Language & Communications
The predominant language spoken in France is (as one might expect) French, although there are some regional variations in pronunciation, and sometimes words, phrases and even dialects unique to an area. The French are generally attracted to politeness and may respond cooly to people who ignore or forget this. It is considered impolite to begin any conversation without at least saying hello “bonjour”, and when entering or leaving small bistros or shops it is considered polite to respond appropriately if staff or even other customers say bonjour. Generally, any serious attempt to speak at least a phrase or two in French will be well received. Here are a few which most non French speaking people will be familiar with:
"Excusez-moi Monsieur/Madame": Excuse me (ex-CUE-zeh-mwah mih-SYOOR/muh-DAM)
"S'il vous plait Monsieur/Madame" : Please (SEEL-voo-PLAY)
"Merci Monsieur/Madame" : Thank you (mare-SEE)
"Au revoir Monsieur/Madame" : Good Bye (Ore-vwar)
The telecommunications network in France is modern and extensive. All numbers within France have 10 digits. The first two digits are 01 for the Paris area, and 02/03/04/05 for the northwest/northeast/southeast/southwest, respectively. Numbers starting with 06 are cellphones. You cannot drop the first two digits even if you calling a number within the same area.
When dialling in to France from another country, the country code is 33 followed by the area code (omitting the 0) and then the number. To call another country from France, dial 00 + country code + local number.
If you are staying in France for a while, most of the local phone companies offer the purchase or rental of a GSM SIM card and some companies will even rent a GSM handset at reasonable prices. Another cost effective way make cheap international calls is with dial-around services such as appeldiscount, appellemonde or allo.
Dial-around services are directly accessible from any landline in France. No contract, no registration is required. Most dial-around services allows you to call USA, Canada, Western Europe and many other countries at local rate (tarif local) so you can easily save on your phone calls. They also work from payphones, though the first minute is surcharged by France Telecom.
Internet access is widely available in large and medium sized cities and towns through cybercafés. Many hotels and hostels also offer either wireless or Ethernet connections if you have a laptop, or an area with a computer for guest access. Free wireless hotspots are becoming more common in the larger cities, especially Paris.
Post offices can be found in every city and town, but their opening hours can vary. Typically the hours of operation are from 09.00 to 18.00 Monday through to Saturday lunchtime, with many closing for lunch during the week.
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