France - França

THE France is a country of Europe and the most visited in the world.

Understand

France borders the north with the Belgium and Luxembourg, east with the Germany and the Switzerland, to the south with the Italy, from which it is separated by the Alps, and with the Spain and Andorra, separated by the Pyrenees mountains. the Principality of monaco, with its own government, is embedded in the southern coast of France.

The country also has numerous overseas territories, including the French Guiana, which borders the Brazil.

History

Some essential dates in the history of France:

• Until 1500 BC - Inhabited by prehistoric populations; caves and rock art
• 1200 BC - Arrival of the Gauls
• 52 BC - Conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar begins the Galician-Roman civilization
• 500 - barbarian invasions
• 600 - Arrival of the Francos, barbarian people whose name gave rise to the name country
• 771 - Charlemagne reunites the Frankish kingdoms and begins the expansion of borders
• 11th to 13th century - Middle Ages, Romanesque and Gothic art flourishes; Crusades
• 14th and 15th Centuries - 100 Years' War with the England, Joan of Arc, Black Death
• 15th to 17th century - Renaissance; French becomes the official language; Religious wars between Protestants and Catholics; Absolute monarchy; In the 1500s, the French founded colonies in the Brazil
• 18th century - Demographic and economic growth; Enlightenment; separation from Quebec
• 1789 - French Revolution, end of monarchy; Declaration of Human and Citizen's Rights
• 1804-1814/15 - Napoleon Emperor; invade Portugal
• 19th century - Industrialization; Redevelopment of Paris by Baron Haussmann
• 1914-18 - First World War; Alsace and Lorraine returned to France
• 1939-1945 - Second World War; France occupied by Germany Nazi (1940) and its release (1944)
• 1957 - The European Economic Community is founded, which gave rise to the European Union
• 1958 - General Charles de Gaulle is summoned to preside over the country
• 1968 - Student riots in Paris mark the month of May
• 1981 - François Mitterrand becomes president; abolition of the death penalty
• 1992 - Signing of the Maastricht treaty endorses France's entry into the European Union
• 2002 - Adoption of the euro as currency in place of the franc.

Regions

France is divided into 22 Administrative Regions, which in turn are divided into Departments.

Ilhale-de-France The region around the capital, Paris.

North (Nord-Pas-de-Calais, picardy, Upper Normandy, Lower Normandy) A region where world wars left many scars.

North East (Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne-Ardenne, Franche-Comté)

great west (Brittany, Pays-de-la-Loire)

center (Center-Val de Loire, Poitou-Charentes, Burgundy, Limousin, Auvergne)

South-west (Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrenees)

Southeast (Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Corsica)

You Overseas Departments administrative regions of France are also considered:

• Guadeloupe
• French Guiana
• Martinique
• Meeting

Overseas Territories:

• Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
• Mayotte
• Wallis and Futuna
• French Polynesian
• New Caledonia

Cities

• Paris, known as city ​​of light, is the capital of France
• Avignon (Avignon)
• Bordeaux (Bordeaux)
• Cannes, home of the famous film festival
• Strasbourg (Strasbourg)
• Lyon
• Marseille (Marseille)
• nice
• Versailles (Versailles)

Other destinations

• Mont Saint-Michel - an islet in Normandy with an impressive medieval abbey.
• Eurodisney - the gigantic theme park American has its European branch in France.

To arrive

Mainland France is part of the Schengen Zone and Brazilian passport holders do not need a visa to visit the country. For the Portuguese, a valid identification document is enough.

By airplane

Main international Airport it is the Charles de Gaulle (CDG), on the outskirts of Paris, where there is a TGV station that connects the airport to the rest of the country with high-speed trains. Nice, Marseilles, Lyon, Toulouse and Bordeaux are also important airports.

From Brazil, Air France has two daily flights to Paris departing from São Paulo and one of Rio de Janeiro. TAM makes two daily flights from São Paulo. Varig resumed its direct flights.

Budget airlines such as EasyJet (departing from Lisbon), Ryanair (from Harbor), SkyEurope, AirBerlin, Jet4You, Aigle Azur among others, also fly to France, using mainly the airports of Orly and Beauvais, which serve the capital.

Of boat

Maritime transport by ferries from the Great Britain has been less and less used after the opening of the Eurotunnel, where trains cross the English Channel taking passengers and cars towards France.

In the Mediterranean, Marseilles and Nice are two bustling ports.

From Italy (particularly Genoa, Livorno and Sardinia) regular lines depart for the Corsica. From there it is possible to go to other regions of southern France.

Of North Africa, there are ferries between algiers or Tunis and Marseille and enter Tangier and Seven.

Countless ocean liners also have France as their destination, mainly from the North America.

