Miscellaneous
Telephone numbers
Emergencies (24/7)
- 15: SAMU (emergency medical care)
- 17: police
- 18: fire brigade
Calling from telephone booths
Making calls:
All post offices and tobacconists (tabacs) sell phone cards.
Receiving calls:
All your correspondent has to do is dial the phone number you will find in the booth.
Mobile phones
You can also buy a French mobile phone. Basic models are very affordable if you take out a subscribe (for a year, for example), but you can also buy a phone and then buy cards to top up your credit as you go.
The 3 main mobile service providers in France are:
- Orange (France Télécom)
- SFR
- Bouygues Télécom
But there are many other alternative deals. Some of them can turn out to be very attractive for phoning numbers outside France.
Post offices
Post offices are usually open from 8.30 am to 7.00 pm Monday to Friday and 8.30 am to 12.30 pm Saturdays. You can buy stamps (single stamps or sheets of 10 stamps) in post offices or tobacconists.
More
The weather in Paris
France is in the northern hemisphere’s temperate zone. The weather is mild and the four seasons are clear cut. As Paris is not far from the sea, the climate here is oceanic. Temperatures average out from 0 to 8°C in winter and 16 to 24°C in summer.
The Météo-France (weather and forecasts) website
Etiquette
Many of the habits and much of the etiquette are pretty international, but there are nevertheless a few quirks.
- The standard way to greet someone is to shake hands. Only close friends and family kiss.
- Only close friends and family address each other as “tu”. Everyone else is “vous”.
- Preferably avoid phoning someone at home after 10.00 pm
- Never turn up at a social gathering before the time you are expected, never turn up late when you have an appointment. Always cancel if you can’t make it.
French etiquette as seen from Hong Kong University (French language and culture department), which ParisTech would like to thank.
