Where to shop

Euros

Like in most EU countries the Euro is the national currency. You can buy euros at most foreign banks, travel companies, post offices etc. Shop around for the best rate and commission. You can also c onsider taking some travellers cheques, as they are generally safe and often insured. Finally, the simplest may be to withdraw cash with your foreign credit card in any ATM. You will be charged a handling fee and possibly a commission on a fixed basis, so it's often better to withdraw a big sum once than small sums several times.

Opening a bank account

If you stay for more than three months, you can open a bank account anywhere. If you stay less than three months, it is still possible to get an account but only in Caisse d'Epargne or La Banque Postale.

See Egide: http://www.egide.asso.fr/uk/guide/vivre/argent

ATMs

French ATMs are easy to find: just look for the sign of the hand holding a card. They distribute anywhere from 20 to 200 euro at a time. Just about all banks in France have an ATM either inside the bank itself or on the street. In France there are now ATMs that let you select your language, so using it should not be difficult. The only problems that could arise are hidden transfer fees (ask your card issuer) and the fact that French ATMs only accept a four-digit pin number.

Grocery shopping

French supermarkets are usually to be found on the outskirts of the towns . The layout is pretty much the same as everywhere else: sections for fruit and vegetables, meat, diary products and so on. Supermarkets are very rarely open on Sundays and major holidays and close at around 8 p.m.. Depending on the time of the year and the region, supermarkets may close for a lunch break. Trolleys tend to be found in the parking lot of the supermarkets: you will need a 1 Euro coin to obtain it, and you will get your coin back when you return your trolley. In France, fruit and vegetables purchased by the kilo are not weighed and priced at the check out, you have to do it yourself. The scales in France are simple to read and use. Each button will have a drawing on it; all you need to do is to push the one that corresponds to what is in your bag and it will print a ticket that you will stick on your bag. If you buy fruit or vegetables priced individually, all you need to do is bag them. They will be priced when you get to the check out. You will need to bag your groceries yourself when you get to the cash register. You will be given plastic bags to do the job. For payment, foreign cards work or, of course, Euros. Grocery shopping in small villages : most villages have a boulangerie (bakery), a tabac (tobacconist's) and a boucherie (butcher's shop). Lunchtime is usually observed. The boulangerie is an excellent place to buy your fresh bread each morning (opening around 7am). Sometimes there is also a small grocery, with basic products.

Markets

Markets are a way of life for the French. Every town or village in the regions also have their weekly market, where you will find lots of regional products. Do try and visit at least one during your stay. Markets are great places to buyi fresh produce, especially fruit and vegetables and, depending on the location, to buy meat, fish and poultry. Look out for individual stall-holders who are locals selling their own produce - such as melons, eggs or strawberries. They are easily distinguishable because they only sell one type of produce, so you know it will be fresh, likely to be cheaper and of a better quality. Take the opportunity to taste the regional specialities on offer in the market with no obligation to buy, anything from foie gras in the Dordogne region to pineau (a cognac based aperitif) in the Poitou-Charente. Depending on the size of the market, many other things can be bought such as wine, clothes, jewellery, toys and kitchenware. Most markets start very early in the morning and will close at lunchtime. It is possible to determine your local market days before you arrive: go to www.tourisme.fr and enter the name of the city / village. You'll get a brief description of the city and, in the "Animation" section, the market days. Otherwise, ask for them at the Tourist Office. For market days in Paris, go to: http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_parisiens/Portal.lut?page_id=5675 France also has a wide variety of regional markets devoted to a single produce: for example there are truffle markets in the Dordogne and garlic markets in Gascony.

Other shopping

Other shops open at 9am or 10am and close between 7pm and 8pm. In the regions, they often close between 1pm and 2pm. They are usually open from Tuesday to Saturday (except public holidays). Paris is one of the fashion capitals. Go window-shopping at the great couturiers, along the Avenue Montaigne (Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior), the Faubourg Saint-Honoré (Hermès, Gucci), the Place de la Madeleine, the Saint-Sulpice quarter or Sèvres-Babylone, between the Rues de Grenelle, du Cherche-Midi and des Saints-Pères (Versace, Sonia Ryckiel).

Alongside these famous names, a number of designers have appeared: Agnès B. and Claudie Pierlot (at Les Halles or Saint-Sulpice), Kenzo (Place des Victoires), Ventilo, Et Vous? in the Marais.

The department stores: Printemps, Galeries Lafayette, Bon Marché, Samaritaine or BHV, are Parisian institutions some of which have branches in the regions. They provide numerous brand names and offer every sort of merchandise. For bargain hunters, three large flea markets are held outside central Paris: Porte de Vanves, Montreuil and Porte de Saint-Ouen (the largest of all). Another Parisian specialty are the booksellers with their stalls along the banks of the Seine around the Saint-Michel quarter. Antique books, all sorts of second-hand books, comic strips, post cards. You can find everything there at all prices. It is well worth strolling along! In the regions, the town centre often has a number of clothes shops, which are just as good as those in Paris. Some towns have second-hand clothes shops with keen prices or very trendy shops.

Sales

In France, there are only two legal sale periods: winter sales (Soldes d'hiver) in January/February and summer sales (Soldes d'été) in June/July. Each will last for about five weeks and bargains of over 50% can be found in abundance. There usually is a nation-wide start date, and then each department sets its own end date after the local government consults with retail leaders.

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Where to shop

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