Elementary questions about France

Fogmatic

I haven't been further than the UK for years, and am going to Paris next week. I know the security's on high alert there, and have read the current advice re being there (carrying a passport copy, etc). But I haven't been able to pin down whether there's anything unique about the French air travel regulations (plane baggage, airport security, customs etc)?

I know the score re flying between Ireland and London, and have kept updated with that (including after the recent Westminster Bridge bombing). All I need to know is whether France has any differences I should know about. I know the regulations are out there for all to see, but I don't really relish the idea of printing out 2 comprehensive sets of regulations and comparing them line by line. (And for all I know there might be some new ones about USB things, for instance).

Same problem with my other query: does everyone accept Irish cash in France? (I remember interchangeable coins (at least) being a feature of entering the Eurozone, but then Scottish & Northern Ireland Stirling notes are officially legal tender in England!). (Generally I'll be using ATMs, but with arriving late evening the quicker into town the better).

mahamageehad

I'm a little confused about the money question? Euros are euros, you can use them in any country that takes Euros. It doesn't matter what the nationality on the back of the coin says.

I don't think it's actually regulation yet but if you're bring a battery pack for your phone etc bring it in your hand luggage. Copy of your passport is a good idea just in case. Liquids in hand luggage have to be in a clear plastic bag, no more than 100ml each and no more than 10.

Fogmatic

Thanks mahamageehad.

The reason I wondered about the cash is because I have no experience of another Eurozone country since long before the start of the euro. Stirling is Stirling too, but when I've tried spending Scottish or NI banknotes in London, I've had to give in and go to a bank to change them for English ones!

Perhaps euro notes don't differ in appearance in that way, but I didn't know (not having knowingly seen any non Irish ones).

Thanks for the pointer re battery packs in non-hand luggage; I'll check out that section (and yes, good idea to comply with this kind of thing right away, in case it's just come into force).

I now remember reading something about new restrictions on electronics in checked bags, but it wasn't relevant to that particular trip, and didn't register at the time. (Perhaps it was re lithium? If so, I'm not surprised, having recently read a book about the elements!).

mahamageehad

Fogmatic wrote: »

Thanks mahamageehad.

The reason I wondered about the cash is because I have no experience of another Eurozone country since long before the start of the euro. Stirling is Stirling too, but when I've tried spending Scottish or NI banknotes in London, I've had to give in and go to a bank to change them for English ones!

Perhaps euro notes don't differ in appearance in that way, but I didn't know (not having knowingly seen any non Irish ones).

Thanks for the pointer re battery packs in non-hand luggage; I'll check out that section (and yes, good idea to comply with this kind of thing right away, in case it's just come into force).

I now remember reading something about new restrictions on electronics in checked bags, but it wasn't relevant to that particular trip, and didn't register at the time. (Perhaps it was re lithium? If so, I'm not surprised, having recently read a book about the elements!).

You're very welcome. If you take some euro coins out of your pocket right now and turn em over, likely you'll see a mix of countries. It's fine to use them everywhere. I know in the UK it can be a bit contentious, I remember being in Belfast about 10 years ago and a pub refusing to take sterling because it had the queens face on it! madness.

Yeah, in Asia it's now commonplace to not allow lithium ion batteries in check in luggage- so that would be portable chargers, or spare batteries for cameras etc. I don't think it's a legal requirement in Europe yet but it's best to do it to be sure. Actually, the US is going the opposite direction at the moment and is refusing lithium ion batteries in hand luggage, only in check in luggage, which many experts regard as dangerous.

If you haven't flown in a while, read up on the requirements re liquids in hand luggage. At the airport, take out the liquids bag from your hand-luggage and also take out any laptop, tablet or kindle device. Other than that, depending on where you're going in France, maybe pick up a basic tourist phrase book just in case. Be able to say hello, please, thanks and toilet in French. Just my opinion, locals usually appreciate it even if you haven't another word!
Hello- bonjour - said like Bon-Jew-er
Please - S'il vous plait - said like See-Vu-Play
Thanks - merci - said like Mer-See
Toilet - toilette - said like Twah-let

If you use a smartphone, be wary of roaming charges, especially if you've a bill phone and you use a lot of data. You can download offline maps with TripAdvisor and Google maps if required.

Enjoy the holiday!!!

coylemj

OP, as the poster above (name too complicated to type!) has said, there is no issue at all with money. I would reinforce the recommendation that you make some effort with the language - basic salutations and the like, it makes a big difference to how they treat you, especially when dealing with waiters in Paris.

As in Germany, when someone says 'thanks', you reply with 'please' so at the end of a transaction in France, the person you are dealing with may say 'merci' and you reply 'sil vous plait'. Starting a transaction with a simple 'bon jour' ('bon soir' in the evening) is well worth it, even if you don't have one single other French word or phrase in your head. They will know from your accent that you are not a French speaker and will usually not have a problem dealing with you in English.

