What’s dégroupage?

Dégroupage is the French term for ‘degrouped’, in this sense it means that companies other than France Télécom (Orange) can connect your telephone line. Most cities and towns in France are degrouped, while small villages and rural areas aren’t and must use France Télécom for their phone line. If you live in an area that is not degrouped and you want to go with someone other than Orange, you will need to pay €16 per month for your phone line.

So what are my options?

Orange (France Télécom)

France’s formerly public telecoms company. They offer internet, television and telephone service for €39.90 per month. On top of this you need to add €3 to rent your router and €49 up front as caution.

Internet – 18 mbps
Television – up to 75 channels
Telephone – Free to French metropolitan landlines. Calls to mobiles, DOM/TOM, and abroad will cost extra.

Why? They’re everywhere, and if you’re in an area that isn’t degrouped, you may not have much of a choice.

Why not? Too expensive, and international phone calls aren’t included.

Neufbox (from SFR)

Degrouped areas: Internet + television + telephone = €29.90 per month.
Non-degrouped: Internet + telephone: €34.90 per month

Internet: 20 mbps
Television: 130 channels
Telephone: Free to landlines in France and over 90 countries.

Why? Comfort of a large company, and less expensive than Orange.
Why not? Not as fast as some other companies, fewer channels than others, fewer countries for free landlines.

Alice

Internet + television + telephone = €29.95 per month.

Internet: 28 mbps in degrouped areas, otherwise 22 mbps
Television: 150 channels
Telephone: Free to landlines in France and 87 other areas (including certain DOM)

Why? Offer looks interesting. Also decent customer service when setting up the service.
Why not? Quality of network is poor. CNN isn’t included, and BBC World News isn’t even offered.

Free

Internet + television + telephone = €29.99 per month.

Internet: 28 mbps
Television: 150 channels included, 150 others optional (CNN and BBC World will cost €0.25 per month each)
Telephone: Free to landlines in 100 countries, including France.

Why? Large range of services included, others on option.
Why not? A bit technical to set up.

Numericable

Internet + television + telephone = €31.90 per month.

Internet: between 30-100 mbps
Television: at least 120 channels included, other packages available.
Telephone: Free to landlines in over 50 countries.

Why? You want your internet fast. Numericable is big on fibre optic internet, which is gradually being rolled out in major French cities.
Why not? Limited television choices. Fewer countries included in telephone service.

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What is it?

The Skills and Talents visa is a way of attracting those who can contribute something special to France and his or her home country, be it in terms of business, culture, science, sports, humanitarianism, etc. The card is valid for three years, renewable once.

What do I need to do?

You need to come up with an interesting project that fits in with the guidelines above. The French Interior ministry has a special commission that determines more specfic criteria of what they are looking for each year.

The prefecture or consulate will look at your project and take into account the yearly criteria from the ministry, where in France you would like to carry out your plans, the sector your project is in, and your qualifications for the project (level of studies, professional experience, etc.)

What happens once I get my visa?

You can come to France! The visa gives you the right to work, so if need be you can take up employment. Your family will also get a Family and Private life visa so they can move to France with you. Your spouse should also have the right to work as well.

Any other advice?

Have a look at Timi’s blog – she’s originally from the Philippines and is in France on the Skills and Talents visa. You can see her post on the formalities she went through to get the visa. Leave her a comment!

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The comment box is open just below. Ask me anything you would like! I’ll do my best to answer all of them, and it may even turn into a future post!

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Based on the popular blog ‘Stuff White People Like‘, Paris wine guide Olivier Magny takes you through Parisian quicks and tics – an absolute must read for anyone trying to understand what makes Parisians Parisians.

http://www.o-chateau.com/blog/

The Paris Blog

The Paris blog aggregates several blogs written by expats in Paris. It’s always on top of what’s going on in Paris.

http://www.theparisblog.com/

Gridskipper Paris

If you’re looking for ideas of where to go this weekend, you’ll be spoilt for choice going through Gridskipper’s Paris archives.

http://gridskipper.com/tag/paris

I V Y Paris News

Artist’s group I V Y paris keeps you up to date on the Paris cultural scene. Keep an eye out for their monthly events!

http://www.ivyparisnews.com/

Swagger Paris

When you get to Paris, you’ll probably want to go through your wardrobe. Chic, cool, bobo, or absolutely ridiculous, you’ll find inspiration to find your own Parisian look.

