FRANCE
Public Holiday
Religion
Climate
Money and banks
Food
Other trade
Cost of Life
Phone
LA Poste
Useful phone number in case of emergency
Driving in France
What to do In France
Food
Culinary Specialties
Being housed
VALENCIENNES
Geographical situation
Inhabitants number
Economy
University
Railroad
Entertainmenting in Valenciennes
FRANCE
Public holiday
There are 10. During these days, administrations, banks, and trades are virtually all closed.
Religion
The majority of French are Catholics. France owns one of the most important Jew communities in Europe. The second one is atheism, following by Islam. We can also find various religions or religious communities (as Protestant, Buddhist…). France is a secular country.
Climate
France benefits from a temperate and pleasant climate. There are 4 climatic areas:
Oceanic climate (Center and East): harsh winter and warm summer.
Continental climate (South East): warm and dryness; precipitations from October to April.
Mediterranean climate (over 600-800 m altitude): high precipitations; snow three to six months a year.
Mountain climate (west): average precipitations.
Money and Banks
Since January the 1st 2002, euro (€) is the official currency of France.
Banks are generally opened from 10am to 5pm from Monday to Friday in Parisian area and from Tuesday to Saturday in province (closed at noon). Some of them are opened the Saturday morning.
Credit card
They are accepted in numerous stores, hostels and restaurants. Traders often demand a minimum of spendings.
If you lose your card, call your local opposition center or call according to your kind of card:
Eurocard-Mastercard : +33 ( 0)1 45 67 84 84
Visa : 0892 705 705
Diner's club : 0810 314 159
American Express : +33 (0) 1 47 77 72 00
Food
In big cities, bakeries and food stores open very early and close around 7 or 8 pm. They are generally closed Sunday afternoon, the afternoons of public holiday and one day of the week.
Other trades
The other trades open between 9am and 10am and close between 7pm and 8pm.
In province, they often close between 12 and 2pm. They are generally opened from Tuesday to Saturday (except public holiday). Big supermarkets are often opened until 9 or 10pm.
Cost of life
Food
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Butter (250g)
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starting from
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1.56€
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Camembert (250g)
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starting from
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1.95€
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Milk (1 liter)
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starting from
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1.10€
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Yoghurt (by 4)
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starting from
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1.70€
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Coffee (250g)
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starting from
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1.10€
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Tea (25 teabags)
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starting from
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1.37€
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Chocolate (100g)
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starting from
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1.64€
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Sunflower oil (1 liter)
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starting from
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0.98€
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Pasta (500g)
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starting from
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0.73€
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Rice (1kg)
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starting from
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0.63€
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Superfine sugar (1kg)
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starting from
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1.50€
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Eggs (by 6)
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starting from
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1.30€
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Cereal
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starting from
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1.58€
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Jelly
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starting from
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1.32€
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Apples (1kg)
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starting from
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2.30€
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Oranges (1kg)
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starting from
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1.95€
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Potatoes (1kg)
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starting from
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1.50€
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Tomatoes (1kg)
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starting from
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2.95€
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Beer (6x33cl)
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starting from
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2.83€
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Coca-Cola (1.5 liter)
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starting from
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1.37€
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Mineral water (1.5 liter)
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starting from
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0.18€
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Orange juice (1 liter)
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starting from
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0.76€
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Wine (75 cl)
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starting from
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1.53€
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Baguette (french stick)
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starting from
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0.80€
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Candy packet
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starting from
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0.73€
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Chewing gum
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starting from
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2.73€
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Hygiene products
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Toothpaste (75 ml)
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starting from
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1.96€
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Laundry detergent
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starting from
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4.79€
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Soap (125g)
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starting from
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0.92€
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Shampoo (400ml)
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starting from
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3.99€
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Razor (10 units)
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starting from
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2.74€
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Toilet tissue
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starting from
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1.83€
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Condoms (12 units)
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starting from
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1.90€
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Toothbrush
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starting from
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1.56€
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Deodorant
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starting from
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3.59€
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Phone
To call from a Foreign country to France, compose 00 33 + n° with 9 figures of your correspondent (without 0 starting by French phone number). Example: 00 33 1 42 96 70 00.
From France to a foreign country: compose 00 + code of the country + n° of your correspondent.
You will find all phone cards in post offices, in smoke shops…
La Poste
In France, mailboxes, in yellow, are located in the street and in front of each post office.
Stamps
You can buy stamps at La Poste and in smoke shops. The postage is different according to mail weight and its destination.
Time allowed
For a mail sent inside France, just count around 24 to 48 hours; from France to a foreign country, count from 1 to 5 days.
