30-11am Mon-Fri.

Irish Embassy
12 av Foch, 16th. Consulate 4 rue Rude, 16th (01.44.17.67.00). Mº Charles de Gaulle Etoile. Open Consular/visas 9.30am-noon Mon-Fri; by phone 9.30am-1pm, 2.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri.

New Zealand Embassy
7ter rue Léonard-de-Vinci, 16th (01.45.01.43.43/www.nzembassy.com/france). Mº Victor Hugo. Open 9am-1pm, 2-5.30pm Mon-Fri (closes 4pm Fri). July, Aug 9am-1pm, 2-4.30pm Mon-Thur; 9am-2pm Fri. Visas 9am-12.30pm Mon-Fri.
Visas for travel to New Zealand can be applied for on the website www.immigration.govt.nz.

South African Embassy
59 quai d’Orsay, 7th (01.53.59.23.23/www.afriquesud.net). Mº Invalides. Open 8.30am-5.15pm Mon-Fri. Consulate & visas 8.30am-noon Mon-Fri.

US Embassy
2 av Gabriel, 8th (01.43.12.22.22/http://france.usembassy.gov). Mº Concorde.
Consulate & visas: 4 av Gabriel, 8th (08.10.26.46.26). Mº Concorde. Open Consular services 9am-12.30pm, 1-3pm Mon-Fri. Visas 08.92.23.84.72 or check website for non-immigration visas.

Emergencies

Most of the following services operate 24 hours a day. In a medical emergency, such as a road accident, phone the Sapeurs-Pompiers, who have trained paramedics. See also Health: Accident & Emergency; Doctors; Helplines.

Ambulance (SAMU) 15.
Police 17.
Fire (Sapeurs-Pompiers) 18.
Emergency (from a mobile phone) 112.
GDF (gas leaks) 08.10.80.08.01/www.gazdefrance.fr.
EDF (electricity) 08.10.33.39 + number of arrondissement (01-20).
Centre anti-poison 01.40.05.48.48.

Gay & lesbian

For information on HIV and AIDS, see also Health.

Health

Nationals of non-EU countries should take out insurance before leaving home. EU nationals staying in France can use the French Social Security system, which refunds up to 70 per cent of medical expenses. UK residents travelling in Europe require a European National Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This allows them to benefit from free or reduced-cost medical care when travelling in a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland. The EHIC replaces the E111 form and is free of charge. For further information, refer to www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.

If you’re staying for longer than three months, or working in France but you are still making National Insurance contributions in Britain, you will need form E128 filled in by your employer and stamped by the NI contributions office in order to get a French medical number. Consultations and prescriptions have to be paid for in full on the spot, and are reimbursed on receipt of a completed fiche. If you undergo treatment, the doctor will give you a prescription and a feuille de soins (bill of treatment). Stick the small stickers from the medication boxes on to the feuille de soins. Send this, together with the prescription and details of your EHIC card, to the local Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie for a refund. For those resident in France, more and more doctors now accept the Carte Vitale, which lets them produce a virtual feuille de soins and you to pay only the non-reimbursable part of the bill. Information on health insurance can be found at www.ameli.fr. You can track refunds with Allosecu (08.11.90.09.07). See also the Ministry of Health (www.sante.gouv.fr).

Accident & emergency

Hospitals specialise in one type of emergency or illness – refer to the Assistance Publique’s website (www.aphp.fr). In a medical emergency, call the Sapeurs-Pompiers or SAMU (see Emergencies). The following (in order of district) have 24hr accident and emergency services:

Adults

Hôpital Hôtel Dieu
1 pl du Parvis Notre-Dame, 4th (01.42.34.82.34).

Hôpital St-Louis
1 av Claude-Vellefaux, 10th (01.42.49.49.49).

Hôpital St-Antoine
184 rue du Fbg-St-Antoine, 12th (01.49.28.20.00).

Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière
47-83 bd de l’Hôpital, 13th (01.42.16.00.00).

Hôpital Cochin
27 rue du Fbg-St-Jacques, 14th (01.58.41.41.41).

Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou
20 rue Leblanc, 15th (01.56.09.20.00).

Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard
46 rue Henri-Huchard, 18th (01.40.25.80.80).

Hôpital Tenon
4 rue de la Chine, 20th (01.56.01.70.00).

Children

Hôpital Armand Trousseau
26 av du Dr Arnold-Netter, 12th (01.44.73.74.75).

Hôpital St-Vincent de Paul
74-82 av Denfert-Rochereau, 14th (01.58.41.41.41).

Hôpital Necker
149 rue de Sèvres, 15th (01.44.49.40.00).

Hôpital Robert Debré
48 bd Sérurier, 19th (01.40.03.20.00).

Private Hospitals

American Hospital in Paris
63 bd Victor-Hugo, 92200 Neuilly (01.46.41.25.25/www.american-hospital.org). Mº Porte Maillot, then bus 82. Open 24hrs daily.
English-speaking hospital. French Social Security refunds only a small percentage of treatment costs.

Hertford British Hospital (Hôpital Franco-Britannique)
3 rue Barbès, 92300 Levallois-Perret (01.46.39.22.22/www.british-hospital.org). Mº Anatole-France. Open 24hrs daily.
Most staff here speak English.

Complementary medicine

Centre de Médecine Naturelle 2 rue d’Isly, 8th (01.43.87.60.33). Mº St-Lazare. Open by appointment 9am-8pm Mon-Fri; 9am-1pm Sat.
Health services include acupuncture, aromatherapy and homeopathy.

Contraception & abortion

To get the pill (la pilule) or coil (stérilet), you need a prescription, available on appointment from the two places listed below, from a médecin généraliste (GP) or from a gynaecologist. The morning-after pill (la pilule du lendemain) can be had from pharmacies without prescription but is not reimbursed. Condoms (préservatifs) and spermicides are sold in pharmacies and supermarkets, and there are condom machines in most métro stations, club lavatories and on some street corners.

Centre de Planification et d’Education Familiales
27 rue Curnonsky, 17th (01.48.88.07.28). Mº Porte de Champerret. Open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri.
Free consultations on family planning and abortion.

MFPF (Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial)
10 rue Vivienne, 2nd (08.00.80.38.03/01.42.60.93.20/www.planning-familial.org). Mº Bourse. Open 9.30am-5.30pm Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri; 9.30am-7.30am Wed.
Phone for an appointment for prescriptions and contraception advice. For abortion advice, turn up at the centre at one of the designated time slots. The approach here, however, is brusque.

Other locations: 94 bd Masséna, 13th (01.45.84.28.25).

Dentists

Dentists are found in the Pages Jaunes under Dentistes. For emergencies, contact: Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière (47-83 bd de l’Hôpital, 13th, 01.42.16.00.00). It also offers 24hr emergency dental care. SOS Dentaire 87 bd Port-Royal, 13th (01.43.36.36.00). Mº Les Gobelins/RER Port-Royal. Open by phone 9am-midnight.
A telephone service for emergency dental care.

Doctors

You’ll find a list of GPs in the Pages Jaunes under Médecins: Médecine générale. For a social security refund, choose a doctor or dentist who is conventionné (state registered). Consultations cost €20 or more, of which a proportion can be reimbursed. Seeing a specialist costs more still.

Centre Médical Europe
44 rue d’Amsterdam, 9th (01.42.81.93.33). Mº St-Lazare. Open 8am-7pm Mon-Fri; 8am-6pm Sat.
Practitioners in all fields; modest consultation fees.

SOS Médecins
36.24.
House calls cost €35 before 7pm; from €50 after and on holidays; prices are higher if you don’t have French social security.

Urgences Médicales de Paris
01.53.94.94.94. Doctors make house calls for €35 during the day (€60 if you don’t have French social security); €50/€80 until midnight; €63.50/€90 after midnight. Some speak English.

