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Transcription

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Welcome!
If you have just moved to France, it's
likely you are feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Apart from a new culture and
language to cope with, in your first few
weeks here you will have to sort out a
host of practical things: somewhere to
live, your finances, permits and papers,
and maybe a school for your children
and a job for your partner.
The Expat Survival Guide will give you a
starting point: the basic information
you need, plus plenty of phone numbers
for companies and organisations that
can help you out.
RELOCATION
PAGE 10
Your first few days; Relocation service providers;
Residence permits; Social security system;
Marriage and divorce
HOUSING
PAGE 20
Buy or rent?; Renting a home; Buying a home;
Accommodation agencies; Where to live in Paris
MONEY
Banking, Insurance, Taxation
PAGE 34
EDUCATION
PAGE 40
Education system; School listings; Language schools,
Daycare
JOBS
How to find a job; Work permits
PAGE 50
HEALTH
Healthcare system; Hospitals
PAGE 54
This guide is published by Expatica —
news and information for expatriates
and the leading voice of expatriate
Europe. Expatica's website
(www.expatica.com) will give you access
to a whole world of information and
services that will make your life in
France easier and more enjoyable.
SETTLING IN
Electricity, gas, water, waste disposal,
postal system, telephone, internet
PAGE 57
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT
Transport; Driving and parking
PAGE 60
We hope you find this guide and
Expatica's other products useful — and
we wish you a wonderful stay in France!
LISTINGS AND INDEX
PAGE 69
Embassies; Groups and clubs; Local customs and
etiquette; Phone book decoder; Weights and
measures; Emergency numbers; Advertisers index
Research: Clair Whitmer, Matt Gil, Graham
Tearse; Editor: Simon Payn; Sales: Stephane
Caen, David Davis, David McGowan, Mike de
Haan, Mike Mazurkiewicz.
To advertise in next year's Expat Survival
Guide, email [email protected] or call
Stephane Caen on +31 20 888 4869.
Published September 2005
© Expatica Communications BV
Kruislaan 400, 1098 SM Amsterdam, Netherlands
[email protected]
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
www.expatica.com
SHOPPING
PAGE 64
Where to find what, English bookshops
WINING AND DINING
Food from home
PAGE 68
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, or transmitted, in any form by any means,
electronically or mechanically, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval system
without prior written permission from the publisher.
Requests for permission should be addressed to Expatica
Communications, Kruislaan 400, 1098 SM, Amsterdam,
Netherlands. Expatica makes great effort to ensure the
accuracy of information contained in this guide. However,
we will not be responsible for errors or omissions or any
damages, howsoever caused, which result from its use, and
make no warranty of claims as to the quality or competence
of businesses or professionals mentioned. Company names
highlighted in red have paid for advertising in the guide.
Users are advised to take care when selecting professional
services, and to use common sense in adjusting to life in
another country.
FRANCE EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE
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Introduction
Where is France headed in 2005? Here is a brief introduction
to a country its citizens lovingly refer to as l'Hexagone.
France is a country that offers diverse
regions of very different climates and
topographies, a wide choice of leisure activities, agricultural abundance and, notably,
beloved traditions of culinary excellence.
Among European states, France has a relatively high level of material wealth, an
excellent public and private health service, a
generous welfare system, a childcare and
education system of high standards, an
excellent transportation infrastructure and a
culture that values quality of life over material affluence.
But despite its pride in these assets, France
is suffering a 'coup de blues' in 2005.
The overwhelming French rejection of the
European Constitution and its still
unknown consequences; an unemployment
rate that seems stubbornly stuck around 10
percent; chronic concern about the life
expectancy of that sacred elephant, Sécurité
sociale; and a seemingly ever-rising cost of
living have all combined to make the
French deeply anxious about the future.
The watershed moment of the past year was
the May referendum on the European
Constitution, which President Jacques
Chirac placed on the political calendar but
which turned into a stunning rebuke of his
own leadership from both sides of the political spectrum.
Frightened by the expansion of the Union
from 15 to 25 in 2004 and unsure about the
prospect of Turkey's admission, the French
have unequivocally said 'Non' to a Europe
they judge to be growing too far, too fast;
but, while the vote was psychologically
cathartic, the French are now left with no
alternative master plan to which they can
throw their support.
Chirac responded to the referendum results
by ousting Prime Minister Jean-Pierre
2
Raffarin in favour of long-time supporter
Dominique de Villepin. Chirac was also
forced to return the popular Nicolas
Sarkozy to the ministry of the interior, after
having pushed him out of the finance ministry just five months earlier.
But the challenge remains to convince the
French that this change in leadership will
bring about any fundamental policy shifts.
Villepin announced in June a 100-day initiative against unemployment, known as le
chômage, and sure enough the jobless rate
dipped below 10 percent in July for the first
time in two years. This — combined with
the newly instituted contrat nouvelle
embauche that will make it easier for small
businesses to hire and fire new employees
— has buoyed hope that de Villepin can
actually make headway here.
Nonetheless, the economic statistics entering autumn 2005 are relatively gloomy,
including a record-high trade deficit and
stagnant growth. The government was
forced to decrease its goal of 2 percent
growth for the year to around 1.5 percent
and many economists think this new figure
is still a stretch; the French economy grew
2.3 percent in 2004.
All of this has opened the floodgates on
political forecasting for the 2007 presidential
elections. Chirac's recent stint in the hospital
seemed overnight to end any speculation
that he might run again; the current governing party, the UMP, will likely have to
choose between Chirac loyalist de Villepin
and the charismatic party leader Sarkozy.
At the same time, the opposition Socialist
party is in complete disarray after the referendum, when a majority of members voted
Non in contravention of the official party
line.
continued on page 4
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Introduction
continued from page 2
POLITICS
France is a republic, with a powerful president under whom serves a prime minister
and government. Presidential and legislative elections are held every five years. It is
the president who chooses a prime minister,
who in turn forms a government.
The French parliament, called the National
Assembly, counts 577 elected members, 22
of them representing overseas territories.
The country is currently governed by the
constitution of the Fifth Republic, established in 1958. The presidential mandate
was reduced to five years in 2000; Jacques
Chirac was re-elected to a second term of
office in 2002. There is no limit on the number of mandates a president can serve.
Although his centre-right UMP party shortly thereafter won a landslide parliamentary
majority in legislative elections, much of his
initial political capital was spent by March
2004 when the Socialist party took back
every region but Alsace.
ESSENTIAL STATISTICS
4
The office of French president has far-reaching powers although President Chirac has
chosen to play a high-profile role only in
foreign affairs.
After Villepin argued before the United
Nations against the American war in Iraq in
2003, Chirac has again placed France in
opposition to the US in the debate over
United Nations reform.
The predominant political question of 2007
is unemployment.
But at the forefront of social tensions is the
difficult integration of second and thirdgeneration children of immigrants from
France's former north African colonies.
While the law prohibiting the wearing of
the Islamic headscarf in schools was implemented with less uproar than many anticipated, the issue is not forgotten among
France's five million Muslims.
Much of this section of the population
inhabit large suburban public housing
estates, commonly termed les banlieues,
which form ghetto areas of high unemployment and unrest.
France is the country with the largest
surface area in western Europe, and is
one of the continent's leading economic
and diplomatic powers, alongside the
United Kingdom and Germany.
each of which elects its own mayor.
Although the government has in recent
years delegated a list of specific powers
to the regional and local governments,
administration of the country is still
highly centralised, with power firmly
anchored in Paris.
It had a population of 62.4 million in
January 2005 with an estimated annual
GDP, in French the PIB, of EUR 1.65 billion for 2004. The average household
income was EUR 27,314 as of 2002, the
latest official figure available.
While France is a secular state, about 85
percent of the population declare themselves Roman Catholics. Muslims
account for between 5 and 10 percent of
the population, followed by Protestants
(2 percent) and Jews (about 1 percent).
Its political administration is divided
into 25 régions, including 4 overseas
régions, and 100 départements, including 4
overseas. Départements are then broken
into communes, or towns. Large cities, like
Paris, are divided into arrondissement,
With the world's fifth-largest economy in
2004, France is a major manufacturing
country, notably producing cars, chemicals, civil and military aircraft, shipbuilding, light and heavy machinery, metallurgy and electronics.
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The regions of France
France is the largest country in Western Europe, and its geographical
spread gives it a wide variety of environments and climate.
The French are rightly very proud of the
immense beauty and diversity of the country they live in. With few exceptions, industrialisation has not scarred the land beyond
limited pockets, and strong agricultural traditions have helped preserve the different
characters of many regions.
picturesque and tidy coastline running several hundred kilometres from the Channel
and down the Atlantic.
Despite this, France is a much centralised
country, where all roads lead to Paris. The
seats of power lie in the French capital,
whether they be economic, those of education or public administration..
Normandy is a more affluent region, with
an arguably prettier countryside, and
turned more towards Paris, with which it is
considerably closer. Noted for its timbered
and thatch-roofed houses, the countryside is
dominated by dairy farms, home to many
of France's best-known cheeses, notably
Camembert.
The country's impressive modern transport
infrastructure, notably the high-speed train
links, has created many possibilities for professional mobility and greatly increased the
attraction of rural regions once inaccessible
for city dwellers.
Indeed, after decades of a reverse trend,
there are now more people relocating to the
countryside in France than are leaving it.
THE NORTH WEST
The largest regions making up north-west
France are Brittany, Normandy and the
Loire Valley. Smaller regions include the
Orléanais, the Sologne, and the Sarthe.
The north-west region is essentially composed of agricultural land, notably turned
over to dairy, pig and cereal farms, with
wine production in the Loire Valley, parts of
the Orléanais and Brittany.
.
Brittany, a land of seafaring tradition and
still a centre of the fishing industry, is the
Celtic region of France.
Just as is the case for its coastal neighbour
Normandy, and for the Loire Valley south
and inland, tourism is a major source of revenue for this particularly popular holiday
destination which yearly draws millions of
French and foreigners alike, attracted by its
6
Outside of the industrial ports, Brittany is
turned over to agriculture, notably pig rearing and vegetable crops.
Indeed, farming is large-scale, while the
countryside is also dotted with the wellkept properties of Parisian owners, horsebreeding farms and horse-riding schools.
The Loire region, famous for its splendid
former royal châteaux, is dominated by the
river that gives it its name, and centred on
the town of Tours.
It is a mix of small and large agricultural
businesses, including fruit farming, wine
growing and cereal production.
The larger industrial centres of the northwest region include the ports of Le Havre,
Cherbourg, Brest and St. Nazaire, and to a
lesser degree the towns of Nantes, Le Mans,
Laval and Orléans. Administrative and academic centres include the Breton capital of
Rennes, and the cities of Tours and Nantes.
Traditional industries like shipbuilding are
on the decline, and many of the modest
agricultural businesses are increasingly
struggling.
The humid climate is largely affected by the
Atlantic, with summer temperatures regu-
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larly reaching the high 20s Celsius, while
winters are punctuated by sometimes fierce
storms.
THE NORTH EAST
The border regions of north-east of France,
where the country meets Belgium and
Germany, was once the country's manufacturing heartland, the site of the French coal
and metallurgy industries.
But nowadays, from the Nord to the
Lorraine, many of the industrial sites have
closed, leaving high unemployment.
The region remains comparatively industrialised, retaining some traditional activities
like chemical and car manufacturing and
attracting new businesses like the production of electric appliances and office equipment.
the advent of the Channel
“ With
Tunnel, the town of Lille has
considerably developed its
commercial links with Britain.
”
Surrounding the urban pockets of Lille,
Amiens, St. Quentin, Mézières, Metz, Nancy
and Sochaux, are some of the most beautiful
areas of France, notably Alsace, Picardie, the
Vosges mountains, Champagne and the
Ardennes — and together they make up the
most contrasting of any of the four corners
of France.
While Alsace is a distinctly Germanic
region, the vine-coated Champagne region
is as quintessentially French as one could
imagine, with picture-postcard villages lining the Marne valley where sits its capital,
Reims.
Both these inner regions are separated by
the thickly forested hills of the vast
Ardennes, which stretch out to Belgium.
8
Closer to Paris is Picardie, a WW1 battlefront and now a land of peaceful, rolling
fields and light industry, stretching up
towards the Channel coast.
To the south east are the Vosges mountains,
centre of the country's wood industry.
Further south still is the Franche-Comté,
bordering Switzerland, famous for its production of watches and clocks.
THE CENTRE
At the centre of France lies the Massif
Central, a once-active volcanic region with
the town of Clermont-Ferrand at its heart.
This is where most of France's mineral
water sources are found, and many spa
towns are dotted beneath the extinct craters
of the Puy-de-Dôme.
The centre of France includes the sparsestpopulated départements in the country,
notably the Creuse, the Allier and the beautiful, green and hilly Cantal.
Property here is among the cheapest in
France but, with a weak and dwindling
population, public services - notably medical care - are also the most inaccessible.
Stretching north from the centre-east, from
close to Lyon all the way up to within 160
kilometres (100 miles) of Paris, is the huge
Bourgogne, or Burgundy, a major wine-producing region containing some of France's
prettiest, and oldest villages.
THE SOUTH WEST
The south west region includes the
Dordogne, the Gironde, the Landes, the
Basque country, the Gers, the Pyrenees and
the Haute-Garonne with Toulouse at its centre.
The grand, historic city of Bordeaux, like the
affluent, wine-producing region which surrounds it, lies along the Gironde estuary.
South from here begins the region of Les
Landes, with an Atlantic coast of long,
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sandy beaches slapped by great rolling
waves, lined by dunes and pine forests.
South and inland, from the picturesque
Dordogne marking the north, down to the
equally stunning countryside of the Gers, in
the south, is a land of legendary gastronomic tradition, home to the truffle and foie gras.
Further south, the flat, vineyard-stitched
plains lead to Toulouse, a city whose pinkbricked buildings give it the name of the
ville rose, home of Airbus which is assembled close by.
vineyards and fruit farms and the production of aromatic plants. This is a region
apart from any other, where life is dominated by the strong Mediterranean climate.
The ancient port of Marseille is a city in considerable social and economic decline, but
with a uniquely proud, enduring and rich
character. It is the poor Mediterranean
cousin of the Riviera bastions of Nice and
Cannes, which attract an affluent cosmopolitan population, not least because the southeast department of the Alpes-Maritime in
which they lie is blessed with more sunshine than any in France.
THE SOUTH EAST
South from Lyon, which is France's second
largest city, the river Rhône runs down to
the Mediterranean. On its way it reaches the
ancient Papal town of Avignon, where it
spills into La Provençe, a region running
east all the way to the Italian border, and
north from the Mediterranean shore
between Marseille and Nice.
A former textile centre, Lyon is a major
industrial site and is the self-styled gastronomic capital of France. It has lost weight in
the power balance it once held against Paris,
but it remains an important economic centre.
Provençe is one of the most attractive
regions in France, blessed with hot summers and generally mild winters.
The countryside is largely turned over to
North of the Riviera, lie the Alps, the site of
Europe's highest mountain, the 4,807 metretall Mont Blanc.
Occupying the western Mediterranean
shores, lined by the towns of Nîmes,
Montpellier, Béziers and Perpignan, is the
Languedoc-Roussillon, a major wine and
fruit-producing region.
Montpellier has built up a vibrant economy
and centres of technical and academic excellence. The city has a major airport and is
now also linked with Paris by the TGV train.
Despite being a popular tourist destination,
the region is less crowded in the summer
than Provençe, particularly so inland where
it rises to meet the scrub-covered hills of the
Cévennes, an area which is arguably the
least spoilt of any in southern France.
The French city of Toulouse is surrounded by flat, vineyard-stitched plains
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Your first few days
RELOCATION
If you've just arrived in France these are the essential things to quickly sort out,
before ending up with needless hassle. This is the guide to what to do and how.
RESIDENCE PERMIT
RENTING A HOME
Most foreign nationals, including some EU
citizens, who intend to stay more than
three months in France must apply for a
residence permit. It is best to begin the
process as soon as you arrive.
If you've decided to rent a home, you'll
need to move fast in a market swamped
with demand, paperwork and jargon.
See page 11
BUYING A HOME
SOCIAL SECURITY
If you intend buying property in France,
you must consider beforehand how to go
about finding a home, the time it will take
to conclude a deal and what the legal costs
will be.
In almost all cases you will need to start
paying into the French social security system, which manages the country's comprehensive welfare insurance, from healthcare
to unemployment.
See page 22
See page 26
See page 17
UTILITIES
SCHOOLING
Once you've found a home, the first thing is
to get the electricity, water and gas turned
on. It's not a complicated task, but utilities
companies are not all in the same place.
Parents will need to swiftly organise schooling for their children, but it is important to
first understand how French education
works and what the choices on offer are.
See page 57
See page 40
HEALTHCARE
CHILDCARE
Before long you may need to visit a dentist
or a doctor. It is important to know how
the French healthcare system works and to
make sure you're properly covered.
If you're a busy parent with very young
children, you may be able to benefit from
France's impressive daycare facilities.
See page 54
See page 47
TAX
BANK ACCOUNT
Before long it is necessary to have a bank
account and cheque book, otherwise you
won’t be able to pay for essential services.
See page 34
No-one likes thinking about tax, but as a
resident you must pay tax on earnings
from the moment you arrive. Find out
what you will have to declare, how and
when.
See page 36
RENT OR BUY A HOME
INSURANCE
10
Everyone wants to get quickly settled into
a cosy chez moi. There are many things to
know first about how the French property
sales and rental markets compare.
French law requires you to be insured for
your home before you move in, as well as
for your car and civil liability.
See page 20
See page 38
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Residence permits
One of the expat’s first encounters with French bureaucracy will be when
applying for a residence permit. Here is how to become legal in France.
A residence permit in France is called a
carte de séjour. To obtain one, you must
apply to your local prefecture, called la
préfecture de police.
In Paris, you must apply to the préfecture
de police de Paris. In the provinces, the préfecture will be situated in the administrative capital of your département. If you live
in a rural area, you can often process your
application to the préfecture through the
local town hall, called la mairie.
EU NATIONALS AND CITIZENS OF THE EEA
AND SWITZERLAND
Until recently, European Union nationals
were entitled to stay in France for a period
of up to three months before being
required to apply for a residence permit.
But following a modification to French
law in November, 2003, residence permits are no longer a legal requirement
for nationals from the 14 states which,
with France, made up the European
Union prior to 1 May, 2004, nor for just
two new member states, Cyprus and
Malta. Also exempt are nationals from
Switzerland and European Economic
Area (EEA) member states (i.e. Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway).
However, while citizens from the above
named countries are free to live and work
in France without holding a carte de séjour,
it is still a legal requirement for nationals
of eight of the 10 new EU member states
(i.e. those which joined the EU on 1 May,
2004). These are: the Czech Republic,
Poland, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
RELOCATION
Each département (French administrative
region, similar to a British county) has a préfecture, which is the centre responsible for
local administration of policing, laws and
regulations. It is also where driving licences
and other national permits are delivered.
The service which delivers residence permits is called le service des étrangers.
The 14 EU member states whose nationals
are no longer required to hold a residence
permit are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, Germany, Greece, Republic of
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and
the United Kingdom.
