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2008 FORMULA 1
EVENTS
2008 OTHER
MOTORSPORT EVENTS
2008 MOTORBIKE
RACING EVENTS
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FRANCE F1 - GENERAL INFORMATION GUIDE
| FRANCE OVERVIEW |
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France, the largest country in Europe, is bordered to the north by the English Channel, the northeast by Belgium and Luxembourg, the east by Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the south by the Mediterranean, the southwest by Spain and Andorra, and the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The island of Corsica, southeast of Nice, is made up of two départements. The country offers a spectacular variety of scenery, from the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrénées to the attractive river valleys of the Loire, Rhône and Dordogne and the flatter countryside in Normandy and on the Atlantic coast.
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| THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE |
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France has a population of approximately 60,0 million of which is 92% French, 3% North African, 2% German, 1% Breton, 2% other (including Provençal, Catalan & Basque. |
| LANGUAGE | |
French is the official language, but there are many regional dialects. Basque is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton by some in Brittany. Many people, particularly those connected with tourism in the major areas, will speak at least some English. |
| RELIGION OF FRANCE |
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Approximately 77 per cent Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority. |
| FRANCE CLIMATE |
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A temperate climate in the north; northeastern areas have a more continental climate with warm summers and colder winters. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with some snow likely in winter. Mediterranean climate in the south; mountains are cooler with heavy snow in winter. The Atlantic influences the climate of the western coastal areas from the Loire to the Basque region; the weather is temperate and relatively mild with rainfall distributed throughout the year. Summers can be very hot and sunny. |
| FRANCE TIME |
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The time in France is GMT+ 1hour and GMT+ 2 hours from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. |
| FRANCE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS |
| National Identity Cards (European Residents) |
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Citizens of European countries that are members of the European Union may enter France with a National Identity Card proving that they are residents of one of those countries. All other visitors to France must be in possession of a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of three months beyond the intended visiting period. Most nationalities do not require a visa for social or business visits.
Nationals of all the following non-EU countries, who intend to visit Germany for a period of 90 days or less, do not need to obtain a visa:
ANDORRA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BERMUDA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, BRUNEI, BULGARIA, CANADA, CHILE, COSTA RICA, CROATIA, CYPRUS, CZECH REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, ESTONIA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, HONG KONG, HUNGARY, ISRAEL, JAPAN, LATVIA, LIECHTENSTEIN, LITHUANIA, MALAYSIA, MALTA, MEXICO, MONACO, NEW ZEALAND, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, POLAND, RUMANIA, SAN MARINO, SINGAPORE, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SOUTH KOREA, SWITZERLAND, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, URUGUAY, VATICAN CITY, VENEZUELA.
Nationals of other countries (except those European residents specifically referred to above) must obtain a visa to enter France. Vaccination: none required.
Visas: France is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement and therefore requires a uniform Schengen visa. All nationals except those listed under the passports section above, require a Schengen visa to enter France. |
| CURRENCY | |
The Euro is the official currency of the12 EU member states (including France).
Notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euro.
Coins are in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent.
There are no restrictions on the import or export of either local or foreign currency. |
| CREDIT CARDS AND TRAVELLERS' CHEQUES | |
Credit & debit cards: American Express, DinersClub, MasterCard, Visa and Eurocard are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services, which may be available.
Traveller's cheques: Traveller's cheques are accepted nearly everywhere. |
| BANKING HOURS |
Mon-Fri 09h00-12h00 and 14h00-16h30.
Some banks close Monday and some are open Saturday. Banks close early (12h00) on the day before a bank holiday. |
| WATER | |
The drinking of bottled water is advisable. |
| EATING IN FRANCE |
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Eating is a serious business in France and the objective of a dining establishment is your pure enjoyment. The menu is usually on display outside a restaurant, or in its window. The prices listed will give you an idea of the quality of the establishment. It is rare to find a menu in English in France. Some restaurants have a cover charge or a charge for bread. Tips, known as Service, are usually included in the listed prices or automatically added to your total bill. For example, Service 15% or Service Compris 15% means 15% has already been added into the listed prices.
Restaurant Offers a complete meal, the cost of a meal correlates to the elegance of the establishment and the reputation of its chef.
Brasserie- Originally a beer serving establishment, brasserie now means a restaurant offering hearty food in addition to the bar.
Bar- The bar offers coffee and pastries in the morning, aperitifs, wine, beer, soft drinks, hard liquor and water throughout the day. You may also find pre-made sandwiches, tobacco products and postage stamps.
Bistro- Small family run restaurants. These enjoyable places are often not named bistro, but referred to as one.
Café- This is basically a drink serving establishment that may offer pre-made sandwiches and desserts such as ice cream. |
| FRANCE SHOPPING GUIDE | |
Mon-Sat 09h00-12h30 and 14h00 – 17h00.
Food shops are open 07h00-18h30/19h30. Some food shops (particularly bakers) are open Sunday mornings, in which case they will probably close Monday. |
| TIPPING IN FRANCE | |
Bills in bars and restaurants are required by law to include a service charge, but it is customary to round out your bill with some small change unless you're dissatisfied. The amount varies — from €0.15 for a beer to €1.50 - €2.50 after a meal. In expensive restaurants, it's common to leave an additional 5% of the bill on the table. Tip taxi drivers and hairdressers about 10% of the bill. |
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