Know before you go . . .
Essential information
British Embassy/Consulate: (00 33 1 44 51 31 00; ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk). For passports and most other visitor services, contact the consulate at 15 rue d’Anjou (same telephone number) rather than the embassy
Office du Tourisme de Paris: (00 33 1 49 52 42 63; parisinfo.com), 25 rue des Pyramides, 75001 Paris
Ambulance (samu): dial 15
Police: dial 17
Fire (pompiers): dial 18
Emergency services from mobile phone: dial 112
The basics
Currency: Euro
Telephone code: from abroad, dial 00 33, then leave off the zero at the start of the 10-figure number. Most Paris numbers start with 01; mobile phone numbers start with 06; numbers beginning 08 are special-rate numbers, ranging from 0800 freephone to premium-rate calls
Time difference: +1 hour
Travelling times: London to Paris by Eurostar takes 2hr 15min. Flying time is about one hour
Local laws and etiquette
When greeting people, formal titles (Monsieur, Madame and Mademoiselle) are used much more in French than in English.
It is considered polite to say ‘bonjour’ when you enter a space such as a restaurant, a shop or even a waiting room, and you should say ‘bonjour’ first when asking for assistance, rather than starting with an ‘excusez-moi’. It’s an essential piece of social punctuation, like saying your pleases and thank yous.