http://www.swaggerparis.com/

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Always required:

• A photocopy of your ID (your passport or carte de séjour)
• Your last three payslips (if you’re working) or those of your guarantor
• A proof of address for your guarantor (proof of payment to EDF, Housing Tax bill…)

Sometimes needed:

• Your most recent tax bill or that of your guarantor
• Your student card or certificate of enrolment (or last year’s if you haven’t yet received the new one yet)
• Your carte de séjour or carte de résident
• A photocopy of your guarantor’s ID
• An ‘attestation’ from your employer or that of your guarantor (this will state how stable your employment is)
• A photocopy of your guarantor’s property or local tax bill, if your guarantor is a homeowner
• Your bank details (Relevé d’identité bancaire)
• Your proof of payment from the last place you rented

The landlord or estate agent may not ask to see:

• An ID photo
• Your ‘carte d’assuré social’
• Your bank statements or a statement from your bank stating your account is in good standing

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As Secret Story is just getting started on TF1, I figured I’d give you a quick rundown of the major reliaty series on French TV. The list is by no means exhaustive.

Secret Story

The French equivalent of Big Brother, but with a twist: each contestant has a secret they must guard jealously for as long as possible. Everyone tries to figure out everyone else’s secret before their target is voted off the show during the weekly vote, as revealing someone else’s secret gains you their alloted jackpot.

http://www.tf1.fr/secret-story/

Nouvelle Star

The French equivalent of American Idol, or Pop Idol. I assume you know what those are. The most recent series just finished, and the winner was ex-Métro busker Soan.

http://www.nouvellestar.fr

Un Dîner Presque Parfait

A weekly series on M6 where each of five candidates invites the four others for a meal. The contestants rate each other on the ambiance, the decor, and quality of the food. What did you expect from the food-loving French?

http://undinerpresqueparfait.m6.fr/

L’amour est dans le pré

Another series popular with the French, who have a thing for their agricultural traditions. It’s a dating series that follows the attempts of French farmers to woo city ladies.

http://www.m6.fr/emission-l_amour_est_dans_le_pre/

KohLanta

The French equivalent of Survivor, but who knows if TF1 will continue to broadcast it, as its ratings are slipping.

http://www.tf1.fr/koh-lanta/

What’s you’re favourite French reality show? Is there a reality show you like in your home country and are wondering if there’s an equivalent? Let us know in the comments!

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Moving to a new place where you may not know many people is never easy, even less so when you don’t speak the language and the city is a big as Paris. And the truth is, the city can sometimes feel like an isolating place. 

But there’s no need to sit at home alone feeling lonely! Last week I told you about the Pastas parties, but there are a whole host of things you can do to get out and meet people!

Kunveno Exchange

For the culturally and globally minded amongst you, Kunveno helps expats to feel at home in Europe and loves to share events that its members suggest.

http://www.kunveno.com

Angloinfo

One of the largest directories of information for English-speaking expats around the world, Angloinfo has a host of links to organisations, clubs, and associations in the Paris area. There’s sure to be something for you!

http://paris.angloinfo.com/af/4/paris-&-ile-de-france-community-life-paris-and-ile-de-france.html

Meetups

Meetup.com has loads of groups that meet up on a regular basis around all sorts of themes and interests.

http://www.meetup.com/fr/cities/fr/paris/groups/

Language Exchanges

If you need to practice you’re French, a language exchange is a perfect way to brush up on your language skills while helping others to learn English or another language. Try the two links below!

http://parlerparlor.com/

http://letthemtalk.com/parler-in-the-park.html

Are you looking to meet people in Paris? Are you organising an event? Let us know below!

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As a major European capital, Paris has a diverse and active employment market. Many companies have their French, European, or even global headquarters here, which makes for great opportunities in the managerial and secretarial sectors. As Paris is a major leisure and business tourist center, there are also many jobs to be had in hotels, restaurants, and museums.

If you’re coming from the UK, congratulations! As EU citizens you have full working and residence rights in all of France, so you can bypass the next section.

Do I need a visa to work in Paris?

If you’re from outside of the EU, then the answer is absolutely yes! So how do you get one of these bad boys?

In order to get a work visa, you’ll need an employer to sponsor you for the visa. For them, they’ll have to pay a tax and be willing to go through a procedure that could take up to six months. They’ll also need to prove that they weren’t able to find someone in the local job market to fill the position.