While the change to the law is definitive
regarding those nationals who are no
longer required to apply for a residence
permit, further details are to be decided
and will be published in the form of a
decree. This is likely to define the length
of the transitional period during which the
carte de séjour remains a legal requirement
for nationals of the eight new EU member
states mentioned above. For up-to-date
information on conditions the government
advises applicants to contact their local
préfecture or sub-préfecture or call the
Europe Direct information line on 00 800
67 89 10 11.
Importantly, those nationals who are no
longer required to hold a residence permit
can, if they so desire, still apply for one.
Indeed, it can prove to be a more practical
form of ID in France than a foreign passport
continued on page 12
Citizens from 14 EU
states do not need to
hold a residence permit
to live in France
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Residence permits
and can be essential in order to obtain some
forms of consumer credit.
RELOCATION
The application terms remain the same
and are:
EU nationals from the 14 member states
prior to May 2004 who are coming to work
in France for over 12 months are issued
with a carte de séjour valid for ten years and
which is renewable. Family members such
as partners and children under the age of 21
receive the same residence card automatically.
Students receive a card valid for their period of study, if this is less than a year and a
one-year renewable card if the course lasts
over 12 months. The retired and those with
their own source of income receive a fiveyear renewable card.
Application must be made in person and
you will be required to produce the following documents:
A valid identity card or passport
Three passport-size photos
A recent document providing proof of
where you live (this can be a utilities
receipt or proof of payment of rent)
Proof of adequate resources (see below)
or in the case of a student, proof of enrolment in an educational establishment
recognised by the French Ministry of
Education.
NOTE: The above reported changes in the
requirement to hold a residence permit in
France are detailed in Article 14 of law No.
2003 1119, approved on 26 November 2003,
published in the Journal officiel of 27
November 2003, and is a change to article 91 of the edict No. 45-2658 of November 2,
1945.
NON-EU NATIONALS
For non-EU nationals the process is more
12
complicated and may depend upon particular agreements between France and the
country concerned. A non-EU national
who wishes to stay in France for more
than three months to work, study or reside
without employment, must already have
acquired a long-stay visa (visa de long
séjour) before arriving in France. Without
doing this before arrival, it is not possible
to later apply for a residence permit.
You must make your application in person. You can ask at the préfecture or your
country's embassy for precise details of
what documents you must produce, but in
most cases you will need the following:
A valid passport with a valid long-stay
visa
Three passport-size photos
A recent document providing proof of
where you live (this can be a utilities
receipt)
Proof of adequate resources (see below)
or in the case of a student, proof of enrolment in an educational establishment
recognised by the French Ministry of
Education and a French bank account.
Medical certificate issued by a French
doctor or one approved by the French consulate in your country and a full translation (from a sworn translator) of medical
insurance.
In all applications for a residence permit,
to justify personal financial resources
employees must have a certificate of
employment from their employer and
recent salary slips.
A self-employed person must provide evidence of their status, such as membership
of a recognised professional body or inclusion on a trade register, a VAT number
and/or work payment receipts.
If you are retired or unemployed, you
must provide proof that you have adequate financial resources to live with and
that you have comprehensive health insurance for treatment in France.
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Service providers
RELOCATION
RELOCATION AGENCIES
Cosmopolitan Services
Unlimited
64, boulevard Malesherbes
75008 Paris
01 44 90 10 10
www.cosmopolitan
services.com
CSE Mobilité
19, Rue Michel le Compte
75139 Paris cedex 03
01 58 28 15 27
www.csemobilite.com
Paris Relocation Service
15, rue Vignon
75008 Paris
01 53 30 41 19
www.prs.fr
Premium Relocation
219, Bd Saint Germain
75007 Paris
01 45 51 79 66
www.premiumrelocation.com
PRICOA
15, rue Croix Castel
78 600 Maisons Laffite
01 39 12 49 01
www.pricoarelocation.com
Easy life in Paris
32, rue Fabert
75007 Paris
06 11 73 72 50/06 07 83 41 14
www.easylifeinparis.com
Eurocil
140, rue Chevaleret
75013 Paris
01 44 74 35 00
[email protected]
MOVERS
Delahaye Moving
163 Route de Bezons
78420 Carrière sur Seine
01 39 13 46 82
www.delahayemoving.com
AMDT International
Movers
ZA La Saubole
Fourques sur Garonne
47200 Marmande
05 53 20 24 24
www.amdt-demenage
ment.com
ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
Global'Ease
253 rue Saint Honoré
75001 Paris
01 44 55 01 28
www.global-ease.com
ImFusio
27 place Henri Neveu
92700 Colombes
01 72 61 54 81
www.imfusio.com
French holidays
2005
1 November
All Saints' Day (Toussaint)
1 May
May Day (fête du Travail)
11 November
Armistice Day (Jour de l'Armistice de
1918)
8 May
Victory In Europe Day (Jour de la Victoire)
25 December
Christmas Day (Jour de Noël)
2006
1 January
New Year's Day (Jour de l'an)
17 April
Easter Monday (Pâques)
14
25 May
Ascension Day
5 June
Pentecost (Lundi de Pentecôte)
14 July
Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
15 August
Assumption (l'Assomption)
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Getting married
RELOCATION
France offers two different ways in which two people can tie the knot: marriage
and an alternative type of civil union. Here’s what you need to know.
Foreigners can marry in France, either
with a French spouse or between each
other, or they can engage in a more limited, yet nonetheless legally recognised
union open to couples of the same or different sex.
All marriages in France must first be performed by a French civil authority before
any religious ceremony can take place.
The civil ceremony is held in a village,
town or city hall, called la mairie, in front
of the mayor. It is the completion of the
civil ceremony which establishes the couple as husband and wife before the law.
The choice of mairie must be that where
one or both of the couple to be married
has resided for at least 40 days. Under
French law, marriage banns must be posted at the mairie no less than ten days
before the date of the marriage ceremony.
For a marriage involving one or more nonFrench nationals, they can only be posted
after one of the aspiring spouses has
resided at least 30 days in France.
The mayor can be substituted to perform
the ceremony by the deputy-mayor, or a
city councillor.
If they so choose, they may then go on to
celebrate a religious ceremony, and this is
quite common in France. The clergyman
performing the ceremony will require a
certificate of civil marriage before it can
take place.
Couples married in France receive a livret
de famille. This is a legal booklet which
records the marriage and subsequent
events in the family such as births, deaths,
divorce or name changes. It is often
required for official purposes, not least
during a child's progress through school.
A marriage certificate can be obtained
from the mairie where the marriage was
performed.
16
WHAT YOU NEED TO MARRY
A valid passport or a French residence
permit
Proof of a French home address (such
as a phone bill)
A birth certificate (less than three
months old)
A certificate of celibacy (less than
three months old) which can be established in France at your country's consular office.
A statement by a lawyer or equivalent
certifying that the non-French national
concerned is free to marry in France.
A medical certificate (less than three
months old).
A certificate by a French solicitor stipulating if the marriage is to include a
prenuptial legal contract.
THE PACS
There is an alternative legal union in France
for both heterosexual and same-sex couples, which is called the Pacte civil de solidarité, commonly known as Le Pacs. While it
falls well short of conferring the legal rights
which married spouses enjoy, it has a legal
status which offers both official recognition
of the union and a number of rights for
both individuals, as well as specifying the
status of joint wealth.
However, Le Pacs does not have any legal
bearing over questions such as the adoption of children.
The Pacs is established before a local magistrates' court for civil cases, called a tribunal
d'instance. The parties can draw up a document specific to themselves which defines
their engagement concerning financial matters, such as the equal share of household
finances. The Pacs can be signed between
two unmarried people, regardless of
nationality or sex, who are aged 18 or over.
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Social security system
Like most things administrative in France, the social security system is a
minefield of bureaucracy. Here is a broad guide to stepping through it.
THE SYSTEM
The French social security system is divided into four different categories, which are
called régimes.
The régime général, which covers some 80
percent of French citizens, divides up into
four sectors: health insurance and accidents at work, retirement, family income
support and the collection of contributions.
HOW IT WORKS
Contributions are collected together by the
URSSAF (Union de recouvrement des cotisations de sécurité sociale et d'allocations familiales), which has 105 offices around the
country.
The URSSAF then passes the money on to
the Agence centrale des organismes de
Sécurité sociale (ACOSS), which distributes
it to the various funds, called caisses, and
which are responsible for paying out benefits and making reimbursements. There
are different caisses for the different sectors
of what the French familiarly call la Sécu.
Once you begin working for a French company your employer is required to provide
you with a French social security number
and you then become eligible for reimbursements of medical expenses under the
mandatory contributions-refund system,
called the régime obligatoire.
A law passed in July 1999 provides for
basic and obligatory Universal Health
Cover (Couverture Maladie Universelle or
CMU) for all foreigners who have been
resident in France for at least three months
without interruption and comply with
French legislation, i.e. have a residence
permit, which is called a carte de séjour.
RELOCATION
The régime général is for salaried employees working in trade and industry, the
régime autonome is for the self-employed,
the régime agricole is for agricultural workers, and the régimes spéciaux are for special
categories of workers like civil servants or
railway workers.
French state reimburses only a proportion
of the cost of medical treatment. However,
if you are in the state system you are perfectly free, and even well-advised, to
obtain complementary health cover — and
many French people top up the cover they
obtain under the régime obligatoire with
insurance from a mutuelle (Friendly
Society).
is illegal in France for a private
“ Itinsurer
to comprehensively insure
somebody who is eligible for inclusion in the French state system.
”
The CMU is free for those earning less
than EUR 6,965. People earning more pay
a contribution equivalent to about eight
percent of their taxable income.
EMPLOYEES
If you are an employee, social security
contributions are automatically deducted
from your salary each month and it's likely that payments to a mutuelle will also be
deducted at source.
The national healthcare caisse for
salaried employees is the Caisse nationale
d'assurance maladie des travailleurs salariés
(CNAMTS) and reimbursements for
medical treatment are paid out by the
Caisses primaires d'assurance maladie
(CPAM). Family income support is paid
out by the Caisses d'allocations familiales
(CAF).
Unless you are on very low earnings, the
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RELOCATION
THE SELF-EMPLOYED
If you are self-employed, you'll be expected to register directly with the URSSAFF.
In your first year of self-employment,
you'll be paying the URSSAF over EUR
2,000. The exact amount depends on your
profession and the amount increases in
subsequent years. The URSAFF website,
www.urssaf.fr, allows you to calculate
how much you will pay.
Contributions from the self-employed go
to one of the 31 Caisses d'assurance maladie
régionales (CMR) regional funds that come
under the umbrella of the Caisse nationale
d'assurance maladie des professions indépendantes (CANAM).
There are various caisses that handle retirement and invalidity benefits for the selfemployed and, in the case of independent
professions like private doctors or architects, these funds come under the umbrella
of the Caisse nationale d'assurance vieillesse
des professions libérales (CNAVPL).
This category is expected to pay the
URSSAF a cotisation personnelle d'allocations familiales, the CSG (Contribution
Sociale Généralisée), the CRDS (Contribution
au remboursement de la dette sociale) and the
CFP (Contribution à la formation professionnelle) for the training of self-employed
professionals. Doctors also pay a
Contribution aux unions régionales de
médecins.
For the self-employed, the amount due to
URSSAF is calculated on an annual basis
but contributed in four payments throughout the year. For the first two years, contributions are calculated on the basis of a
fixed-sum rate, called a base forfaitaire,
(currently about EUR 6,000 for the first
year of self-employment and about EUR
9,000 for the second year). If you earned
less than about EUR 4,000 in the year
before last, you are temporarily exempt
from payments to the URSSAF (except for
the CFP).
SELF-EMPLOYED ARTISTS
Those working in the arts need to contact
the Maison des artistes to organise their
social security cover. If you are an author,
photographer, playwright, composer, illustrator or website designer and are paid in
royalties, called droits d'auteur, you can
register with the AGESSA, the Association
pour la gestion de la sécurité sociale des
auteurs.
As soon as you earn even one euro in royalties you have to contribute to AGESSA, but
to affiliate to the association, and to be eligible for social security reimbursements,
you'll need to have earned about EUR 7,200
in droits d'auteur over the previous year.
THE RETIRED IN FRANCE
If you are retired and in receipt of a state
pension from a European Economic Area
(EEA) member state (i.e. the EU countries
plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein),
you should obtain form E121 in your country of origin. This will entitle you to basic
health cover in France and you will be
exempt from paying contributions. You pay
your medical expenses and are reimbursed
as a French citizen would be. If you are
retired from work but not yet in receipt of a
state pension, you should ask for form E106.
If you're married and your spouse is eligible for cover under form E121, your
spouse's entitlement is extended to you as
a right, called an ayant-droit.
Are you a human resources professional? Get advice
on managing expatriates at www.expatica.com/HR
18
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There can be difficulties for people who
have retired to France but have not yet
reached state retirement age. These people
don't fall into the categories covered by the
European forms and would need to start
paying into the French system straightaway.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
If you are a salaried employee, paid by a
French company, the situation is the same
whether you come from within or outside
of the EEA. You come under the French
social security system, pay contributions
and have the right to reimbursements.
If you come from within the EEA and are
in France on secondment, you normally
remain insured in the country in which
you are usually employed. You continue
paying contributions to the social security
system of that country and continue
acquiring new rights to benefits there. You
become entitled to healthcare benefits in
the country to which you have been sent
and are entitled to family benefits from the
country in which you remain insured.
Before leaving the EU country where you
are normally employed, you should obtain
form E101, which covers your first year of
secondment. (You'll need form E102 if you
are contracted to stay for a second year.)
To obtain your healthcare rights in France,
you'll also need form E128, which is
UNUSUAL CASES
There is a system which applies to those
who have been employed in one country
and come to work in another and have no
immediate entitlement to social security
benefits on arrival. The totalisation des périodes d'assurance applies within the EEA
and to countries with which France has a
bilateral social security agreement.
RELOCATION
Following a decision in the European
Court of Justice, neither the CSG nor the
CRDS can be taken on salaries and pensions coming from another European
Union country.
specifically for students and people on secondment. If you are a US citizen or resident and your employer in the US sends
you to France, you are exempt from paying
contributions in France and remain affiliated to your medical coverage provider in the
United States. You will have no right to
reimbursement from the French social security system.
Under this system, applicants can request
a document stating how long they have
been paying contributions and this is
taken into consideration in France and the
person is given an immediate entitlement.
Form E106 is for people who reside outside
their country of affiliation, for example an
Italian civil servant who lives and works in
France. In this case, the person is eligible for
healthcare in France and can use form E106
as long as they continue to have rights
under the social security system in their
country of origin. Members of their immediate family are also covered. Any reimbursements are handled by the caisse primaire.
Finally, the welfare system in France is
currently the subject of vast reform, and
you are strongly advised to seek expert
advice on any issue of particular concern.
USEFUL CONTACTS
URSSAF: website: www.urssaf.fr (This
site has a helpful chart showing how the
social security system is organised)
CANMTS: www.cnamts.fr
(information in English)
AGESSA: www.agessa.org
CANAM: website: www.canam.fr
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Buy or rent?
Finding accommodation is one of the first tasks on arriving in France. But are you
best off renting a home — or should you jump into the French property market?
HOUSING
France has a relatively stable property
market, and there is no compelling financial argument to choose between renting
or buying property when arriving in the
country.
As a general rule it is wisest to first rent
your home, even if you intend staying for
several years, while getting to know what's
on offer and what you can really afford.
Renting property in urban areas is widespread in France and, unlike a number of
other European countries, home ownership
is not such a steep ladder that one must necessarily begin climbing early as the only
way to keep up with fast-rising prices.
It is not at all unusual for high income
earners to rent property, especially in
Paris, and renting or owning a home is not
a divide of social status in France.
The stability of the house market depends
on the health of the economy and financial
markets. While France currently faces testing times with ongoing economic reforms,
only a significant international slump is
likely to upset the status quo in the near
future.
While some regions and city neighbourhoods occasionally witness a sudden interest from buyers, thus rapidly pushing prices
up, France has largely escaped the 'boom
and bust' phenomenon seen elsewhere.
Short-term home ownership is unlikely to
produce a significant profit compared to
other available investment offers, and in
some cases gains are taxed at re-sale.
The choice of renting or buying is more
complicated for those who wish to settle in
rural areas; here the availability of houses
to rent is in short supply and many who
move to live within the French countryside have done so with the intention of
setting up a long-term home.
There are currently, in many regions,
properties for sale at attractive prices — all
the more so when a rundown property has
the potential to be renovated.
The number of foreign home-owners in
France is on the rise, and when some
regions become particularly popular, as is
currently witnessed in parts of the south
west and the north and west of France,
prices will climb and are likely to continue
to do so for some years. On a national scale,
there are more people now moving into
French rural areas than in the last 20 years.
As a rule of thumb, newly-arrived
“expatriates
who are uncertain of
staying at least five years are best
advised to opt for rented
accommodation.
”
But the risks in short-term rural ownership
are great. There is no solid rule of supply
and demand, as there is in urban areas,
and one person's dream home is not necessarily that of another. If a property
requires lengthy renovation, selling before
this is completed will often end in tears.
Finally, never attempt to buy your home in
France if you are unable to speak French.
You will need to be able to closely follow
any transaction, and you will have no
legal recourse if a problem you discover
later was hidden by a misunderstanding
of language.
Looking for a business or service in France? Check
out the Business Directory at www.expatica.com
20
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Renting a home
Renting property is widespread in France although rental prices in most cities
have increased considerably. A guide to how it works and what to watch out for.
HOUSING
The most common way of renting property in France is through an estate agent,
called un agent immobilier, who is commissioned to rent out a property by the
owner, un propriétaire.
Agents' fees vary, but a renter, or locataire,
should expect to pay roughly one month's
rent as a commission after locating a
home.
An alternative practice is to rent directly
from the owner, via ads in weekly publications like De Particulier à Particulier
(meaning "from individual to individual").
The attraction of this is to escape agents'
fees; don't expect the rents to be lower.
And, if you enter a rental agreement
directly with the owner, you won't have
the minimal legal protections that agents
offer against deceptive practices or
descriptions. Unless you are fluent in
French and know your rights as a renter,
you are best advised to deal only with a
licensed estate agent.
Agencies rarely pool their listings so you
will want to contact several to make your
search efficient. Agencies are easily found
through the Yellow Pages or by walking
French high streets.
All local and some national newspapers
carry rental ads posted by both agencies
and owners; there are also now a number
of websites that do the same.
An estate agent will only be involved in
drawing up the rental contract — after
that is signed, future dealings are likely to
be held directly with the owner; many
buildings also hire un syndic to handle
maintenance of common areas.
French law offers generous protection to
the tenant, including a prohibition of evic-
22
tions during 'winter' months and a lengthy
process of appeals.
Owners are therefore very cautious and
the future locataire is required to present a
battery of financial guarantees and paperwork (see What you will be asked for).
Some apartments rent month to month
under a contrat de location. You may also
be offered a lease, un bail, that will cover
an owner's pledge to rent the property for
a given period, usually three years. Such a
lease is renewable but if you are offered a
bail of less than three years, this suggests
the owner is uncertain to renew the contract.