By car

It is possible to reach France by car from any European country, through its neighbors such as Spain, Great Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The roads in Europe are excellent, both in terms of conservation and signage.

Main roads lead to Paris. The A1 motorway is the most convenient for those arriving from Great Britain and from the Benelux countries, the A10 for those coming from Spain, the A6 for those coming from Switzerland via Lyon, the French Alps and the Italy, while the A4 serves destinations to the east, passing through Strasbourg, Nancy and Metz.

The highways are faster but have tolls, some very expensive. An alternative is to use regional highways that follow the same routes as highways passing through the cities, which makes the route a little longer but much more attractive.

All highways have speed controls in the vicinity of cities, so it is very important to pay attention to signs.

By bus/bus

Buses lose in regularity, speed, punctuality and popularity to trains. Even so, they are an economical means of transport (in general, there are discounts for children under 26 and over 60) and sometimes cover, in a single trip, sections that would require inconvenient transfers between trains. There are bus lines from all over Europe. THE Eurolines is the company that offers the greatest number of connections with other European and neighboring countries such as Morocco.

Long-distance buses have restrooms and make regular stops for rest and food.

By train/train

There are train lines connecting France with all neighboring countries.

Some international fast trains also take you to France:

• O Thalys, from the Belgium and of the Netherlands
• The Eurostar, which arrives from UK passing through the tunnel under the English Channel

The website of Eurail for details of prices, schedules and reservations. Eurail passes, which allow unlimited rail travel for a certain period, are valid in France and 16 other countries.

Circular

By airplane

In addition to major airports, such as Orly and Charles de Gaulle, where the traditional airlines operate, there are smaller and more distant airports across France and throughout Europe where companies operate with super-economic fares, often with prices below the departure tax. Some of them are the Blue Air, a Norwegian Air Shuttle, a Sterling European Airlines, a Ryanair and the wizzair, from the airport of Beauvais (BVA), 1h20 by bus from Paris.

Of boat

With 7000 km of waterways, sailing can be an interesting way to get around France, especially in regions such as France. Brittany, a picardy, a Alsace and Champagne. In most rivers and canals you do not need to pay usage fees and you do not need authorization to navigate for periods of up to 6 months per year. The authority responsible for this means of transport is the Voies Navigables de France (VNF).

By car

French roads are modern and well maintained. At autoroutes they are the fastest and charge tolls (most even accept credit cards).

The speed limits are as follows:

• 130km/h on highways (autoroutes) (110km/h in case of bad weather)
• 110km/h on the highways (routes for automobiles) (100km/h in case of bad weather)
• 90km/h on roads (80km/h in bad weather)
• 50km/h in cities

There is speed control on both highways and common roads.

The minimum age to drive in France is 18 years.

Most French cars have gearshifts and diesel (diesel, more economical) or gasoline engine (Super 95, common, or Super 98)

By bus/bus

By train/train

THE SNCF is the French train company. On the website are links to TGV, Thalys etc. Tickets can be purchased over the Internet and picked up at automatic machines or at the ticket booths at any station.

The French rail network is extensive and easy to use. In addition, there is the TGV network, high speed trains reaching up to 300km/h. Traveling by TGV is simpler, cheaper and often faster - as trains connect cities from center to center - than traveling by plane between destinations within France itself.

Duration of some trips using the TGV:

• Paris - Lille : 1h
• Paris - Lyon : 1:50h
• Paris - Nantes : 2h
• Paris - Marseille : 3h
• Paris - Bordeaux : 3h
• Nantes - Lyon : 4:20 am
• Paris - nice : 5:20 am

On any train journey, remember to validate ticket at the composer yellow or orange at the entrance to the platforms before to board. Traveling with an unvalidated ticket is punishable by a fine.

You night trains are great for saving a hotel night on longer trips. Include couchettes second class (with 6 beds in each cabin), first class (4 beds) and the wagon-lit, sleeping car that has a real bed with sheets.

Due to the anti-terrorist security plan Vigipirate, the train stations no longer have lockers to leave luggage. In some it is still possible to leave volumes on consignment, but it is necessary to check the availability of the service.

By bike

Touring the country and the interior of cities by bicycle (see him) is quite simple, as most of the territory is made up of plains, cyclists are respected on the roads, and restaurants, hotels and trains are accepted.

THE Aquitaine it is one of the most popular regions for this practice. Most cities in the country have maintenance and parts services. It is also common to find mountain bikes (known as VTT - velos tout terrain) for rent in hotels and camps for around €15 per day.

There are numerous organized options for cycling tour packages around France.

Speak

The official language and spoken by the entire population is the French, although some regional languages ​​such as Corsican survive (in the Corsica, similar to Italian), Breton, Basque, Catalan, Occitan and Alsatian.

