Fast Facts

Area Code -- All French telephone numbers consist of 10 digits, the first two of which are like an area code. If you're calling anywhere in France from within France, just dial all 10 digits -- no additional codes are needed. If you're calling from the United States, drop the initial 0 (zero).

Auto Club -- An organization designed to help motorists navigate their way through breakdowns and motoring problems is Club Automobile de Provence, 149 bd. Rabatau, 13010 Marseille (tel. 04-91-78-83-00; www.automobileclubprovence.com).

Business Hours -- Business hours here are erratic, as befits a nation of individualists. Most banks are open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Many, particularly in smaller towns or villages, take a lunch break at varying times. Hours are usually posted on the door. Most museums close 1 day a week (often Tues), and they're generally closed on national holidays. Usual hours are from 9:30am to 5pm. Some museums, particularly the smaller and less-staffed ones, close for lunch from noon to 2pm. Most French museums are open on Saturday; many are closed Sunday morning but open Sunday afternoon. Again, refer to the individual museum listings.

Generally, offices are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, but always call first. In larger cities, stores are open from 9 or 9:30am (often 10am) to 6 or 7pm without a break for lunch. Some shops, particularly those operated by foreigners, open at 8am and close at 8 or 9pm. In some small stores, the lunch break can last 3 hours, beginning at 1pm.

Drinking Laws -- The legal age for the purchase and consumption of alcohol is 16. But you'll rarely be carded. Still, it's smart to carry an ID (your own!). The police are very strict about driving while intoxicated. If convicted, you face a high fine and possibly jail time.

Electricity -- In general, expect 200 volts, 50 cycles, though you'll encounter 110 and 115 volts in some older hotels. Adapters are needed to fit sockets.

Embassies & Consulates -- All embassies are in Paris. The Embassy of the United States, 2 av. Gabriel, 8e (tel. 01-43-12-22-22; http://france.usembassy.gov; Métro: Concorde), is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. The Embassy of Canada is at 35 av. Montaigne, 8e (tel. 01-44-43-29-00; www.international.gc.ca/canada-europa/france/menu-en.asp; Métro: F-D-Roosevelt or Alma-Marceau), open Monday to Friday 9am to noon and 2 to 5pm. The Embassy of the United Kingdom is at 35 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 8e (tel. 01-44-51-31-00; http://ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk; Métro: Concorde or Madeleine), open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 5pm. The Embassy of Ireland is at 4 rue Rude, Paris 75116 (tel. 01-44-17-67-00; www.embassyofireland.fr; Métro: Etoile), open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 5:30pm. The Embassy of Australia is at 4 rue Jean-Rey, 15e (tel. 01-40-59-33-00; www.france.embassy.gov.au; Métro: Bir Hakeim), open Monday to Friday 9:15am to noon and 2:30 to 4:30pm. The embassy of New Zealand is at 7 ter rue Léonard-de-Vinci, Paris 75116 (tel. 01-45-01-43-43; www.nzembassy.com; Métro: Victor Hugo), open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 2:30 to 6pm. The embassy of South Africa, 59 quai d'Orsay, 7e (tel. 01-53-59-23-23; www.afriquesud.net; Métro: Invalides), is open Monday to Friday 9am to noon.

Emergencies -- In an emergency while at a hotel, contact the front desk. Most staffs are trained in dealing with a crisis and will do whatever is necessary. If the emergency involves something like a stolen wallet, go to the police station in person. Otherwise, you can get help anywhere by calling tel. 17 for the police, tel. 18 for the fire department (pompiers), or tel. 15 for medical emergencies.

Etiquette & Customs -- Gestures: If invited to someone's home, bring flowers, but never in the number of 13, which is said to bring bad luck. Don't bring any white flowers (for weddings), red carnations (bad will), or white lilies or chrysanthemums (for funerals). You can also bring wine, but make sure it's an expensive bottle; anything else is considered insulting.

Avoiding offense: Always try to arrive exactly on time if invited to a French house for dinner. Also, dress well.

Eating & drinking: Don't begin eating until the host or hostess has said, "Bon appétit."

Business etiquette: Say "bonjour" or "bonsoir" (good morning or good evening), with either a monsieur or madame, when meeting someone, even a shopkeeper. Upon leaving, say "au revoir" (goodbye), even if leaving a shop where you didn't buy anything. Business cards are exchanged after the initial intro.

Holidays -- In France, holidays are jours fériés. Shops and many businesses (banks and some museums and restaurants) close on holidays, but hotels and emergency services remain open.

The main holidays include New Year's Day (Jan 1), Easter Sunday and Monday, Labor Day (May 1), V-E Day (May 8), Whitmonday (May 19), Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter), Bastille Day (July 14), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Aug 15), All Saints' Day (Nov 1), Armistice Day (Nov 11), and Christmas (Dec 25).

Hospitals -- In Nice there is the Hôpital St-Roch, 5 rue Pierre Dévoluy (tel. 04-92-03-33-75); in Monaco, Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace, av. Pastuer (tel. 377-97-98-99-00); in Antibes, Chemin des Quatres Chemins (tel. 04-92-91-77-77); in Cannes, Hôpital des Broussailles, 13 av. Des Broussailles (tel. 04-93-69-70-00).