Opticians

Branches of Alain Afflelou (www.alainafflelou.com) and Lissac (www.lissac.com) stock hundreds of frames and can make prescription glasses within the hour. For an eye test, you’ll need to go to an ophtalmologiste – ask the optician for a list. Contact lenses can be bought over the counter if you have your prescription details.

Hôpital des Quinze-Vingts
28 rue de Charenton, 12th (01.40.02.15.20).
Specialist eye hospital offers on-the-spot consultations for eye problems.

SOS Optique
01.48.07.22.00/www.sosoptique.com.
24hr repair service for glasses.

Pharmacies

French pharmacies sport a green neon cross. A rota of pharmacies de garde operate at night and on Sundays; see below for a list of these night pharmacies. If closed, a pharmacy will have a sign indicating the nearest one open. Staff can provide basic medical services such as bandaging wounds (for a small fee) and will indicate the nearest doctor on duty. Parapharmacies sell almost everything pharmacies do but cannot dispense prescription medication. Toiletries and sanitary products are often cheaper in supermarkets.

Grande Pharmacie de la Nation
13 pl de la Nation, 11th (01.43.73.24.03). Mº Nation. Open 8am-11pm daily. Matignon 2 rue Jean-Mermoz, 8th (01.43.59.86.55). Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt. Open 8.30am-2am daily.

Pharmacie des Champs-Elysées
84 av des Champs-Elysées, 8th (01.45.62.02.41). Mº George V. Open 24hrs daily.

Pharmacie Européene de la Place de Clichy
6 pl de Clichy, 9th (01.48.74.65.18). Mº Place de Clichy. Open 24hrs daily.

Pharmacie des Halles
10 bd de Sébastopol, 4th (01.42.72.03.23). Mº Châtelet. Open 9am-midnight Mon-Sat; 9am-10pm Sun.

Pharmacie d’Italie
61 av d’Italie, 13th (01.44.24.19.72). Mº Tolbiac. Open 8am-2am daily.

Pharma Presto
01.61.04.04.03/www.pharma-presto.com. Open 24hrs daily. Delivery (€40 8am-6pm; €55 6pm-8am & weekends) of medication.

STDs, HIV & AIDS

Cabinet Médical
(Mairie de Paris) 2 rue Figuier, 4th (01.49.96.62.70). Mº Pont-Marie. Open 9am-5.30pm Mon, Tue, Thur; noon-5.30pm Wed; 1.30-5.30pm Fri; 9.30-10.30am Sat.
Free, anonymous tests (dépistages) for HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis (wait one week for results). Good counselling service, too.

Le Kiosque Infos Sida-Toxicomanie
36 rue Geoffroy- l’Asnier, 4th (0148.04.95.20). Mº St-Paul. Open 10am-7pm Mon-Fri; 2-7pm Sat. Youth association offering information and counselling on AIDS, sexuality and drugs.

SIDA Info Service
08.00.84.08.00/www.sida-info-service.org. Open 24hrs daily.
Confidential AIDS information in French. English-speakers are available 2-7pm Mon, Wed, Fri.

Helplines

Alcoholics Anonymous
in English 01.46.34.59.65/www.aaparis.org 24hr recorded message gives details of AA meetings at the American Cathedral or American Church (see below).

Allô Service Public
39.39/www.service-public.fr. Open 8am-7pm Mon-Fri; 9am-2pm Sat.
A source of information and contacts for all aspects of tax, work and administration matters. They even claim to be able to help if you have problems with neighbours. The catch: you can only dial from inside France, and operators speak only French.

Counseling Center
01.47.23.61.13.
English-language counselling service, based at the American Cathedral.

Drogues Alcool Tabac
Info Service 08.00.23.13.13/www.drogues.gouv.fr
Phone service, in French, for help with drug, alcohol and tobacco problems.

Narcotics Anonymous
01.43.72.12.72/www.narcotiquesanonymes.org
The helpline is open daily 6-8pm. Meetings in English are held three times a week.

SOS Dépression
01.40.47.95.95/http://sos.depression.free.fr. Open 24hrs daily.
People listen and/or give advice. Can send round a counsellor or psychiatrist in case of a crisis.

SOS Help
01.46.21.46.46/www.soshelpline.org Open 3-11pm daily.
English-language helpline.

ID

French law requires that some form of identification be carried at all times. Be prepared to produce your passport or EHIC card.

Insurance

See also Health.

Internet

ISPs

AOL 08.26.02.60.00/www.aol.fr.
Club-Internet 08.05.50.05.55/www.club-internet.fr.
Free 08.92.13.51.51/www.free.fr.
Neuf 08.00.97.59.75/www.neuf.fr.
Orange 32.20/www.orange.fr.

Internet access

Many hotels offer internet access, some from your own room – and an increasing number of public spaces are setting themselves up as WiFi hotspots.

Milk
31 bd de Sébastopol, 1st (08.20.00.10.00/www.milklub.com). Mº Châtelet or Rambuteau/RER Châtelet Les Halles. Open 24hrs daily.

Other locations: throughout the city.

Left luggage

Gare du Nord
There are self-locking luggage lockers (6.15am-11.15pm daily) on Level -1 under the main station concourse: small (€3.50), medium (€7) and large (€9.50) for 48 hours.

Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport Bagages du Monde (01.34.38.58.90/www.bagagesdumonde.com).
Terminal 1 Niveau Départ, Porte 20 (01.34.38.58.82). Open 8am-8pm daily.
Terminal 2A Niveau Départ, Porte 3-4 (01.34.38.58.80). Open 8am-8pm daily.
Terminal 2F Niveau Arrivée, Porte 4-5 (0134.38.58.81). Open 7am-7pm daily.
Company with counters in CDG and an office in Paris (102 rue de Chemin-Vert, 11th, 01.43.57.30.90. Open 2-6pm Mon; 9am-noon, 2-6pm Tue-Thur; 10am-1pm Sat). Can ship excess baggage anywhere in the world, or store luggage.

Legal help

Mairies can answer some legal enquiries; ask for times of their free consultations juridiques.

Direction Départmentale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes
8 rue Froissart, 3rd (01.40.27.16.00). Mº St-Sébastien Froissart. Open 9am-noon, 2-5pm Mon-Fri.
Part of the Ministry of Finance; deals with consumer complaints.

Palais de Justice Galerie de Harlay
Escalier S, 4 bd du Palais, 4th (01.44.32.51.51). Mº Cité. Open 9am-noon Mon-Fri.
Free legal consultation. Arrive early and obtain a ticket for the queue.

SOS Avocats
08.25.39.33.00. Open 7-11.30pm Mon-Fri. Closed July, Aug.
Free legal advice by phone.

Libraries

Every arrondissement has a free public library. To get hold of a library card, you need ID and evidence of a fixed address in Paris.

American Library
10 rue du Général-Camou, 7th (01.53.59.12.60/www.americanlibraryinparis.org). Mº Ecole-Militaire/RER Pont de l’Alma. Open 10am-7pm Tue-Sat (shorter hours in Aug). Admission day pass €12; annual €100; discount for students.
A useful resource: this is the largest English-language lending library on the Continent. It receives 400 periodicals, as well as popular magazines and newspapers (mainly American).

Bibliothèque Historique
de la Ville de Paris Hôtel Lamoignon, 24 rue Pavée, 4th (01.44.59.29.40). Mº St-Paul. Open 1-6pm Mon-Fri; 9.30am-6pm Sat. Closed 1st 2wks Aug. Admission free (bring passport photo and ID).
Books and documents on Paris history in a Marais mansion.

Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand
79 rue Nationale, 13th (01.53.82.76.77). Mº Tolbiac. Open 2-6pm Tue-Sat. Closed 3wks Sept. Admission free.
40,000 books and 120 periodicals on women’s history. The feminism collection includes letters of Colette and Louise Michel.