From the perspective of security and air travel, there are no additional regulations you need to worry about if you are familiar with travel to London beyond the obvious requirement to bring your passport.

Fogmatic

Thank you both for taking the trouble to clarify things.

Yes, I know NI people can be a bit sensitive (when we were new to Ireland, my husband innocently marched into the nearest pub up there and asked if they took Irish money; only realised his mistake when he noticed a couple of men standing up slowly....).

Quite right about making the effort to say some basic things in French. I should be ok on that score, thanks to the BBC?s popular music policy back when I was young in England (as bland as possible). We got a new radio that could get some continental stations, and I discovered jazz, soul, R&B etc on the French stations - brilliant oral French training!

I?m on pay as you go, use wifi for internet and have mobile data turned off everywhere (signal too weak at home, too expensive when roaming). And I've never bothered with buying holiday data packages - too easy to stray out of my provider?s partner networks and get hit with big charges! There?s enough free wifi where I'll be.

Yes, I got a good paper Paris map in London recently, and will be adding some offline ones before I go (for different scales & features).

Thanks - I'll definitely enjoy it! Only been once before (in 1961, with De Gaulle only in office a year or two!). Interesting to see what's changed and what hasn't, and will also be seeing an old friend; she's over there from New Zealand with an exhibition from the art collective she's involved in there (no chance of being bored!).

coylemj

Have a great time in France OP.

I know the problem with trying to spend Scottish and NI sterling notes in London but I can give you a solution to the problem with NI notes....

First Trust notes are issued by AIB
Bank of Ireland (Donegall Place, Belfast) notes are issued by Bank of Ireland
Ulster Bank notes are issued by Ulster Bank

All of those institutions are licensed to print sterling notes on the basis that they will exchange those notes on demand (one for one) for Bank of England notes which means that if you walk into a branch in the south and present them with one of their own notes, they will exchange them for BoE notes without question. I've done it on several occasions when I'm about to travel to GB and have a few NI notes I want to convert to notes I can spend over there.

peckerhead

En attendant je vous conseille d'écouter un peu Radio FIP.

An eclectic music mix of soul/jazz/r&b, virtually no advertising, and when they do interrupt for a bit of bla-bla it's in a sexy Parisian accent. What's not to like?

Auntie has some very useful resources, too, if you want to refresh your skills further: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/quickfix/

Re security, expect to find a very visible police presence everywhere you go (especially train stations, shopping centres, etc.) and be sure to have your passport with you at all times. They used to be a lot more flexible about this requirement, but recent years have pretty much ended that.

Do you know where you'll be staying, OP?

Fogmatic

Thanks for the info re NI notes, coylemi. My husband used to get paid in them occasionally for his little carpentry jobs etc (I think we still have the odd one). When I tried to spend some in London, most of the shop workers wouldn't take them because they looked different (and they have to play it safe). Same with the Scottish ones when we moved back to London after some time there.

And thanks peckerhead; Radio FIP sounds a good music one to bookmark (wonderful choice of internet stations, time-consuming homing in on the most congenial ones!). FIP sounds like possibly an incarnation of one of the 2 I used to listen to the most (Radio Europe & Radio Paris, if memory serves). (There was a programme every evening called Salut les Copains! that was particularly reliable for musical quality).

The BBC site looks a very good starting point, and I?ve bookmarked it for languages generally. But for searching on Paris stuff I've had to disable Google Translate (which obscured my phone screen at every turn). It's only some bits of vocabulary I've had to look up, mostly re modern technology. (It's only my 2nd opportunity to practice French since school lessons; the other one was over 30 years later on holiday in officially French-speaking Quebec, where I was surprised to find myself happily jabbering away with the locals!).

Yes, my friend's invite included accommodation (in central Paris, even!) (Which'll save a bit of time, too). The artists are renting apartments near their exhibition space, and there'll probably be a spare bed (depending on when her other friends are visiting). If/when there isn't one, there's always the floor (I'm taking my light, compact sleeping bag). And there are good hostels nearby just in case.

coylemj

Fogmatic wrote: »

Thanks for the info re NI notes, coylemi. My husband used to get paid in them occasionally for his little carpentry jobs etc (I think we still have the odd one). When I tried to spend some in London, most of the shop workers wouldn't take them because they looked different (and they have to play it safe). Same with the Scottish ones when we moved back to London after some time there.