Useful phone number in case of emergency
SAMU (medical emergency): 15
Police Aid: 17
Firemen Aid: 18
Driving in France
If you have a driving licence from the EU, you can use it in France. If your driving licence has been delivered in another country, you must have an international driving licence to drive in France.
To know what is the state of circulation
http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr/
In car, you can listen radio highway FM on 107.7 frequency.
RoadsRoads network is very developed in France: nearly a million of kilometers, almost 8 000 kilometers are highways.
What to do in France?
France is a country culturally rich. You can visit one of its numerous museums (Le Louvre, Musée Grévin...), one of its sites ranked in world heritage of Unesco (see list of French sites in world heritage), one of its numerous Castle (Versailles, Chambord, Amboise, Loches...)...
Food
In France, we eat 3 times a day.
- Breakfast, between 7am and 9am, meal with a warm drink (coffee, tea or chocolate), with croissant and/or bread, butter, cereals, fruits...
- Lunch, between 12 and 2am: a real dish with a starter, a dish and a dessert, and to finish, a coffee.
- Diner, around 8pm, like the lunch.
At the restaurant
In France, you will find all kind of restaurants (brasseries, auberges, salons de thé…).
Culinary specialties
In addition de wine, bread and cheese, we can taste in regions different specialties.
Being housed
At hostel - French hostels are listed in 6 categories: without étoile, 1 étoile, 2*, 3*, 4* and 4* L (Luxe).
- To pre-order your room, find out from tourist agency.
Prices for a double room: Source UMIH
Hostels in integrated channel
Hostel 0/1 étoile 27.50€
Hostel 2 étoiles 58.90€
Hostel 3 étoiles 86.60€
Hostel 4 étoiles 187.80€
Independent Hostels
Hostel 2 étoiles 58.90€
Hostel 3 étoiles 69.60€
Hostel 4 étoiles 178.10€ Looking for an apartment
www.century21.fr
www.annoncesjaunes.fr
www.achander-louer.fr
www.seloger.com
www.byuvendu.fr
www.apbytement.org (Byis uniquement)
www.pap.fr
VALENCIENNES
Geographical situation
Valenciennes is located in the Northern byt of France. It is in 52 km away from Lille-Lesquin (nord), 106 km away from Brussels (Belgium), 280km from London (Great Britain), 200 km away from Paris and 300 km away from Amsterdam (Pays-Bas). The airport of Lille-Lesquin is at 30mn away, and the one in Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle is at 1h30 away.
Inhabitants number
There are 43 000 inhabitants in Valenciennes in 2006.
Economy
Valenciennes became famous thanks to the automobile sector with the implantation of PSA Peugeot-Citroën, Sevelnor (Conglommérat Fiat, Lancia, Peugeot-Citroën), of Toyota and of DaimlerChrysler. The n°1 in world of tires, Michelin was added in 2007. Railroad is also a pillar of the industry in Valenciennes with Alstom, Bombardier or Railroad European Agency.
Valenciennes is the headquarter of Chambre de commerce and d'industrie du Valenciennois.
University
Created in 1968, the Université de Valenciennes and du Hainaut-Cambrésis has more than 14 000 students located in 2 university campus in Valenciennes ("Mont Houy" and "Tertiales") and in 2 different cities (Cambrai and Maubeuge).
For more information: see the website of the university:
http://univ-valenciennes.fr
Transports
Tramway
Railroad
The station of Valenciennes has received the label NF service in 2005. You can go to PARIS (Nord) in 1h40 in TGV.
Entertainmenting in Valenciennes:
There are many possibilities which are proposed to you
- Musée des Beaux-Arts
Boulevard Watteau
593000 Valenciennes
tel 03 27 22 57 20
fax 03 27 22 57 22
- Phénix (next to the university) : theatre, music and danse
http://www.lephenix.fr/index.php
- Cinema
Gaumont Valenciennes
Rue des Alpes - 59300 Valenciennes
15 salles, 3661 places
- Bowling
Satellium
Rue des Vosges
59300 Valenciennes
http://www.satelluim.fr
- Karting
Val Karting
31, Rue Ernest Macarez
59300 Valenciennes
- Laser game
Laser Game Evolution
19 Quai des Mines
59300 Valenciennes
- Shopping
In Town, you will find numerous stores, also a shopping mall (Centre Place d'Armes)
http://www.valenciennes-placedarmes.com
For other information find out from Tourist Office
1 rue Askièvre
59300 Valenciennes
Tél : 03.27.28.89.10
Fax : 03.27.28.89.11
email:otduvalenciennois@wanadoo.fr
http://www.valkarting.com/
Tel : 03 27 41 50 33
Fax : 03 27 28 95 90http://www.lasergame-evolution.com/fr/valenciennes/
FRANCE