Bibliothèque Nationale de France François Mitterrand
Quai François-Mauriac, 13th (01.53.79.59.59/www.bnf.fr). Mº Bibliothèque. Open 10am-8pm Tue-Sat; noon-7pm Sun. Closed 2wks Sept & bank holidays. Admission day pass €3.50; annual €35.
Books, papers and periodicals, plus titles in English. An audio-visual room lets you browse photo, film and sound archives.

Bibliothèque Publique d’Information (BPI)
Centre Pompidou, 4th (01.44.78.12.33/www.bpi.fr). Mº Hôtel de Ville/RER Châtelet Les Halles. Open noon-10pm Mon, Wed-Fri; 11am-10pm Sat, Sun. Closed 1 May. Admission free.
Now on three levels, the Centre Pompidou’s vast library has a huge global press section, reference books and language-learning facilities.

BIFI (Bibliothèque du Film)
51 rue de Bercy, 12th (01.71.19.32.32/www.bifi.fr). Mº Bercy. Open 10am-7pm Mon-Fri. Closed 2wks Aug. Admission €3.50 day pass; €34 annual; €15 students annual.
Housed in the same building as the Cinémathèque Française. this world-class researchers’ and film buffs’ library offers books, magazines, film stills and posters, as well as films on video and DVD.

Documentation Française
29-31 quai Voltaire, 7th (01.40.15.71.10/www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr). Mº Rue du Bac. Open 9am-6pm Mon-Fri. Closed Aug & 1st wk Sept.
The official government archive and central reference library has information on French politics and economy since 1945.

Locksmiths

Numerous round-the-clock repair services handle locks, plumbing and, sometimes, car repairs. Most charge a minimum €18-€20 call-out (déplacement) and €30 per hour, plus parts. Charges are higher on Sunday and at night.

Allô Serrurerie 01.42.29.44.68/www.alloserrurerie.com.
SOS Dépannage 08.20.22.23.33/www.okservice.fr.
SOS Dépannage is double the price of most services, but claims to be twice as reliable.

Lost property

Bureau des Objets Trouvés
36 rue des Morillons, 15th (08.21.00.25.25/www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr). Mº Convention. Open 8.30am-5pm Mon-Thur; 8.30am-4.30pm Fri.
Visit in person to fill in a form specifying details of the loss. This may have been the first lost property office in the world, but it is far from the most efficient. Huge delays in processing claims mean that if your trip to Paris is short, you may need to nominate a proxy to collect found objects after you leave, although small items can be posted. If your passport was among the items lost, you’ll need to go to your consulate to get a single-entry temporary passport in order to leave the country.

SNCF lost property

Some mainline SNCF stations have their own lost property offices.

Media

Magazines

Arts & listings

Two modest local publications compete for consumers of basic Wednesday-to-Tuesday listings: the handbag-sized L’Officiel des Spectacles (€0.35) and Pariscope (€0.40). Look out also for Lylo, a free bi-monthly booklet distributed around bars and clubs, for information on gigs and DJ nights. Affiliated to Radio Nova, monthly Nova gives multi-ethnic information on where to drink, dance and hang out. Technikart tries – not entirely successfully – to mix clubbing with the arts. Highbrow TV guide Télérama has superb arts coverage and comes with Sortir, a Paris listings insert. Les Inrockuptibles (fondly known as Les Inrocks) deals with contemporary music scenes at home and abroad; it has strong coverage of film and books too.

There are specialist magazines for every interest. The choice of film-related titles, in particular, is wide, and includes long-established intellectual heavyweights Les Cahiers du Cinéma, Positif and Trafic, fluffy Studio and celebrity-heavy Première.

Business

Capital, its sister magazine Management and weightier L’Expansion are the notable monthlies. Défis has tips for the entrepreneur; Initiatives is for the self-employed.

English

The Time Out Paris Visitors’ Guide is on sale in newsagents across the city. FUSAC (France-USA Contacts) is a small-ads magazine that lists flat rentals, job ads and appliances for sale.

Gossip

The French love gossip. Public gives weekly celebrity updates; Oh Là! (sister of Spain’s Hola! and UK’s Hello!) showcases celebs. Voici is the juiciest scandal sheet; Gala tells the same stories without the sleaze. Paris Match is a French institution founded in 1948, packed with society gossip, celeb interviews and regular photo scoops. Point de Vue specialises in royalty (no showbiz fluff). Monthly Entrevue aims to titillate and tends toward features on nonconformist sex.

News

Weekly news magazines are an important sector in France, offering news and cultural sections as well as in-depth reports; they range from respected organs L’Express, Le Point and Le Nouvel Observateur to the sardonic, chaotically arranged Marianne. Weekly Courrier International publishes an interesting selection of articles, translated into French, from newspapers all over the world.

Women, men & fashion

Elle was a pioneer among women’s mags and has editions across the globe. In France it’s a weekly, and spot-on for interviews and fashion. Monthly Marie-Claire takes a more feminist, campaigning line. Both have design spin-offs (Elle Décoration, Marie-Claire Maison), and Elle has also spawned foodie Elle à Table.

DS has lots to read and coverage of social issues. Vogue, bought for its fashion coverage and big-name guests, is rivalled during fashion week by L’Officiel de la Mode.

Meanwhile the underground prefers to buy more radical publications such as Purple (six-monthly art, literature and fashion tome), Crash and the new wave of fashion/lifestyle mags: WAD (stands for We Are Different), Citizen K, Jalouse and Numéro. Men’s mags include the naughty-bizarre Echo des Savanes and French versions of lad bibles FHM, Maximal and Men’s Health.

Newspapers

French national dailies, with relatively high prices and low print runs, are in dire straits. Only 20 per cent of France read a national paper; regional dailies dominate outside Paris. Serious, centre-left Le Monde is must-read material for business types, politicians and intellectuals, and despite its lofty reputation, subject matter is eclectic. The conservative upper and middle classes go for daily broadsheet Le Figaro, which has a devotion to politics, shopping, food and sport. Taken over in 2004 by the head of the Dassault defence and media group, it steers clear of controversial industrial issues. Its sales are aided by pages of property and job ads and Wednesday’s Figaroscope Paris listings. The Saturday edition has three magazines. Founded in the aftershocks of 1968 by a group that included Sartre and de Beauvoir, Libération, once affectionately known as Libé, is shedding readers and yet to find a modern identity.

In early 2005, its staff accepted a plan for financier Edouard de Rothschild to take a 39 per cent stake in the paper – only to go on a three-day strike when he later proposed 52 job cuts across the board. It is still the preferred read of the gauche caviar (champagne socialists) and worth buying for news and arts coverage.

For business and financial news, the French dailies La Tribune, Les Echos and the weekly Investir are the tried and trusted sources. The easy-read tabloid Le Parisien is strong on consumer affairs, social issues, local news, events and vox pops. Downmarket France Soir has gone tabloid. La Croix is a Catholic, right-wing daily. The Communist Party L’Humanité (shortened to L’Huma) struggles on. Sunday broadsheet Le Journal du Dimanche comes with Fémina mag and a Paris section.

L’Equipe is the doyen of European sports dailies – Saturday’s edition comes with a magazine. Its sister bi-weekly France Football is the bible of world soccer. Each was instrumental in setting up the game’s top competitions during the golden age of French sports journalism after the war. Paris-Turf is for horse fans.

English-language papers

Paris-based International Herald Tribune is on sale throughout the city; British dailies, Sundays and USA Today are widely available on the day of issue at larger kiosks in the centre, though often without their supplements. The most popular (and many esoteric) English and US newspapers and magazines can be found in central bookshops.

Satirical papers

Wednesday institution Le Canard Enchaîné is the Gallic Private Eye – in fact it was the inspiration for the Eye. It’s a broadly left-wing satirical weekly broadsheet that’s full of in-jokes and breaks political scandals.

Radio

For a complete list of all Paris radio frequencies, go to www.bric-a-brac.org/radio. A mandatory state-defined minimum of 40 per cent French music has led to overplay of Gallic pop oldies and to the creation of dubious hybrids by local groups that mix words in French with a refrain in English. Trashy phone-in shows also proliferate. Frequencies are given in MHz.

