Photo: Amelia Cui / Unsplash
Practical info for France
Emergencies, embassy, entry requirements, money: the essentials before you go, with the official source and the date each piece of information was checked.
Embassy and entry requirements shown for travellers from: United Kingdom.
Emergency numbers
Source: GOV.UK, Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas, Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych RP · verified on 26/10/2026
Embassy and consulates
- British Embassy ParisEmbassy
- Address
- 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré, Paris Cedex 08, Paris, 75383, France
- Consular emergency line
- To call us 24/7 in an emergency or send us an online enquiry go to: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/france/british-embassy-paris
- British Consulate ParisConsulate
- Address
- 35 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, 75008, France
- Consular emergency line
- To call us 24/7 in an emergency or send us an online enquiry go to: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/france/british-embassy-paris
- British Consulate MarseilleConsulate
- Address
- Les Docks de Marseille - La Joliette, 10 Place de la Joliette, Atrium 10, 31st Floor, Marseille, 13002, France
- Consular emergency line
- To call us 24/7 in an emergency or send us an online enquiry go to: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/france/british-consulate-marseille
- British Consulate BordeauxConsulate
- Address
- 14 Rue Montesquieu, Bordeaux, 33000, France
- Consular emergency line
- To call us 24/7 in an emergency or send us an online enquiry go to: https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/posts/france/british-consulate-bordeaux
Consular emergency numbers (emergencies only): FCDO, London (24 hours): +44 20 7008 5000.
Entry requirements
The rules depend on your passport: check them here before you book, for every traveller, children included.
Official page: GOV.UK (FCDO), updated 22/10/2026 ›
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Safety and travel advice
The FCDO does not currently advise against travel to any part of this country.
Source: GOV.UK · verified on 26/10/2026
Currency and payments
Currency: Euro (EUR).
Source: SIX Group (ISO 4217), European Central Bank, EU Publications Office · verified on 26/10/2026
Time difference
Local time: UTC+01:00, +1 h compared with London (calculated on 26/10/2026).
Next clock change: 28/03/2027 (UTC+02:00).
The clocks change in London on 28/03/2027: the difference may change that day.
Source: IANA (time zones) · verified on 26/10/2026
Driving
Traffic drives on the right.
Driving licence, according to GOV.UK (FCDO): “photocard driving licence You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in France. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP) as well.”
Mobile networks
Networks listed by the eSIMs we checked: Bouygues (Sirocco); Bouygues Telecom (Sirocco); Free Mobile (Sirocco); Orange (Sirocco); SFR (Sirocco).
Source: Sirocco · verified on 26/10/2026
eSIM prices for France
7 days, 5 GB · prices checked on 26/10/2026
3 brands compared, not an exhaustive listWhy this ranking?
Ranked by price: for each brand, the cheapest plan that covers 7 days and 5 GB.
Not an exhaustive comparison: 3 brands out of the dozens that sell eSIMs. The list of brands compared is in our Methodology.
eSIMeter is published by Mocom SAS, which sells Sirocco: the site is funded by those sales. No other brand pays us.
Frequently asked questions
What are the emergency numbers in France?
Single emergency number: 112 ; Police: 17 ; Medical emergencies: 15 ; Fire brigade: 18
How do I contact the embassy or consulate in France?
British Embassy Paris, 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré, Paris Cedex 08, Paris, 75383, France ; British Consulate Paris, 35 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, 75008, France ; British Consulate Marseille, Les Docks de Marseille - La Joliette, 10 Place de la Joliette, Atrium 10, 31st Floor, Marseille, 13002, France ; British Consulate Bordeaux, 14 Rue Montesquieu, Bordeaux, 33000, France. Consular emergency numbers (emergencies only): FCDO, London (24 hours): +44 20 7008 5000.
What are the entry requirements for France?
The rules depend on your passport: check them here before you book, for every traveller, children included. Official page: GOV.UK (FCDO), updated 22/10/2026.
What is the travel advice for France?
The FCDO does not currently advise against travel to any part of this country.
What currency is used in France?
Currency: Euro (EUR).
What is the time difference in France?
Local time: UTC+01:00, +1 h compared with London (calculated on 26/10/2026). Next clock change: 28/03/2027 (UTC+02:00). The clocks change in London on 28/03/2027: the difference may change that day.
What should I know about driving in France?
Traffic drives on the right. Driving licence, according to GOV.UK (FCDO): “photocard driving licence You can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in France. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the correct version of the international driving permit (IDP) as well.”
Which mobile networks operate in France?
Networks listed by the eSIMs we checked: Bouygues (Sirocco); Bouygues Telecom (Sirocco); Free Mobile (Sirocco); Orange (Sirocco); SFR (Sirocco).