Working without a visa is not recommended. In France, working is heavily regulated and the penalties for the employee as for the employer are very heavy. Workers without a visa are generally in low skilled, backroom employment, and are generally easily replaceable.

So how can I find a job in Paris?

Thanks to the internet, it’s quite easy to put up your French CV onto an online job search site such as Monster.fr or Talents.fr. I’d also recommend uploading it to the Pole Emploi website, which is the government agency that looks after job seekers.

Also, if you have contacts in Paris, use them! Networking is quite important in filling jobs in France, and who you know is almost as important as what you know. Many jobs are filled before the advertisement is even published.

Where are the jobs located in Paris?

The jobs could really be anywhere in the region, although the major commercial centres aren’t always within the city limits. There are many offices in western Paris, particularly in the 1st, 2nd, 8th, and 16th arrondissements. However, you can also find many jobs in La Defense or even to the north around Stade de France.

Do you work in Paris? How did you get your job? Share your story below!

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As I talked about at some length in my article yesterday, housing in Paris is expensive due to a long-running housing shortage and high demand. Today I’ll give you a rundown on housing in Paris’s neighbourhood, and try to give you an idea of where you might be able to get the most for your money.

Central Paris

The first four arrondissements are smack in the center of Paris on the right bank of the Seine. It covers areas around the Louvre, the Paris Stock Exchange, Les Halles, and the Marais. You probably won’t find too many apartments in the first two arrondissements as buildings are mostly for commercial use and tourism. Rents can be slightly cheaper here than in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, which collectively are known as the Marais. The Marais was considered to be a rather run down area until about ten or fifteen years ago, when the neighbourhood gentrified considerably thanks to places such as the Centre Pompidou and the arrival of artists and a great nightlife. If you’re looking for a decent value here, try looking towards the northern part of the districts, around the Porte Saint-Denis and towards République.

The Left Bank

The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh arrondissements are amongst the most expensive (particularly the Fifth, which is the most expensive Paris district and where rents increased by 10% in 2008). This part of Paris includes the famous Latin Quarter, where the Sorbonne university is location, and the Eiffel Tower, along with several government ministries.

If you’re looking to live here, I’d suggest you try around the Boulevard Saint Germain, in the sixth. But even there, prepare to pay for the privilege.

West Paris

The eighth and sixteenth arrondissements are quite similar in a way, but also very different from one another. The Eighth includes the Champs Elysées and the Parc Monceau. It’s known for expensive hotels and chic chain boutiques. Again, it’s another district where there’s a lot of business, but there are also some apartment s to be had. Try looking along the border with the seventeenth arrondissement.

The sixteenth arrondissement is known as being residential and staid, although there are some people who swear by it. It tends to go for wealthy families, but studios are easier to come by in this area. Nightlife and transport are somewhat lacking, however.

Batignolles and Montmartre

The 17th and 18th districts lie on the northern outskirts of Paris. The 17th is quite divided – there’s a relatively wealthy area towards the south and west, and a gentrifying area to the north and east. The 18th includes the famous Montmartre, but also cheaper areas around Pigalle (think of the Moulin Rouge), Barbès and La Chapelle. In either of these areas you can expect to pay on average 21,7€ per month per square meter, and it’s quite popular with both students and young professionals.

The East

The large swath of land from the 19th down to the 12th via the 20th is probably amongst the cheaper areas of Paris. It’s also quite residential, but an entirely different type of population than the 16th. It’s mostly working-class type of people. In these areas you can find La Villette where the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is found, and Belleville.

The South

You can also find some great deals on apartments in the 13th, 14th, and 15th districts along the southern fringe of Paris, although for slightly more expensive than in the eastern parts. It’s primarily residential, and commute times can en up being quite long. The 15th is known as being more family oriented, while the 13th is more young professional, artistic, and with a strong Chinese quarter.

Do you have any questions? Are you looking for somewhere to live in Paris, and need some advice? Ask me in the questions!

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Paris is a great city to live in, there’s no doubt about it. However the fact that it draws so many people to it leads to its major drawbacks.

Housing in Paris is expensive

Paris is an expensive place to live. Apartments don’t come cheap, and the few houses that exist (yes there are some!) are even more expensive. Paris, even more so than the rest of France, suffers from a lack of housing. This has two repercussions: a) rents are expensive and b) landlords are picky.