87.8 France Inter Highbrow, state-run; jazz, international news and discussion slots aplenty.
90.4 Nostalgie As you’d expect.
90.9 Chante France 100 per cent French chanson.
91.3 Chérie FM Lots of oldies.
91.7 France Musiques State classical music channel: highbrow concerts and top jazz.
92.1 Le Mouv’ New public station aimed at luring the young with pop and rock music.
93.1 Aligre From local Paris news to literary chat.
93.9 France Culture Talky state culture station.
94.8 RCJ/Radio J/Judaïque FM/Radio Shalom Shared wavelength for Jewish stations.
95.2 Ici et Maintenant/Neo New stations hoping to stir local public debate about current events.
96.0 Skyrock Pop station with loudmouth presenters. Lots of rap.
96.4 BFM Business and economics.
96.9 Voltage FM Dance music.
97.4 Rire et Chansons A non-stop diet of jokes and pop oldies.
97.8 Ado Music for teenagers.
98.2 Radio FG Beloved of clubbers for its on-the-pulse tips, this station ditched its all-gay remit back in 1999.
99.0 Radio Latina Great Latin and salsa music.
100.3 NRJ ‘Energy’ – geddit? National leader with the under-30s.
101.1 Radio Classique Top-notch, state-run classical music station.
101.5 Radio Nova Hip hop,trip hop, world, jazz.
101.9 Fun Radio Now embracing techno alongside Anglo pop hits.
102.3 Ouï FM Ouï will rock you.
103.9 RFM Easy listening.
104.3 RTL The most popular French station nationwide mixes music and talk programmes.
104.7 Europe 1 News, press reviews, sports, business, entertainment. Much the best weekday breakfast news broadcast, with politicians interviewed live.
105.1 FIP Traffic and weather information, what’s on in Paris and a mix of jazz, classical, world and pop. ‘Fipettes’, female continuity announcers employed for their come-to-bed voices, are a much-loved feature.
105.5 France Info 24hr news, weather, economic updates and sports bulletins. Reports get repeated every 15 minutes: useful if you’re learning French.
106.7 Beur FM North African music and discussion.

English

You can receive the BBC World Service (648 KHz AM), with English-language news, current events, pop and drama; also on 198KHz LW, from midnight to 5.30am daily. At other times 198KHz LW carries BBC Radio 4, with British news, talk and The Archers. RFI (738 KHz AM; www.rfi.fr) has an English-language programme of news and music 7-8am, 2.30-3.30pm and 4.30-5pm daily. There’s also the French capital’s first all-English station, Paris Live (www.paris-live.com).

Television

In 2005, the choice of free TV channels in France more than doubled. Under the acronym TNT (Télevision Numérique Terrestre, or terrestrial digital television), seven new channels – available via the traditional rooftop aerial with a decoder that costs about €100, or automatically to cable and satellite customers – began broadcasting. For more information, go to www.tdf.fr or pick up a copy of weekly mag Télérama. The channels listed below are the six ‘core’ stations available on an unenhanced TV set:

TF1 (www.tf1.fr) The country’s biggest channel. Reality shows, soaps and football are staples.
France 2 (www.france2.fr). This state-owned station mixes game shows, chat, documentaries and the usual cop series and films.
France 3 (www.france3.fr). This, the more heavyweight of the two state channels, offers wildlife and sports coverage, debates, Cinéma de Minuit – classic films in V.O. (version originale, or original language) – and the endearing cookery show Bon Appétit Bien Sûr, fronted by Joël Robuchon.
Canal+ (www.canalplus.fr). Subscription channel shows recent films, exclusive sport and late-night porn. A week’s worth of the satirical puppets show Les Guignols is broadcast unscrambled on Sundays at 1.40pm.
Arte/France 5 (www.arte-tv.com). The intellectual Franco-German hybrid Arte shares its wavelength with educational channel France 5 (3am-7pm). M6 (www.m6.fr). Dubbed US sci-fi series and made for TV movies, plus investigative reportage, popular science and kids’ shows.

Cable TV & satellite

France offers a decent range of cable and satellite channels but content in English is still limited. CNN and BBC World offer round-the-clock news coverage. BBC Prime keeps you up to date on EastEnders (omnibus Sun 2pm), while Teva supplies comedy such as Sex and the City.

Numericable
39.90/www.numericable.fr.
The first cable provider to offer an interactive video service via the internet.

Money

The amount of currency visitors may carry is not limited. However, sums worth over €7,600 must be declared to customs when entering or leaving the country.

The euro

Non-French debit and credit cards can be used to withdraw and pay in euros, and currency withdrawn in France can be used subsequently all over the euro zone. Daylight robbery occurs, however, if you try to deposit a euro cheque from any country other than France in a French bank: they are currently charging around €15 for this service, and the European parliament has backed down on its original decision that cross-border payments should be in line with domestic ones across the euro zone. This is good news for the British, though: if you transfer money from the UK to France in euros, you will pay the same charges as if Britain were within the euro zone (but it pays to watch the exchange rate carefully).

ATMs

Withdrawals in euros can be made from bank and post office automatic cash machines. The specific cards accepted are marked on each machine, and most can give instructions in English. Credit card companies charge a fee for cash advances, but rates are often better than banks.

Banks

French banks usually open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri (some close at lunch); some banks also open on Sat. All are closed on public holidays, and from noon on the previous day. Note that not all banks have foreign exchange counters. The commission rates vary between banks; the state-owned Banque de France usually offers good rates. Most banks accept travellers’ cheques, but may be reluctant to accept personal cheques even with the Eurocheque guarantee card, which is not widely used in France.

Bank accounts

To open an account (ouvrir un compte), French banks require proof of identity, address and your income (if any). You’ll probably be required to show your passport, an electricity, gas or phone bill in your name and a payslip/letter from your employer. Students need a student card and may need a letter from their parents. Of the major national banks (BNP, Crédit Lyonnais, Société Générale, Banque Populaire, Crédit Agricole), Société Générale tends to be the most foreigner-friendly. Most banks don’t hand out a Carte Bleue/Visa card until several weeks after you’ve opened an account.

A chequebook (chéquier) is usually issued in about a week. Payments made with a Carte Bleue are debited directly from your current account, but you can arrange for purchases to be debited at the end of every month. French banks are tough on overdrafts, so try to anticipate any cash crisis in advance and work out a deal for an authorised overdraft (découvert autorisé) or you risk being blacklisted as ‘interdit bancaire’ – forbidden from having a current account – for anything up to ten years. Depositing foreign currency cheques can be slow, so try to use wire transfer or a bank draft in euros to receive funds from abroad.

Bureaux de change

If you happen to be arriving in Paris early in the morning or late at night, you will be able to change money at the American Express bureaux de change in terminals 1 (01.48.16.13.26), 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D (01.48.16.48.40) and 2E (01.48.16.63.81) at Roissy, and at Orly Sud (01.49.75.77.37); all open 6.30am-11pm daily. Travelex (see below) has bureaux de change at the following train stations:

Gare Montparnasse 01.42.79.03.88. Open 8am-6.30pm daily.
Gare du Nord 01.42.80.11.50. Open 6.30am-10pm daily.

Credit cards

Major international credit cards are widely used in France; Visa (more commonly known in France as Carte Bleue) is the most readily accepted. French-issued credit cards have a security microchip (puce) in each card. The card is slotted into a reader, and the holder keys in a PIN to authorise the transaction. Non-French cards work, but generate a credit slip to sign. In case of credit card loss or theft, call one of the following 24hr services which have English-speaking staff:

American Express 01.47.77.70.00.
Diners Club 01.49.06.17.50.
MasterCard 01.45.16.65.65.
Visa 08.92.70.57.05.

