France: know before you go

France's entry rules are Schengen rules: most visitors, including those from the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, can stay 90 days in any 180 day period without a visa, and the count covers the whole Schengen area. Passports must be valid for at least three months beyond your departure and have been issued within the last ten years. The EU's Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, so first-time non-EU visitors have a facial image and fingerprints taken at the border and no longer get a passport stamp. ETIAS, the travel authorisation planned for visa-free visitors, is expected to open in late 2026 at €20 for three years, and nothing needs doing yet.

France's main international gateways are Paris, where Charles de Gaulle and Orly take most long-haul flights, and regional airports at Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Bordeaux. From the UK, most visitors arrive by train or with a car. Eurostar runs direct from London St Pancras to Paris and on to Lille, and Le Shuttle carries cars under the Channel from Folkestone to Calais. Ferries still cross to Calais, Dieppe and ports in Normandy and Brittany. Inside France, the TGV takes over and gets you between cities faster than flying on most routes.

Trains connect France's cities better than any other option, and the TGV network reaches Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes and most other large cities. Ouigo low-cost trains cover many of the same routes from outlying stations, and regional TER trains fill in the rest. Long-distance tickets are priced like air fares, so the same seat can cost several times more on the day than months ahead, and seat reservations are compulsory. Driving works well outside the big cities, with tolls on most motorways and a Crit'Air sticker needed for low-emission zones. Buses and budget flights exist, though the train usually wins once you add airport time.

France uses the euro. Card payments work almost everywhere, contactless included, and you only need cash in rural areas where a few small shops still refuse cards. Restaurant bills usually include service: when the bill says prix service compris, the charge is already in the price, and any tip is a voluntary extra of a euro or two for good service. Tax refunds for non-EU visitors are decent: reclaim VAT on more than €100 of purchases from a single shop, with a customs validation before you check in. Big cities also add a tourist tax to your hotel bill, set by the town and charged per adult per night.

France's emergency system is quick and easy to use, and serious crime against visitors is rare. Petty theft is the thing to watch, especially phones and bags in crowds at major sights, main stations and on busy public transport. Save 112 and 15 in your phone, photograph your passport and insurance, and note your embassy's address. At the coast, follow local swimming warnings, because Atlantic currents can be strong. If something is stolen, file a police report, since insurers and consulates will ask for one.

Healthcare in France is high quality and expensive if you pay out of pocket. Visitors from the EU, EEA and Switzerland can use the European Health Insurance Card for public care on the same terms as residents, but it covers only part of the cost, so a travel policy is worth having for everything else. Schengen visa applicants must show medical insurance covering at least €30,000, repatriation included. Pharmacies, marked by a green cross, handle minor problems and give advice. No vaccinations are required to enter the country, and in an emergency the number to call is 112.

France's mobile coverage is strong in cities and along the TGV lines, weaker in mountain valleys. Visitors with a SIM from an EU country pay domestic rates for calls, texts and data in France, with fair-use limits and an automatic text message on crossing the border. Visitors from outside the EU should check their operator's French rates or buy a prepaid SIM from Orange, SFR, Bouygues or Free; they sell them in shops and supermarkets, and top-ups are easy. Free Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés, libraries and many public buildings, and calls over apps work well on the 4G and 5G networks.

French etiquette starts with a word: bonjour. Say it when you enter a shop, café or waiting room, before asking for anything, and pair it with merci and au revoir on the way out. Use vous with strangers until they offer tu. Meals are long and service is unhurried; staff leave you alone, and asking for the bill twice in five minutes reads as impatience. Keep voices low on trains and in restaurants, let people off the metro before boarding, and expect small shops to close for lunch and on Sundays in many towns. In August, some restaurants shut for part of the month.

French is France's official language, and everything from road signs to menus is in it. English is common in hotels, museums and big-city restaurants, less so in small towns, so a few phrases carry you a long way: bonjour, merci, s'il vous plaît, au revoir and parlez-vous anglais. Attempt the French first, speak slowly, and most people switch to English happily. Regional languages survive in pockets, including Breton in Brittany, Occitan in the south, Basque in the southwest and Alsatian in the northeast. Train announcements and menus are worth reading in French, since English versions are not always offered.

France's rail accessibility runs through SNCF's Accès Plus service, which arranges assistance for travellers with reduced mobility at stations and on board, and it should be requested when you book your ticket. TGV INOUI tickets can be reserved up to six months ahead, which helps if you need a wheelchair space. Modern trams and buses in most cities are step-free, but older metro systems, Paris above all, still have long staircases and few lifts at some stations. Accessible taxis and adapted tours need booking in advance.

France has 11 public holidays in 2026, and the calendar clusters them into long weekends: Easter Monday on 6 April, 1 May on a Friday, 8 May on a Friday, Ascension on Thursday 14 May and Whit Monday on 25 May. Bastille Day, 14 July 2026, falls on a Tuesday, with parades, fireworks and parties around the country. Trains and hotels fill fast around the holiday weekends, so book those dates early, and check museum closing days before you plan around a holiday. Alsace and Moselle add Good Friday and 26 December to the list.

Booking early is how you keep a France trip affordable. TGV and Intercités tickets open about four months before travel, with the cheapest fares on the first day of sale and July and August departures disappearing first. If you travel on a Eurail or Interrail pass in summer, reserve TGV seats at least six weeks ahead, because passholder quotas on popular trains sell out. Compare a pass with point-to-point fares before committing: a four day France pass worked out at about €49 a day plus a €10 reservation at the time of writing. Coastal hotels and alpine beds go early for school holidays, and the May 2026 long weekends are worth planning around.