During the period of the bail the tenant
PROPERTY DESCRIPTIONS
The French calculate the size apartments or houses by the number of
rooms, called pièces, excluding the
kitchen and bathroom. Thus a one-bedroom flat with sitting room is a deuxpièces.
The surface area is described in square
metres, called mètres carrés. As a rough
guide, the average surface area for a
three-room city apartment for a couple
with children (i.e. two bedrooms and a
sitting-cum-dining room) would be
between 80 and 100 square metres.
Kitchens and bathrooms may or may
not include appliances or even cupboards; a kitchen with basic cabinetry is
called a cuisine amenagée, with appliances is a cuisine équipée. The contrary
would be a cuisine non-amenagée.
Likewise, your landlord is not required
to provide light fixtures or window coverings.
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Renting a home
cannot be ousted either due to the sale of
the property or because an owner wishes
to re-occupy the premises.
HOUSING
The tenant is free, however, to leave at any
time, usually subject to three-month term
of notice delivered in writing to the landlord.
Before you move in, there will be a written evaluation of the condition of the
property signed by the owner (or agency)
and the renter. This is called un état des
lieux. Clearly mark details such as
scratches on the parquet floor or cracks
in the ceiling — otherwise you may be
held responsible for their repair when
you leave.
It is advisable to take photos of the property during the état des lieux.
You will be required to take out a home
insurance policy and to present the owner
proof that you have done so. Note that
you, not the owner, are responsible for
damage including those caused to third
parties, as in the case of a water leak or
fire, so read your policy carefully.
Renting an apartment will also involve paying for day-to-day upkeep, such as cleaning
or gardening services. These are called the
charges communes. They are often included
in the advertised rent, in which case the
rental sum will be described as charges
comprises, as opposed to charges non comprises. The charges do not necessarily
include utilities, although they might cover
water or garbage collection, so ask explicitly
what fees are included.
The charges are first calculated on a
monthly average from the previous year,
and can be adjusted, up or down, at the
end of the first year of rental, according to
the difference.
Finally, your rented residence will be subject to a yearly tax called la taxe d'habitation.
This is calculated according to the size of
your home and varies greatly from one
region to another. As the sum can be significant, it is advisable to find out from the
local mairie the amount of tax incurred by
your property the previous year.
WHAT YOU WILL BE ASKED FOR
Pay slips for the previous three months —
in general you will be required to prove
that your monthly income is at least three
times the monthly rent and that you are
not currently employed for a trial or short
period, nor close to retirement.
Agencies will often refuse people who
work in contract fields like entertainment
unless they have a co-signer on the rental
agreement.
If you are self-employed, you will be
asked to provide your previous year's tax
returns and up to two letters from guarantors who must also prove monthly
earnings of three times the sum of rent. If
you have no French pay slips nor French
24
tax return statements, you must open a
bank guarantee account with enough cash
to cover your rent for a pre-determined
number of months.
Proof of identity will be asked in the form
of a residence permit (occasionally a passport).
Finally, you will be asked for a deposit of
two times the monthly rent, called une
caution, which is repaid to you only at the
end of the rental period — with no interest and less the cost of repairing any damage to the property for which you are
held responsible. You may also be asked
to pay one to two months rent in advance
in addition to any agent fees.
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Accommodation agencies
PARIS
French Property Insider
43, Rue de Saintonge, BP 38
75003 Paris
01 40 27 97 59
www.frenchproperty
insider.com
Immostreet/Pressimmo
Online
5, Rue Auger
93500 Pantin
01 48 10 65 37
www.immostreet.com
Paris Housing Services
2, rue de l'Exposition
75007 Paris
01 45 55 21 37
www.paris-housing.com
Parisian Home
12, rue Mandar
75002 Paris
01 45 08 03 37
www.parisianhome.com
Your arrival in Paris is
complicated to organize?
Parisian Home will find
you perfect accommodation, whatever the length
of your stay. We propose
several further services for
business people from companies in order to facilitate
your integration in Paris.
Visit our apartments on
www.parisianhome.com
and book directly by
De Circourt Associates
11, rue Royale
75008 Paris
01 43 12 98 00
www.homes-paris.com
Elie International Property
06 16 62 33 70 France
1 843 345 8583 USA
www.elieproperty.com
Flat Hunter
Square Emile Chautemps
3, rue Papin
75003 Paris
01 72 77 00 39
www.flat-hunter.fr
Frasier Suites Serviced
Residences
Harmonie, La Défense 1
6, Bvd de Neuilly
92 400 Courbevoie
01 55 23 26 26
www.fraserhospitality.com
France Apartments
97, Av des Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
01 56 89 31 00
LYON
French Property Report
33, rue du Valentibus
34160 Sussargues
04 99 63 09 31
Agence Actuelle
Immobilière
91, rue Duguesclin
69006 Lyon
04 78 89 14 56
HOUSING
Immodeal
14, Rue de Marignan
75008 Paris
01 45 61 93 17
www.agenceimmodeal.com
phone at 33.1.45.08.03.37 or
by e-mail at:
[email protected].
The most important? We
are your single interlocutor and establish privileged and exclusive relationships with you.
English, Spanish and
Portuguese spoken.
AIX/MARSEILLE
ABC Immo
66, rue Boulegon
Aix en Provence
04 42 96 96 93
Mona Lisa Gestion
Immobilière
665 rue Georges Claude
13852 Aix en Provence
04 42 97 70 30
TOULOUSE
Mercure France
9 place Pres Wilson
31000 Toulouse
05 61 21 52 01
At Home in Paris
16, rue Médéric
75017 Paris
01 42 12 40 40
Looking for a business or service in France? Check
out the Business Directory at www.expatica.com
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
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Buying a home
HOUSING
It can be both tempting and daunting to buy property in France — whether it
is a city apartment or a rural retreat. This is a guide to how the system works.
The first consideration is to know where
to look for your new property. Most
estate agents, called agents immobiliers,
provide accurate market prices as well as
offering reliable legal advice. They are
trained professionals who are regulated
by law and carry a professional card
delivered by the local préfecture de police.
Estate agents are free to determine the
amount of their commission, but this is
generally between four and seven percent of the sale price of the property.
Always check whether or not the property price you are quoted includes the commission, which it normally does.
You are only exempt from paying the
agency commission if the estate agent's
mandate to visit the property has
expired, if the sale is not conclusive, or if
he is exercising the job illegally.
There are thousands of property ads
every day in newspapers, local free
sheets and weekly magazines. For magazines carrying trade ads for the whole of
France, try weekly specialist magazines,
L'immobilier and L'hebdo Immobilier.
One of the most popular magazines is De
Particulier à Particulier, which carries
only private ads, and has over 20,000
offers from across France each week.
For the experienced and the adventurous
only, there are also the public auctions,
called vente aux enchères. The starting
prices can be very attractive and with
luck you can make an exceptional deal.
But generally, the final sale price accurately reflects the property market.
You can find details of auctions in most
local newspapers, and in the specialist
press listed above.
BUYING THROUGH THE VIAGER SYSTEM
Broadly, a viager sale will concern a residence that is sold, usually below the
market price, on condition that its
seller(s), usually an elderly person or
couple, may continue to occupy the resi-
OLD OR NEW PROPERTY?
Like anywhere, newly-built flats or houses in France are generally more functional, with the floor space distributed for
modern living, and are usually better
equipped. Importantly, there are certain
guaranties which cover any construction
faults (and up to 10 years after purchase).
New apartment buildings are also legally
required to include parking space.
Old flats or houses in towns or cities are
often those that are more centrally located. In Paris, many apartment buildings
date back to the 19th Century Haussmann
period. They are generally very solid constructions, with higher ceilings and
entrances, as well as features like moulded or beamed ceilings.
26
Very old property in the countryside was
often built after long and careful thought
about the history of the land and climate.
Older property is usually less expensive
to buy but likely to need costly renovations to electricity, plumbing or woodwork.
If you invest in a lodging that needs
important renovation work, keep in mind
that there are strict regulations you will
have to follow concerning the structural
foundation, electrical systems, and the
evacuation of sewage.
A rough average cost of renovation work
is EUR 1,250 per square metre.
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Buying a home
dence until their death(s). However,
agreements can vary.
When you purchase a viager, you pay a
bouquet, which is an initial amount of the
total price.
The buyer becomes the outright owner
THE LEGAL PROCESS OF BUYING A HOUSE
Once you have found your new home
and reached a verbal agreement with the
seller, you must both sign a preliminary
contract called a promesse de vente (sometimes known as a compromis de vente).
You may sign this contract privately, but
it is usual, and strongly advisable, that
the sale is handled by a French solicitor,
called a notaire.
HOUSING
The rest of the purchase price is paid as
an annual rente, in monthly instalments,
the amount of which is based upon the
age (and hence longevity) of the resident
and calculated in respect to the total
amount due.
upon the death of the seller, whether this
occurs after a matter of months or many
years.
The buyer pays the legal fees and registration taxes. In most cases, the choice of
notaire is easily reached. His fee is
payable on completion of the sale, and
may be up to 10 percent of the sale price
on a property older than five years, and
four percent on those that are newer.
Both parties are usually accompanied by
their personal solicitors for the later signing of the final act of sale.
After signing the promesse de vente, the
buyer has a seven-day period of réflexion
before being legally and financially committed to the purchase. During this period, it is unlawful to deposit any money.
After the seven-day period, the buyer
customarily pays a 10 percent deposit. If
the buyer later retracts from the sale, the
seller keeps the deposit as compensation.
There are important details which must
be recorded in the preliminary contract.
One which applies to apartments only is
the exact living surface according to a
law, called the loi Carrez.
When you decide to buy, your first
consideration will probably be location —
something your estate agent can help with
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The calculation of the floor space excludes
separating walls, stairs, terraces and balconies as well as any floor space that has a
ceiling lower than 1.80 metres. Thus, an
old apartment which has slanted ceilings
and a mezzanine, might actually come to
only half of the advertised description.
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HOUSING
Buying a home
BUYING PROPERTY TO BUILD UPON
Other details that must be indicated for all
types of property include the known presence of termites, or lead (present in certain
paints) and asbestos (often present in artificial ceilings).
If you buy property on which to build
your residence, you will be confronted
with these additional measures, conditions, regulations — and taxes.
There then follows a period of some
eight, and even sometimes 12 weeks in
which the notaire carries out searches to
ensure that the sale of the property is
free of any legal restrictions (in the case
of rural property this often involves
checking its agricultural status).
Once this period is over, the buyer must
sign the final acte de vente. On the day of
the signature, the buyer is required to
make out a cheque for the remaining
amount outstanding on the full purchase
price of the property. The sale is then complete.
Certificat d'urbanisme: this is a document which informs you of the strict
rules for your construction, including the
exterior appearance, the density of construction, and exactly where you may
build.
Permis de construire: this is a building
permit. You will have to provide detailed
information on your building plans before
obtaining it from your local town hall.
Taxe locale d'equipement, taxe départementale pour le financement du CAUE and the taxe
départementale des espaces naturels sensibles
are all taxes you will be liable to.
KEY FRENCH PROPERTY PHRASES
belle HSP (hauteur sous plafond): high
ceiling
classified as residential, living space
SdB (salle de bains): bathroom
dble exp (double exposition): light exposure from both sides of residence (N-S or
E-W)
immeuble PdT (pierre de taille): free stone
building, often of the Haussmann era.
immeuble ISMH (l'Inventaire
Supplémentaire des Monuments
Historiques): a building officially classified as being of historic interest
CC: this can mean, according to the context, charges comprises: service charges
included, or coin cuisine: a small kitchen
corner, or commission comprise: agents'
commission fees included
FAI: includes the agency’s expenses
SH (surface habitable): surface space
28
SdD (salle de douche): a sink and/or
shower only, inferring that the WC is separate.
coquette: cute (can also mean exceedingly
small!)
studette: little studio, can be a service
room, under 15 m2
kitchenette: little kitchen, is often a
kitchen unit installed in the living room.
décoration à revoir and rafraîchissement
à prévoir: redecoration and repairs necessary (which may be quite costly).
sur courette privative: looks onto a private courtyard, which is often a dark, little
inner courtyard
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Where to live in Paris
If you are hunting a home in Paris, it is important to know the widely different
characteristics of the arrondissements, or districts, which make up the capital.
HOUSING
Paris has 20 arrondissements, and each is
attributed with its own number. This is
done according to the pattern of a spiral,
beginning with the 1st arrondissement in
the heart of the capital and ending with
the 20th on the outer east
Most Parisians, just like the inhabitants
of major cities like Lyon or Marseille
where the same system of arrondissements
applies, describe their neighbourhood by
its number instead of place names. So,
more often than not, you'll find yourself
being offered a home in "le 1er" or "le
10ème".
There is also a broad description which
divides Paris into two; this is a split of the
capital into Rive Gauche (meaning the Left
Bank, the south-side of the river Seine)
and Rive Droite (meaning the Right Bank,
north side of the Seine).
hunting a home, you are
“ When
likely to be asked if you're looking
for ancien — meaning any building more than 60 years old, and
usually more expensive — or
neuf, meaning modern constructions, and which are generally
blocks of ten or more storeys.
”
There are very few town-houses in Paris
and they therefore sell or rent at a premium. Most inhabitable property is made up
of apartments situated in the six or sevenstorey 19th century apartment buildings
which make up most of the city.
Most Parisian apartments are made up of
between one and four rooms. Smaller than
an apartment is the studio, which is a
bachelor-sized lodging with a sittingroom-cum-bedroom, an adjoining and
usually non-separated kitchen, tiny bathroom and toilet. More than four rooms can
be found, for a steep price.
30
PARIS BY ARRONDISSEMENT
While some arrondissements are big enough
to contain several neighbourhoods very
different in character —like the 13th, 17th,
10th and 20th — on the whole, the number, which also figures on Parisian postcodes, is something of a social statement!
For example, the 16th is synonymous with
the old and very wealthy, the 18th with
working class and ethnic populations, the
6th with the fashionable and chic.
Beginning at the city centre point, the 1st
and 2nd arrondissements are essentially
day-time quarters for business offices and
institutions (including the Palais-Royal
theatre, the stock exchange, the Louvre
etc.) There are magnificent apartments on
the rue de Rivoli overlooking the Tuileries
or Palais-Royal gardens, and here or there
a bargain flat can be had, such as close to
the Bourse (stock exchange). But on the
whole, there is little feeling of local community, witnessed by the lack of shops
and empty streets at night.
The oldest quarters offering the most of
Parisian charm, which are centrally-placed
and which offer a rich street life are, in a
broad sweep, the 3rd and 4th arrondissements on the Right Bank, covering the
Marais, and the 5th and 6th on the opposite
Left Bank, which make up the Latin
Quarter.
The Marais is a young, trendy area, alive
night and day, with an eclectic mix of
everything from gay bars to specialist
workshops, cultural venues like the
Pompidou centre and the old Jewish quarter. It is graced with the oldest, some even
mediaeval, buildings in Paris but it lacks
any real green spaces, excepting the tiny
and very-exclusive place des Vosges.
Generally high-priced, the Marais has
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magnificent courtyards hidden from the
streets, lined by equally magnificent timbered apartments. There are also quite a
few renovated former rag-trade offices,
offering tall ceilings and huge windows.
The area is superb for the fast public transport links to anywhere around the city
and it is within walking distance from
anywhere central.
Less extrovert than the Marais, its population ranges from the bourgeois to the
bohemian. It is more family-friendly for
those who want to be at the heart of
Parisian leisure life, with a few parks,
notably the Luxembourg gardens and the
Jardin des Plantes. Generally expensive
but not unaffordable, most of the Latin
Quarter offers a picture postcard environment. It is also at the centre of the public
transport network, with easy links to and
from the rest of the centre.
The 10th, 11th and 12th are, with the
exception of trendy pockets around the
lively Bastille and République squares,
more populaire - or working-class. The
inner limits of the 3rd and 10th house the
teeming rag-trade. The meeting points of
the 3rd, 10th and 11th are worth a look for
those seek a large, centrally-located apartment at comparatively low cost.
HOUSING
The picturesque Latin Quarter, traditionally a student neighbourhood, has a charming old world attraction, along with the
widest choice of restaurants and cinemas
of any Paris neighbourhood. Its streets are
wider and calmer than the Marais, and its
universities (including the Sorbonne)
make it a centre for cultural activities and
especially for bookstores.
A diluted taste of both these areas but
with cheaper rents is found in the 10th,
11th and 12th arrondissements, close to the
Marais, and the 13th and 14th arrondissements around the Latin Quarter.
Moving eastwards and north to the outer
arrondissements, with their mix of modern
and old residential buildings, there is a
stronger local community, but some parts
here are shabby.
The 12th is a comparatively large
arrondissement, which offers cheaper rents
and a wide choice of middle- to largesized apartments. It leads south-east to the
Vincennes park, just outside the capital,
which is one of the two largest green
spaces around Paris (the other being the
Bois de Boulogne to the west). It also
Descriptions
often split the
capital into Rive
Gauche (Left
Bank, the southside of the river
Seine) and Rive
Droite (the Right
Bank, north side
of the Seine).
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HOUSING
houses the landmark Nation square, a regular departure or arrival point for mass
demonstrations.
The 13th covers the city's outer south-east,
and contains a large Indochinese community, notable Vietnamese. It is a relatively
old and quiet "suburb" of the Latin
Quarter at its closest to the 5th, but rapidly becomes turned over to a huge area of
modern sky-rise buildings further east
which, while they have none of the charm
of old Paris, do offer sensational views
and - not to be sniffed at - parking spaces.
The 14th, which is joined to the Latin
Quarter at Montparnasse, and which
stretches down to the southern city limits,
has fewer modern buildings and has a
lively local community in most parts,
bustling with shops, traders, cafés and
quite a few small restaurants. Rents are, in
the main, reasonable. It contains the large
and pleasant Montsouris park and quick
access onto the south-bound motorway
and Orly airport.
novelty is the Canal St Martin,
“ One
in the 10th, where residences
have been built along this
pleasant waterway which
runs north from the Seine.
”
Staying south and moving west is the 15th,
a mostly residential arrondissement, with a
range of rental rates from the relatively
cheap large apartments to a minority of
very expensive habitations, like those near
the Eiffel Tower. It is an area with something for everyone. It lacks big green spaces,
although there are both the André Citroën
and Georges Brassens parks on its southern
limits. The 15th is a mix of old and modern
architecture, mostly bland but rarely ugly. A
notable exception is the high-rise, futuristic
Front de Seine complex of chic apartment
blocks overlooking the river Seine.
The 7th is one of the most chic, and there is
32
no cheap housing here. The character is
very bourgeois and tame. It stretches from
the 6th, at its east, across to the Eiffel Tower,
and is also home to Unesco and most
French government ministry buildings. It is
a well-off, well-kept area with comparatively few shops and cinemas although it does
boast a wide choice of restaurants. Quiet
and safe, only its upmarket hotels and
eateries shine late into the night.