Nowadays, there are no more difficulties in speaking English, as there is not so much rejection from the population, especially among young people. Spanish is also increasingly widespread in the country. However, it is always convenient (and polite) to ask beforehand, in French, if your interlocutor speaks that language.

Buy

France has officially adopted the Euro as its currency. Some French, however, still insist on quoting some prices in the old currency, the franc (exchange: 1 EURO = 6.55957 F) and in euros. The prices informed are toutes taxes comprises (TTC), that is, they already include all fees and taxes, showing the final amount to be paid.

The US dollar is not normally accepted for everyday purchases and the use of traveller's checks it's also complicated. Always have euros or international credit/debit cards handy, which are accepted in many establishments.

ATMs are very common and accept Visa, Mastercard, Cirrus, Plus and CB cards. These are a very practical way to withdraw money in France. Check with your bank, however, for fees charged for international withdrawals and daily withdrawal limits.

Fashion (Paris is one of the world's haute couture capitals), luxury goods and perfumery are French specialties. Large department stores like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps appeal to tourists and locals alike.

With the

The French spend a lot of time at the table and meal times are one of their favorite social occasions, whether at home or in restaurants. Business lunches are also a French institution.

The main meals are:

• Breakfast/breakfast (petit déjeuner): served in the morning upon rising
• Lunch (dejeuner): Generally between 12:00 and 13:00
• Snack (goûter): cakes, tea and coffee served around 4pm
• To have lunch (dener): between 7pm and 9pm

In restaurants, the prices mentioned on the menu include taxes (19.6%) and service (15%). Therefore, it is not necessary to add anything to the account. Tips are only left if the service is pleasing.

In many restaurants, you can order a free bottle of water. The water used is from the tap, generally of good quality.

The gastronomy of France is famous all over the world. Some of the French specialties:

• Pastry shop - croissants, pain au chocolat (chocolate bun), pain aux raisins (raisin bun), sablée (tartelet) etc.
• Confectionery (patisserie) - Eclair (chocolate bomb), religious, puff pastries, pies etc.
• Bakery (Boulangerie) - baguettes (buy at bakeries instead of supermarkets), campaign bread, etc.
• cheeses (fromage) - France prides itself on producing more than 400 varieties of cheese. Try some of them. Brie, Roquefort and Camembert are world famous, but don't miss out on the regional specialities.

Establishments

The places where the French eat have names that indicate the style of the establishment and the type of food served.

• restaurant - restaurants, serving full meals
• Brasserie - breweries, always have drinks on the menu, but they also serve food, in a more relaxed atmosphere than in restaurants
• Bistro (or bistrot) - small restaurants, found mainly in Paris, are more economical and informal and usually specialize in one or a few dishes
• Coffee - In addition to supplying the French with caffeine, they serve croissants, quick snacks and sometimes alcoholic drinks and dishes. They often also have tables outside on the sidewalk.

drink and go out

The minimum age for consumption of alcoholic beverages is 16 years old. Drunk driving, in addition to being risky, is punishable by severe fines.

Water

Tap water is drinkable and is usually free at restaurants: just ask. unite carafe d'eau. Sometimes the water can have a strong chlorine taste and, if you prefer, you can order one of the various mineral water options, either plate (no gas) or gazeuse.

Wine

Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Loire Valley. These are just a few of the regions whose vineyards collaborate to place France at the top of the list of great wine-producing countries. Some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world come from France. However, in addition to the big labels, the French enjoy the drink every day and affordable wines can be found almost anywhere.

Some useful terms to understand wine lists:

• Rouge - red; white - White; rose - rose
• Gross - very dry; sec - dry; demi-sec - sweetened; doux - sweet
• Mousseux - sparkling wine; Champenoise Method - mature sparkling
• come from table - table wine, it's the cheapest but not bad
• cuvee - house wine, served in restaurants
• Appellation d'origin control (AOC) - Wines with a controlled designation of origin, carry on the label the guarantee that they were produced in a certain region in accordance with local quality standards. These are the most expensive wines, although from €10 or €12 per bottle there are already wines of reasonable quality.

One of the best ways to discover and buy wines is to visit the wineries and cooperatives, especially for those who want to buy in larger quantities. otherwise, the supermarkets they also have a good variety and price. For those who really want to save, an alternative is to buy en vrac: taking the gallon or buying a 5l or 10l plastic bottle on the spot, and filling it directly into the barrels of cellars.

