What You Should Know About France
Good, bad or ugly, everyone has something to say about France and the French: chic, smart, sexy, rude, racist, bureaucratic, bitchy as hell, pavements studded with dog poo, baguettes that dry out by lunchtime and a penchant for torching cars is some of the chitchat on the street. Spice up the cauldron with the odd urban riot, political scandal and a 35-hour working week - not to mention a massive box-office hit like The Da Vinci Code taking over Paris or superstar Angelina Jolie allegedly plumping for a chateau in Normandy to raise her kids - and the international media is all ears too.
Take a trip south for Roman developments and the amazing blue Mediterranean Sea ; pander to your jet-set fantasies in pleasing Nice and St-Tropez. Ski the Alps. Experience the fine mix together of language, music and folklore in Brittany brought by 5th-century Celtic intruders. Smell humiliation on the beaches of Normandy and battlefields of Verdun and the Somme. And know that this is the tip of that gigantic iceberg the French people call culture. After all this is that magical land of good food and wine, of majestic chateaux and flawlessly restored farmhouses, of landmarks known the planet over and hidden landscapes few really know. Take pleasure in art and romance in the unblemished center on the River Seine.
Yes, this is that timeless land whose people have a natural joie de vivre and savoir- faire - and have for centuries. But change is afoot. France and the French are fed up - and inspired. It’s on the tip of everyone’s tongues. The best way to see what is going on is to travel. Some practical information for your planning.[I:http://talkaboutprofootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/FrankLupin1.jpg]
Money Cash: You always get a better exchange rate when you are in-country, though its a good idea to arrive with enough local currency to take a taxi to a hotel if you have to. Carry as little cash as possible while travelling around. Pickpockets are unavoidable.
Charges offered for Money Exchange fluctuate, so it pays to compare. Banks charge roughly 3.40 to 5.30 to cash travelers cheques (eg BNP Paribas charges 1.5%, with a minimum charge of 4Euro).Moneychangers business banks regularly charge a rigid 3 % to 5% comission per foreign-currency operation (eg BNP Paribas charges 3.3% or a minimum of about 4 Euro).
In general, post offices in Paris can offer the best exchange rates and accept banknotes in various currencies as well as American Express and Visa travelers cheques. The expenses for travelers cheques is 1.5% (minimum about 4 Euro). Exchange bureau (bureaux de change) are quicker and easier, open longer hours and provide better rates than most banks.
On small dealings, even exchange places with less-than-optimal charge may leave you with more Euros in your pocket. Familiarize yourself with rates offered by the post office and compare them with those at exchange bureaux.
Travelers cheques The most flexible travelers cheques are those issued by AmEx (in US dollars or euros) and Visa (in euros) because they can be changed at many post offices as well as commercial banks and exchange bureaux. Note that you will not be able to pay most merchants with travelers cheques directly. AmEx offices dont charge commission on their own travelers cheques.For lost travelers cheques call AmEx (0 800 908 600) and Thomas Cook (0 800 908 330) for replacements.