Insurance -- For travel overseas, most U.S. health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid) do not provide coverage, and the ones that do often require you to pay for services upfront and reimburse you only after you return home.

As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation might be necessary. If you require additional medical insurance, try MEDEX Assistance (tel. 410/453-6300; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (tel. 800/821-2828; www.travelassistance.com; for general information on services, call the company's Worldwide Assistance Services, Inc., at tel. 800/777-8710).

Canadians should check with their provincial health plan offices or call Health Canada (tel. 866/225-0709; www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find out the extent of their coverage and what documentation and receipts they must take home in case they are treated overseas.

Travelers from the U.K. should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111 form as proof of entitlement to free/reduced cost medical treatment abroad (tel. 0845/606-2030; www.ehic.org.uk). Note, however, that the EHIC covers only "necessary medical treatment," and coverage for repatriation costs, lost money, baggage, or cancellation, travel insurance from a reputable company should always be sought (www.travelinsuranceweb.com).

Language -- English is increasingly understood in France, especially among young people who have studied it in school. People are more likely to understand English in such centers as Paris and the Riviera than in the more remote provinces. Service personnel in hotels tend to speak English, at least at the front desk. A staff member at most restaurants will speak a bit of English. However, many people you encounter in France do not speak English, and you may want to carry a Berlitz handbook. For some basic vocabulary, see chapter 10.

Legal Aid -- The French government advises foreigners to consult their embassy or consulate in case of an arrest or similar problem. The staff can generally offer advice on how you can obtain help locally and can furnish you with a list of local attorneys. If you are arrested for illegal possession of drugs, the U.S. Embassy and consular officials cannot interfere with the French judicial system. A consulate can advise you only of your rights.

Lost & Found -- To speed the process of replacing your personal documents if they're lost or stolen, make a photocopy of the first few pages of your passport and write down your credit card numbers (and the serial numbers of your traveler's checks, if you're using them) before leaving your home country. Leave this information with someone at home -- to be faxed to you in an emergency -- and swap it with your traveling companion. Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen, and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss.

Use the following numbers in France to report your lost or stolen credit card: for American Express, tel. 336/393-1111 (call collect; www.americanexpress.com); for MasterCard, tel. 08-00-90-13-87 (www.mastercard.com); and for Visa, tel. 08-00-90-11-79 (www.visaeurope.com). Your credit card company may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency card in a day or two.

Mail -- Most post offices in France are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm, and Saturday from 8am to noon. Allow 5 to 8 days to send or receive mail from your home. Airmail letters to North America cost .90€ for 20 grams. Letters to the U.K. cost .85€ for up to 20 grams. An airmail postcard to North America or Europe (outside France) costs .85€.

You can exchange money at post offices. Many hotels sell stamps, as do local post offices and cafes displaying a red TABAC sign outside.

Maps -- The best and most detailed maps are provided by Michelin, the tire people. You can search their website at www.viamichelin.com. These maps are sold in good bookstores all over the world, and in nearly all bookstores in Languedoc, Provence, and the resorts strung along the Riviera.

If you're driving around France, the best road atlas to travel with is Michelin's Atlas Routièr France, which can be purchased with a spiral binding for greater convenience. Plans, or street maps, are distributed free by tourist offices, including Nice, Cannes, Monaco, and St-Tropez. Abbreviations in common use on these city maps are R for rue (street), AV for avenue, and Q for quay.

Pharmacies -- If you need a pharmacie during off hours, have the front-desk staff at your hotel get in touch with the nearest Commissariat de Police. An agent there will have the address of a nearby pharmacy open 24 hours a day. French law requires that the pharmacies in any given neighborhood display the name and location of the one that remains open all night. In Paris, one of the most central all-nighters is Pharmacy Les Champs "Derhy," 84 av. des Champs-Elysées, 8e (tel. 01-45-62-02-41; Métro: George V).

Police -- Call tel. 17 anywhere in France.

Useful Phone Numbers -- U.S. Dept. of State Travel Advisory (tel. 202/647-5225, staffed 24 hr.); U.S. Passport Agency (tel. 202/647-0518); U.S. Centers for Disease Control International Traveler's Hotline (tel. 800/232-4636).

Visitor Information -- Your best source of information before you go is the French Government Tourist Office; visit its website at www.franceguide.com. In the United States, call tel. 514/288-1904 to request information. In Canada, tel. 514/288-2026; in the United Kingdom, tel. 09068/244-123 (60p per minute), fax 020/7493-6594; in Ireland, call tel. 015/60-235-235; and in Australia, call tel. 02/9231-5244. There's no representative in New Zealand -- you will have to call the Australian office.

Water -- Drinking water is generally safe, though it's occasionally been known to cause diarrhea. If you ask for water in a restaurant, it'll be served bottled (for which you'll pay) unless you specifically request l'eau du robinet (tap water). Your waiter may ask if you'd like your water avec gas (carbonated) or sans gas (without bubbles).