Foreign affairs

American Express
11 rue Scribe, 9th (01.47.77.70.00/www.americanexpress.com). Mº Opéra. Open 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat.
Travel agency, bureau de change, poste restante (you can leave messages for other card holders), card replacement, travellers’ cheque refund service, international money transfers and a cash machine for AmEx cardholders.

Barclays
6 rond-point des Champs-Elysées, 8th (08.10.09.09.09/www.barclays.fr). Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt. Open 9.15am-4.30pm Mon-Fri.
Barclays’ international Expat Service handles direct debits, international transfer of funds, etc.

Citibank
15 rue Paul Cézanne, 8th (01.70.75.50.50/www.citibank.fr). Mº St-Philippe-du-Roule. Open 10am-5.30pm Mon-Fri.
Bank clients get good rates for international money transfers, preferential exchange rates and no commission on travellers’ cheques.

Travelex
52 av des Champs-Elysées, 8th (01.42.89.80.33/www.travelex.com/fr). Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt. Open 9am-10.30pm daily.
Issues travellers’ cheques and insurance; deals with bank transfers.

Western Union Money Transfer
www.westernunion.com.
Many post offices in town provide Western Union services. Transfers from abroad should arrive within 15 minutes; charges paid by the sender.

Tax

French VAT (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée or TVA) is arranged in three bands: 2.1 per cent for items of medication and newspapers; 5.5 per cent for food, books, CDs and DVDs; and 19.6 per cent for all other types of goods and services.

Natural hazards

Paris has no natural hazards as such, though in recent years the town hall has produced evacuation plans to cover flooding. The deadly heatwave of 2003 led to anti-canicule measures for 2004, though these were ridiculed in the press. See also Walking. See Travel information:getting around Paris

Opening hours

Standard opening hours for shops are 9/10am-7/8pm Mon-Sat. Some shops close on Monday. Shops and businesses often close at lunch, usually 12.30-2pm; many shops close in August. While Paris doesn’t have the 24hr consumer culture beloved of some capitals, some branches of Monoprix stay open until 10pm. Also most areas have a local grocer that stays open into the night and will often open on Sundays and public holidays too.

24hr florist
Elyfleur 82 av de Wagram, 17th (01.47.66.87.19). Mº Wagram. Credit MC, V.

24hr garage
Shell 6 bd Raspail, 7th (01.45.48.43.12). Mº Rue du Bac.
This round-the-clock garage has an extensive array of supermarket standards from the Casino chain. No alcohol sold 10pm-6am.

24hr newsagents include:
33 av des Champs-Elysées, 8th, Mº Franklin D. Roosevelt. 2 bd Montmartre, 9th, Mº Grands Boulevards.

Late-night tabacs
Le Brazza 86 bd du Montparnasse, 14th (01.43.35.42.65). Mº Montparnasse-Bienvenüe. Open 6am-2am daily.

La Favorite
3 bd St-Michel, 5th (01.43.54.08.02). Mº St-Michel. Open 7am-2am daily.

Police

The French equivalent of 999 or 911 is 17 (112 from a mobile), but don’t expect a speedy response. That said, the Préfécture de Police has no fewer than 94 outposts in the city. If you’re assaulted or robbed, report the incident as soon as possible. You’ll need to make a statement (procès verbal) at the point d’accueil closest to the site of the crime.

To find the nearest, call the Préfecture Centrale (08.91.01.22.22) or go to www.prefecture-police-paris.interieurgouv.fr. Stolen goods are unlikely to be recovered, but you’ll need a police statement for insurance.

Postal services

Post offices (bureaux de poste) are open 8am-7pm Mon-Fri; 8am-noon Sat, apart from the 24-hour one listed below. Details of all branches are included in the phone book: under ‘Administration des PTT’ in the Pages Jaunes; under ‘Poste’ in the Pages Blanches. Most post offices contain automatic machines (in French and English) that weigh your letter, print out a stamp and give change, thus saving you from wasting time in an enormous queue. You can also usually buy stamps and sometimes envelopes at a tobacconist (tabac). For moreinformation refer to www.laposte.fr

Main Post Office
52 rue du Louvre, 75001 Paris, 1st (01.40.28.20.00). Mº Les Halles or Louvre Rivoli. Open 24hrs daily.
For telephones, stamps, faxes, photocopying and a modest amount of banking operations. This is the best place to arrange to have your mail sent to if you haven’t got a fixed address in Paris. Mail should be addressed to you in block capitals, followed by Poste Restante, then the post office’s address. There will be a charge of €0.50 for each letter received.

Recycling & rubbish

The city has a recently established system of colour-coded domestic recycling bins. A yellow-lidded bin can take paper, cardboard cartons, tins and small electrical items; a white-lidded bin takes glass. All other rubbish goes in the green-lidded bins, except for used batteries (shops that sell batteries should accept them), medication (take it back to a pharmacy), toxic products (call 08.20.00.75.75 to have them picked up) or car batteries (take them to an official tip or return to garages exhibiting the ‘Relais Verts Auto’ sign). Green, hive-shaped bottle banks can be found on many street corners. More information is available at www.environnement.paris.fr.

Religion

Churches and religious centres are listed in the Pages Jaunes under ‘Eglises’ and ‘Cultes’. Paris has several English-speaking churches. The International Herald Tribune’s Saturday edition lists Sunday church services in English.

American Cathedral
23 av George V, 8th (01.53.23.84.00/www.americancathedral.org). Mº George V.

American Church in Paris
65 quai d’Orsay, 7th (01.40.62.05.00/www.acparis.org). Mº Invalides.

Emmanuel International Church of Paris
56 rue des Bons Raisins, Rueil-Malmaison (01.47.51.29.63/http://perso.orange.fr/ebcparis/). RER Reuil-Malmaison, then bus 244.

Kehilat Gesher
10 rue de Pologne, 78100 St-Germain-en-Laye (01.39.21.97.19/www.kehilatgesher.org). RER St-Germain-en-Laye.
The Liberal English-speaking Jewish community has services in Paris and the western suburbs.

La Mosquée de Paris
2 pl du Puits de l’Ermite, 5th (01.45.35.97.33/www.mosquee-de-paris.org). Mº Place Monge.

St George’s Anglican
Church 7 rue Auguste-Vacquerie, 16th (01.47.20.22.51/www.stgeorgesparis.com). Mº Charles de Gaulle Etoile.

St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church
50 av Hoche, 8th (01.42.27.28.56/www.stjoeparis.org). Mº Charles de Gaulle Etoile.

St Michael’s Church of England
5 rue d’Aguesseau, 8th (01.47.42.70.88/www.saintmichaelsparis.org). Mº Madeleine.

Renting a flat

Apartments are generally cheapest in northern, eastern and south-eastern Paris. You can expect to pay approximately €20 per square metre per month (which works out as, for example, €700 per month for a modest 35sq m apartment). Studios and one bedroom flats fetch the highest prices proportionally; the provision of lifts and cellars will also boost the rent.

Flat-hunting

Given the scarcity of housing in Paris, it’s a landlord’s world; you’ll need to search actively, or even frenetically, in order to find an apartment. The internet is a decent place to start: www.explorimmo.fr lists rental ads from Le Figaro and specialist real estate magazines; you can place a classified ad or check lettings on www.avendrealouer.fr. Thursday morning’s De Particulier à Particulier (www.pap.fr) is a must for those who want to rent directly from the owner, but be warned – most flats go within hours. Fortnightly Se Loger (www.seloger.com) is also worth getting, though most of its ads are placed by agencies. Landlords keen to let to foreigners advertise in the International Herald Tribune and English-language FUSAC (www.fusac.fr); rents tend to be higher than in the French press. There are also assorted free ad brochures that can be picked up from agencies. Private landlords often set a visiting time; prepare to meet hordes of other flat-seekers and have your documents and cheque book to hand.

There’s also the option of flat-sharing – one that’s been growing in popularity in recent years. To look for housemates, pick up a copy of FUSAC or browse the 3,000-odd weekly announcements found at www.colocation.fr, which also organises monthly soirée Le Jeudi de la Colocation, a chance to meet your potential future flatmates in the flesh.

