Sightseeing Paris – The Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame.
Nice – Marc Chagall Message National Museum and Saint Nicholas’ Russian Orthodox cathedral.
Monte Carlo – The Palace of the Prince and Musée Océanographique.
Accommodation
Exclusive, traditional palace hotels and modern hotels providing great value.
Family activities
Disneyland® Paris Theme Park is located just 30 kilometres from Paris.
Shopping
What you can buy – Clothes, accessories, perfumes, jewellery and haute couture.
Where you can buy – Galeries Lafayette and other department stores; exclusive shops on the Champs Elysées and rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
Entertainment
World-renowned French food and wine in chic restaurants or relaxed bistros and cafés; famous cabarets and discothèques; opera, theatres and cinemas; dinner cruises on the Seine.
Sports and leisure
Golf, spas, water sports on the French Riviera include sailing, diving and windsurfing.
Exploring by road
The enormous diversity of France and its beautiful regions are best explored by road, with our self-drive tour.
Monte Carlo Tennis Masters Series, Monaco (April); Monaco Formula One Grand Prix (May); French Open Tennis Tournament (May/June); French Formula One Grand Prix (July); Tour de France (July); Nice Jazz Festival (July); France National Day (14 July – military parade on Champs Elysées, Paris); Heritage Open Days (September); Rugby World Cup (September – October); Carnival and Flower Parades, Nice (February – March); Monte Carlo International Circus Festival (January).
Visas:
Visas are not required for nationals of the following countries, for a period not exceeding three months: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Dar es Salam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (Blue passport holders only), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela, and holders of passports endorsed “British Citizen”.
You can also visit the following website: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/venir/visas/.
Health requirements:
No compulsory vaccinations are required. However, please ensure that your polio and tetanus immunisations are up-to-date.
Travel insurance:
Adequate holiday and travel insurance is vital. Emirates Holidays offers a comprehensive insurance package to enable you and your family to travel with peace of mind. Please contact your nearest Emirates Holidays office or your travel agent for details of our HolidayGuard Travel Insurance cover.
Currency:
Euro (EUR) divided into 100 cents.
Notes in denominations of EUR500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5.
Coins in denominations of EUR2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent.
Approximate exchange rate:
AED1 = EUR0.21
USD1 = EUR0.75
Please check the rate of exchange prior to travel.
Banking hours -
0900 to 1200 hours and 1400 to 1800 hours, Monday - Friday.
(Some banks in Paris are open from 1000 to 1700 hours.)
Credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted.
Clothing:
Medium weight woollen clothing is advisable for the winter, with a winter coat in mountainous areas and in the north. We also recommend carrying an umbrella. Medium or lightweight clothing is advisable for the summer.
Airport information:
Paris - Charles de Gaulle International Airport is approximately 45 minutes by car and one hour by train or bus from the city centre. The airport telephone number is 01 4862 2280.
Nice - Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport is approximately 15 minutes by car and 25 minutes by bus from the city centre. By car, it is approximately a 45-minute drive to Cannes and 30 minutes to Monaco. The airport telephone number is 08 2042 3333. Passengers on an Emirates Holidays package to Monaco will be transferred by helicopter to the Monaco heliport (travel time seven minutes).
Customs:
Duty free allowance for travellers arriving from outside the European Union and aged 17 years and above: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250 grams of tobacco; one litre of spirits of more than 22 per cent volume or two litres of still table wine; 60 millilitres of perfume and 250 millilitres of eau de toilette and other goods to the value of EUR45.73 (EUR22.86 for persons under 15 years of age). Travellers entering from European Union countries (goods obtained duty and tax paid - guidance levels): 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos, 200 cigars and one kilogramme of tobacco; 10 litres of spirits, 20 litres of fortified wine, 90 litres of wine (of this not more than 60 litres of sparkling wine) and 110 litres of beer; perfume, eau de toilette and no limit on other goods. Gold, other than personal jewellery, above 500 grams is prohibited.
Value Added Tax (VAT):
In France, VAT is called TVA (Taxe sur la Valeure Ajoutée). Visitors to France may have the TVA deducted from goods bought in the country. The standard rate on sales of goods and services is 19.6 per cent, but reduced rates apply to a number of cases.
TVA refund:
As a visitor to France you can claim a tax refund (TVA) for eligible goods you take home. A minimum purchase of EUR175 must be made in the same shop. You should check with the store, prior to your purchase, that it is participating in the tax free scheme (not all stores are). If so, you need to prove that you are not a resident of the European Union and that you are 15 years old or over. You will then be issued Retail Export Form (“bordereau de detaxe”) that you must sign and which must be endorsed by Custom within three months of the purchase when you leave France. At customs, you should present the Retail Export Form as well as the goods purchased under the tax free scheme. Customs will retain a copy of the form and you will be handed back a copy, endorsed by Customs, which you are advised to retain in case of any possible dispute with the store.
Driving licence:
Driving is on the right hand side of the road. Minimum age for driving is 21 years. In order to drive in France, you need a European Union driver’s permit or an International Driving Permit, along with a driving licence from your country of residence, registration papers of the vehicle (“carte grise”) and proof of insurance coverage.
Emergency telephone numbers:
Ambulance - 15
Fire - 18
Police - 17
Hours of work:
Business : 0900 to 1200 hours and 1400 to 1800 hours, Monday - Friday.
Shopping: 0900 to 1830 hours, Monday - Saturday. (Some shops close between 1200 to 1430 hours, Monday - Friday and some shopping areas are open till later at night).
Public holidays (fixed):
1st January - New Year’s Day
1st May - Labour Day
8th May - Victory Day
14th July - National Day
15th August - Assumption Day
1st November - All Saints Day
11th November - Remembrance Day
25th December - Christmas Day
Public holidays (moveable):
Easter Monday
Ascension Day
Whit Monday
Time zone:
Winter - GMT + 1 hour.
Summer - GMT + 2 hours.
Language:
French is the official language.
Tipping:
A service charge of 15 per cent is added to the bill in hotels, restaurants and bars, but it is customary to leave a small tip. Taxi drivers usually expect a 10 per cent tip on the metre fare.
Electricity:
220 volts, 50 cycles AC.
Safety tips:
It is advisable to carry minimum cash on you and to use smaller denomination bills. Please keep a photocopy of your identification documents handy.