January 1st: New Year
March/April: Easter Monday*
May 1st: Labour Day
May 8th: End of WW2 Ascension Day*
July 14th: Bastille Day
August 15th: Assumption
November 1st: All Saints Day
November 11th: Armistice Day
December 25th: Christmas Day

* Note that Easter does not fall on a fixed date and the holiday varies from year to year. Ascension Day falls 31 days after Easter Monday.

Most museums and shops are closed on France's jours fériés (public holidays). When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, expect to see a lot of shuttered storefronts on that Monday or Friday as well. The doors of banks are good places to check for announcements of long holiday weekends.

France's national day, 14 July, commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison, the event that kicked off the French Revolution. Across the country, the holiday is celebrated with serious abandon, especially in Paris, where the day ends with a massive fireworks display and throngs of people in the streets.

French schoolchildren and teachers have five holidays a year: one week at the end of October, two weeks at Christmas, two more in February, two in Spring, and all of July and August.

SAMU (medical emergencies): 15
Police emergency: 17
Fire service emergency: 18
European emergency line: 112

The police, understanding the French legal system
In case of attack or theft, you can report it to:

- The nearest police station or gendarmerie to where the attack was carried out.
- The state prosecutor's department of a higher level court (for cases of a serious nature) where the attack was carried out, or of the place of residence of the person who carried out the attack, if they can be identified.

Les Pages Jaunes [Yellow Pages] for the address of the appropriate department.

In case of a dispute with a hotel, restaurant, retailer, etc. you must contact the Direction Départementale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes [departmental consumer rights organization] of the Department where the incident occurred.

If you commit an offence, you are liable to various sentences in the same way as a French citizen, whether a driving offence, travelling without a ticket on public transport, being under the influence of alcohol on a public highway or for brawling in a café.

If in the event of a problem for which you wish to take legal action, the "Ordre des Avocats" [lawyers association] provides free and open consultation to all.

All telephone numbers in France are composed of 10 digits.

To call somewhere in France when in France, dial the 10 digit number, which starts with a 0.

From France to a foreign country: dial 00 + the country code + the number of the person you are calling.

You will find all telephone cards (for phone boxes, recharges for mobile phones, pre-paid cards, etc.) available at Post Offices, tobacconist's and souvenir shops.

All rates and country codes can be found at www.francetelecom.fr

France is very well covered by the 3 French mobile phone operators. Find out from your own operator which French network to choose so that you can use your mobile phone in France.

www.pagesjaunes.fr for the yellow pages
www.pagesblanches.fr for the white pages

In France, mail boxes are coloured yellow and can be found along streets and in every Post Office.

You can buy stamps at any Post Office and at any tobacconist.
Postage cost varies according to the weight of your mail and its destination

The French mail service is efficient: allow 24 to 48 hours for a letter sent in France to arrive at its destination in France; from France to abroad, allow one to five days. The cost for standard mail is without special surtaxes.

Due to the increase in internet and e-mail use, Internet Cafes are becoming common place and can be found in most towns throughout France. Rates may vary, but you will be charged according to the amount of time spent using the computer. To find an Internet Cafe, ask the local tourist office.

As a rule, prices for most goods and services, including hotels and restaurants, in the French regions are significantly less expensive than in Paris.

There are also significant discounts for senior citizens, students and children under 18 for domestic transportation, museums and monuments, and for some leisure activities (movies, etc.).

Prices at cafes can vary considerably depending on location as well as where one is seated in the establishment (standing at the counter or sitting at a table). Prices in areas that attract many tourists (for example, the vicinity of the Champs-Elysees and around Notre Dame) tend to be more expensive.

Banking hours in Paris are usually from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Throughout the rest of France, banks are usually open from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. Banks often close earlier the day before a public holiday.

Credit cards are accepted in a large number of shops, hotels, and restaurants. Shopkeepers often state a minimum charge.

Currency exchange can be made in most banks and post offices as well as in some large stores, train stations, airports and exchange offices near major tourist sites. Look for a sign indicating "Change". Remember that even though exchange rates are fixed, agent commissions vary: they must be clearly displayed. Exchange rates vary from bank to bank in France. In general, it is best to find a larger bank or exchange office in the centre of town or in a financial area. If only a small amount of money is being exchanged, the hotel's money exchange rate may be adequate.

Euro (€):Notes: 500/200/100/50/20/10/5

Coins: 2€/1€/50 cents/20c/10c/5c/2c/1c The Euro is divided into 100 cents

During their stay in France, visitors are usually asked to pay a tourism tax or a flat-rate tourism tax that is fixed by the local authority and varies from 0.20€ to 1.50€ per person per day, according to the quality and standard of the accommodation.

Where the tourism tax is not a flat rate, children under 13 years of age are exempt.
This tax is collected by the owner or management of the accommodation and will be included in your hotel bill, rent, etc.