Plugs and voltage
France uses Types C and E sockets. Mains supply is 230 V at 50 Hz.
At 230 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.
Adapter guides: from United States · from United Kingdom · from Canada · from Australia · from India · from China · from Ireland · from Japan · from Brazil
Money
€ Euro EUR
| 1 USD | 0.8951 EUR |
|---|---|
| 1 GBP | 1.20 EUR |
| 1 JPY | 0.005692 EUR |
| 1 AUD | 0.6288 EUR |
Price level 83 (US = 100, 2025)
Everyday household prices in France are about 83% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: dearer than the median country (50). All countries
Language
- Frenchofficial97%
Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).
Time
France is on UTC+1 (standard time; clocks change for daylight saving).
Driving
Traffic in France drives on the right, so the steering wheel is on the left.
Public holidays in the next 12 months
11 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.
November 2026
- Armistice Day
December 2026
- Christmas Day
January 2027
- New Year's Day
March 2027
- Easter Monday
May 2027
- Labor Day
- Ascension Day
- Victory Day
- Pentecost Monday
July 2027
- National Day
August 2027
- Assumption Day
November 2027
- All Saints' Day
Travel advisories
United States · State Department
Level 2 Exercise increased caution
Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.
United Kingdom · FCDO
No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to France.
Updated 2026-10-22. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.
Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.
Other practical facts
- Calling code
- +33
- Internet domain
- .fr
- Measurement
- Metric
- Paper size
- A4
- Week starts on
- Monday
- Read more
- Wikipedia
More in Western Europe
Flag: Flag of France.svg, Public domain. Arms: Arms of the French Republic.svg, Public domain. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.
