General Info

Cafés & Restaurants | Credit Cards | Electricity | Emergency Services | French Time | Health | Mobile Phones | Money | Public Holidays | Telephone | TV Satellite DVD Video | Conversion Tables

Cafés & Restaurants
Prices are always displayed outside. Tax and service charges are always included.

Credit Cards
French card reading systems operate differently to those in the UK and sometimes have difficulty in reading UK credit cards, even those of the latest design used in the UK in conjunction with pin numbers. It is usually possible to persuade the establishment to override their system manually.

Electricity
The voltage in France, 220-240v is compatible with appliances used in the UK but you will need a plug adaptor capable of use with round two or three pin plugs. They are widely available in high street shops and sometimes on ferries.

Emergency Services
On public or fixed line telephones, dial for Ambulance 15, Police 17, Fire 18.

French Time
The time difference between the UK and France has been standardised and France is always one hour ahead of the UK. Arrival and departure times at villas are given in French time.

Health
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) came into effect on 1 September 2005, permanently replacing the E111 from 1 January 2006. Dominique's Villas will provided a form in its Travel Pack. The form is obtainable from a full Post Office or local DoHS office but it is easier and quicker to fill the form online (www.dh.gov.uk/traveller) as the card will be delivered within 7 days rather than 21. The card guarantees reduced cost medical treatment at public French hospitals but the cost of drugs and out-patient care may not always be covered.

Mobile Phones
The use of hand-held mobile phones while driving is prohibited in France.

Money
Cash: The Euro is the currency in France. Avoid taking large denomination notes because they may not be easily changed because of widespread counterfeiting. Supermarkets will not accept 500 Euro notes for purchases below a total of 200 Euros. Banking hours vary throughout France. Some banks are open weekdays from 0900 to 1700, often with a lunch break, which can be as long as 12-1400 hours; others open Saturday and close on Mondays.
Banks: A few banks still close at 1530. Most post offices offer similar bureau de change services and are open for much longer hours, sometimes 0800 to 1900 weekdays, and on Saturdays 0800-1200.
Cash dispensers: Automatic cash dispensers, usually available only in large towns, make a charge for international cash withdrawals. Users are allowed only two attempts at entering their correct pass numbers before the card is retained by the machine and can only be retrieved from the bank.

Public Holidays in France
All banks and most shops are closed. Most restaurants remain open, as do a few museums. National holidays for 2006 are: 1 January, 17 April, 1, 8, & 25 May, 5 June, 14 July, 15 August, 1 & 11 November, 25 December.

Telephone
France Telecom Cards are widely used throughout France and are available at Post Offices and many shops. Public telephones that accept coins have been largely discontinued outside Paris. To call the UK from France: first dial 00, wait for the continuous tone, then dial 44 followed by your STD code minus the 0, then your number. British Telecom's own Charge Card provides a much faster direct dial access for calls to the UK.

TV, Satellite, DVD & Video
French satellite broadcast systems, DVDs and video players usually operate on a different system to those in the UK. Some DVDs and video players at our properties cannot play UK DVD or video cassettes. Satellite channels available in the UK may not be available in France, and at some villas programmes may be broadcast in French only.

Conversion Table

1degree fahrenheit	9/5C degrees +32 degrees
1 inch	2.54cm
1 foot	30 centimetres
1 yard	0.914 metres
1 mile	1609 metres
1 acre	0.405 hectares
1 acre	4,046.9 sq metres
1 pint	0.5683 litres
1 gallon	4.456 litres
1 pound	453.59 grammes