Very similar, but even quieter is the 16th,
lying north of the river in the west of the
capital. It is something of a ghetto for the
seriously rich, especially the affluent elderly. This is home to most of the Parisian
entries in the Who's Who and is also
where the OECD is based. It runs from the
Arc de Triomphe, at the top of the
Champs-Elysées, spreading west out to the
huge and rambling park of the Bois de
Boulogne at the city edge.
The expensive property is mostly composed of six- to eight-storey buildings of
large apartments There is little street life of
any sort and it is a quiet, uneventful area
at night. The closest suburb to the 16th,
further west and just outside the city limits, is the district of Neuilly, which is a
continuation of the same.
The neighbouring 17th, also running from
the Arc de Triomphe - but north and northwest - is a chic, high-rent area, although
generally more accessible than the 16th. Its
outer limits are more populaire. It shares
the pleasant Monceau park with the 8th and
many of its streets are wide and airy. Many
embassies are based here. Spots like the
Place des Ternes have a lively feel to them,
with restaurants and bars, but in the main
this is a quiet area at the end of the day
when its many offices close.
Moving into the centre-north from the 17th
is the 9th. This is a central arrondissement,
dedicated to banks, insurance companies
and lawyers as well as department stores
and small businesses. It's a noisy, car-flooded area by day, suddenly quiet at night
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except for the through traffic on the grands
boulevards. There are large apartments,
some made of converted offices, going at
comparatively reasonable prices But this is
one of Paris' least residential areas and consequently has little to offer kids - just like
the neighbouring 1st, 2nd and 8th.
The northern 18th arrondissement could not
be more different. Apart from a few sites,
like the privileged apartments - and houses - overlooking Paris from the south side
of the Montmartre hill, most of the 18th is
a lowly-but-lively, residential workingclass area with a colourful ethnic mix. The
building rows are mostly old, interrupted
by splashes of the new. The less salubrious
parts notably include Clichy and the vul-
Moving east, the 18th slips into the 19th, an
area (like the 10th) which lies close to the
international Eurostar and Thalès trains
leaving the Gare du Nord. The 19th is a less
lively continuation of the 18th with many
modern buildings and cheap rents. It is
dominated by a hill with a park, called the
Buttes Chaumont, and at its extreme northeast point, where the limits of Paris reach
the old industrial suburbs of Pantin, lies La
Villette with its industry and science park.
HOUSING
The 8th is the élite part of the city centre,
with the presidential Elysée Palace, the
Champs-Elysées, the haute couture boutiques of the rue St Honoré and the capitals grandest hotels, including the George
V, the Plaza Athénée and the Crillon. This
is the postcode for the top 100 company
addresses and much of the area is made
up of sumptuous offices. Only the very
well-heeled live in the few residential
properties on offer here.
gar 'sin city' Pigalle. But there are some
pleasant areas, juxtaposing the shabby
ones, and apartments are generally lowpriced. The neighbourhood known as
Barbès is home to a majority immigrant
population, mostly African.
Below this, the outer east of Paris is gobbled up by the sprawling 20th. Here again,
rents are cheaper, particularly for large
apartments, and there is a wide choice of
old and new buildings. At its heart is the
legendary Père Lachaise cemetery.
The more spacious, leafier areas are just off
Nation square (situated in the neighbouring
12th arrondissement) and out towards the
Porte de Vincennes on the city limits.
AT A GLANCE GUIDE TO THE PARIS ARRONDISSEMENTS
Trendy, lively and young at heart: the 3rd
and 4th, parts of the 10th and 11th.
Lively but conservative with a wide
choice of restaurants, cinemas and cultural venues: the 5th, 6th. Similar attractions with reasonable rents: parts of 13th
and 14th.
More family friendly (rare green spaces,
local amusements): The 5th, 6th, 12th,
13th,17th, 19th and 20th.
Old quarters, architectural charm: 3rd,
4th, 5th, 6th, parts of 2nd and 7th.
High-rise/modern apartment building
areas: 13th, parts of 12th, 15th, 18th, 19th
and 20th.
Designer-chic and expensive: The 6th
and 7th, parts of 5th, 3rd and 4th.
Conservative, quiet and expensive: the
16th and parts of 8th and 17th.
Chic and ostentatious: The 8th, parts of
16th and 17th.
Least residential (few shops, little nightlife): The 1st, 2nd, parts of the 8th and
9th.
Cheaper rents: 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th,
15th, 18th, 19th, 20th.
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Banking
Payment in France is easy by credit card, but as a resident you’ll soon need
a French bank account. Here’s a guide to how the banking system works.
MONEY
The official French currency is the euro —
and the former franc is no longer legal tender. While most shops still list prices in
both currencies, the French have largely
adapted to the euro with ease.
It is still common however to hear sums
quoted in francs, especially for larger
sums like the price of a car or of re-plumbing a bathroom. The euro/franc conversion
rate is one euro = 6.55957 French francs.
On arrival in France, before you establish a
French bank account, you should have few
problems in paying with your 'home' credit card if it is one of the major operators
like Visa, MasterCard, American Express
and Diners.
There are 24-hour cash dispensers, or teller
machines, easily accessible all over France,
and in cities and towns there is a choice of
several on almost every high street. They
are called distributeurs automatiques de billets, and are always situated on the premises of a bank or at large post offices.
OPENING A FRENCH BANK ACCOUNT
It is best to choose a major bank with a
widespread national network of branches
(see below) to take full advantage of whatever needs may arise during your travels.
To open an account, you will need to produce personal identification (a residence
permit or passport), proof of your home
address in France (this can be a phone or
electricity bill) and in most cases some
written proof of earnings (pay slip or
other) to decide your credit limit.
Most basic French bank accounts debit
credit card payments at the end of each
month. All credit cards in France carry a
chip, and whenever you use them you are
required to type in a PIN.
Cheques take an average three working
days to clear. When paying by cheque, you
may be asked for proof of identity, which
can be provided by a residence permit, a
passport or a French driving licence.
While some small shops may refuse credit
cards, there are so many places which
accept them that, wherever you are, you
can survive with credit card payment
alone.
Each cheque book contains a page referencing your bank account details, called a
relevé d'identité bancaire, or RIB. You will be
asked for a RIB for any long-term commercial transaction.
However, if you are an active resident in
France, you will very soon need a French
bank account both to be paid your earnings and to gain access to many essential
services which require your bank details
as a guarantee of payment. Without a local
account, you won't be able to rent a home
or subscribe to utility services. Having a
French cheque book will be a welcome
practicality, especially in rural areas.
If you are engaged in such a contract
requiring regular payments, it is common
practice to receive a bill which is paid by
returning a signed detachable slip already
made out with your bank details.
The major French banks with branches
across the country are: Le Crédit Agricole,
La BNP Paribas, Le Crédit Lyonnais, La
Société Générale, La Caisse d'Epargne and
La Poste.
Looking for financial advice? Check the Expatica
Business Directory at www.expatica.com
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Taxation
If you are a resident of France, you must pay taxes. The following
is a quick introductory guide to how the system works.
MONEY
You are subject to French taxes, called
impôts, if you hold a residence permit, if
you spend more than 182 days in the
country during a calendar year, if France is
the country you live in more than any
other, if most of your wealth is based in
France or if your main activity is in
France.
HOW IT WORKS
Income taxes are calculated yearly
according to your earnings from 1
January through to 31 December inclusive. You will be required to declare all
your earnings from the moment of your
arrival in France if your stay thereafter is
uninterrupted before officially becoming
a resident (see Residence permits, page
11).
Taxes are calculated from the information
you must supply in a form called la déclaration des revenus, which must be completed and sent to your local tax office by 28
February of every year. It concerns all
information about your earnings during
the previous calendar year. It is not
uncommon for the February deadline to
be extended by several weeks, in which
case it is announced beforehand by the tax
authorities and widely reported in the
media.
You can also opt to file your yearly déclaration via the internet.
If you fail to supply your yearly tax return
by the given deadline, you will be subject
to a surtax of 10 percent.
You can pay tax in three instalments
spread through the year, which is still the
most common choice, or opt for a direct
monthly debit system.
In the case of instalments, these are separately payable by 15 February, 16 May and
36
15 September. You are notified by the tax
office of what you should pay before each
is due.
The sums of the first two instalments are
based on an estimate, that of your last
yearly tax payment.
Thus, in 2005, your first two instalment
payments each amount to one third of
the total tax bill you incurred for earnings in 2003. Before the third and final
payment is due 15 September, your
February declaration — which concerned
2004 — will have been processed, and
this final payment will be adjusted to
amount to the exact remaining sum of
what you owe for 2004.
If you are salaried, your employer will
provide you with notification of your
declarable income for the year concerned.
If you are self-employed, you must be able
to produce detailed accounts of your earnings.
It is best to seek expert advice before filling
in your tax form; you may be liable to tax
on wealth, capital gains and inheritance.
Conversely, tax concessions are accorded to
different categories of tax payers, including
parents, people who contribute to charity
and a number of professions.
Tax returns are processed by your local tax
office, called le centre des impôts, and you
must contact them to obtain your first tax
returns form in time for the yearly deadline. Once you are recorded in the system,
the form will be sent automatically to your
home address each year. If you move
home during the year, it is your duty to
send the next déclaration to your new local
tax office.
The taxation system, including thresholds,
is currently being simplified, with details
due late 2005.
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Insurance
Make sure that you are properly insured while living in France, where
personal insurance is a legal requirement. Here’s a guide.
MONEY
The French insurance market offers a wide
choice of companies and policies to choose
from. All the major companies offering
insurance, which is called assurance, have
high street offices and are big enough to
offer an umbrella policy for all your needs,
as well as just a specific policy.
If you are an employee of a major firm or
institution, it is well worth asking the HR
department whether there is an agreement
with a particular company offering lower
than usual tariffs.
most cases civil liability is
“ Incovered
with a comprehensive
home policy — but always make
absolutely certain of his.
”
Insurance is a legal requirement for vehicles (assurance automobile), homes (assurance
pour la maison or assurance d'habitation), for
civil liability (assurance responsabilité civile),
and for schoolchildren (assurance scolaire).
HOME INSURANCE
You are legally required to insure your
home, whether you rent or own it and
before moving in, against all risks, including risks of damage it might cause to a
third party. Most policies are comprehensive, insuring you also against theft, and
are called assurance multirisques habitation.
It is strongly advisable to ensure that you
understand the small print of any policy,
especially regarding what weather risks
are covered and for how much.
even if they are not in use. When taking
out a policy, you will be issued with a certificate testifying to the validity of your
insurance, called un certificat d'assurance,
and which must be fixed clearly visible on
your vehicle windscreen. Policies are
either third party (au tiers) or comprehensive (tous risques).
You are also legally required to carry a
document proving you are insured, called
une attestation d'assurance, which is issued
by your insurer, whenever you use your
vehicle.
Your insurer will also issue you with a
standard form, called un constat amiable
d'accident, to complete in the event of an
accident. It provides space to fill in insurance details, for a written and graphic
description of the accident, and it must be
completed and signed by both you and the
other party involved. It is a carbon copy
sheet, and both parties send their copy
back to their respective insurer to establish
responsibility.
SCHOOLING, CIVIL LIABILITY
Under French law you must be covered by
an insurance for civil liability and your
child must also be specifically insured for
this while at school.
In most cases civil liability is covered with
a comprehensive home policy — but
always make absolutely certain of this.
There are insurance companies which specialise in insurance for schoolchildren,
which costs about EUR 30 per year.
VEHICLES
All vehicles in France must be insured,
Indeed, the majority of pupils have a separate specific insurance policy.
Really get to know your adopted home — find new
articles about France every day at www.expatica.com
38
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Service providers
AIRLINE
FOOD FROM HOME
BMI
Avenue des Pléiades 15
Plejadenlaan 15
B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
www.flybmi.com
Best of British
ZA de la gare
13210 Saint Remy de
Provence
04 32 62 88 49
www.bestofbritish.fr
La Vallée Village
3 Cours de la Garonne
77 700 Serris
(Marne la Vallée)
01 60 42 35 00
www.LavalleeVillage.com
TELECOMS
BANKING
BritLike
62A Sparrows Herne,
Bushey Heath
Herts WD23, 1FY, England.
+44 1707 662 433
www.britlike.com
Crédit Agricole
20, Hector Malot
75012 Paris
01 43 40 50 00
www.ca-paris.fr
Relais Gourmet
14, rue Burguria
64700 Hendaye
06 10 85 25 67
www.relaisgourmet.com
CARS
The English Shop
An St. Agatha 41
50667 Köln
+49 221 2578555
[email protected]
www.english-shop.com
ACTENA VOLVO
56, av De Versailles
75016 Paris
01 44 30 82 31
www.actena.fr
NERIM
29, rue du Louvre
75002 Paris
01 44 82 67 22
www.nerim.net
PHONEXPAT / Stragex
11 rue d'Ouches Bat i
78100 St. Germain-en-Laye
01 30 61 17 72
www.phonexpat.com
MONEY
BRED Banque Populaire
18, Quai de la Rapee
75012 Paris
01 48 98 60 00
www.bred.com
Wengo
40-42, Quai du Jour
92100 Boulogne
Billancourt
01 70 18 60 00
www.wengo.fr
TRAVEL
INSURANCE
COACHING
NLP School Europe
82 rue de la Vilette
75019 Paris
01 43 15 67 14
www.nlpschool.com
CONCIERGE & DESIGN
SERVICES
at your service
41, av Le Nôtre
92420 Vaucresson
01 47 95 12 90
www.atyourserviceparis.com
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AXA Assistance
01 55 92 40 00
www.axa-assistance.com
FAC International
56, rue de Londres
75008 Paris
01 44 70 77 77
www.fac-international.com
Paris Connection
26, rue Rémy Dumoncel
77220 Avon
01 60 70 81 12
www.parisconnection.fr
Trip in France
ZA d'Arsac
12850 St. Radegonde
06 77 55 70 36
www.trip-infrance.com
SHOPS
FINANCE
Hollandbikes.com
77, bd Lefebvre
75015 Paris
01 42 50 42 40
www.hollandbikes.com
France Home Finance
Espace Paris Pionnières
12 rue d'Uzès
75002 Paris
01 72 33 94 33
www.francehomefinance.com
39
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Education
The system of education in France can be a daunting
subject to newcomers. Here is: French Schooling 101.
EDUCATION
France offers state-run and private schools
at all levels and the educational standards
of French schools is generally high in comparison with other European countries. A
full understanding of the French educational system requires a general immersion in
French culture, and for most expatriates it is
a 'learn as you go' process.
Children are legally required to attend
school as of the age of six, although most
begin between three and four.
The minimum school leaving age is 16
years, although most students continue for
another two years to sit the baccalauréat
exam, required to advance to universitylevel studies.
Your child's grade will be determined by
the calendar year of birth; that is, all children born in 1999 or another given year will
be assigned to the same grade.
State schools are run by the ministry of education, which sets detailed guidelines for
the curriculum. Teachers are considered
civil servants and the teacher's unions are
quite powerful.
Private schools are either sous contrat, meaning under contract with the state whereby
the government pays the teachers' salaries
and the school follows the national curriculum and schedule, or hors contrat whereby
they are totally privately funded.
The hors contrat schools generally, but not
necessarily, follow a curriculum equivalent
to the state school curriculum.
Private sous contrat schools ask for a relatively modest tuition, generally between
about EUR 500 and EUR 3,500 per year;
tuition at hors contrat schools runs between
about EUR 7,800 to EUR 11,000 per year.
State-run schools are free.
In most cases, (with some notable exceptions listed below), a bilingual education is
only available in a private school; in Paris,
there are also several private American and
British schools where the curriculum is the
same as in the country of origin.
There are many more opportunities for a
HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR SCHOOL
If you send your child to a state school,
you must contact the service des écoles at
the mairie (city, town or village hall) of
your residential district. You will be
required to produce these same documents for registering your child with a
public or private school:
A livret de famille (an official French
pamphlet of family records issued by the
mairie) or an extrait de l'acte de naissance
(birth certificate) as well as an official
translation of the child's birth certificate,
or the child's passport along with both
parents' identity papers.
40
Proof of immunisations: a carnet de
santé (an official booklet containing
French health records) or other official
health records to show that the child is
immunised against tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio.
Proof of place of residence: usually an
electricity bill or a rent receipt showing
your home address.
Proof of identity: the parent's passport or French residency permit, called a
carte de séjour or carte de résidence.
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Education system
bilingual education in Paris or its suburbs,
although some other major cities do have
bilingual French-run schools including
Grenoble, Lyon and Bordeaux.
Attendance is not obligatory, but neither is
it just daycare; children who skip école
maternelle will likely need time to catch up
with their peers in primary school and the
teachers, les maîtresses or les maîtres, are likely to disapprove if a child is not 'scolarisé' by
the age of four or five.
SCHOOL HOURS
EDUCATION
ECOLE PRIMAIRE
The system calls for 26 hours of class per
week at the maternelle and primaire levels.
The school-day generally runs three hours
in the morning and three in the afternoon
with a two-hour lunch break; children can
go home for lunch or most schools offer a
fee-based lunch service.
The traditional schedule calls for attendance
Monday through Friday with Wednesdays
a half-day. But many schools have no classes at all on Wednesday and a half-day on
Saturdays. Others have only four days of
classes per week and make up the time by
extending the school year into the summer.
In fact, the school schedule is a consistent
source of debate that often sets working
parents at odds with educators and administrators. The education ministry has delegated decisions on the school schedule to
local governments so there is significant
variation although vacation schedules are
set by the national government.
Public schools get a two-week break in
October, December, February and April.
ECOLE MATERNELLE
Attendance is optional at the école maternelle
(nursery, or infant, school). It is divided into
three sections, petite, moyenne and grande.
The three-year cycle is referred to as the
cycle des apprentissages premiers.
The main aim is to teach the child how to
live in a social situation and to become
autonomous. In the last year of maternelle,
activities are geared toward preparing the
child for primary school including pre-reading, writing and elementary math skills.
42
All children in France are required to attend
the école primaire — elementary, or primary
school. In France, elementary, or primary
school corresponds to American grades 1
through 5 and to British Infant 2 through to
Junior 4 classes. The first two years of école
primaire are CP (short for cours préparatoire)
and CE1 (short for cours élémentaire, première
année).
After the three-years of maternelle, they constitute the second three-year cycle, the cycle
des apprentissages fondamentaux.
The next three years, which constitute the
cycle des approfondissements, are CE2 (short
for cours élémentaire, deuxième année), CM1
and CM2 - meaning cours moyen première
année and cours moyen deuxième année.
Discipline and rote memorisation of facts, as
opposed to creative expression and independent thinking, are the hallmarks of the
French education system at this level. Many
primary schools now have introduced
English classes and it is has been proposed
that English study be made mandatory at
this level in the future.
COLLÈGE
The first two years of secondary school (collège), called respectively 6ème and 5ème, are
designated as cycles d'observation. The next
two years, 4ème and 3ème, are called the
cycles d'orientation.
Elementary schools often feed into locally
designated collèges, and certain collèges feed
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Education
LYCÉE
in turn into locally designated lycées, which
assure the final two years of secondary
school education ending with the baccalauréat exam.
