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Practicalities
Visa Information
To enter France, EU/EEA citizens need only a valid identity card, whereas citizens of many, but not all, countries need a valid passport. Participants should contact the nearest French Embassy or Consulate for details regarding current passport and visa requirements.
► Applying for a visa can be a lengthy process. We recommend that you start your visa application process as soon as possible.
Currency
The official currency of France as a European Union member state is the euro (€). Most shops across the country accept international credit and debit cards.
Value Added Tax (VAT)
Numerous shops advertising “Tax-Free Shopping” in their windows make it possible for visitors from non-European Union countries to receive a refund of value added tax paid on a minimum of 176 euros worth of goods purchased in a single shop within a single day on condition that the goods are taken outside the country within three months from the purchase date.
Weather
In the south-east a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west, the climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters and cool to warm summers. Inland the climate becomes more continental with hot, stormy summers, colder winters and less rain. The climate of the Alps and other mountainous regions is mainly alpine, with the number of days with temperatures below freezing over 150 per year and snow cover lasting for up to six months. That being said, all of France does experience four distinct seasons, with generally warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Paris has a very similar climate to the rest of central and eastern France, with warm summers and cold, fairly dry winters.
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