France has a lot to offer to tourists. What to consider when you book your hotel, how to get from one point to another and what you can do in case of emergency - ECC Austria gathered all the information you need.
Accommodation
According to your budget, the choice of accommodation can vary significantly - from the luxury hotel to the tent on the campside. However you decide, there are a few things that you should take into consideration.
ECC France forwarded to ECC Austria some useful sentences you may need in order to book your accommodation:
- Duration of stay: Durée du séjour
- Arrival and departure times: Jour d’arrivée et de départ, et l’heure
- Room including half- or full-board: Chambre avec demi-pension ou pension compléte
- Room including breakfast: Chambre avec petit déjeuner
- Number of travellers: Nombre de personnes
- Parking (private/monitored): Parking privé/surveillé
The booking should be in writing and include all necessary information. You should receive a written confirmation of your reservation/booking. Take a close look at the cancellation conditions.
It is common in France to confirm the booking two weeks before your arrival date in order to make sure that it was properly recorded and that the room has not been let to another person.
There are two types of deposit:
- "Arrhes": When the guest cancels the booking, he will only get a refund of the deposit in case of "force majeure" (i.e. circumstances beyond anyone’s control, like natural disasters). On the other hand, if the hotel cancels, it has to pay back twice the amount of the deposit to the guest.
- "Acompte": This is the most common type of deposit in France. If the guest cancels, he has to pay damages to the hotel. If the hotel cancels, the guest is entitled to ask for damages. The simple refund of the deposit is not sufficient.
On tour in France
There are several venues for the tournament in the whole country. Fans can reach them with public transport. In the following list, you will find the links to the public transport companies in the respective cities.
- Paris (Parc de Princes) et Saint Denis (Stade de France) – RATP
- Marseille (Stade Vélodrome) – RTM
- Décines-Charpieu, Lyon (Stade des Lumiéres) – TCL
- Villeneuve-d’Ascq (Lille Métropole – Stade Pierre-Mauroy) – Transpole
- Bordeaux (Matmut Atlantique) – INFOTBC
- Saint-Étienne (Stade Geoffroy-Guichard) – Reseau-Stas
- Nice (Allianz Riviera) – Allianz-Riviera
- Lens (Stade Bollaert-Delelis) – Tadao
- Toulouse (Stadium) – Tisseo
The French rail company is SNCF. Tickets can be purchased online, at the train station or in the ticket shops that are often situated in the city centre. Tickets bought online can be printed at home or directly at the train station. In order to do so, you will need your credit card with which you paid for the ticket online. The printed ticket has to be validated at the yellow punch machines at the station. Please be aware that you need to make reservations for the high speed train TGV.
Leisure activities in France
If you would like to have a short break from all the football events, you can choose from a wide range of possibilites in France.
Restaurants need to state their prices inside and outside their premises. The bill includes taxes and service. However, a tip is always very welcome.
Shopping: Information regarding the usual opening hours as well as prices, return of a product and legal guarantee is provided on the website of ECC France.
Loss or theft of your credit card: Before your departure to France, write down the number and validity date of your credit card as well as the emergency number of your bank or credit card company. Keep this information in another place than the card itself (e.g. not in your wallet). As an alternative, you can make a photo or scan of your credit card and send it to yourself and friends.
Emergencies
In the case of medical emergencies, like a sudden illness or an accident, it is important that you have your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is on the back side of your eCard.
In general, you are entitled to the same medical treatment as French citizens. However, it is possible that you will have to advance the medical costs. When you're back at home, you can submit the receipt at your health insurance institution.
Find more information on this topic here: European Health Insurance Card
ECC-Net: Travel App
The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) developed an app to support consumers while travelling in Europe. In 25 languages, the mobile application helps in situations like lost baggage, delayed flights or return of damaged goods.
The "ECC-Net: Travel" App covers all countries of the ECC-Net, which includes the 28 EU-Member States, Norway and Iceland. While traveling in these countries, the App helps consumers to make them understood and demand their rights.
Once downloaded, the app works offline. It is available for free in the respective app stores (Android, Windows, Apple).
