France is very enjoyable travel destination due to the sheer variety of options that it presents for international tourists. Possessing robust metropolitan areas as well as a lovely countryside that is ready for tourism, France offers you choices on how you want to spend your holidays. I had never really planned visiting the country before I decided I would learn French in France (I thought that, since I was looking for an excellent French Course France would be the place to go) and I soon found out that I was really missing on something great.

Looking back on the experience, however, I wish I had researched more about the daily life of the tourists and what are the main things to keep in mind to have a hassle free trip. To that end I decided to compile a list of tips and bits of information that I found out through personal experience that will help you have a great vacation.

Internet Access

Internet access was a key topic for me as I wanted to keep in touch with my loved ones and share with them my daily exploits. Nowadays it's pretty easy to hook your laptop to one of the many Wi-Fi networks found on restaurants, hotels and caf?s.

If you don't have a personal computer that you can carry or choose not to do so, you can still access the Internet quite easily. Many post offices (called La Poste in France) have stations to access the web called Cyberposte. From there you can access your e-mail account, use instant messaging, upload pictures and even read the news from your homeland online.

Another option is to use the services of the Cyber Cafes, these are similar to the ones found in most North American cities and offer beverages, a limited selection of foods and Internet access for an affordable price. While these places can be a bit more pricey than the government service, they allow for other tasks, like talking through a microphone and using a web-cam.

Telephones

Most public telephones only accept phone debit cards, which are sold at post offices and can be later recharged with cash or with any international credit card. The total number of digits for French phone numbers is ten: a 0 prior to the two digit district code (there are a total of five districts) and then three pairs of two digits comprising the actual phone number.

Shopping

Many household items, camping tools and food supplies can be purchased at any of the many supermarkets in France (there called Supermarches or Hypermarches.) If you need to purchase fuel for your car, it is cheaper to do so at the gas stations that are part of these supermarkets.

Public Transport

If you are staying outside a big metropolis but close to a train station, you can save a lot of money by purchasing a discount pass for the train service or bus service. These passes work for several days and will vary in price depending on the range of the transportation which they provide. The cards are sold at train stations and any tourist offices and are the best way to go for both economy and comfort.