France is a sovereign country in Western Europe, which includes overseas, some regions regions and territories.
Metropolitan France stretches from the Mediterranean to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean.
Due to its form, France is often referred to in French as l 'Hexagone (The Hexagon).
France is the largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the third largest in Europe as a whole.
France has a diversified, more rugged relief to the south (Pyrenees), southeast (Alps and Massif Central) and east (Vosges and Jura). Four important rivers (Loire, Garonne, Seine and Rhône) cross the territory and are privileged axes of development. The 5500 km long coastline offers very diverse landscapes, from straight cliffs like the Channel, to the rocky coasts of Brittany, Provence and the West of Corsica. The fine sand beaches are mainly in the regions of Flanders, Landes, Languedoc and the eastern part of the island of Corsica.

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French

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Euro

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Documents required to visit France

Visitors residing in the countries belonging to the European Union do not need a tourist visa or passport, simply the national identification card of the country of residence.
All others must have:

Passport: A passport with a validity of at least six months from the date of shipment must be presented.
Visa: For visitors from some non-European Union countries they do not need a visa to visit France, provided that the stay can not exceed the limit of three months in French territory or in the European Union countries that are signatories to the Schengen Convention (Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland and Luxembourg).
Note: Visitors coming from the overseas territories and trips with a stay longer than 90 days require a visa.
Health insurance: It is necessary to be covered by an internationally recognized health and repatriation insurance of a minimum value of 30,000 euros, valid for the entire Schengen territory. Insurance can be purchased online or through travel agencies; some credit cards offer it at no cost.
Accommodation: For private, family or tourist visits, a hotel reservation certificate or host's certificate is requested (this must be requested from the police station by the person who will provide the lodging; the original must be signed by the police chief who granted and endorsed by the visa service of the Consulate General). Foreigners are exempt on a humanitarian or cultural journey, in the context of medical emergency, visiting for the funeral of the next person, spouses and children of French or citizens of the European Community.

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In France tourism is a big industry. France is perhaps the main tourist destination in the world. Not only is it situated in the heart of Western Europe, bordering the largest countries in the region, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, and across the Straits of Dover with the UK, but also has the second busiest airport in Europe the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, and dozens of other airports with international connections.
France offers a fabulous historical heritage and probably the most natural and more diverse environment than any other country in Europe.
Its tourist attractions illustrate the history of the human race, from Cro Magnon's prehistoric sites to the steel and glass of Futuroscope, which include immense traces of all European civilizations, the prehistoric megaliths of Carnac and the Roman ruins from Provence, through medieval castles and cathedrals, to the splendors of Versailles, in the 19th century Eiffel Tower, or the resolute modernity of the TGV.
In addition, France has the tourist infrastructure needed to cope with its status as a leader in the tourist destination with more hotels and campsites than any other country in Europe, probably more holiday cottages or holiday homes, best and most modern rail network in Europe, and a system of motorways linking all major cities.

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The cuisine of France comprises a wide variety of dishes and enjoys great prestige in the world, especially in the West. The wide range of cheeses, wines, meats and sweets is the brand image of France in terms of cuisine.
Traditionally, each French region has its own cuisine: the northwest cuisine uses butter, cream (crème fraiche) and apples; Provençal cuisine (from the southeast) prefers olive oil, greens and tomatoes; Southwest uses duck fat, liver (foie gras), mushrooms (cèpes) and gizzards; northeastern cuisine recalls German cuisine and uses lard, sausages and sauerkraut.
In addition to these four general areas, there are many more types of local cuisine, such as the Loire River valley, famous for delicate freshwater fish dishes and white wines; the Basque cuisine, famous for the use of tomatoes and peppers, and Roussillon cuisine, similar to Catalonian cuisine.

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The climate of France is beneficial and globally temperate, sometimes ranging from west to east and especially north and south of the Loire.
Throughout the year, France enjoys mild temperatures: neither too cold nor too hot. Precipitation is abundant and the sun is generous. It is clear that all regions have their climatic peculiarities: cooler and wetter to the north and west; warmer and drier by the Mediterranean.
In winter, the snowfall in the mountainous masses makes the happiness of the lovers of winter sports. Snow is rarer in the plains, lying essentially north of the Loire River and falling sporadically in Paris.
In the spring, the thermometer soon passes above 20 ° C in the south. In Nice or Cannes, the first bathers appear. And, after May, all the French people walk the streets of T-shirts. The days are longer, it is the time of the first trips to the countryside and the aperitifs on the terrace.
Summer is hot and calm. The sun dominates the whole country. There are for all tastes: often 30ºC in Ajaccio or Marseille, closer to 25ºC in Brest or Deauville. The skins are tanned and the beaches are crowded. It is the time of great walks in the mountains and the walks to discover the regions of France.
In autumn it returns to rain, then mild temperatures, as we get closer to Christmas. Throughout the country trees are dressed in new colors. In the streets, people cover themselves a little more and the days get shorter and shorter.

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Vigipirate system in place due to possible terrorist attacks. It is necessary to maintain a vigilant attitude in the metropolitan, in the tourist areas and in some railway stations, due to the pickpockets.
Assistance and travel insurance is advised.

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Yellow Fever Vaccine

An international certificate against Yellow Fever is required for tourists, who have been in transit for the last three months or coming from the following countries: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela and Zaire.
Do not forget: it is necessary to vaccinate at least 10 days before departure.

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Phones

In France one can call from the public telephones, which are in the streets or from the telephone booths available in the post offices.
Most public telephones work with a calling card, (la carte telefonique), which can be bought easily.
There are also public telephones that work with credit / debit cards (Visa type).
Mobile phones may be used as long as roaming has been activated in the country of origin.

Internet
France is well served by internet services, especially in large cities. In Paris, for example, there are several cybers-cafés with high-speed connections. Other possibilities are the airports and train stations, as well as some squares and several restaurants
In case you have a laptop or notebook, there are numerous cafes that offer the free wi-fi connection.

Electricity
Any electrical device you carry on your trip can be used with the aid of an electric travel kit with variously configured tokens.

The possibilities are, irrespective of the type of appliance you intend to take on the road - electric shavers, hair dryers, irons or computers and mobile phones - it is necessary to have at least one adapter that and a power converter, if the voltage is different from the voltage you normally use.
The need to provide converters and adapters is that the electrical voltage in Europe is generally 220 V at 50 Hz, with the only exceptions in Europe being Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, which are 240 V at 50 Hz, but most electrical equipment is prepared for these two types of voltage, however, you need an adapter for wall outlets.
You can purchase this equipment before traveling to any electric goods store or airports.

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