Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• We are aware of reports of reports of storm-force winds and serious flooding in the coastal areas of western France on 27 and 28 February.  The immediate area around La Rochelle has been worst affected.  Although we have heard of no incidents involving British nationals, anyone who is on the western coast of France is advised to follow guidance that has been issued by the French emergency services.  Some areas remain flooded and without utilities but French authorities are working hard to restore power.  Train services between Bordeaux and Paris have been affected as a result of downed power lines.  
  

• Travel to France can be disrupted by strike action. We recommended that you contact your travel provider before you travel.
  

• It is compulsory to carry a warning triangle and reflective jacket in all vehicles. See the Road Travel section of this Travel Advice.
  

• There is a general threat from terrorism.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. See the Terrorism section of this Travel Advice.
  

• More than 14 million British nationals visit mainland France every year (Source: Ministère Français de l'économie et des finances).  Most visits are trouble-free.  1,220 British nationals required consular assistance in France in the period 01 April  2008 – 31 March -2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (611 cases); hospitalisations (203 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (193 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (1,932 cases). If you need to contact the emergency services in France call 112.
  
  

• Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.
  
  
• We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and our  Travel Insurance .

Safety and security

Terrorism

There is a general threat from terrorism.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. On 16 December 2008, several packs of explosives were dismantled at the Printemps Haussman Department store in Central Paris.  No-one was injured.

You are advised to take care, particularly in town centres and near public buildings, and be wary of unattended packages.   The French Government has to date exercised a strong counter terrorism policy.  In July 2005 the French authorities raised their level of security, particularly at airports and on the railway and metro systems.   On 6 December 2007 a letter bomb exploded in a building in central Paris.  One person was killed and another seriously injured.
There have been a number of explosions, failed explosions and other attacks in recent years in Corsica.  Government buildings, restaurants, police vehicles, bars, a discotheque and a number of holiday homes have been targeted and, in some cases, substantially damaged. In the main these buildings were closed or unoccupied at the time of the attacks, but there have been fatalities.  The authorities, who have previously warned that attacks might escalate, believe that the Corsican nationalist group, the FLNC, are responsible. An unoccupied British owned holiday home was targeted in January 2010.   For more general information see our Terrorism Abroad page.

Crime

 Take precautions against street and car crime.  Avoid having your passports, credit cards and valuables in the same place.    In 2007 a number of British nationals who were the victim of a serious sexual offence in France.   Be aware that alcohol and drugs can lead to you being less alert, less in control and less aware of your environment.  If you are going to drink, know your limit.  Remember that drinks served in bars overseas are often stronger than those in the UK.  For more general information see our Rape and Sexual Assault Abroad page.  For more general information see our Victims of Crime page. 

Political Situation

  France Country Profile

Local Travel

Travel to France can be disrupted by strike action. It is recommended that you contact your travel provider before you travel (a list of ferry operators can be found here http://www.travel-lists.co.uk/lk2fer.html).  The Eurostar website is at http://www.eurostar.com/.

Continuing discontent among fisherman in the French channel ports means that there could be further blockades affecting cross-channel transport services.  If you are planning to cross the Channel with one of the carriers, or if you are planning to sail to Northern France in a pleasure craft, you are advised to check the latest position before your start your journey.

Road Travel

The annual open air market in Lille, which attracts over a million visitors, takes place in September. Road traffic access to the city will be limited and delays are to be expected. Visitors to the event should be alert to picket pockets who operate in the streets and in the underground. For further information visit the Lille Tourist Office website.

Advice on driving outside the UK can be obtained from motoring organisations such as the AA and RAC.

Information on road safety and potential traffic black spots (in French only) is available on the French government website.

To drive in France you must be 18 years old and have a valid UK driving licence, insurance and vehicle documents. Failure to comply may lead to a fine and/or your vehicle being impounded. You are not permitted to drive at 17 even if you hold a valid licence. If you do not own the vehicle you are driving, you are advised to obtain written permission from the registered owner. 

It is compulsory to carry a warning triangle and reflective jacket. The reflective jacket must be stored inside the vehicle itself. Non-compliance is a fineable offence.

Driving regulations in France are different from those in the UK. Speeding can result in heavy, on the spot fines and potentially immediate confiscation of your vehicle and licence.

In 2008 there were 4,275 road deaths in France (source: DfT).  This equates to 6.7 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 4.3 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2008. Many drivers undertake long journeys in, or through, France.  Care should be taken to plan journeys and take regular breaks.