The lycée (high school/final year school) is
divided into two cycles, the cycle de détermination, made up of the class of seconde
générale et technologique, and the cycle terminal which consists of the première and terminale, leading to the end-of-school examination called the baccalauréat général or the baccalauréat technologique.
EDUCATION
The cycle d'observation consists of 22.5 hours
per week of classes, plus three hours per
week of group tutoring. The cycle d'orientation is 24.5 hours per week plus two, three
or more hours for one of several classes of
the student's choosing.
In 6ème, the first secondary school year, the
students begin learning a foreign language
(usually English), and in 4ème the acquisition of a second foreign language.
During the premier cycle the teachers meet
periodically in a class council, called the
conseil de classe, to determine the students'
aptitudes or interests to guide students
towards the type of education best suited to
them. At the end of 5ème and at the end of
3ème, if the parents follow the advice of the
guidance council, the student enters the recommended section, or track. It can be difficult to change course once a student has
started down a certain path of study.
Teachers sometimes recommend that a student should repeat a year if they feel that
he/she lacks the maturity or the scholastic
ability to pass into the following grade.
FURTHER INFORMATION
AAWE
34 avenue de New York, 75016 Paris.
01 47 28 45 19, [email protected]
The AAWE Guide to Education
is a highly recommended comprehensive
guide written in English.
Centre National de Documentation sur
l'Enseignement Privé
Its publication, "Guide Fabert", lists all
the private schools in France
20 rue Fabert, 75007 Paris. 01 47 05 32 68
44
More than a diploma, having passed the
baccalauréat, or bac, indicates a high level of
general scholastic competence.
During the class of seconde, which is the last
year of lycée, the student decides whether to
pursue a scientific or literary baccalauréat. At
the end of the third trimester the student
must decide which sections of première they
wish to study. The members of the conseil de
classe examine the request and respond with
either a proposition d'orientation or proposition
de redoublement.
There are some 56 schools in France,
including seven American schools and 12
British, that offer the international baccalauréat (OIB); this adds tests of ability in
a second language and general knowledge
of its literature.
The cycle de détermination consists of seven
main subjects including three hours of
mandatory subjects, modules obligatoires, ateliers de travaux pratique and other optional
choices.
ENSEIGNEMENT SUPÉRIEUR
Higher education (enseignement supérieur) is
offered in private institutes as well as in the
state-run establishments. The state establishments include: the facultés, which are the
sections making up universities authorised
to grant state degrees; the university institutes of technology, designed to train future
high-ranking administrators, civil servants
and technicians; and the grandes écoles, the
most prestigious research and study institutions.
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EDUCATION
Education listings
UNIVERSITY
SCHOOLS
ESSEC
2 Place de la Defence,
Pob 230
92053 Paris la Défence
01 46 92 49 00
www.essec.fr
L'Ermitage International
School
46, Avenue Eglé
78600 Maisons-Laffite
01 39 62 04 02
www.ermitage.fr
Executive EURO*MBA
AUDENCIA Nantes Ecole
de Management
8 route de la Jonelière
BP 31222
44312 Nantes cedex 3
02 40 37 34 34
www.audencia.com
International School of
Bearn
Rue des Fougères,
Quartier Berlanne
64160 Morlaas
06 12 56 68 67
www.isbearn.com
Institut d'Administration
des Entreprises (Institute of
Business Administration)
Aix en Provence
Clos Guiot BP 33
Chemin De la Quille
13 540 Puyricard
04 42 28 08 55
www.iae-aix.com
Savoie University
Division Relation
Internationale
BP 11104
73011 Chambéry Cedex
04.79.75.91.15
www.univ-savoie.fr
Sciences-Po MBA
174 Bd Saint Germain
75006 Paris
01 45 44 87 43
www.sciences-po.fr
Vlerick Leuven Gent
Management School
Vlamingenstraat 83,
B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
+32 9 210 9899
www.vlerick.be
46
Collège and Lycée de
Sèvres
7, rue Lecocq, 92310 Sevres
01 46 23 96 35
Lycée International de
St.Germain-en-Laye
36 rue du Fer à Cheval
78100 St. Germain-en-Laye
01 39 10 94 11
Collège Cheverus
10, rue de Cheverus
33000 Bordeaux
05 56 48 57 00
Lycée International François
Magendie
10, rue des Treuils, 33023,
Bordeaux Cedex
05 57 81 48 20
Collège et Lycée
International Stendhal
1, rue Raoul Blanchard
38027 Grenoble
04 76 54 83 83
AMERICAN & BRITISH
SCHOOLS
The American School of Paris
41, rue Pasteur
92210 Saint-Cloud
01 41 12 82 82
Marymount International
72 Boulevard de la
Saussaye,
92200 Neuilly-Sur-Seine
01 46 24 10 51
International School of Paris
6 rue Beethoven
75016 Paris
01 42 24 09 54
British School in Paris
38, Quai de l'Ecluse
78290 Croissy-Sur-Seine
01 39 76 29 00
PRIVATE BILINGUAL SCHOOLS
Centre Actif Bilingue
Ecole Maternelle et
Primaire
38 Boulevard Foch
77300 Fontainebleau
01 64 22 13 40
[email protected]
www.ecole-cab.com
Ecole Active Bilingue
Several locations in Paris
117, boulevard
Malesherbes,
75008 Paris
01 45 63 47 00
L'Ecole Aujourd'hui
24 Boulevard Edgar Quinet,
75014 Paris
01 43 20 61 24
Eurécole
5 rue de Lubeck,
75116 Paris
01 40 70 12 81
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Daycare
France has one of the most generous pre-school childcare systems in Europe
although it can still be difficult to find an open spot, especially in Paris.
Parents can send their babies to both publicly and privately run nurseries, called
crèches, as soon as the child is three months
old (which corresponds with the average
maternity leave).
All public and private nursery staff must
meet strict standards of training, and are
required to hold a childcare diploma. For
information on the crèches in your area, you
should ask at your local town hall, or mairie,
(which in large cities is that of your
arrondissement, or neighbourhood).
All French cities and towns offer this service
but small, rural localities may have a limited number of places and in big cities,
demand often outstrips availability. No matter where you live, you are strongly advised
to put your name down in advance.
There is also a system of crèches parentales,
which are nurseries run by parent associations. These nurseries, which employ qualified assistantes maternelles, are licensed by
the local mairie; check there for details of the
one nearest you.
The crèches parentales are non-profit; parents
pay an equal share of the costs and take an
active role in the nursery management. To
keep costs down, parents usually also provide food and equipment.
Children in France can begin public nursery
school, or école maternelle, at three years old
presuming the child is potty-trained, propre
in French; here again, a place is not guaranteed and schools do fill up. Register your
child early to guarantee their place.
For babies or for after-school care for older
children, there is also a system of qualified
nannies, called assistantes maternelles, who
are paid to either look after children either
on their own premises or at your home;
they are allowed to take a maximum of five
children at one time.
The school-day here includes three hours in
the morning and three in the evening; parents are allowed to pick up their children
for the lunch break, which often is as long
as two hours.
An assistante maternelle holds a state childcare diploma and is regularly inspected.
You can find a list of qualified nannies from
your local mairie.
It is common for schools to offer both a
lunch service and a childcare service, puériculture, on the premises both before and
after school until 6.30pm or 7pm; while the
schooling itself is free, you must pay for
these additional services.
Note that the common French word for
nanny is nourrice; a person advertising services as a nourrice is not the same thing as a
state qualified assistante maternelle.
To make it easier for parents to employ a
nanny at their home, the government
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EDUCATION
French public nurseries and day-care centres are funded by local and regional
authorities and by means-tested parental
fees. Most are open some 11 hours a day
and closed for one month over the summer
period, as well as on public holidays.
requires parents to pay only the take-home
salary of the nanny, while the state covers
the numerous social security charges.
Parents who take advantage of this must
draw up a formal written contract detailing
working hours and the take-home pay and
then apply to the local URSAFF office (see
Social security system).
Your child is not required to attend school
until the age of six; but les écoles maternelles
do teach a state-mandated curriculum and
children who miss these years of preparation may be disadvantaged when they start
primary school.
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Language courses
ADOmLingua
257, rue Fbg St. Martin
75010 Paris
01 42 05 42 68
www.adomlingua.fr
EDUCATION
Ecole EFI
22, rue Rambuteau
75003 Paris
01 40 27 86 58
www.efiparis.com
Formalangues
87, rue La Boétie
75008 Paris
01 53 93 67 89
www.formalangues.com
www.formalanguessejours.com
Home Language
International
Le Coronade
20, avenue de fontvieille
98000 Monaco
+377 97 707 472
www.hli-online.com
Institut de langue française
3, avenue Bertie Albrecht
75008 Paris
01 45 63 24 00
www.inst-langue-fr.com
L'Atelier des Langues
75, rue des dames
75017 Paris
01 43 87 00 92
www.latelierdeslangues.fr
48
Berlitz France
35, av. Franklin D Roosevelt
75008 Paris
01 40 74 00 17
British European Centre
5, rue Chevalier de St.
George, 75008 Paris
01 42 60 35 55
Ecole Eiffel
3, rue Crocé-Spinelli
75014 Paris
01 43 20 41 19
www.ecole-eiffel.fr
French for Executives
Marie Varlet
01 46 33 39 72
[email protected]
La Sorbonne Cours de
Civilisation Française
47, rue des Ecoles (5ème)
01 40 46 22 11
Ecole PERL
6, rue Spinoza, 75011 Paris
01 53 36 16 96
Oise Formation
71 bis, rue de Vaugirard
75006 Paris
01 42 22 .01 98
Paris Langues
30, rue Cabanis, 75014 Paris
01 45 65 05 28
www.parislangues.com
LFA - Le Français
Autrement
1, rue des Fontaines
92310 Sèvres
01 46 23 91 47
www.lfa-langues.fr
LYON
Alliance Française
101, bd Raspail
75006 Paris
01 42 84 90 00
Alliance Française
11, rue Pierre Bourdan
(3eme)
04 78 95 24 72
Quai d'Orsay Language
Centre
67, Quai d'Orsay (7ème)
01 44 11 10 50
Centre International
d'Etudes Françaises
16, Quai Claude Bernard
(7eme)
04 78 69 71 36
AIX/MARSEILLE
American Centre
27, rue Aldebert
Marseille (6eme)
04 91 81 79 78
Alliance Française
310, rue Paradis
Marseille (8eme)
04 96 10 24 60
American Association of
Marseille
3, rue Parc Borely
Marseille (8eme)
04 91 77 00 15
Inlingua Formation
Langues
115, rue Claude Nicolas
Ledoux, Aix en Provence
04 42 39 49 46
TOULOUSE
Berlitz Toulouse
4, rue Jean Suau
05 61 29 12 91
TRANSLATION
En Français SVP
14, Napier Street
St. Barton GL1, 4AT
Glos, UK
+44 1452 308 174
[email protected]
Halfmoon
Pierre Bruce
3, Place de la Marne
86700 Couhé
05 49 89 04 36
[email protected]
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How to find a job
If you are seeking employment in France, these are the essential things
you need to know about the job market before you begin the hunt.
France has one of the highest unemployment rates in western Europe at just under
10 percent of the population of working age.
The prospects for a significant improvement
in the short term are not bright.
JOBS
Of course, the national statistics don't tell
the full story. The jobless rate varies from
region to region and differs widely among
professional categories and age groups.
Thus, despite prevailing economic difficulties, there are jobs to be found.
Regardless of professional qualifications,
English mother-tongue job candidates can
hope to have an edge in certain sectors.
The first thing to establish is whether you
are entitled to work in France (see Work
Permits, page 52). Secondly, it is absolutely
essential to have at least a basic grasp of the
French language before applying.
For qualified professionals there are three
main routes for prospecting employment:
by contacting the HR departments of French
firms directly, by registering with a headhunting agency (called a cabinet de recrutement) or by searching job ad pages.
If you are writing to a French firm, whether
it be a small business or a multi-national
company, it is a key advantage to do so in
French and to present your CV in the manner used in France. Fee-paying agencies
which specialise in preparing CVs and other
administrative documents can be found in
the Yellow Pages or on the web under the
title conseils en formalités administratives.
Job ads for qualified professionals appear in
the general press in special sections in
weekly news magazines like Le Point and
L'Express, as well as in national dailies like
Le Figaro and Le Monde.
For those looking for manual, secretarial
and/or relatively unskilled jobs, the best
approach is through temporary employ-
50
ment agencies, called agences d'intérim, and
the small ads in the local and national press.
Competition is at its highest in this category,
and subsequently there are few employers
in France who don't demand a minimum of
school leaving qualifications plus one or
more levels of training.
The highest turnover of offers for nonskilled, English-speaking labour comes from
the services sector, in particular in tourism.
There are two types of working contract in
France; a CDD, or Contrat de travail à durée
déterminée, which is for a designated temporary period and a CDI, or Contrat de travail à
durée indéterminée, which is for a permanent
post. A CDD, or cumulated CDDs, must be
transformed into a CDI after 18 months.
A new category, the CNE, or contrat nouvelle
embauche, was introduced (controversially)
by decree in the summer of 2005. Aimed at
tackling the stubbornly high levels of unemployment it removes what some perceive to
be the main thing discouraging employers
from hiring: the difficulty in firing.
Now, companies with fewer than 20
employees (the vast majority in France) can
take staff on on a 'permanent' contract
which extends the probationary period
from the customary six months maximum
to two years. This leaves employers free to
dispose of employees with only a short
notice period. Employers' organisations are
pressing for the measure to be extended to
all businesses and the arrangement will
debated by parliament in Autumn 2005.
Salary or earnings will be presented either
as brut, which is before direct deductions, or
as net, which is after direct deductions.
These mostly concern mandatory contributions to the French welfare system, but do
not include income tax, which is paid yearly
(see Guide to taxation in France, page 36).
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Work permits
The rules for obtaining a work permit in France are reasonably straightforward.
But not all foreign nationals require one. Here is a guide to the process.
JOBS
Not everyone needs a work permit (called
une autorisation de travail) to be allowed
employment in France. While all those who
are entitled to unrestricted employment are
from European countries, not all European
nationals enjoy this status.
Foreign nationals entitled to work in France
without obtaining a permit fall into the following three categories:
Citizens from the 14 European Union
member states which, with France, made up
the EU prior to its enlargement on 1 May
2004, but also two new member states,
Cyprus and Malta.
Nationals from member states of the
European Economic Area (EEA)
Citizens of Switzerland
Although it is also no longer legally necessary for nationals from the above-listed
countries to hold a residency permit, it can
be a practical and reassuring proof of identity and status for employers — who will
often ask for one.
Foreign nationals from any country other
than those listed above must hold both a
valid work permit and residence permit (in
the form of a long-stay visa, called un visa de
long séjour ) to be allowed employment in
France. Furthermore, both must be obtained
before arriving in France.
As implied further above, this is also applicable, for an as yet undefined temporary
period, to nationals of EU member-states
which joined after 1 May 2004, with the
exception of citizens of Cyprus and Malta.
RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
Euro London Appointments
17 Square Edouard VII
75009 Paris
01 53 43 94 52
www.eurolondon.com
52
The work permit rule essentially requires
the applicant to have obtained an offer of
employment prior to arrival. The process of
applying for the work permit is initiated by
the French employer, who will subsequently provide the forms to be filled by the
applicant. These are processed in France,
usually at a local level.
The employer will have to justify that the
applicant is more appropriate for the job
than a French national or a national of any
of the countries (above listed) which have a
free right to work in France, or that there
are no other candidates for the post.
Once the application is cleared, the work
permit and the accompanying long-stay
visa are delivered by the French consular
services in the applicant's home country.
If this may at first appear a Catch-22 situation, whereby it is impossible to find
employment before first arriving in France,
note that a visitor to France travelling on a
tourist visa is entitled to look for a job offer.
However, neither the work permit nor the
long-stay visa can be applied for from within France. In all cases, the applicant must
return to their home country to do so.
As always, there are exceptions to what is
otherwise a rigid rule. These include measures to ease the employment of high-ranking management employees, and temporary
work permits for students, au pairs and seasonal agricultural workers. In all cases,
check with your local French consulate
about your specific situation.
GR Interim
The international profile
recruitment specialist
17, rue de la Paix
75002 Paris
01 42 61 16 16
www.grinterim.com
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Healthcare system
The French healthcare system is of the highest quality offering patients
a wide and free choice of practitioners and facilities. This is how it works.
France offers a vast choice of general practitioners and healthcare specialists, part of its
mammoth social security system which,
although heavily indebted, is one of the
finest anywhere.
HEALTH
French employees see about 20 percent of
their gross salary deducted at source to pay
the social security system, called la Sécurité
sociale. A large part of this goes into public
healthcare which everyone in France has
access to.
If you subscribe to the French social security
system, whether employee or selfemployed, most of your general healthcare
needs are partially reimbursed, but at different rates. It is common in France to subscribe to a mutuelle, which is a medical
insurance company established for the purpose of covering most medical costs that the
state does not. There are dozens of
mutuelles, which are often specific to types
of profession.
The Sécurité sociale refunds 70 percent of
medical fees. So, in the case of a visit to a
local practitioner, called un médecin généraliste, 70 percent of the doctor's consultation
fee, which is about EUR 20, is refunded.
Most mutuelles will reimburse the remaining
30 percent, just as they also cover the
remainder on most common health needs,
obviously including emergency hospital
treatment.
Medicines and drugs are refunded by the
Sécurité sociale on varying scales, from 35
percent to 65 percent. Mutuelles offer partial
or total refunds, depending upon your specific contract.
54
Anyone in France can consult any doctor
or specialist, regardless of whether the
patient is affiliated to the French social
security system and/or has private medical
insurance. The fee is the same for everyone, although by how much the costs are
covered depends upon your medical
insurance plan.
Under new legislation aimed at cutting
health service costs however, all patients are
now required to register with a médecin traitant, or regular GP, in order to benefit from
the refunds outlined above.
If you have a medical problem which may
need specialist treatment, it is generally necessary to be referred for this by the médecin
généraliste in order to be eligible for a
refunding of costs, for example with physiotherapy, laboratory examinations or X-rays.
There is no social security coverage for consultations with psychologists and psychoanalysts, osteopaths and chiropractors.
You can however directly consult a large
number of specialists whose fees are
refunded, including gynaecologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists and psychiatrists
and dentists. In every city and large town,
you will find a wide choice among these
professions, and you are free to choose and
change between specialists just as with your
general practitioner.
FEES
There are over 3,000 hospitals in France,
generally of the highest quality. Everyone
has access to emergency hospital treatment,
regardless of their health insurance coverage, and for those who subscribe to the
French Sécurité sociale it is entirely reimbursed.
EUR 20 for consultation with a general
practitioner, EUR 25 or more for consultation with a specialist. A non-refundable
fee of EUR 1 is levied for each visit.
In the case of minor injuries, you can also
choose which hospital accident and emergency service you consult (see hospital listings).
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
Human resources
Are you an HR professional?
Residence rules are changing quickly in
the EU - and particularly in the
Netherlands. For example, since March
2005, spouses of skilled expats in the
Netherlands have been exempted from the
work permit rule.
