What do you have to plan if you want to go to France?

Question

We have never been to France and we'd like a list of things that would help us make a start on making plans. Could anyone please help?
Such as travel, (ferry and so on.)
passports
etc...
thank you in advance.

We haven't decided what part of France.

Answer 1

All the above answers are very good, but I came across this little quote from Susan Heller.
"When preparing to travel,lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money"

Answer 2

Take Euro currency
Credit cards
Driving Licence if Hiring a car
Health card (this replaced form E111)
Travel Insurance
Passport

Travel is wide open - it depends where you are travelling to and where from - don't forget that France is much larger than the UK.
Many of the regions have different characteristics.
In my view but I am biased, I've got a house there, Languedoc (Generally cheaper than Provence) is one of the best regions -
Sun, great scenery, the Med, friendly people, good food, great wine. history, architecture etc.

Travel via RyanAir to Carcassonne, Perpignan, Montpellier or Nimes. Car hire is cheaper than UK -check a number of Hire companies before deciding- the prices vary.

An open mind - get rid of any preconceived ideas about the antipathy between the English and the French - this is more an English idea than a French one. Act naturally and generally they are great and very hospitable.

Phrase Book - NB you get a lot of brownie points from the French if you make an attempt. Do not be afraid of making a fool of yourself if you get it wrong, the French attitude is that they will admire you for trying and not extract the "michael" like the English and they will try and help you.

When ever you enter a café, restaurant, shop etc it is polite to say "Bonjour" to those assembled - Usually, "Messieurs, Mesdammes, Bonjour", "Au revoir" when you leave, "S'il vous plaît" and "Merci" help a lot. The French are generally more polite than the English. When you start getting to know people there will be a lot of kissing on the cheek(s) and handshaking - this is normal.

Safeguard valuable items - there are thieves (especially those preying on tourists) the world over and France is no exception.

Enjoy

Mike

Answer 3

I have lived in France for the last 3 years and as much as I don't want to contradict anyone, would like to add my personal opinion nonetheless

1) If you are planning to travel to France, learn the basic phrases.
Contrary to popular belief, most French people do not speak English, although in tourist resorts it is much more likely, but not always true

2) I have never heard of anyone in any region of France using tablets to make the water more English or American friendly.

3) and lastly, the Euro is the only currency you will require

As to the other points made, I couldn't agree more

Visit the South West. Bastide Country with fantastic scenery, beautiful restaurants and very friendly people (especially if you attempt the language)

Answer 4

I'll do you a list hun,

1. Passport.
Get a passport form form world choice travel agents or your local post office. Take it with your old passport to world choice travel agents as they will take your photots, sign your form, also this will save you sending money, a postal order, a cheque or your card details through the post. Do this first, in some cases it can take up to 8 weeks but usually around 4 until you have your new one delivered.

2. E111 card
Go to yahoo search engine, key in E111 card, and fill in your form online. We all think it will never happen to me, but, unless you wanna risk paying for an air ambulance back to england or massive medical charges, get one! Takes about a week to recieve in the post and costs nothing but is essential for travelling overseas.

3. Travellers cheques/ Euros/ Francs
The currency in france is francs but you can also use euros. Take travellers cheques, full details available from your local post office, then you are totally protected. Also take a bag you can strap on the body. France is relatively safe but carrying a holidays worth of money it's better not to loose it. Also see what the charges are at your local brance for withdrawing at an atm machine in france, if it is minimal, it may be better. Some banks charge stupid amounts though so check first.

4. www.ryanair.com
for REALLY cheap flights, book at least 7 days before you wish to buy. The sooner you book, the cheaper the flight. It's quicker than a ferry and less messing about and travelling involved in the euro tunnel. Don't bother taking a car, you just need to worry about insurance, driving on the wrong side of the road etc. Rent one, it's much cheaper and more convenient. Also public transport is much more accessible in france.

5. www.needahotel.com
For good accomodation at low prices.