If you have Royal Bank of Scotland notes, you should be able to exchange them for BoE notes in a branch of Ulster Bank as they are owned by RBoS.

spurious

ALWAYS say 'Bonjour Madame' or 'Bonjour Monsieur' in a shop, no matter how small.
They will know straight away you are not French of course, but you will have made an effort. They don't go in for the point and grunt style of interaction many people employ in shops here.

peckerhead

Fogmatic wrote: »

...my friend's invite included accommodation (in central Paris, even!) (Which'll save a bit of time, too). The artists are renting apartments near their exhibition space, and there'll probably be a spare bed (depending on when her other friends are visiting). If/when there isn't one, there's always the floor (I'm taking my light, compact sleeping bag). And there are good hostels nearby just in case.

Sounds wonderfully romantic. Bon séjour !

munchkin_utd

the thing to remember about euro money is that the notes all look the same and have the same legal status, which is completely different from UK money where apparently (in the strict meaning of the term) English sterling is not legal tender in northern ireland, and I presume vice versa.

There was indeed some chat back at the height of the crash that greek issued euro notes would be treated differently to other euros, but that was never a runner, at least not with physical cash.

As for security related stuff, since the Madrid bombings back in 2002 or 2003, if travelling on an intercity train you have to have your luggage with a name tag on it otherwise it may cause hassle. There may be an increased police presence at stations and whatnot, but you've experienced the north back in the troubles I presume so will be accustomed to seeing armed police and soldiers about the place.
Theres talk of soon having airport type security at French rail stations, but no idea of how far that idea has progressed. (likely to be same as in brussels airport rail station, random stops and the occasional full passenger sweep when things get tense)

I've been to France and Belgium a number of times since the various attacks and aside from airports and rail stations you wouldn't know there's been an issue.

CelticRambler

To reinforce what Spurious says, always add the Monsieur/Madame, and emphasise it. A blunt "Bonjour" can be considered rude, and some French shopkeepers will be more insulted by that than by you not saying it at all. On the other hand, it's very common for shopkeepers or other servers not to use the word "Bonjour" at all, and greet you with a simple "Madame?" (which translates as "Hello Ma'am, what can I do for you?" and requires a response, tout de suite )

Money - no different to Ireland (except that we do still have and use the 1 and 2ct coins)

Security - no worse than most big cities these days. I was bag-checked as often on a recent trip to London as I've been in France. Everyone in France is required to be able to prove their ID (have been for years, nothing to do with today's carry-on); for those of us who come from countries with no ID-card, you'll need a passport. The chances of being asked for it, though, other than in your hotel or at a bank, are miniscule.

Of far more concern to you and your friend will be the numerous scam-artists that you'll come across. They all speak perfect English, hang out at all the tourists' favourite spots and will try to con you or distract you in all kinds of different ways. A favourite is the "you've dropped this ..." approach. Be sensible, keep your valuables out of sight and reach, and don't be afraid to be rude. Speaking Irish can be a good defence.

And unless you really want the discounts, don't buy a Visit Paris card for the metro; instead, buy a carnet of 10 single-journey tickets. They're good for a whole a journey, regardless of how many metro lines you need to take, as long as you don't leave the station. The fares work on a zone system very similar to London's Underground.

Spanish Eyes

For those going to Paris for the first time it is wonderful.

I am done with it now though. Rammed either with tourists, or hawkers, or beggars and all the rest of it.

Best done in the nineties. Was all good then. Nostalgia is a great thing isn't it.

If I were to go to Paris now (which I won't) I would stay in the Marais, and just wander around. See Les Invalides and surrounds. Would not go up the Eiffel Tower if you paid me to do it. See Pere Lachaise again and get the train to Versailles.

Paris is dangerous now. armed police everywhere, not nice anymore. But people will always want to see it. Glad I'm a veteran. Pre terrorist stuff. No more sorry.

coylemj

CelticRambler wrote: »

Of far more concern to you and your friend will be the numerous scam-artists that you'll come across. They all speak perfect English......

+1 And the beggars will all approach you, ask 'speak English?' while attempting to press a card with a sob story into your hand so your first line of defence is not to react and pretend not to understand if a stranger on the street tries it on with English.

CelticRambler

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Paris is dangerous now. armed police everywhere, not nice anymore. But people will always want to see it. Glad I'm a veteran. Pre terrorist stuff.

Ah go way out of that. It's no more dangerous than Dublin on a Saturday night ...

And there have been armed police in every town in France for about a hundred years, so nothing new there either. Every French gendarme is armed, even if he's only asking you to blow into the bag! :P

athtrasna

CelticRambler wrote: »

And unless you really want the discounts, don't buy a Visit Paris card for the metro; instead, buy a carnet of 10 single-journey tickets. They're good for a whole a journey, regardless of how many metro lines you need to take, as long as you don't leave the station. The fares work on a zone system very similar to London's Underground.

I find the carte mobilis to be better value but it depends on how much travelling around the city you plan on any day.