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Practical Information |
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Border FormalitiesMost visitors (North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand) only need a passport; EU residents can enter with a national ID card. Such visa-free visitors can stay up to three months.
Business HoursGrocery stores are usually open Sunday morning but close Monday. Large department stores open at about 9.30am and close around 7pm with no lunch break. Small boutiques and Mom-and-Pop stores usually work Monday or Tuesday to Saturday with a lunch break that runs from noon to about 2pm. Restaurants have eccentric opening hours but it's sure that you won't get lunch before noon or after 2pm and dinner runs from 7.30 to about 10pm. It's wise to call restaurants in advance to check on the hours. ElectricityThe voltage is 220V, frequency 50HZ. Plugs are two round prongs. EmergenciesPolice 17 Ambulance 15 Fire 18 Internet AccessThere are cybercafes around train stations and in the centre of cities like Nice, Cannes and Monaco. In small towns, the tourist office can point you in the right direction. National HolidaysTelephoneThe country code for France is 33. The regional code
for the Cote d'Azur and Provence is 04. .Drop the zero when calling
from abroad. Use the zero when calling from one region to another. Time zoneFrance is on Central European Time (GMT/UTC plus one hour standard time, plus two hours daylight saving time) and moves the clock ahead one hour in spring for daylight savings time and back one hour in the fall. (remember "Spring ahead, fall back"). Usually it's the last Sunday in March when clocks are set ahead and the last Sunday in October when they are set back.Tourist InformationEach town has a tourist office and most have someone who speaks English. Hours are long in the summer but off-season, you'll be relegated to regular business hours. WaterDespite what you would think from the proliferation of plastic bottles everywhere, tap water is safe, drinkable and even tasty on the French Riviera. Weather
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