That's why human resources professionals
who manage expatriate staff need to be
able to keep up to date with the latest
information and trends regarding employee mobility. One of the best ways of doing
that is by reading Expatica HR - the leading source of information about international HR in Europe.
Helping HR and mobility managers keep
up with the latest trends and best practices in mobility management, Expatica
HR publishes weekly up-to-date informa-
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
tion and news, which draws from recent
research from top business schools, institutions and industry consultants as well as
from the experience of international business and expatriates themselves.
Reflecting the needs of its professional
readership, Expatica HR features include
articles on cost management, family and
spouse support, cross-cultural training,
pensions, tax issues and international
career management.
Expatica HR also lists information on this
year's upcoming expatriate management
conferences, seminars and expos. Human
resources professionals can read all this for free - at www.expatica.com/hr.
When you are on the home page, sign up
for the free weekly newsletter, which will
make sure you don't miss important
changes in this fast-moving area.
55
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Hospital listings
PARIS
LYON
Bichart Claude-Bernard
46, rue Henri-Huchard
75018 Paris
01 40 25 80 80
Hôpital Edouard Herriot
5, place Arsonval
69003 Lyon
0820 0820 69 & 04 72 11 78 90
Hôtel Dieu
1, Place du Parvis
de Notre-Dame
75004 Paris
01 42 34 82 34
Hôpital Hôtel Dieu
Place de l'Hôpital
69002 Lyon
0820 0820 69 & 04 72 41 30 30
Hôpital de la Croix Rousse
93, Grande Rue de la Croix
Rousse, 69004 Lyon
0820 0820 69 & 04 72 07 10 46
HEALTH
Broussais
96, rue Didot
75014 Paris
01 43 95 95 95
MARSEILLE
Cochin
27, rue du Faubourg Saint
Jacques
75014 Paris
01 58 41 41 41
Necker-Enfants Malades
(specialised in treating
children)
149, rue de Sèvres
75 015 Paris
01 44 49 40 00
Pitié-Salpetrière
47-83, boulevard de
l'Hôpital
75013 Paris
01 42 16 00 00
Centre Hospitalier National
des Quinze-Vingts
28, rue Charenton
75012 Paris
01 40 02 15 20
Hôpital Sainte Marguerite
270, boulevard Ste
Marguerite
13009 Marseille
04 91 74 40 00
31403 Toulouse
05 61 32 25 33
BORDEAUX
Centre Jean Abadie
89 rue Sablières
33000 Bordeaux
05 56 79 56 79
Hôpital Charles Perrens
146Bis rue Léo Saignat
33000 Bordeaux
05 56 56 34 34
LILLE
Centre Hospitalier Regional
Universitaire de Lille
avenue Oscar Lambret
59037 Lille
03 20 44 59 62
STRASBOURG
Hôpital de la Timone
264 rue St Pierre
13005 Marseille
04 91 38 60 00
Hôpital Civil
1, place Hôpital
67000 Strasbourg
03 88 11 67 68
Hôpital Ambroise Paré
1 rue Eylau1
3006 Marseille
04 91 83 38 38
RENNES
TOULOUSE
Hôpital la Grave (CHU)
place Lange
31059 Toulouse
05 61 77 78 33
Group Hospitalier Rangueil
Larrey (CHU)
Avenue Prof Jean Poulhes
Hôtel Dieu
2 r Hôtel Dieu
35000 Rennes
02 99 28 43 21
MONTPELLIER
Centre Hospitalier
Universitaire (CHU)
191 avenue Doyen Gaston
Giraud
34090 Montpellier
04 67 33 67 33
Get more out of living in France! Read Expatica
online every weekday at www.expatica.com
56
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Utilities
To open an account for any utility, you will
need proof both of your identity (passport,
residence permit) and your home address.
The latter can be your rental agreement or
rent receipt, or sale agreement of your
house.
If you are moving into a home vacated by
someone else, that person will probably
provide you with a document specifying
the end of their service contract at that
address. This will speed up the process of
restoring service under your name.
For all utilities, it is common to see on your
bill a flat rate paid in advance, un abonnement, and then to pay for consumption
retroactively.
Whenever you are dealing with service
providers, or any administration for that
matter, it is a good idea and often mandatory to notify them of changes or termination
of service in writing; it is common and
advisable to send such requests with an
accusé de réception, the equivalent of a return
receipt.
ELECTRICITY
The only supplier of domestic electricity in
France is the state-run service Electricité
de France, or EDF. You can opt for various
'windows' of cheaper rates at specific
overnight hours; these are called les heures
creuses with daytime hours les heures
pleines.
You can find your local EDF office through
the phone book, or at
http://particuliers.edf.fr. You can also phone
the national general enquiries line on 08 10
12 61 26 (local rate). Service can generally be
re-established within 48 hours.
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GAS
As with electricity, there is only one supplier of gas for homes in France. This is the
state-run company called Gaz de France or
GDF. (The government sold off roughly 20
percent of its GDF shares this year, but there
is still no competitor for gas service.) You
can find your local Gaz de France office
through the phone book at www.gazdefrance.com or phone the general enquiries
line on 08 10 14 01 50 (local rate). Service
can generally be re-established within 48
hours.
You will be billed every two months for
electricity and gas together on the same bill;
your consumption will be verified twice a
year and the difference between estimated
consumption and your real consumption
will show up automatically on your bill.
SETTLING IN
It is also quite common, and more practical,
to enter into an agreement with the person
vacating your new home not to cut off the
supply but rather to agree on a date at
which you will replace their name with
yours on the existing contract.
The French domestic electrical current is 220
volts AC. All modern sockets and plugs are
three-pin, although some relatively recent
appliances are still two-pin. If you are arriving with appliances from the UK or outside
the EU, you are likely to need an adaptor
and, in the case of appliances from North
America, a transformer.
WASTE DISPOSAL
Rubbish collection is organised by the local
authorities in charge of your commune; contact your mairie to locate your service
provider.
The frequency of service varies from place
to place; in Paris, rubbish collection is daily,
but in small towns it is often only three
times or less per week. In all cases, rubbish
is collected from outside your residence and
bins should be placed in the street the night
before. The local authorities provide the
plastic 'wheely' bins free of charge.
All apartment buildings have a bin area,
where residents deposit their waste. In large
buildings it is the caretaker, called gardien or
concierge, who looks after the collection.
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Utilities
Otherwise, ask your local mairie to find out
what days the rubbish collectors pass.
SETTLING IN
Recycling of cardboard paper waste, glass
and plastic is widespread in France, but is
not mandatory and depends on the local
authorities to provide recycling bins, which
can be found in most neighbourhoods and
shopping centres.
It is illegal to dispose of dangerous substances, including batteries and motor oil, in
domestic bins. Most supermarkets, and
every town hall, have used-battery bins. A
full list of collection points can be found at
the mairie. Nearly every mairie organises a
less frequent collection of large domestic
throw-outs, from old chairs to TVs, called
les objets encombrants. There are also drive-in
rubbish tips, une décharge, somewhere near
you. Dispose of unused medicines at a
chemists.
Homeowners, and sometimes renters, are
responsible for the payment of the annual
trash removal tax or taxe d'ordures.
The installation and maintenance of all telephone lines in France is handled by France
Télécom; up until recently, you had to go
through them to get a telephone number.
Now, in some zones designated as dégroupé,
where the phone lines themselves have
been opened to competitors, you can theoretically go through another operator. The
company Free, for example, offers to set up
a phone number for you in a zone de
dégroupage total.
But as most communes are still only partially dégroupé - or not at all - you will most
probably need to contact France Télécom
first to establish a phone number.
To open a line you will need proof of residence and proof of personal identity (a residence permit or passport). The basic line
subscription costs EUR 13.99 per month and
it takes about 24 hours to establish service.
You will be billed every two months.
WATER
POSTAL SERVICES
French water is delivered by dozens of private companies who sign contracts with
local authorities for specific areas; check
your local white pages or call your town
hall to find your designated supplier.
France has one postal service, called La
Poste. This entirely state-run organisation
is generally efficient, although occasionally
subject to strikes.
Your water bill is calculated by the number of cubic metres of water consumed.
Ask for the details of the account from the
person vacating the property you are moving into, or call the local mairie.
Rates vary enormously and can sometimes
be expensive; some companies only bill
only once or twice a year.
Domestic supplies are potable and regulated by the national authorities, although
there have been cases of pollution of water
supplies. Still, French people usually opt
for bottled drinking water mostly for taste.
58
TELEPHONES
There are post offices, called bureaux de
poste, in every urban neighbourhood and
most rural villages, and are easily identified by their blue-on-yellow logo.
Stamps for sending letters (up to 20
grammes) within France and the EU cost
EUR 0.53 for the Rapide service, and EUR
0.48 for the slower Economique service.
In most cases, a letter posted before 5pm
with a rapide stamp will be delivered to
an address in France the next morning. La
Poste also offers same-day deliveries, as do
private courier firms in France, which
include all the major operators.
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Utilities
France Télécom has sales point boutiques in
most urban neighbourhoods, or can be
reached by calling 10 14 or 08 92 70 57 04.
Once you establish your phone number,
you will automatically be billed for local
and long-distance calls by France Télécom
unless you subsequently subscribe to another service from one of several private telephone operators; you will still continue paying the basic France Télécom subscription to
retain your telephone number.
Expats who call frequently abroad are
advised to shop around for telephone service; you will see dozens of companies
advertised that want your international
service.
But do your homework before you agree to
anything, even over the phone, and get all
the rate details in writing; French companies are not necessarily liable for promotional offers their agents offer over the
phone. Likewise, the contracts can be complicated and include hidden fees like connect fees, frais d'activation, and disconnect
fees, frais de resiliation. Look for a contract
sans engagement, that way, you can change
providers if you're not happy.
France has made great strides in recent
years in extending its broadband network
and the number of subscribers to highspeed internet service, ADSL, is growing in
leaps and bounds.
If you need broadband service, the key
thing to determine before you rent or buy
a home is whether your address is in a
zone of dégroupage total or dégroupage partiel;
if you're in a zone non-dégroupé, this means
you are not eligible to sign-up for highspeed internet or any of the other privatised services, like long-distance, offered
over the phone lines.
If you're in an area of dégroupage partiel much of France - you probably won't be
able to get the fastest ADSL connection
and you'll have to go through France
Télécom for a phone number.
The telephone regulatory authority tracks
dégroupage, updating a map of zones
dégroupés every three months. Its website,
which explains a lot of the new telecommunications concepts and regulations, is:
http://www.art-telecom.fr/index.htm
There is an English-language version of
the site. But to find out if your town is
dégroupé, look for the map titled in French:
Implantation géographique du dégroupage.
As with long-distance phone service, the
number of competing operators and packages can be overwhelming and you should
get any rate offers in writing.
One option is to go with a company that
offers VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)
service to make phone calls via your ADSL
service.
For a comparative list of services including
pricing, see: www.ariase.com/fr/
observatoire/fai/adsl.html
Dial 12 for French directory enquiries and
32 12 for international enquiries. The
phone books are the pages blanches for all
numbers and the pages jaunes for trade
lists (see French phone book decoder, p76).
If you live outside a dégroupé area and really
need broadband service, there are also satellite ADSL services. For a comparative list
including pricing, see:
www.ariase.com/fr/observatoire/fai/
satellite.html
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
SETTLING IN
To disconnect service, send a letter to the
address listed on your billing statement or
visit the agency directly. If you're moving
within France, remember to take your most
recent telephone bill with you and show it
to re-establish service elsewhere; you may
also ask for a free recording that states your
new number when the old number is
dialed.
BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE
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Transport
France boasts modern, efficient and affordable transport services across
the country. This is how train, bus, subway and taxi services work.
National and inter-regional transport is covered by the state-run railway network, the
SNCF, as well as by inter-city flights operated by the Air France group and an everdecreasing number of small regional airline
companies.
The major French cities offer at least adequate and often comprehensive public
transport as a cheap alternative to the use of
vehicles, which many urban authorities are
increasingly discouraging.
PARIS
The public transport system in and around
Paris is probably the best of any city in
Europe in terms of geographical spread,
speed, upkeep and tariffs.
The capital is criss-crossed with publiclyrun services by bus, underground (or subway) and overhead rail and trams, which
are all grouped under one authority, called
the RATP.
You can buy one-journey tickets or the
cheaper travel passes which allow you to
use any of the services as often as you
please. The pass commonly used by commuters in and around the capital is called
the carte orange, which covers transport
across an area of up to some 50 kilometres
(30 miles) around the capital.
The Paris underground métro train lines
serve every small neighbourhood in the
capital, and run from 5.30am until 00.30am.
The average frequency of métro trains is
about every five minutes. The métro lines
are designated by number, and the direction
is indicated by the name of the terminus
station.
There is also an express commuter train
service, called the RER, which links regions
outlying Paris with the centre of the capital,
where it runs underground.
60
Tickets for travel within the city limits cost
EUR 1.40 each (un ticket) or EUR 10.70 for a
set of ten, called un carnet de tickets (2004
prices). One ticket gives you access to either
the bus or metro, and for the duration of
one uninterrupted journey only, although in
the case of the metro you can ride as many
lines as necessary to get to your destination.
Prices for the carte orange vary according to
the geographical zone you choose, but start
at EUR 51.50 per month for Paris only and
finish at EUR 139.90 per month for the
entire Paris region. There are also weekly
and inter-suburban rates.
You can find tickets, passes and information
from any metro station, and carnets of tickets are also available at any Tabac (specially
licensed tobacconist shop).
The RATP has an information line in
English on 0892 68 77 14 and online at
www.ratp.fr
The RER and all overhead rail services to,
from and around the capital are operated by
the SNCF, in affiliation with the RATP. The
SNCF offers information by phone on 3635
or online at www.sncf.com
OTHER FRENCH CITIES
Every French town and city has a public
transport service, and regional coach companies operate bus lines in rural areas. Lille,
Lyon, Marseille, Rennes and Toulouse all
have metro services. Tickets or passes from
the local transport service will cover all
travel in your town, city or rural region.
TAXIS
French taxis are licensed by the local prefecture, which imposes strict rules on roadworthiness, passenger capacity (a minimum of
three) and working hours. There is no twotier system, and they all operate in the same
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Transport
manner and to the same tariffs in each
region. However, for especially long journeys it is common to ask for a fixed price
(un forfait). Taxis in Paris can be hailed in the
street, at the numerous taxi ranks found in
every district or booked by phone.
Two of the largest taxi operating companies
in the capital are G7. (Tel: 01 47 39 47 39)
and Taxis Bleus (Tel: 0891 70 10 10).
NATIONAL RAIL SERVICES
The French railway network is run by a single authority, the state-run SNCF, and is
managed as a public service.
The network includes suburban, regional
You can buy all types of rail tickets by major
credit card and at any SNCF station, or by
calling 3635. Internet sales have rocketed
lately and many deals, only available online,
allow travellers to print their own ticket
directly from the www.sncf.com website.
Prems promotions offer substantial savings
for those booking ahead and last minute
bargains are posted on the site on Tuesdays.
For train times call 3635. Information concerning all services is available online at
www.sncf.com.
AIRPORTS
The biggest carrier is Air France which,
with its filial Brit Air, connects Paris with
the major French cities, while an everdecreasing number of smaller air companies offer provincial inter-city links.
Air travel is more expensive than rail and
unexpected delays are more frequent.
However, air links are quicker for travelling
from one end of the country to the other.
Air France flight reservations and information is on 0820 820 820 and online at
www.airfrance.com For other companies
contact a travel agent or the airport directly.
PARIS
BORDEAUX
Roissy - Charles de Gaulle
Main line: 01 48 62 12 12
Flight information: 01 48 62
22 80 and 0892 68 15 15
(same-day flights)
Aéroport de BordeauxMerignac
Main line: 05 56 34 50 50
MARSEILLE
LILLE
Aéroport MarseilleProvence
Main line: 04 42 14 14 14
Orly
Main line: 01 49 75 52 52
Flight information: 01 49
75 15 15 and 08 92 68 15 15
(same-day flights)
Aéroport Lille Lesquin
Main line: 03 20 49 68 68
NICE
Aéroport Lyon Bron
Main line: 04 78 26 81 09
LYON
Aéroport Lyon-Saint
Exupéry
Main line: 04 72 22 72 21
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
The network is comprehensive, trains run
with the precision of a Swiss watch and tariffs are cheaper per kilometre than most
other European countries.
and national and international lines. The
SNCF operates a high speed train (TGV)
service linking most French regions. The
TGV is a speedy (it travels at around 250
kph) and cheaper inter-city transport alternative to the plane. International TGV services also link Paris with London (by
Eurostar) and Brussels and Amsterdam (by
Thalys).
Aéroport de Nice Côte
d'Azur
Main line: 0820 423 333
Flight information: 0892 69
55 55
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Driving
France has strict road laws, even if French driving habits often
suggest otherwise. Here's how to survive when behind the wheel.
France has one of the worst road deaths and
injury rates in Europe and the government
appears determined to change the fact.
Road traffic policing is more vigorous now
than ever before.
In December 2002, a range of sharply
increased penalties for road traffic offences
were introduced, notably for speeding,
drink-driving, failing to wear a safety belt
and using a mobile phone while driving. In
2003, road deaths fell by 20 percent to
5,731.
It is very important to be aware of the priorité à droite, which is sometimes applicable in
seemingly illogical situations. It is not
uncommon for traffic on minor roads to
have priority when joining large main
streets from the right, at whatever angle and
however hidden. It is also usual for this priority to the right to govern who gives way
when two minor country roads meet.
The drink-driving limit in
“ France
is 0.5 grammes
of alcohol per litre of blood.
In 2003 the authorities launched an offensive against bad driving with extra policing
of traffic and the instalment of fixed speed
cameras throughout the country.
Meanwhile, many French towns and cities notably Paris - are increasingly discouraging
the use of cars for reasons of both congestion and alarming air pollution levels.
Despite this, the car still plays an essential
role in French life, partly because of the
country's geographical size. Many social
activities, especially outside towns, necessitate the use of a vehicle, and France has one
of the highest number of cars per capita in
Europe. The country's road infrastructure is
generally excellent, with well-kept toll
motorways accessing every region.
The most important thing to understand
about driving in France is that many, if not
most motorists have scant regard for rules,
and one must allow for the unexpected.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
French road regulations are broadly similar
to those in the rest of Europe, with a few
notable exceptions. These include the infamous priorité à droite, which gives priority to
motorists joining your forward direction
from the right - except if this is restricted by
a Stop sign, red traffic light or other indication.
62
”
Beware that French motorists often apply
their 'right' with no regard to the consequences, and at great speed.
The standard speed limit in built-up areas is
50 kph (30mph), and can sometimes be 30
kph. If you are on a B-road and enter an
area designated by a sign with the place
name bordered in red, this requires you to
reduce your speed to at most 50 kph even if
the speed limit is not signalled. In wet
weather, the maximum motorway speed is
reduced from 130 kph (80 mph) to 110 kph.
Passengers in a car equipped with rear seat
safety belts must wear them. If your car
does not have hazard warning lights you
must carry a roadside triangle. It is an
offence in France to carry a device detecting
police speed radars, and doing so is punished with a fine and automatic confiscation
of the equipment. If you are driving a foreign registered vehicle, it must have a sticker showing the country of origin, even if
this is indicated on the registration plate.