Cocktails and other alcoholic beverages

• Kir - an aperitif based on white wine (in principle, Bourgogne Aligoté) and cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), peach or blackberry. O Kir Royal follows the same recipe, but is prepared with champagne and costs twice as much.
• Pastis is the generic name for anise-based drinks popular in southern regions such as Languedoc. It is served with a small pitcher of ice water, used to dilute the drink and which makes the liquid opaque.
• eaux-de-vie - strong drinks such as cognac and armagnac are taken at any time of the day

Night life

In France, and above all in Paris, there are bars and clubs for all tastes: from sado-masochistic to very aristocratic ones. Likewise, it is possible to find guides aimed at specific audiences, many of which are distributed free of charge.

sleep

Hotels in general, and particularly in Paris, can be expensive by Brazilian and foreign standards. Even so, they are almost always full. Look for one that suits your needs and your pocket and try to book in advance, especially in July and August. If you arrive without a reservation, many tourism offices, located in the most important train stations, airports and tourist areas, make reservations on site or have hotel lists with information on comfort level, price and contact information.

For those who want to save but want to stay in a hotel, an alternative is to look for rooms without bathroom. Especially in older buildings, it can be difficult and expensive to install plumbing and toilets in every room. Thus, some hotels offer one or more bathrooms shared by the apartments on that floor and a considerable reduction in price.

There are still, right networks, like the Formula 1 (Simpler than those in Brazil, as they have bathrooms and showers in the hallway) and Step, which are further away from the center but offer more affordable prices. You youth hostels (jeunesse inn) are also widespread in the country and present in practically all cities with the greatest tourist interest.

In hotels, the breakfast it is usually charged separately and in cheaper hotels it usually consists of a croissant, jam and a juice. Sometimes it's better to start the day eating in city cafes - almost always tastier and cheaper.

Do not expect from French hotels (and other services) the standards of hospitality and attentiveness found in Brazil and in other parts of the world. France, in general, does not cultivate the notion of customer service and indifference reactions or even what could be interpreted as rudeness in the service are common. Be prepared to overlook some irritations.

chambres d'hôtes are equivalent to bed & breakfast, common in other countries: rooms rented in a private home, charged per night. You gites or rural gites they are houses or chalets located outside the cities and services such as housekeeping and laundry are provided by the tenant. Gites are generally not signposted or easily found by those traveling on the country's roads. To reserve them in advance, many can be found on the Internet.

Learn

• French - there are courses in all major cities
• college education - French universities can be attended by foreigners who master the language, in both undergraduate and graduate courses and summer courses. Many of them have complementary French courses to reinforce their command of the language. THE edufrance it is the body responsible for promoting and facilitating the entry of foreigners into French education.

Work

It is illegal to work in the country without the labor authorization, the appropriate visa and the carte de séjour (authorization to reside) given by the city hall, unless you have a passport from European Union recognized by the French government. In addition, France has suffered from rising rates of unemployment, which makes jobs for foreigners even more scarce.

Safety

France is not a dangerous place, but it is advisable to take some precautions, such as being careful with pickpockets on public transport and Paris tourist spots. When traveling around the country, keep an eye on your luggage, especially on night trains - cases of theft are rare but they do occur.

Possessing and using narcotics, including marijuana, is a crime.

In case of emergency, call 17 toll free.

Health

The public health service in France has an agreement with the INSS. Even so, it is always good to have private health insurance.

In case of emergency, call 15 from any telephone, the call is free.

respect

As of February 1, 2007, the smoke in public places in France. This includes all closed and covered places that receive the public or that constitute workplaces, as well as public transport. In bars, restaurants and cafes, the ban will only be adopted from January 2008.

The question of language it weighs heavily on the notion of education and civility for the French. Don't approach strangers on the street without first saying a excusez-moi for annoying and always start contacts with bonjour in stores, hotels and so on. For Anglophones, follow the greeting with a "parlez-vous anglais?" it can work wonders when it comes to dispelling the famous myth that the French refuse to speak English. the magic words s'il vous plaît (please merci beaucoup (thank you very much) they also make a big difference between them.

Stay in touch

phone numbers

The phone code for France is 33. The two-digit area codes have been permanently incorporated into the eight-digit local numbers. Therefore, to call any phone in France, while in the country, you must use the ten digits, even if you are in the same city as the number you are calling.

However, the zero initial should be ignored if the call is international. For example, to call from Brazil to the number 01 44 11 10 30 in Paris, dial 00 Brazilian operator code 33 1 4411-1030. To make the call through the operator, dial 08007032111.

To call Brazil from abroad, dial 0055 more the Brazilian city prefix more the phone number you want to talk to. For collect calls, dial 0800990055 and you will be answered by a Brazilian operator.

mobile phones

France uses GSM technology. Brazilian and Portuguese operators have an agreement to roaming with companies in the country.

Receiving calls from Brazil, as well as making local calls, is not expensive. However, calling Brazil from your cell phone can cost many times more than calling a public phone card.

Some of the best known operators are the Bouygues, a orange and the SFR.

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