Rental laws

The minimum lease (bail de location) on an unfurnished flat is three years (though the tenant can give notice and leave before this period is up); furnished flats are generally let on one-year leases. During this period the landlord can only raise the rent by the official construction inflation index. At the end of the lease, the rent can be adjusted, but tenants can object before a rent board. Tenants can be evicted for non-payment, or if the landlord wishes to sell the property or use it as his own residence. It is illegal to throw people out in winter.

Landlords will probably insist you present a dossier with pay slips (fiches de paie/bulletins de salaire) showing income equivalent to three to four times the monthly rent, and for foreigners in particular, provide a financial guarantor (someone who will sign a document promising to pay the rent if you abscond). When taking out a lease, payments usually include the first month’s rent, a deposit (caution) of the equivalent of two months’ rent, and an agency fee, if applicable.

It’s customary to have an inspection of the premises (état des lieux) at the start and end of the rental, the cost of which (around €150) is shared by landlord and tenant. Landlords may try to rent their flats non-declaré – without a written lease – and get rent in cash. This can make it hard for tenants to establish their rights – which is one reason why landlords do it.

Centre d’information et de défense des locataires
9 rue Severo, 14th (01.45.41.47.76). Mº Pernety. Open by appointment 10am-12.30pm, 2.30-3.30pm Mon-Thur.
Helps sort out problems with landlords, rent hikes, etc.

Safety & security

Beware of pickpockets, especially around crowded tourist hotspots.

Shipping services

Hedley’s Humpers
6 bd de la Libération, 93284 St-Denis (01.48.13.01.02/www.hedleyshumpers.com). Mº Carrefour Pleyel. Open 9am-1pm, 2-6pm Mon-Fri. Closed 2wks Aug.
Specialist in transport of furniture and antiques.
In UK 3 St Leonards Road, London NW10 6SX (020 8965 8733).
In USA 21-41 45th Road, Long Island City, New York NY 11101 (1-718 433 4005).

Smoking

Although smoking seems to be an essential part of French life (and death), the French state and public health groups have recently waged war against the cigarette on several fronts. Smoking is now banned in all enclosed public spaces, including bars, cafés, clubs, restaurants, hotel foyers and shops, as well as on public transport. Many bars, cafés and clubs offer smoking gardens or terraces. There are also increasingly strident anti-smoking campaigns.

Health warnings on cigarette packets are unignorable, and prices have soared. For information about stopping smoking, contact the Tabac Info Service (08.25.30.93.10/www.tabac-info.net). If you’re a dedicated smoker, you’ll soon learn that most tabacs close at 8pm (for a few that don’t). Some bars sell cigarettes behind the counter, generally only to customers who have a drink.

Study

Language

Most large multinational language schools, such as these listed below, have at least one branch in Paris.

Berlitz 08.25.04.34.30/www.berlitz.com
Konversando 01.47.70.21.64/www.konversando.fr
Specialises in international exchanges and talk.

Alliance Française
101 bd Raspail, 6th (01.42.84.90.00/www.alliancefr.org). Mº St-Placide.
The Alliance Française is a non-profit French-language school. Beginner and specialist courses start every month.

Ecole Eiffel
3 rue Crocé-Spinelli, 14th (01.43.20.37.41/www.ecole-eiffel.fr). Mº Pernety.
Intensive classes, business French and phonetics.

Institut Catholique de Paris
12 rue Cassette, 6th (01.44.39.52.68/www.icp.fr/ilcf). Mº St-Sulpice.
Courses in French culture and language. You must hold a baccalauréat-level qualification and be 18 or over (but you don’t have to be Catholic).

Institut Parisien
29 rue de Lisbonne, 8th (01.40.56.09.53). Mº Monceau.
Dynamic private school offering courses in language, French civilisation and business French.

La Sorbonne – Cours de Langue et Civilisation
47 rue des Ecoles, 5th (01.44.10.77.00/www.ccfs-sorbonne.fr). Mº Cluny-La Sorbonne/RER Luxembourg.
Classes for foreigners ride on the name of this eminent institution. Teaching is grammar-based.

University of London Institute in Paris
9-11 rue Constantine, 7th (01.44.11.73.83/www.ulip.lon.ac.uk). Mº Invalides.
Linked to the University of London, this 4,000-student institute offers English courses for Parisians, and French courses at university level.

Specialised

Many of the prestigious Ecoles Nationales Supérieures (including film schools La FEMIS and ENS Louis Lumière) offer summer courses in addition to their full-time degree courses – ask for formation continue.

Adult education courses
www.paris.fr or your local mairie.
A huge range of inexpensive adult education classes is run by the city of Paris, including French as a foreign language, computer skills and applied arts.

American University of Paris
31 av Bosquet, 7th (01.40.62.07.20/www.aup.edu). Mº Ecole-Militaire/RER Pont de l’Alma.
International college awarding four-year American liberal arts degrees (BA/BSc).

Cordon Bleu
8 rue Léon-Delhomme, 15th (01.53.68.22.50/www.cordonbleu.edu). Mº Vaugirard.
Courses range from three-hour sessions on classical and regional cuisine to a nine-month diploma for those starting a culinary career. Bon appetit!

Ecole du Louvre
Palais du Louvre, porte Jaugard, place du Carrousel, 1st (01.55.35.18.00/www.ecoledulouvre.fr). Mº Palais Royal Musée du Louvre.
Art history and archaeology courses. Foreign students not wanting to take a degree can attend lectures.

INSEAD
bd de Constance, 77305 Fontainebleau (01.60.72.40.00/www.insead.edu).
Highly regarded international business school offering a ten-month MBA course in English as well as PhDs in a range of business subjects.

Parsons School of Design
14 rue Letellier, 15th (01.45.77.39.66/www.parsons-paris.com). Mº La Motte-Picquet-Grenelle.
Subsidiary of the New York art college offering BFA programmes in fine art, photography, fashion, marketing and interior design.

Ritz-Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie Française
38 rue Cambon, 1st (01.43.16.30.50/www.ritzparis.com). Mº Madeleine.
Everything from afternoon demonstrations in the Ritz kitchens to diplomas. Courses are in French with English translation.

Student life

Student & youth discounts
To claim a tarif étudiant (around €1.50 off cinema seats, up to 50 per cent off museums and standby theatre tickets), you must have a French student card or International Student Identity Card (ISIC), available from CROUS (see above), student travel agents and the Cité Universitaire (see above). ISIC cards are valid in France only if you are under 26. Under-26s can get up to 50 per cent off rail travel on some trains with the SNCF’s Carte 12/25 and the same reduction on the RATP network with the Imagine R card.

Long-term visas & housing benefit
UK and other students from the EU may stay in France for as long as their passport is valid. To also work legally during their course in Paris, they can find out more information about their rights at www.droitsdesjeunes.gouv.fr.

Foreign students from outside the EU wishing to study in Paris for longer than three months must apply for a long-term visa through the French embassy in their particular country.

Student accommodation

The simplest budget lodgings for medium-to-long stays can be found at the Cité Universitaire or foyers (student hostels). There are some 37 halls of residence set in landscaped gardens, with sports facilities and a theatre (see below). Another option is a chambre contre travail – free board in exchange for childcare, housework or English lessons; for this, look out for ads at language schools and the American Church. For cheap hotels and youth hostels, see all hotels in Paris. As students often cannot provide proof of income, a porte-garant (guarantor) who will guarantee the payment of rent and bills is required.

Cité Universitaire
17 bd Jourdan, 14th (01.44.16.64.00/www.ciup.fr). RER Cité Universitaire. Open Offices 8am-6pm Mon-Fri.
Foreign students enrolled on a university course, or interns who are also studying, can apply for a place at this campus of halls of residence (but be forewarned: only about ten per cent of the students who apply are actually successful). Rooms can be booked for a week, a month or for an entire academic year. Rents are approximately €300-€400 per month for a single room and €200-€300 per person for a double. UK citizens must apply to the Collège Franco-Britannique, and Americans to the Fondation des Etats-Unis.

