Area: 551,000 sq.km

Population: Around 62 million

Language: French

Religion: Roman Catholic

Currency: Euro

Time difference: 1 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1)

Important Embassy Info:

British Embassy

BP111-08, 75383 PARIS CEDEX 08

Paris

Telephone: (33) 1 44 51 31 00

Emergency Numbers:

Police: 17

Fire: 18

Ambulance: 15.

Tipping:

It is by French law that any service charge (also any taxes) is automatically added to the prices of meals and accommodation. So it is purely at the discretion of travellers during their France holidays to offer extra tipping. It is advised that any tipping should not exceed 5%. Again it is not mandatory to give tip to taxi drivers but it is usual to give a small amount. Hairdressers on an average are tipped at 10-15%.

In general, telephone numbers have ten digits. Travellers during their France holidays should begin with 01 in Paris and Paris region. For northwest France, you have to begin with 02. 03 is given for north east France and 04 for southeast France and Corsica. 05 is for southwest France. Still you have to input all the ten numbers even with the local region.