In Paris you can expect to pay at least 20€ per square meter per month in rent, and the smallest studios are 9 square meters large, the minimum space for housing by law. So in your head, you calculate 180€ per month for such a studio. In fact, the rents are much higher than this. The lowest you’ll probably find is around 350€, and don’t expect the studio to be of high quality.

Studios are the most sought-after type of housing in Paris. Counting the number of people that come to study here, plus the number of young professionals just starting their career, and the demand for studios is very high while the offer is pretty low. So if you’re thinking in terms of value for money in your housing, a studio isn’t necessarily the best deal, but it may be all you can afford. Larger studios can go for up to around 700€ depending on the size and neighborhood, but if you can scrap together even 800€, you may be able to find yourself a one bedroom apartment.

Life in Paris is busy

In France we have a saying for a typical Parisian lifestyle: métro-boulot-dodo, which translates as subway-work-sleep. If you’re living in the Paris area, it’s not uncommon to spend an hour getting to work in the morning, and the same to get home. Urban planning in the region has been centred around major pools of housing being to the east and north, while the work is to the west and south of the city. This has led to some long commutes, although it is possible to find work near your flat, or vice-versa.

With this kind of commuter lifestyle, it’s no wonder that people can be frazzled, particularly on days when the metro and/or trains have problems. In addition to this, Paris has a large number of young single professionals who like to go out after work. Depending on your social network, you could find yourself juggling a lot of invitations. Which kind of leads me to my next point.

Paris can be isolating

Parisians are busy. Like New Yorker and Londoners, Parisians have a lot on their plates – staying late at work, movies, theatres, visits to art galleries, seeing friends, etc. If you only see your Parisian friend once a month, it’s not that they don’t like you. They do, it’s just that they have so much going on.

OK this is a huge generalisation, but it can be true of some people. There is so much going on in Paris and that you may have friends in the same city that you only see once every month or two. This can lead to a feeling of social isolation in a way, but if you want to get to know someone, take the initiative, call them up and ask when you can get together. It may not be right away, but if they’re your friend, you will get an appointment.

What are your gripes about living in Paris? Tell us in the comments!

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All this week, I’ll be exploring life in Paris from a practical point of view. We all know Paris as a city of bakers and hairdressers, a city of museums where history seeps from every stone. But what is it like to really live here?

Paris, a city of diverse work opportunities

As a major tourist centre, Paris offers any number of opportunities for English speakers to work in related trades: as guides in museums, in hotels and bars. As the capital of France, the city contains all of the ministries of government that offers plenty of work for bureaucrats – and with the number of foreigners attracted to the city, translation and interpretation services are in great demand. Also Paris is a major economic centre for Europe and houses many of the world’s largest corporate headquarters. With all of these opportunities it’s no wonder that Paris has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world.

Culture on every corner

As we all know, Paris is a city of museums. But it is also brimming with art galleries offering everything from established artists to unknown students waiting to be discovered. The city also offers a number of theatres and concert halls that makes it almost mandatory for any artist doing a world tour. But in addition to the famous playhouses like the Folies Bergères and the Théatre du Châtelet and concert halls such as Bercy, l’Olympia, and the Bataclan, Paris has innumerable small underground theatres and bars that welcome small productions and singer-songwriters. With this amount of choice you could easily see a play or concert every night if you wanted to.

Great transport links

Paris is a great city to leave (ask any Parisian, and they’ll tell you the same). As wonderful as it is, sometimes you do just need to get away. As the capital of France, all roads lead here. Paris has great highways that radiate out to France’s major cities. You don’t need a car, however, as the trains and the famous TGV high-speed railways can take you away just as easily (oftentimes easier) than the highways. The city also has two major airports – Roissy (aka Charles de Gaulle) and Orly – that gives the city unrivalled links to the rest of the world.

All of these things unite to make Paris a major attraction for people all over France and the world. However, there are some major drawbacks, and I’ll discuss these tomorrow. To keep up with the series on Paris and learn more about life in France, sign up for free to my RSS feed!

What is it you like about Paris? Share with us below in the comments!

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Pastas Party organises Sunday night dinners in major cities across France. The conditions: you must be single, love pasta, and be ready to meet people! It’s the perfect antidote to the Sunday night blues that hit when you realise that you’ve got to go to work the next day.