You can, as a foreign resident in France,
drive with a licence issued by another
European Union member state for an
unlimited period. Driving licences issued by
a non-EU state are valid only for the first 12
months of your stay, and must be surrendered after that in exchange for a French
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Driving
licence or, depending on the country (or US
state) of issue, you may be required to re-sit
a driving test.
French driving licences now include a 12point penalty system, whereby driving
offences are punished, on top of any other
sanctions, by a reduction in points, an accumulation of which can lead to the invalidity
of the licence.
You are at all times required to carry the
vehicle registration document and your personal ID. The French police and gendarmerie are entitled to stop you for verification of your car and yourself at will, and
such spot checks are frequent. They are not
renowned for a sense of humour.
DRIVING TIPS
Despite the many road regulations, it is
easy to see French drivers flouting quite
basic laws, including driving in the wrong
direction up one-way streets. It is best to
understand this and react accordingly
than to assume that your own respect of
SPEED LIMITS
Built-up areas: 50 kph unless otherwise
indicated
Always beware of cars jumping red lights,
especially at night and/or on deserted junctions. Although the law requires motorists
to give way to pedestrians, few actually do.
Always check the speed and behaviour of
the car behind you while slowing, for often
they may not be expecting you to do so.
Similarly, pedestrians often aggressively
'defend' their rights by suddenly crossing a
street without calculating your ability to
stop.
Politeness is not commonplace, and driving
can sometimes seem like a war of nerves,
where he who dares gets away with it!
Without joining the dangerous fray, it is
advisable not to hesitate unduly, which can
produce confusion, nor to expect your own
politeness to be reciprocated.
Many bikers behave as if they have a law
unto themselves so take great care, especially in large cities, that you make space and
are vigilant for motorbikes and mopeds
overtaking by 'shaving' either side of the
vehicle at speed.
PARKING
Most French cities offer ample underground
car park space. City street parking is widespread and almost always regulated by paymeters, which are increasingly (and in Paris,
totally) operated by a specific credit card,
available at most Tabacs (specially licensed
tobacconists indicated by a distinctive red
shop sign).
B-roads (routes nationales): 90 kph
unless otherwise indicated. When raining, the indicated speed limit is reduced
by 10 kph.
French motorists, especially in Paris, frequently nudge - or worse - the bumpers of
surrounding cars when parking, and
squeezing into an unreasonable space is a
challenge few decline.
Motorways (autoroutes): 130 kph unless
otherwise indicated. When raining, the
indicated speed limit is reduced by 20
kph.
Town and city residents are often able to
park on meters within their neighbourhood
at vastly reduced rates. Details are available
at your local town hall, called la mairie.
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Regulations concerning French-registered
vehicles now include a mandatory inspection of roadworthiness on vehicles of five
years old or more. The contrôle technique is
carried out in specially licensed centres and
is valid for two years. There is no longer
any vehicle tax in France for privatelyowned cars.
the law is all it will take to avoid an accident.
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Shopping
From chic boutiques to picking up your daily bread at your corner
boulangerie, shopping is one of France's traditional pleasures.
France still has a lively high street shopping scene in most towns and cities and,
naturally enough, this includes a vast
number of food stores. Every city and
large town hold street markets on specific
days, usually two or three times a week.
SHOPPING
Most large villages and every neighbourhood in big towns and cities have one or
more chemist's stores.
Every city has several purpose-built shopping centres, or malls, and France is dotted with hypermarkets, usually in out-oftown locations, where just about anything
can be found from every kind of food to
car tyres and gardening equipment.
High street opening hours vary. Most local
shops not selling food are closed on
Sundays and Mondays, and the rest of the
time are open from about 10am until 1pm,
and from 3.30pm until 7.30pm. Food
stores, from bakers to greengrocers, are
closed from Sunday midday through
Monday, and the rest of the time open
from about 8.30am through to 1.30pm and
from 4pm through to 8pm. Bakers open
earlier, usually at about 7.30am. In the
cities, some local neighbourhood grocers
are open until 11pm.
Chemists are usually open from Monday
to Saturday, and on Sundays there is
always a nearby chemist available to open
for emergencies and urgent prescriptions,
details of which are pinned up at your
local store.
Town and city department stores, supermarkets and city shops not selling food
are usually open uninterrupted from
9.30am until 7.30 pm, from Monday to
Saturday.
Hypermarkets are open Monday to
Saturday, usually from 8.30am until
8.30pm in the provinces, and from 8.30am
to 9.30pm or even 10pm in the Paris region
and some big French cities.
Very few big stores are open on Sundays,
with the exception of some selling furniture and DIY goods.
In very small villages, it is usually at the
Tabac (tobacconist) where you can find
basic shopping items.
WHERE TO FIND WHAT
DIY stores: Bricorama, Castorama,
Leroy-Merlin
Baby and children's clothes: Natalys, Du
Pareil au Même, Petit Bateau, Kiabi
Home appliances: Darty, Carrefour,
Auchan, Conforama
Men's clothes: Célio, H&M, C&A,
Armand Thierry, Burtons
Furniture, floor and wall decorations:
Ikea, St. Maclou, Mondial Moquette,
Conforama, Carrefour, Auchan
Women's clothes: H&M, Naf Naf, Kookai,
Etam, Jacqueline Riu
Shoe shops: André, Eram, La Chausseria
Computers, audio-visual equipment:
FNAC, Darty, Carrefour, Auchan
Major department stores: Au Printemps,
Galeries Lafayette, Le Bon Marché, BHV,
La Samaritaine
64
Perfumes and beauty supplies: Sephora,
Yves Rocher, Marionnaud, (and beauty
departments at Monoprix)
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English bookshops
PARIS
The Abbey Bookshop
29, rue de la Parcheminerie
75005 Paris
01 46 33 16 24
SHOPPING
Attica
106, boulevard Richard
Lenoir
75011 Paris
01 55 28 80 14/01 49 29 27 30
www.attica.fr
Brentano’s
37, avenue de l'Opéra
75002 Paris
01 42 61 52 50
www.brentanos.fr
Galignani
224, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
01 42 60 76 07
The Village Voice
6, rue Princesse, 75006 Paris
01 46 33 36 47
www.villagevoicebook
shop.com
WH Smith
248, rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
01 44 77 88 99
www.whsmith.fr
AIX-EN-PROVENCE
Book in Bar
1 bis, rue Joseph Cabassol
13100 Aix-en-Provence
04 42 26 60 07
Paradox
15, rue du 14 Septembre
13100 Aix-en-Provence
04 42 26 47 99
04 91 42 63 44
www.librairie-interna
tionale-maurel.com
Ad Hoc Books
8, rue Pisançon
13001 Marseille
04 91 33 51 92
MONTPELLIER
Book in Bar
8, rue du Bras de Fer
34000 Montpellier
04 67 66 22 90
Bookshop
6, rue de l'Université
34000 Montpellier
04 67 66 09 08
www.bookshop
-montpellier.com
NICE
BORDEAUX
The Red Wheelbarrow
Bookstore
22, rue Saint Paul
75004 Paris
01 48 04 75 08
Shakespeare and Company
37, rue de la Bûcherie
75005 Paris
01 43 26 33 22
San Francisco Book
Company
17, rue Monsieur le Prince
75006 Paris
01 43 29 15 70
www.sanfrancisco
booksparis.com
Tea and Tattered Pages
24, rue Mayet
75003 Paris
01 40 65 94 35
www.teaandtattered.com
66
Bradley’s Bookshop
8, cours d'Albret
33000 Bordeaux
05 56 52 10 57
www.bradleysbookshop.com
CANNES
Cannes English Bookshop
11, rue Bivouac Napoléon
06400 Cannes
04 93 99 40 08
LILLE
Books et Alia
10, rue de la Barre
59000 Lille
03 20 74 32 67
The Cat’s Whiskers
30, rue Lamartine
06000 Nice
04 93 80 02 66
ROUEN
ABC Bookshop
11, rue des Faulx
76000 Rouen
02 35 71 08 67
STRASBOURG
The Bookworm
3, rue de Pâques
67000 Strasbourg
03 88 32 26 99
www.bookworm.fr
TOULOUSE
MARSEILLE
Maurel
95, rue de Lodi
13006 Marseille
The Bookshop
17, rue Lakanal
31000 Toulouse
05 61 22 99 92
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Food from home
Everybody misses home from time to time. Here's where to
find a little familiar comfort in Paris — wherever you're from.
ASIA
MEXICO AND US
The largest Asian supermarket in Paris is
Tang Frères, (48 ave d'Ivry, 13th
arrondissement, Tel: 01 45 70 80 00).
There's everything here for whipping up
things like Thai curries, Peking duck, or
Vietnamese Pho. The shelves are lined
with curry pastes, noodles, wind-dried
duck, live carp, sauces, spices and exotic
herbs, vegetables and fruit.
Mexi and Co (10 rue Dante, 5th
arrondissement. Tel: 01 46 34 14 12) is
packed to the rafters with fiesta fare:
dried Mexican chillies, beers, spices,
marinades, tequila, and condensed milk
and shelves of American goodies such as
cranberry juice, peanut butter and cookies.
WINING AND DINING
US
BRITAIN
Homesick Brits can find such delicacies
as Marmite, HP sauce, baked beans, lime
curd, treacle and piccalilli at La Grande
Epicerie de Paris, a specialist foodie shop
inside the department store Le Bon
Marché (38 rue de Sèvres, 7th arrondissement).
IRELAND AND SCOTLAND
If you're missing soda bread, lumpy
bangers and smoked wild North Atlantic
salmon, Saveurs d'Irlande et d'Ecosse is
the place to go (5 cité de Wauxhall, 10th
arrondissement. Tel: 01 42 00 36 20; they
have another address at The Gourmet
Shoppe 139 rue ordener, 18th arrondissement Tel: 01 42 55 10 31). More than 20
brands of Irish whiskey are available
plus all you need for a morning-after fryup.
JAPAN
Japanese supplies can be found at Kioko
(46 rue des Petits-Champs, 2nd, 01 42 61
33 65) including sushi ingredients, beer,
sake and snacks.
American delicacies can be found at
Thanksgiving (14 rue Charles V, 4th
arrondissement Tel: 01 42 77 68 29) The
shop also caters for Thanksgiving meals.
SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, INDIA,
THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
A spice shop to the world, Izraël, (30 rue
François-Miron, 4th arrondissement. Tel:
01 42 72 66 23) is the place for world
spices and just about everything else you
could think of. If a curry night is on the
menu, this is one-stop shopping nirvana.
There are more than 3,000 products from
around the world including grains, dried
fruit and nuts, tapenades and chutneys.
OTHER STORES
Stores like Monoprix and Galeries
Lafayette Gourmet stock 'produits du
monde' (world food) and that the
Carrefour and Auchun hypermarkets
beside Paris and across France have similar speciality foreign food sections (USmade brownie-mixes to Mango chutney).
If you know of more stores, please
email details to [email protected]
Want to get ‘inside’ France? Read the articles that
illustrate this fascinating country at www.expatica.com
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Embassies
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
4, rue Jean Rey,
75015 Paris
01 40 59 33 00
www.austgov.fr
15, rue Alfred Dehodencq
75016 Paris
01 40 50 70 70
www.amb-inde.fr
AUSTRIA
IRELAND (REPUBLIC OF)
6, rue Faber,
75007 Paris
01 40 63 30 63
www.bmaa.gv.at
4, rue Rude, 75116 Paris
01 44 17 67 00
BELGIUM
9, rue de Tilsitt,
75017 Paris
01 44 09 39 39
www.diplobel.org/france/
CANADA
CHINA
11, avenue George V
75008 Paris
01 47 23 34 45
www.amb-chine.fr
DENMARK
77, avenue Marceau
75116 Paris
01 44 31 21 21
www.amb-danemark.fr
3, rue Rabelais, 75008 Paris
01 40 76 55 00
www.amb-israel.fr
ITALY
51, rue de Varenne,
75007 Paris
01 49 54 03 00
GERMANY
13-15, avenue FranklinRoosevelt,
75008 Paris
01 53 83 45 00
www.amb-allemagne.fr
JAPAN
7, avenue Hoche,
75008 Paris,
01 48 88 62 00
www.fr.emb-japan.go.jp
MEXICO
9, rue de Longchamp
75116 Paris
01 53 70 27 70
www.sre.gob.mx/francia
NETHERLANDS
7, rue Eblé, 75007 Paris
01 40 62 33 00
www.amb-pays-bas.fr
NEW ZEALAND
7 ter, rue Léonard-de-Vinci
75116 Paris
01 45 01 43 43
www.nzembassy.com/home
NORWAY
28, rue Bayard, 75008 Paris
01 53 67 04 00
www.amb-norvege.fr
GREECE
17, rue Auguste-Vacquerie
75116 Paris
01 47 23 72 28
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
POLAND
1, rue de Talleyrand
75007 Paris
3, rue de Noisiel, 75116 Paris
01 47 27 35 29
RUSSIA (FEDERATION OF)
40-50, boulevard Lannes
75116 Paris
01 45 04 05 50
SINGAPORE
12 Square Avenue Foch
75116 Paris
01 45 00 33 61
SOUTH AFRICA
FINLAND
2, rue Fabert, 75007 Paris
01 44 18 19 20
PORTUGAL
59, Quai d'Orsay
75007 Paris
01 53 59 23 23
www.afriquesud.net
SPAIN
22, avenue Marceau
75008 Paris
01 44 43 18 00
www.amb-espagne.fr
SWEDEN
LISTINGS AND INDEX
35, avenue Montaigne
75008 Paris
01 44 43 29 00
www.amb-canada.fr
ISRAEL
01 43 17 34 05
www.ambassade.pologne.net
17, rue Barbet-de-Jouy
75007 Paris
01 44 18 88 00
www.amb-suede.fr
TURKEY
16, avenue de Lamballe
75116 Paris
01 53 92 71 11
UNITED KINGDOM
35, rue du Faubourg SaintHonoré, 75008 Paris
01 44 51 31 00
www.amb-grandebretagne.fr
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2, avenue Gabriel
75008 Paris
01 43 12 22 22
www.amb-usa.fr/pagefr.htm
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Groups and clubs
Whatever your interest, there’s sure to be a group or club that caters
for it. Here is a list of expatriate societies in the French capital.
BUSINESS
AmCham France
156 Boulevard Haussmann
75008 Paris
01 56 43 45 67
www.amchamfrance.org
LISTINGS AND INDEX
Australian Business in
Europe (ABIE)
4, rue Jean Rey
75015 Paris
01 40 59 34 92
Provence-Western Australia
Business Club
17, cité des Platanes
13005 Marseille
04 91 42 90 19
France-Canada Chamber of
Commerce
5 rue de Constantine
75008 Paris
01 43 59 32 38
www.ccfc-france-canada.com
The Franco-British
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
3 rue Boissy d'Anglas
75008 Paris
01 53 30 81 30
www.francobritish
chambers.com
ParisPWN
The Paris Professional
Women's Network
126, rue de Canotiers
78670 Villennes-sur-Seine
33 1 39 75 49 66
www.parispwn.net
Harvard Business School
Club of France (HBS)
9-11 avenue Franklin D.
Roosevelt
75008 Paris
01 42 56 20 98
The Royal Scottish Country
Dance Society
14 rue Ramey
75018 Paris
01 42 59 23 48
www.rscdsparis.org
The Institute of Directors,
European Centre France
31, rue Boissy d'Anglas
75008 Paris
01 44 51 96 73
www.iodfrance.com
Royal Acadamy of Dance
Contact: Annette Khalifé
04 93 20 14 05
[email protected]
The Chartered
Management Institute
35 rue Raffet
75016 Paris.
01 45 20 11 31
[email protected]
AARO (Association of
Americans Resident
Overseas)
34 avenue de New York
75116 Paris
01 47 20 24 15
[email protected]
www.aaro.org
Australian Business in
Europe
c/o Ms Veronica Comyn
INTTIS
7, rue A Coutureau
St Cloud 92210
France
01 49 11 02 90
MUSIC
Paris Choral Society
23, ave George V
75008 Paris
www.parischoralsociety.org
The Associated Board of
the Royal Schools of Music
4 Bis Passage du Panorama
92150 Suresnes
01 47 28 78 90
www.abrsm.org
NATIONAL
The Franco American
Community Center
65 quai d'Orsay
75007 Paris
01 40 62 05 00
www.acparis.org
The American Club of Paris
75116 Paris
01 47 23 64 36
www.americanclubparis.org
Canadians in Europe
4, avenue Marceau
75008 Paris
01 47 20 71 00
ww.canadienseneurope.org
Looking to meet people in France? Why not put a
profle up Expatica DATE! — where expats click
70
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Groups and clubs
France-Cananda National
Association
5, rue de Constantine
75007 Paris
01 45 55 83 65
www.france-canada.info
France-New Zealand
Association
18, rue Dauphine
75006 Paris
01 43 25 22 81
The Franco-Australian
Cultural Association
39, quai d'Anjou
75004 Paris
01 40 46 84 76
British Community
Committee
68, Quai Louis Bleriot
75016 Paris
01 45 25 28 34
www.britishinfrance.com
The Royal Society of Saint
George
Contact: Howard Norman
06 16 24 62 54
The Caledonian Society of
France
Contact: George P. Mutch
25 Rue Castagnary
01 48 28 38 69
www.caledonian-societyfrance.org
Association France-Grande
Bretagne
Claudine Chambaudrie
01 55 78 71 71
Association franco-écossaise
c/o Ancien Collège des
Ecossais,
65 rue du Cardinal
Lemoine, 75005 Paris
www.franco-ecossaise.asso.fr
Southern Cross Group
6, rue de l'Eglise
25320 Grandfontaine
03 81 58 64 74
www.southern-crossgroup.org
France-New Zealand
Association
Philippe POUGNET
14 Avenue Corneille
78160 Marley-Le-Roi
http://english.france-nz.com
American Aid Society
2 rue Saint Florentin
75008 Paris
01 43 12 48 07
http://cesc.online.fr/
support.html
The World Federation of
Americans Abroad (WFAA)
BP 127
92154 Suresnes
01 42 04 05 24
Democrats Abroad France
240 bis Bld St.Germain
75007 Paris
01 45 49 14 70
http://fr.democratsabroad.org
Republicans Abroad France
c/o Pack Office, 23, rue
Lecourbe
75015 Paris
01 45 50 48 27
www.republicansabroad.
org/europe/france.php
Irish College
Centre Culturel Irlandais
5, rue des Irlandais
75005 Paris
Association Irlandaise
22, rue Delambre
75014 Paris - France
01 47 64 39 31
SOCIAL
Toc H Association
Contact: Joan Pavalec
01 48 76 45 86.