CROUS (Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires)
39 av Georges-Bernanos, 5th (01.40.51.36.00/08.92.25.75.75/www.crous-paris.fr).

Service du Logement
(01.40.51.55.55). RER Port-Royal. Open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri.
Manages all University of Paris student residences, posts ads for rooms and has a list of hostels. Requests for rooms must be made by 1 April for the next academic year. CROUS also runs cheap canteens (listed on website) and is the clearing house for all bourses (grants) issued to foreign students. Call the Service des Bourses on 01.40.51.55.55.

UCRIF (Union des Centres de Rencontres Internationales de France)
27 rue de Turbigo, 2nd (01.40.26.57.64/www.ucrif.asso.fr). Mº Etienne Marcel. Open 9am-6pm Mon-Fri.
UCRIF operates cheap, short-stay hostels from three help centres: 5th (01.43.29.34.80); 14th (01.43.13.17.00); 20th (01.40.31.45.45).

Working as a student

Foreign students can legally work up to 20 hours per week. Non-EU members studying in Paris must apply for an autorisation provisoire de travail from the DDTEFT. The job service at CROUS (01.40.51.37.52-57) finds part-time jobs for students.

DDTEFT (Direction Départementale du Travail, d’Emploi et du Formation Professionelle)
109 rue Montmartre, 2nd (08.21.34.73.47/01.44.84.41.00/www.travail.gouv.fr). Mº Bourse.

Useful organisations

CIDJ (Centre d’Information et de Documentation Jeunesse)
101 quai Branly, 15th (08.25.09.06.30/01.44.49.12.00/www.cidj.com). Mº Bir-Hakeim/RER Champ de Mars. Open 10am-6pm Mon-Wed, Fri; 1-6pm Thur; 9.30am-1pm Sat.
The library gives students advice on courses and careers; the youth bureau of ANPE (Agence Nationale pour l’Emploi/www.anpe.fr) can assist with job applications.

Maison des Initiatives Etudiantes (MIE)
50 rue des Tournelles, 3rd (01.49.96.65.30/www.paris.fr). Open 10am-10pmMon-Fri;2-9pm Sat.
Provides student associations with logistical assistance and Paris-based resources like meeting rooms, grants and computers. Radio Campus Paris, a radio station for students, has been broadcasting since September 2004.

Socrates-Erasmus Programme
Britain UK Socrates-Erasmus Council, British Council, 10 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2BN (020 7389 4910/www.erasmus.ac.uk).

France Agence Socrates-Leonardo Da Vinci, 25 quai des Chartrons, 33080 Bordeaux Cedex (05.56.00.94.00/www.socrates-leonardo.fr).

The international Socrates-Erasmus scheme lets EU students with reasonable written and spoken French spend a year of their degree in the French university system. Applications must be made via the Erasmus co-ordinator at your home university. Non-EU students should find out from their university whether it has an agreement with the French university system.

American students can find out more from the following organisations:

MICEFA
26 rue du Fbg-St-Jacques, 14th (01.40.51.76.96/www.micefa.org).

Relais d’accueil
(Foreign students helpdesk) Cité Universitaire, 17 bd Jourdan, 14th. RER Cité Universitaire. CROUS de Paris, 39 av Georges-Bernanos, 5th (01.40.51.36.00). RER Port-Royal. Open Sept-Nov 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri (Cité); 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri (CROUS).
Advice on housing, banking, visas, social security and university registration is available (by appointment) to foreign students at the addresses above.

Telephones

Mobile phones

A subscription (abonnement) will normally get you a free phone if you sign up for at least one year. Two hours’ calling time a month costs about €35 per month. International calls are normally charged extra – a lot extra. The three companies that rule the cell phone market in France are:

Bouyges Télécom 08.10.63.01.00/www.bouyguestelecom.fr.
France Télécom/Orange 08.25.00.57.00/www.orange.fr.
SFR 10.23/www.sfr.fr.

Dialling & codes

All French phone numbers have ten digits. Paris and Ile-de-France numbers begin with 01; the rest of France is divided into four zones (02-05). Mobile phone numbers start with 06.08 indicates a special rate (see below); numbers beginning with 08 can only be reached from inside France. If you are calling France from abroad, leave off the 0 at the start of the ten-digit number.

The country code is 33. To call abroad from France dial 00, then the country code, then the number. Since 1998 other phone companies have been allowed to enter the market, but France Télécom still has the monopoly on basic service. It has a useful website with information on rates and contracts: www.agence.francetelecom.com.

France Télécom English-Speaking Customer Service
08.00.36.47.75/from abroad +33 1.55.78.60.56. Open 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri. Freephone information line in English on phone services, bills, payment, internet.

Public phones

Most public phones in Paris, almost all of which are maintained by France Télécom, use télécartes (phonecards). Sold at post offices, tabacs, airports and train and métro stations, they cost €7.50 for 50 units and €15 for 120 units. For cheap international calls, you can also buy a télécarte à puce (card with a microchip) or a télécarte pré-payée, which features a numerical code you dial before making a call; these can be used on domestic phones too.

Travelex’s International Telephone Card can be used in more than 80 countries (available from Travelex agencies, see above. Cafés have coin phones, while post offices usually have card phones. In a phone box, the display screen will read ‘Décrochez’. Pick up the phone. When ‘Introduisez votre carte’ appears, put your card into the slot; the screen should read ‘Patientez SVP’. ‘Numérotez’ is your signal to dial. ‘Crédit épuisé’ means you have no more units left. Hang up (‘Raccrochez’) – and don’t forget your card. Some public phones take credit cards. If you’re using a credit card, insert the card, enter your PIN number and ‘Patientez SVP’ will appear.

Operator services

Operator assistance, French directory enquiries
(renseignements) 12.
To make a reverse-charge call within France, ask to make a call en PCV.

Airparif 01.44.59.47.64/www.airparif.asso.fr
Information about pollution levels and air quality in Paris and Ile-de-France: invaluable for asthmatics.

International directory enquiries 32.12, then country code. €3 per call.

International news (France Inter recorded message, in French), 08.92.68.10.33 (€0.34 per min).

Telegram all languages, international 08.00.33.44.11; within France 36.55.

Telephone engineer 10.13.

Time 36.99.

Traffic news 08.26.02.20.22.

Weather 08.99.70.12.34.
(€1.39 then €0.34 per min) for enquiries on weather in France and abroad, in French or English; you can also dial 08.92.68.02.75 (€0.34 per min) for a recorded weather announcement for Paris and region.

Telephone directories

Telephone books can be found in all post offices and most cafés. The Pages Blanches (White Pages) list people and businesses alphabetically; the Pages Jaunes (Yellow Pages) list businesses and services by category order. Online versions can be found at www.pagesjaunes.fr.

Telephone charges

All local calls in Paris and Ile-de-France (to numbers beginning with 01) cost €0.11 for three minutes, standard rate and €0.04/min thereafter. This only applies to calls to other landlines. Calls beyond a 100km radius (province) are charged at €0.11 for the first 39 seconds, then €0.24 per minute.

International destinations are divided into 16 zones. Reduced-rate periods for calls within France and Europe are 7pm-8am during the week and all day Saturday and Sunday. Reduced-rate periods for the US and Canada are 7pm to 1pm Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Cheap providers

Getting wise to the market demand, smaller telephone providers are becoming increasingly popular, as rates from giant France Télécom are not exactly bargain-basement.