6. Research places to see
Have a look online at the area you choose, plan where to go to make the most out of your trip.

7. Phrases
Fear not for most french people are english speaking. But learn the essential phrases at least.
Merci: thank you
Bonjour: Good Day
Salut: Hello
Sil vous plait: Thank you
Je voudrais: I would like

8. Essentials
A clothes list is easy, then toiletries, any medication if u need it, always remember toothbrush! I usually keep a notepad with me for a day and list all the things i actually need from morning to night that i might have to take, such as tooth brush, comb, clothes etc. remember things like glasses/contacts/the pill.

9. Tablets for cleansing water
As your not used to french water and it's not as clarified as british or american water, take some tablets to clean it. I'm sorry I cant remember what they are called but all large super markets and health food shops should sell them, just ask at an assistant.

10. Underpack.
Remember to leave room for things you buy while there. Remember at airports you can buy things duty free.
Most things you could need are likely to be available in france so dont worry and enjoy your holiday.

Have a fabulous Holiday and I hope this is helpful.xxx

Answer 5

France is versatile and has so much to offer - i mean if you're interested in fashion, art, etc and as this is the case it's easy to get overwhelmed trying to cram in everything depending on how much time you have there. My little advice is to get a good guide book, one that tells you the famous places to visit, gives a bit of history, how to get there and so forth and also tells you about placed taht are off the beaten track and if your interest is say, in art or a specific form of art - look out for places to visit that have this and explore. I enjoyed Paris using the Metro and my guide book Baedekers Paris with it's extensive map of Paris and started exploring, getting lost and discovering so much more in getting lost! Do make the most of it, don't expect everything to go to plan - expect the unexpected and take it as an adventure. Safe travels :)

Answer 6

Passport's, tickets, for what ever form of transport you are taking, driving licence if you have one , but the main thing to do is photocopy everything "all the above". debit/credit cards copy as well. take cash wouldn't bother with travellers cheques, and last but not least don't make the mistake iv made in the past TRAVEL INSURANCE really! don't leave home without it , plus there is a card you can get which covers some medical bills like the NHS the E111 i think the post office has all the details you need for that. If you would like any more info just E-MAIL I'm happy to help!

Answer 7

Ferry, flight or Tunnel ?

If you are taking your car, as well as travel insurance its a good idea to get breakdown cover too. You will also need a GB sticker on your car & you need to pick up some headlight adjusters from Halfords or somewhere similar (they stick on your headlights & redirect the beams away from oncoming traffic).

You'll need your passports & if you have satnav, download something handy (or else buy a map book).

Don't know how long you're going for, but if you go through the tunnel you can do a few hundred miles over there & take in four countries !

have fun !

Answer 8

where are you travelling from ?

what nationality are you ?

my answer is based on that you are from uk, and british national then you can travel by flight / ferry or train. i prefer the eurostar.

before planning the days, know what you want to see.

get some booklets (lonely planet PARIS is good) it gives you details of all sites to be seen

carry euros before you enter the country to avoid being ripped off incase the rate is high and you have no choice but to go with the rate

and yes, pls carry a book of basic french, not everyone speaks english

enjoy !

Answer 9

What I have done myself is got some cheap flights and a rental car (£52 return flight, £220 car rental for 10 days), I bring with me only a few items of clothing and a few luxuries like portable dvd player, psp etc and sat nav.

I make a list of towns and cities i would like to see and then go to virtualtourist.com and find out whats to see and what to avoid in the places i will be visiting.

i can definately reccomend the virtual tourist site though as other users inform you of what to see and avoid, where the high crime areas are etc.

Maybe not suitable for a family holiday, but i sleep in the car. that way i pay £220 for accomodation and travel (-fuel)

Answer 10

France was just voted the country with the best all round standard of living. I can't think of a nicer place to go.
Try the Vendee fantastic and yet still relatively tourist free.
Your method of crossing would depend on where you are going and where you are leaving from.