In-car radar detectors are illegal in France whether in use or not.  If caught with one, you are liable to fines and/or, confiscation of the device and the vehicle.

Road Hauliers

British haulage companies and their employees should contact the Road Hauliers Association for further information about driving in France.

Heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are banned from driving on roads in France on a number of days during the year, including all Sundays and public holidays. Dates are set by the French Ministry of Transport. Road hauliers should contact the Road Hauliers Association, the Freight Transport Association or the Department of Transport for further information.

British lorry drivers have been the subjects of assault near Calais by men who may have been illegal immigrants intent on either robbery or possibly using their lorries to illegally enter the UK.  The Road Hauliers Association is aware of these incidents and can provide advice to drivers on matters of personal security.

For more general information see our Driving Abroad page. 

Air Travel

 
The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in France.  For more details about this see Airline Security.

Entry requirements

Passports

A passport valid for the proposed period of your stay or a National Identity Card (see the website of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS)) to enter France.

Visas

If your passport describes you as a British Citizen or British Subject with Right of Abode in the United Kingdom, you will not need a visa to enter France.  Other British passport holders should confirm the current entry requirements with the nearest French Diplomatic mission.
 

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.  For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the French Embassy in London.
 

Employment/Living in France

 
For guidance on living and working in France, please visit the British Embassy website.

Health

You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as French nationals.  It does not cover medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature.

British nationals planning a permanent move to France, especially those who have not yet reached retirement age, should consult the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) at the earliest opportunity to obtain advice on their longer-term entitlement as residents to health care provision under the French national system. Enquiries should be made to the DWP Overseas Medical Benefits help-line on 00 44 191 218 1999 which is open on Mondays to Fridays from 08.00 to 20.00 daily. Alternatively, information can be obtained direct from the English language service of the Caisse Primaired’Assurance Maladie (French social security service) on 00 33 8 20 9042 12 or CLEISS (the Helpdesk in France for international mobility and social security) on 00 33 1 45 26 33 4.  Information is also available on the website of the British Embassy in France.

HIV / AIDS

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 140,000 adults aged 15 or over in France were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.4% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see our HIV and AIDS page.
You should seek medical advice before travelling to France and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland’s Fit for Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see our Travel Health page.

Natural disasters

Forest Fires

Fires can be a regular occurrence in forested areas anywhere during the summer months but especially along the Mediterranean coast and on Corsica.  It is not uncommon for fires to be started by unextinguished cigarettes thrown from cars or by the illegal lighting of campfires or barbecues. The fires are generally extinguished quickly and efficiently by experienced fire fighters, though short-term evacuations are sometimes necessary.  Most visits to forested areas should remain trouble-free, but if you plan to stay in such an area you should familiarise yourself on arrival with local regulations as lighting fires in most forested areas is illegal and severe penalties exist for any infringement. You should also familiarise yourself with local emergency procedures in the event of fire.

Avalanches

There is often a danger of avalanches in the French Alpine regions.  You are therefore advised to exercise due care and attention and observe all written notices and warning instructions and, where and when appropriate, consider carrying avalanche search equipment.  You can find the latest on avalanche risk at the Meteo Alarm website.

Sports activities and winter sports

Conditions on roads in mountainous areas can quickly become difficult in winter. You should carry supplies such as water, food, warm clothing and medicines in your vehicle.

Travellers to mountainous areas should take out comprehensive insurance to cover extra medical costs, repatriation or, in the départements of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, possible transfer to Switzerland for hospital treatment. For sports activities such as skiing, potholing and mountaineering, and for sports classed as dangerous (off-piste skiing or snow boarding, mountain biking, etc) travel insurance must include mountain rescue services and helicopter costs.   Be aware of weather forecasts and conditions and make sure you are well equipped. Never undertake the activity alone and consider hiring a guide Always leave copies of your itinerary and plans with someone.

If you intend to go hill walking in any part of France including Corsica, you should ensure that you are well prepared and equipped to cope both with the terrain, high temperatures and a lack of shade in summer and low temperatures during the winter months

General

Insurance

 We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.  For more general information see our Travel Insurance page.

If things do wrong the see our When things go wrong page.

Consular Registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency. 
 

Customs Regulations

 There are strict customs regulations in force in France and the European Union, including movement of valuable items and assets.
 

Money

 Legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU applies in all Member States.  Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc.  This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU nor to those travelling within the EU.