The following can offer alternative rates for calls – although you will still need to rent your telephone line from France Télécom to use them:

AT&T Direct (local access) 08.00.99.00.11.
Free www.free.fr. With the Freebox (Free’s modem for ADSL connection), €29.99 per month gets you ten hours of free calls to landlines (additional calls cost €0.01 per minute), €0.19 per minute to mobiles and €0.03 per minute for most international calls.
IC Télécom 08.05.13.26.26/www.ictelecom.fr.
Neuf Télécom 08.92.79.00.19/www.neuf.fr.
Onetel 08.92.13.50.50/www.onetel.fr.
Télé 2 www.tele2.fr.

Special-rate numbers

0800 Numéro Vert Freephone.
0810 Numéro Azur €0.11 under three minutes, then €0.04/min.
0820 Numéro Indigo I€0.118/min.
0825 Numéro Indigo II €0.15/min.
0836.64/0890.64/0890.70 €0.112/min.
0890.71 €0.15/min.
0891.67/0891.70 €0.225/min.
0836/0892 €0.337/min. This is for the likes of ticket agencies, cinema and transport information.
10.14 France Télécom information; free (except from mobile phones).

Minitel

France Télécom’s Minitel, which was launched in the 1980s, is an enduring dinosaur: a videotext service available to any telephone subscriber. The internet has made it virtually redundant. However, if you come across one of these beige plastic boxes, type in 3611 for Minitel directory in English, wait for the beep, press ‘Connexion’, type MGS, then hit ‘Envoi’. Then type ‘Minitel en anglais’ for the English service.

Time & seasons

France is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). France uses the 24hr system (for example, 18h means 6pm).

Tipping

A service charge of ten to 15 per cent is legally included in your bill at all restaurants, cafés and bars. However, it is polite to either round up the final amount for drinks, or to leave a cash tip of €1-€2 or more for a meal, depending on the restaurant and, of course, the quality of the service.

Toilets

The city’s automatic street toilets are not really as terrifying as they look. You put your coin in the slot, and open sesame. Each loo is completely washed down and disinfected after use, so don’t try to avoid paying by sneaking in as someone is leaving: you’ll get covered in bleach. Once inside, you have 15 minutes.

If a space age-style lavatory experience doesn’t appeal, you can nip into the toilets of a café; although theoretically reserved for customers’ use, a polite request should win sympathy with the waiter – and you may find you have to put a €0.20 coin into a slot in the door-handle mechanism, customer or not. Fast-food chain toilets often have a code on their toilet doors that is made known to paying customers only.

Tourist information

Espace du Tourisme d’Ile de France
Carrousel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 1st (08.26.16.66.66/www.paris-ile-de-france.com).
Mº Palais Royal Musée du Louvre or Pyramides. Open 8.30am-7pm Mon-Fri.
This is the information showcase for Paris and the Ile-de-France.

Maison de la France
20 av de l’Opéra, 1st (01.42.96.70.00/www.franceguide.com). Mº Opéra or Pyramides. Open 10am-6pm Mon-Fri; 10am-5pm Sat.
The Maison de la France is the state organisation for tourism in France: information galore.

Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Paris
Carrousel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 1st (08.92.68.30.00 recorded information in English & French/www.parisinfo.com). Mº Palais Royal Musée du Louvre or Pyramides. Open 9am-7pm daily.
Information on Paris and the suburbs, shop, bureau de change, hotel reservations, phonecards, museum cards, travel passes and tickets. Multilingual staff.

Other locations:

Gare de Lyon
20 bd Diderot, 12th. Mº Gare de Lyon. Open 8am-6pm Mon-Sat.

Gare du Nord
18 rue de Dunkerque, 10th. Mº Gare du Nord. Open 8am-6pm daily.

Montmartre
21 pl du Tertre, 18th. Mº Abbesses. Open 10am-7pm daily.

Opéra
11 rueScribe, 9th. Mº Opéra. Open 9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat.

Pyramides
25 rue des Pyramides, 1st, Mº Pyramides. Open 9am-7pm daily.

Tour Eiffel
Champ de Mars, 7th. Mº Bir-Hakeim. Open late Mar-Oct 11am-6.40pm daily.

Visas

EU nationals don’t need a visa to enter France, nor do US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand or South African citizens for stays of up to three months. Nationals of other countries should enquire at the nearest French embassy or consulate before leaving home. If they are travelling to France from one of the countries in the Schengen agreement (most of the EU, but not Britain or Ireland), the visa from that country should be sufficient.

EU citizens may stay in France for as long as their passport is valid. For non-EU citizens who wish to stay for longer than three months, they must apply to the French embassy or consulate in their own country for a long-term visa. For more information, contact these two offices:

CIRA (Centre Interministeriel de Renseignements Administratifs)
0821.08.09.10 (0.12€/min)/www.service-public.fr. Open 8am-7pm Mon-Fri; 8am-noon Sat.
CIRA gives advice on most French administrative procedures via its premium-rate phone line.

Préfecture de Police de Paris Service Etrangers
7-9 bd du Palais, 4th (01.53.73.53.73/www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr). Mº Cité. Open 9am-4pm Mon-Fri.
This office can provide information on residency and work permits for foreigners.

Weights & measures

France uses only the metric system; remember that all speed limits are in kilometres per hour. One kilometre is equivalent to 0.62 miles (1 mile = 1.6km). Petrol, like other liquids,is measured in litres (one UK gallon = 4.54 litres; 1 US gallon = 3.79 litres).

What to take

Binoculars for studying high-altitude details of monuments, a pocket knife with corkscrew (for improvised picnics) and – vital – comfortable shoes.

Women

Though Paris is not especially threatening for women, the precautions you would take in any major city apply: be careful at night in areas like Pigalle, the rue St-Denis, Stalingrad, La Chapelle, Château Rouge, Gare de l’Est, Gare du Nord, the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. If you receive unwanted attention, a politely scathing N’insistez pas! (Don’t push it!) makes your feelings clear. If things get too heavy, go into the nearest shop or café.

CIDFF (Centre d’Information et des Droits des Femmes et de la Famille)
7 rue du Jura, 13th (01.42.17.12.00). Mº Gobelins. Open visits by appointment only.
The CIDFF offers health, legal and professional advice for women.

Violence Conjugale: Femmes Info Service
01.40.33.80.60. Open 7.30am-11.30pm Mon-Sat.
Hotline for battered women, directing them towards medical aid or shelters.

Viols Femmes Informations
08.00.05.95.95. Open 10am-7pm Mon-Fri. Freephone service.
Help and advice available, in French, to rape victims.

Working in Paris

Most EU nationals can work legally in France, including UK and Irish citizens, but should apply for a French social security number. Some job ads can be found at branches of the French national employment bureau, the Agence Nationale pour l’Emploi (ANPE), or on its website (www.anpe.fr). Branches are also the place to sign up as a demandeur d’emploi, to be placed on file as ready for work and possibly to qualify for French unemployment benefits.

Britons can only claim French unemployment benefit if they were already signed on before leaving the UK. Non-EU nationals need a work permit and cannot use the ANPE network without having valid work papers.

Club des Quatre Vents
1 rue Gozlin, 6th (01.43.29.60.20). Mº St-Germain-des-Prés. Open 9am-6pm Mon-Fri.
Provides three-month work permits for US citizens at university or recent graduates.

Espace Emploi
International (OMI et ANPE) 48 bd de la Bastille, 12th (01.53.02.25.50/www.emploi-international.org). Mº Bastille. Open 9am-5pm Mon, Wed-Fri; 9am-noon Tue.
Provides work permits of up to 18 months for Americans aged 18-35.

Language Network
01.44.64.82.23.
Helps native English speakers who wish to find work teaching.

Job ads

Help wanted advertisements sometimes appear in the International Herald Tribune, in FUSAC and on noticeboards at language schools and the American Church. Bilingual secretarial/PA work is available for those with good written French. If you’re looking for professional work, have your CV translated, including French equivalents for any qualifications. Most job applications require a photo and a handwritten letter.

Our listings

While every effort and care has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain. Before you go out of your way, we strongly advise you to phone ahead and check the particulars.