Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exchange rate at press time: €0.72 = U.S. $1.00
Hours: 1000-1300/1500-1700 Monday-Friday (some are open Saturday and
closed Monday)
Communications
Country Code: 33
For telephone calls within France, dial the two-digit prefix applicable for the area
as listed below and then the eight-digit phone number:
01—for Paris numbers
02—for the northwest of France
03—for the northeast of France
04—for the southeast of France
05—for the southwest of France
All calls within France must use the full 10 digits. When placing calls to France from
another country, use the country code 33 and drop the initial zero. (For example, to
call the Lyon Tourist Information Office from the United States, you would dial 011
+33 4 72 77 69 69.)
Major Mobile Phone Companies: Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom
Rail Travel in France
Seemingly, France has more varieties of trains than it has cheeses. The French
lead the world in rail technology, and their TGV ( train à grande vitesse ) trains hold
the world's friction rail speed record at 320 mph.
French National Railroads (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français, or
SNCF) operates some 21,100 miles of rail lines, supplemented by SNCF buses in
mountainous areas. For train information and reservations for all of France, call 33
9 70 609970; www.sncf.com .
French National Railroads accepts the variety of Eurail passes, France Rail-
pass, Eurail France-Italy Pass, Eurail France-Spain Pass, and Eurail
France-Switzerland Pass. Eurail bonuses in France include:
• Paris, France-London, England, via Eurostar thru the Chunnel—Special dis-
counted fares (about 50 percent) for rail pass holders
• SeaFrance—50 percent discount on Calais-Dover (England) ferry crossing
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