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Location
Ile-de-France region, France.

Dialling code
33.

Time zone
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.

Average January temperatures
4°C (39°F).

Average July temperatures
19.5°C (67°F).

Annual rainfall
642mm (25 inches).

Language
Introduction
Parisians would probably argue that they speak French with no accent as opposed, for example, to the strong southern accent of the Midi. Provincials, however, argue to the contrary. The Parisian bourgeois accent (affected) and vocabulary (pretentious) was successfully ridiculed by famed comedians Les Inconnus in the early nineties. Their catch phrase, ‘ça va? tu vas bien?’ (pronounced with elongated vowels – çar var: tu var bi-ar?) has become part of the national folklore. British words, slotted into French sentences, are particularly prized among this set (‘c’est top’), as are hyperbolic adjectives (‘c’est absolument magnifique’).

At the other end of the social spectrum, the Parisian suburbs have given rise to the back-to-front (envers) coded language Verlan. While most French people are familiar with the basics – woman (femme) becomes meuf, bloke (mec) becomes cem, cops (flicks) turns into cuf – but as soon as whole phrases are turned back-to-front, only clan members stand a chance of comprehension. Those in doubt should attempt to decipher the original French version of Matthieu Kassowitz’s film La Haine, which depicts the socially excluded inhabitants of the Parisian suburbs.

Phrases

Yes - Oui
No - Non
Hello - Bonjour
Goodbye - Au revoir
Please - S’il vous plaît
Thank you - Merci
My name is … - Je m’appelle …
How are you? - Comment ça va?
I’m very well - Ça va bien
I feel ill - Je ne me sens pas bien
How much does it cost? - Combien est-ce que ça coûte?
Do you speak English? - Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
I don’t understand - Je ne comprends pas
Where is …? - Où est …?
Entrance - Entrée
Exit - Sortie
Danger - Danger
Open - Ouvert
Closed - Fermé
Toilets - Toilettes
Doctor - Médecin
Hotel - Hôtel
Restaurant - Restaurant
Beer - Bière
Wine - Vin
Menu - Menu
Today - Aujourd’hui
Tomorrow - Demain
Monday - Lundi
Tuesday - Mardi
Wednesday - Mercredi
Thursday - Jeudi
Friday - Vendredi
Saturday - Samedi
Sunday - Dimanche
One - Un (Une)
Two - Deux
Three - Trois
Four - Quatre
Five - Cinq
Six - Six
Seven - Sept
Eight - Huit
Nine - Neuf
Ten - Dix
Twenty - Vingt
Thirty - Trente
Forty - Quarante
Fifty - Cinquante
Sixty - Soixante
Seventy - Soixante-dix
Eighty - Quatre-vingt
Ninety - Quatre-vingt dix
One Hundred - Cent
One Thousand - Mille

Cost of Living:

1 Euro (€1) = £0.94; US$1.37; C$1.66; A$1.93
Currency conversion rates as of January 2009

Special Events:

La Nuit des Publivores (The Night of the Adeaters)
March
500 advertisements (publicités) are fêted by 6,000 people in two night-long events.
Grand Rex, 1 boulevard Poisssonnière, 2nd
Website: www.publivores.com

Festival du Film de Paris (Paris Film Festival)
March/early April
Celebration of world film.
Cinéma Gaumont Marignan, 27 avenue des Champs-Elysées
Website: www.festivaldufilmdeparis.com

Le Marathon de Paris (Paris Marathon)
April
Starts approximately 0900 on avenue des Champs-Elysées, finishes avenue Foch.
Website: www.parismarathon.com

Foire de Paris (Paris Fair)
April/ May
Fair for tourism, multimedia and gastronomy.
Paris Expo, Place de la Porte de Versailles
Website: www.foiredeparis.fr

Fête de la Musique (Musical Fair)
June
Free concerts throughout Paris (and the rest of France), in the streets and various venues, such as Sainte-Chapelle, the Musée d'Orsay and Palais de Justice.
Website: www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr

Bastille Day
July
National holiday on the 14 July with festivities and fireworks to commemorate the storming of the Bastille in 1789.
Various locations.

Paris Plage
July-August
Stretch of riverside expressway turned into leisure oasis.
Banks of the Seine between Tuileries Tunnel and the Henri IV bridge
 
Le Cinéma en Plein Air (Open Air Cinema)
July-August
Free outdoor film festival.
Parc de la Villette, 19th

Le Tour de France
July
The grand finale of the world-famous bicycle race, finishes on avenue des Champs-Elysées.
Website: www.letour.fr

Festival d'Automne (Autumn Festival)
September-December
International contemporary drama, dance and music festival.
Théâtre de la Ville, Odéon and other venues
Website: www.festival-automne.com

Mondial de l'Automobile (Automobile World)
September/October
Biennial international motor show.
Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, 15th
Website: www.mondial-automobile.com

Foire Internationale d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (FIAC - Contemporary Art Fair)
October
Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, 15th
Website: www.fiacparis.com

Remembrance Day
November
National holiday on 11 November with laying of wreaths, military parade and review of troops by the President of the Republic.
Place Charles-de-Gaulle, 8th 

Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau (Nouveau Beaujolais Fair)
November
First availability of the season's Beaujolais Nouveau wine.
Wine bars and cafes everywhere

Réveillon (New Year's Eve)
December
Crowds celebrate by the thousand.
Along the Champs-Elysées

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