LISTINGS AND INDEX
France-Australie (branches
across France)
18, rue de l'Abbé Carton
75014 Paris
01 45 43 31 39
The Paris Welsh Society
Contact Arwel Roberts
06 60 98 12 07
The American Club of Paris
75016 Paris
01 47 23 64 36
www.americanclubparis.org
The Cambridge Society of
Paris
Contact: Trevor Brown
01 44 05 53 15
The Oxford Society
Contact: Philip Hawkes
01 42 68 11 11
Want to really know France? Read Expatica every day
for in-depth feature articles. See www.expatica.com
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
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Groups and clubs
The Clan MacLeod society
of France
Contact: Ian Mcleod
01 41 08 84 25.
www.clan-macleod.com
Paris Jewish Connection
5 rue Maire Davy
75014 Paris
01 45 41 60 02
[email protected]
LISTINGS AND INDEX
British Community
Committee
68, Quai Louis Bleriot
75016 Paris
01 45 25 28 34
www.britishinfrance.com
The English Speaking
Union France
c/o Mme. B. de
Montgermont-Keil
21 rue Michel Ange
75016 Paris.
The British Luncheon (1916)
Mr C.M. Wicker,
The Retail Consulting
Group
73 bd Haussmann
75008 Paris.
01 43 12 95 00
Anglophone Parents
Association
BP 60302
60634 Chantilly
www.aparc.com
www.internationalplayers.
info
[email protected]
Dear Conjunction Theatre
Company
6 rue Arthur Rozier
75019 Paris
dearconjunction@
wanadoo.fr
FACT
French-American
Association for Cinema and
Theatre
65 rue de Reuilly
75012 Paris
01 43 44 76 98
http://factinfo.free.fr
WOMEN
Association of American
Wives of Europeans
75016 Paris
01 40 70 11 80
www.AAWEparis.org
American Catholic
Women's Organization
Saint Joseph's Church
50 avenue Hoche
75008 Paris
01 42 27 28 56
www.stjoeparis.org
THEATRE
Canadian Women's Group
5, rue de Constantine
75007 Paris
01 44 43 21 03
International Players
01 47 01 01 91
The MESSAGE Mother
Support Group
[email protected]
www.messageparis.org
WOAC (Women of the
American Church in Paris)
The American Church
65 Quai d'Orsay
75007 Paris
01 40 62 05 00
AWG (American Women's
Group in Paris)
32, rue Général Bertrand
75007 Paris
01 42 73 36 74
www.awgparis.org
The British and
Commonwealth Women's
Association
75016 Paris
01 47 20 50 91
www.bcwa.org
Canadian Women's Assoc
5 rue de Constantine
75007 Paris
01 44 43 21 03
www.afcp.zap.qc.ca
Le WIC de Paris
3bis, villa Emile Bergerat
92522 Neuilly-sur-Seine
Cedex
http://pariswic.free.fr
EDUCATION
WICE
20, boulevard du
Montparnasse
75015 Paris
0145 66 75 50
www.wice-paris.org
Looking for more groups and clubs? You’ll find listings
and more information at www.expatica.com/france
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Religious services
The following is a non-exhaustive list of places of English-speaking worship
of all religions in and around Paris, in alphabetical order of each institution.
PARIS
American Cathedral in
Paris (Episcopal)
23 avenue George V
75008 Paris
01 53 23 84 00
LISTINGS AND INDEX
American Church in Paris
(All Protestant
Denominations)
65 quai d'Orsay
75007 Paris
01 40 62 05 00
Liberal Synagogue
24 rue Copernic
75116 Paris
01 47 04 37 27
Trinity International
Church of Paris
58, rue Madame
75006 Paris
01 43 33 04 0688
The Scots Kirk
Church of Scotland Presbyterian
17 rue Bayard,
75008 Paris
01 48 78 47 94
Mosque Abu Bakr As Siddio
39 Blvd de Belleville
75011 Paris
01 48 06 08 46
CHANTILLY
Baptist Church
48 rue de Lille
75007 Paris
01 42 61 13 95
Russian Cathetral
12, rue Daru
70508 Paris
01 42 27 37 34
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Rue des Cascades,
60500 Chantilly.
03 44 58 53 22
Church of Christ
4 rue Déodat-de-Sévrac
75017 Paris
01 42 27 50 86
St. George's Anglican Church
7, rue Auguste-Vacquerie
75116 Paris
01 47 20 22 51
FONTAINEBLEAU
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints
12 rue Saint Merri
75004 Paris
01 44 61 90 50
St. John's Lutheran Church
147 rue de Grenelle
75007 Paris
Tel: 01 47 05 85 66
Conservative (Masorti)
Synagogue
8 rue Georges Bernard
Shaw
75015 Paris
01 45 67 97 96
First Church of Christ,
Scientist
36 Bld St. Jacques
75014 Paris
01 47 07 26 60
Great Synagogue
44 rue de la Victoire
75009 Paris
01 40 82 26 26
74
Greek Orthodox Church
7, rue Georges Bizet
75016 Paris
01 47 20 82 35
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic
Church
50, avenue Hoche
75008 Paris
01 42 27 28 568
Chapelle of the Lycee SaintAspais
18 bd André Maginot
Fontainebleau
English on Sunday, 10.30am
REUIL MALMAISON
Emmanuel Baptist Church
56 rue des Bons Raisins
92500 Reuil Malmaison
01 47 51 29 63
ST. GERMAIN-EN-LAYE
St. Michael's English-speaking Church
5, rue d'Aguesseau
75008 Paris
01 47 42 70 88
The Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of Paris
7 bis, rue du Pasteur
Wagner
75011 Paris
01 30 82 75 33
Kehilat Gesher
10 rue de Pologne
78100 St-Germain-en-Laye
01 39 21 97 19
VERSAILLES
St. Mark's Church
31 rue du Pont Colbert,
78000 Versailles.
01 39 02 79 45
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Customs and etiquette
The French have some very formal rules about manners and etiquette. Avoid
embarrassment with this guide to correct behaviour in everyday situations.
MEETING PEOPLE
The French shake hands almost whenever they meet, and always when meeting
someone for the first time or for business.
Arriving at work in the morning, it is
quite common to greet colleagues with a
handshake, and to shake hands again
when leaving.
Greeting anyone familiar — like a
favourite restaurant waiter or a next-door
neighbour — is also usually begun with a
crisp handshake.
Beware — don't take the first step if you
are uncertain, but be ready to embrace!
The choice of vous and tu to say "you" in
French is confusing, and sometimes very
subtle. But a simple rule is that the more
intimate tu is only employed amongst
family and friends. It is common for
work colleagues to say tu, but wait until
someone else does it first.
SOCIALISING
A common way of getting to know someone is to have a drink together. But the
French are not into bar binges, and an
aperitif is usually sipped and stops at
two.
Wine accompanies dinner and never
replaces it, and a glass is filled to threequarters, never to the brim.
ESSENTIAL FORMALITIES
While people in France can sometimes
appear to behave impolitely, the use of
polite form in language is sacrosanct.
When addressing a stranger, always add
Monsieur or Madame, as in Excusez-moi,
madame if asking directions.
A typical gesture of politeness, which
becomes the opposite if you don't apply
it, is to let another person pass through a
door first, and a man always gives way
to a woman. If someone gives way to
you, it is common to thank them or say
pardon. Asking pardon is often a devalued
term, and can be used in restrained
anger, as when you move someone out of
your way.
LISTINGS AND INDEX
When colleagues know each other well,
and in situations between friends,
women will often greet each other, and
male colleagues or friends, with a kiss on
the cheek.
Dinner guests are expected to bring a
gift, however modest, and this is usually
a bottle of wine, flowers, or a pre-agreed
desert or cheese dish. The French keep
their arms above the table, not in their
lap.
The French may be proud of being
republicans, but they still love titles! All
sorts of people, and especially politicians,
expect their position to be recognised.
When addressing the local mayor, it is
usual to say Monsieur (or Madame) le
maire. A policeman is Monsieur l'agent.
When writing any formal letter, even to
the phone company, it is usual to end it,
before signing, with a declaration of
respect, a longer version of "Yours sincerely". A common phrase which can be
used in most situations is: Veuillez
accepter, madame (or monsieur), mes salutations distinguées.
Looking for a business or service? Check out the
Business Directory at www.expatica.com/france
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Phone book decoder
The Yellow Pages phone
directory in France is called
Les pages jaunes. The following is a list of key phrases in
French to help you find the
number of whatever you're
searching, from a local doctor to a flower shop. You
can also find a national
directory of Les pages jaunes
online at www.pagesjaunes.fr
CARPENTER
DRESS MATERIAL
Menuisiers
Tissus et soieries
CAR REPAIR
DRIVING SCHOOL
Garages
Auto-école
CHEMIST (PRESCRIPTIONS)
DRY CLEANER
Pharmacies
Nettoyage à sec
CHILDREN'S CLOTHING
DOMESTIC ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES
Vêtements pour enfants
Electroménager
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
ACCOUNTANT
Hôpitaux pour enfants
Comptables
EMBASSY
Ambassades-Consulats
CHIROPRACTOR
AIRLINE
Chiropracticiens
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE
NUMBERS
CHURCH
Numéros d'urgence
Compagnies aériennes
LISTINGS AND INDEX
AUCTION
Eglises
CINEMA
TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT
AGENCIES
Cinémas
Agences d'intérim
CLOTHING ALTERATIONS
EYE DOCTOR
Ophtalmologues
Boulangeries
Vêtements-retouches- réparations-transformations
BARBER
CONFECTIONERS
Salons de coiffuremessieurs
Confiseurs
Salles des ventes
BABY GOODS
Articles pour bébé
BAKERY
FLOWER SHOP
FURNITURE
DENTIST
BEAUTICIAN
GARDEN CENTRE
DEPARTMENT STORE
GIFTS
DERMATOLOGIST
GOLF COURSES
DO-IT-YOURSELF
GREENGROCER
DOCTOR
Fruits et légumes
Médecins
GROCERY STORE
Boucheries
DOG KENNEL
CAR DEALER
Terrains de Golf
Bricolage
Entrepreneurs-Bâtiment
BUTCHER
Cadeaux
Dermatologues
Librairies
BUILDER
Jardineries
Grands magasins
Vélos
BOOKSHOP
Meubles
Dentistes
Instituts de beauté
BICYCLE
Fleuristes
Epicerie
Pensions pour animaux
GYNAECOLOGIST
Autos-Concessionnaires
DRESSMAKER/TAILOR
Gynécologues
Tailleurs
76
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
21/09/2005
16:00
Page 77
Phone book decoder
HAIRDRESSER
MEN’S CLOTHING
PLUMBER
Salons de coiffure
Vêtements pour hommes
Plombier
HARDWARE STORE
MIDWIFE
POST OFFICE
Quincailleries
Sages-femmes
Bureaux de poste
HOME FURNISHINGS
MOTORCYCLE
RAILWAY STATION
Ameublement
Motos
Gares
HOSPITAL
CINEMA
REALTOR/ESTATE AGENT
Hôpitaux
Salles de cinéma
Agences immobilières
HOUSE CLEANER
REMOVAL/MOVING
COMPANIES
ROOFING SERVICES
Femmes de ménage
Toitures/Charpentiers
Déménagements
INSURANCE
Assurances
SECOND-HAND CARS
MUSEUMS
Autos-occasions
Musées
JEWELLERY STORE
Bijouteries
SHOE REPAIR
NEWSAGENTS
Cordonniers
KEY CUTTING
STATIONERY
Serruriers
NURSERY (PLANTS AND
FLOWERS)
Papeteries
KITCHEN
Pépinières
SUPERMARKET
Cuisines
Supermarché
OFFICE SUPPLIES
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
Fournitures de bureau
Vêtements pour dames
SWIMMING POOL
Piscines
OPTICIAN
LANGUAGE SCHOOL
TAX CONSULTANT
Opticiens
Centres de langues
LISTINGS AND INDEX
Journaux
Conseils fiscaux
PAINTERS
LAWYER
Entreprises de peinture
Avocat
TOOLS
Outillage
PEDICURE
LEATHER GOODS
Pédicure
Maroquinerie
TOWN HALL
Mairie
PEST CONTROL
LEGAL ADVICE
Désinfection
Conseils juridiques
TRAVEL AGENT
Agences de voyage
PET SHOP
LIBRARY
Animaleries
Bibliothèques
VETERINARY DOCTOR
Vétérinaire
PHYSIOTHERAPIST
LIGHTING
Kinésithérapeutes
Eclairage
WINDOW CLEANER
Lavage de vitres
PIANO TUNERS
MATERNITY CLOTHES
Vêtements pour futures
mères
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
Accordeurs
WINDOW REPAIR
Vitrier
77
21/09/2005
16:00
Page 78
LISTINGS AND INDEX
Weights and measures
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
MEN’S SHIRTS
US
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
US
14½
15
15½
16
16½
17
17½
UK
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
FR
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
UK
14½
15
15½
16
16½
17
17½
WOMEN’S SHOES
MEN’S SHOES
US
5½
6
6½
7
7½
8
US
8
8½
9
9½
10
UK
3½
4
4½
5
5½
6
FR
36.5
37
37.5
38
38.5
39
UK
7½
8
8½
9
9½
FR
37
38
39
41
42
43
44
FR
40
42
43
44
45
MEN’S CLOTHING
MEN’S SWEATERS
US
36
38
40
42
44
US
small
medium
large
x-large
UK
36
38
40
42
44
FR
46
48
50
52
54
UK
34
36-38
40
42-44
FR
44
46-48
50
52-54
LINEAR MEASURES
1 centimetre
2.54 centimetres
30.05 centimetres
91.4 centimetres
1 meter
1 kilometer (1000 m)
1.609344 kilometers
LIQUID MEASURES
DRY MEASURES
0.39 inch
1 inch
1 foot
1 yard
39.37 inches
0.62137 miles
1 mile
g
30
115
170
225
450
ml
fl oz
30
60
150
240
300
450
900
1000
1
2
5
8
10
15
32
34
oz
1
4
6
8
16 (1lb)
OVEN TEMPERATURES
OVEN
C
very cool
cool
warm
moderate
fairly hot
hot
130
150
170
180
200
220+
THERMOMETER
F
GAS MARK
260
300
325
350
380
460
0.5-1
2
3
5
5-6
7-8
BODY TEMPERATURE
C
F
C
F
25
23
20
18
15
13
10
8
5
3
0
-5
-10
-15
77
73
68
64
59
55
50
46
41
37
32
23
14
5
36.0
36.5
37.0
37.5
38.0
38.5
39.0
39.5
40.0
40.5
41.0
96.8
97.7
98.6
99.5
100.4
101.3
102.2
103.1
104.0
104.9
105.8
Keep up to date with the French news every
weekday — in English! Visit www.expatica.com
78
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
21/09/2005
16:00
Page 79
Emergency numbers
It is a good idea to make sure you and the
rest of your household know in advance
how to give clear indications in French of
your name, address and telephone number
and don't forget the code to your parking lot
or apartment building — there is no guarantee you will come across an operator who
speaks English. Never hang up until you are
invited to do so. If you have known medical
problems or regularly take prescription
drugs, make sure you know how to say
their names in French to the operator.
HELPLINES (All 08 numbers are toll-free.)
SOS Help, an English-language helpline
in Paris: 01 46 21 46 46. This is not a 24/7
emergency services number.
SOS child abuse: 119
SOS emergency housing for the homeless: 115
SOS Drug/Alcohol Addiction: 113
Public services hotline (toll number): 39 39
NATIONAL NUMBERS FOR EMERGENCIES
Fire brigade:
18
The French fire brigade, called les sapeurs
pompiers, can also be called in cases of
medical emergencies, such as traffic and
domestic accidents.
Emergency medical treatment (SOS
Médecins): 08 20 33 24 24
Rape hotline: 08 00 05 95 95
Victims of violent crime hotline:
08 10 09 86 09
AIDS helpline: 08 00 84 08 00
Drug addiction helpline:
08 00 23 13 13
Police:
17
This number puts you in contact with the
appropriate emergency police services
nearest you, whether that be the police
nationale or the gendarmerie. For nonurgent situations, make a note of the direct
eight-digit phone number for your nearest
police station (commissariat de police or gendarmerie).
PARIS MEDICAL URGENCY NUMBERS
All emergencies from a mobile phone:
112
Emergency doctors (SOS Médicins):
01 43 37 77 77
Hepatitis information helpline:
08 00 84 58 00
LISTINGS AND INDEX
Medical emergency/accidents/ambulance
(SAMU):
15
The Samu is the coordinated service to call
in any case of serious medical emergency.
Red Cross: 08 00 85 88 58
Psychiatric emergencies: 01 45 65 81 08
UTILITY SERVICE URGENCIES
Dental emergencies: 01 43 37 51 00
There is no national number for any of the
utility services, which have urgency hotlines
according to the region where you live.
Make a careful note of the number given to
you for your area, which is marked on every
gas/elecricity/water services payment
receipt.
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
Out-of-hours chemists: 01 45 62 02 41
Anti-poison centre: 01 40 05 48 48
Spousal abuse hotline: 01 40 33 80 60
79
02/10/2005
21:55
Page 80
Advertisers index
A
Actena Volvo
ADOmLingua
at your service
AXA GMST
B
Best of British/Thomas Green
BMI
BRED Banque Populaire
BritLike
C
Cosmopolitan Services
Credit Agricole
CSE Mobilite
D
Delahaye Moving
E
LISTINGS AND INDEX
EFI
En Francais SVP
ESSEC
EuroLondon
EUROMBA
F
FAC
French Property Insider
G
GR Interim
H
Half Moon
Hollandbikes.com
Home Language International
29
49
13
IBC
67
3
BC
67
15
35
15
15
49
7
41
51
45
37
23
51
53
13
49
I
Immodeal
Immostreet/Pressimmo Online
Institut de Langues Francaise
International School of Bearn
L
L'Atelier des Langues
L'Ermitage
LFA-Le Français Autrement
N
NERIM
NLP School Europe
P
Paris Connection
Paris Housing Services
Paris Relocation Service
Phonexpat/Stragex
Premium Relocation
Pricoa Relocation
R
Relais Gourmet
S
Savoie University
Sciences-Po MBA
T
The English Shop Cologne
Trip in France
V
Value Retail
Vlerick Management School
W
WENGO/Neuf Telecom
World MBA Tour
23
21
43
41
43
43
49
IFC
5
5
29
5
53
15
5
67
37
41
65
7
73
45
67
7
Need more guides?
The Expat Survival Guide will be distributed this year to over 20,000 expats in
France through embassies, international
companies and organisations, expat clubs
and expat housing and relocation companies.
If you are involved in managing expats
(maybe you are an international HR
Manager) or through your company or
organisation come in to frequent contact
with expats who would find this guide
useful, please contact Colleen Geske at
[email protected] to order the
guides.
80
You can order as many guides you feel
necessary, for free, and delivery is also
free within Paris (otherwise we ask that
you simply cover the postage costs).
Details of where you can pick up individual copies of the Survival Guide can be
found at www.expatica.com. Venues
include international bookstores, expat
food stores, and bars and restaurants.
If you run a bookshop, cafe, bar or restaurant popular with expats and would like
to distribute the free Expat Survival Guide
to your customers, please email
[email protected] for details.
WWW.EXPATICA.COM
2005-09-21
18:04
Page 5
2005-09-21
18:01
Page 2

1. FR guide - covers.qxp 2005-09-21 17:56 Page 3

Transcription

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