If you’re looking to meet French people (and maybe even your future significant other), there’s no better way to get to know one than over a big plate of pasta. OK, it could be any dish, but in this case it’s pasta. It’s also a great way to practice your French!

Pastas parties are held most Sundays in Paris, and once a month in Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg and Lille, and from September the concept is heading south to Nice, Toulouse, and Montpellier. The exact location of the dinner is kept secret until your presence is confirmed a few days before the event. For more information, see the Pastas Party website (in French) or join the Pastas Party group on Facebook.

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In order to become completely fluent, you need to start thinking in French and using common expressions that the French use every day. So what did I do?

I started talking to myself

If you don’t have a French friend with whom to practice what you’ve learned in your lessons, do what a five-year-old would do: invent one! No, you don’t have to start blathering to yourself in French while you’re on the subway or in the park, but if you’re at home alone, who’s going to notice?

I imagined there was a five-year-old French kid following me around, asking me questions. What are you doing? Why are you doing it? What colour is it? Where are you going? Ask yourself these questions out loud or in your head, and respond to yourself. Do this every day for fifteen minutes or so, and you’ll start to see that your French becomes more naturally.

I read the news online

France has many famous newspapers, both local and national. I’m a big news junkie, so chances are I already knew the story. This helped me to recognise words that are similar to English or figure out phrases that I may not have been able to make out if I didn’t already have a context.

Start with newspapers like Le Monde or Le Figaro, or for a more local flavour try Le Parisian or Ouest-France.

I joined forums and chatrooms

Back in the days before Facebook and Myspace I’d spend some time writing in forums or chatting online on MSN with native French people. It’s important to find one that’s related to something you’re interested in. Do a quick search on Google for “forum” followed by the French word for one of your interests, and have a look. After a while, start replying and starting threads. You’ll be surprised by the new words and expressions you’ll learn!

I listened to the radio and podcasts

France has plenty of radio stations that stream online – and you can listen to it live by going to their website. For intermediate learners, try the ‘Journal en français facile’ from RFI.

I also subscribed to several podcasts so I could listen to them on my iPod. You can do a quick search on iTunes for French lessons you can download, or if your French is more advanced, change your iTunes from your home country to France, and have a look through the podcast directory.

I joined a club

Once I was at university, I joined the university French club. It gave me the opportunity to explore French cinema and culture, and luckily we had many French students at the uni who were very active in the club, which gave me the opportunity to practice with native speakers. Check with your uni to see if there’s a French club you can join. If you’ve already graduated, try asking at your local Alliance Française to see if they have social events that you can attend to meet French speakers.

What do you do to practice your French? Share your tips in the comments!

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One person’s trash is another person’s treasure: your local ‘brocante‘

The closest thing to a yard sale in France is known as a ‘brocante‘ or a ‘vide-grenier‘. These aren’t just individuals who set up shop in their front garden! Instead, the town organises the whole thing, and anyone who wants to participate can do so for a small fee depending on the amount of space they need. In exchange, the town will take care of all of the advertising, and it works: the French love to come around and sniff for a great deal!

These are particularly popular in the months leading up to the great August holiday, so if you arrive during the spring or summer, stop by your local town hall and ask when the next one will be held. On any given weekend it’s also likely that there’s a brocante in a town nearby that you can easily reach by car. Fortunately there are sites that list upcoming brocantes: start with http://vide-greniers.org/, where can search by town, department, and region.

Barter

Before the invention of money, all transactions took place based on exchanging one thing for another. With the economy softer than it has been in decades, more and more people are looking to excahnge their old, unwanted items for something that they really need or want. If you’ve brought something with you that you find you no longer need, have a look at http://www.gchangetout.com/ or http://www.femmeactuelle.fr/multimedia/le-meilleur-du-web/site-de-troc-09495 for an idea of what’s on offer. If you’re in Paris, you can also have a look on craigslist.

Get stuff for free

Desperate people who have no idea what else to do with an old desk or lamp or bike are even giving the things away online. Rather than throwing it away, there’s sure to be someone who can take it off their hands–and that person could be you! You might need to do some repair work to put it in working order, but that makes for a perfect weekend project. Try looking on http://www.recupe.net/index.html for a start.

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There are any number of resources that will help you in translating the various bits and bobs in a CV, and I’ll list a few of these at the end of the article. You should however have a native French speaker read over your CV if possible to catch any errors.

Talk about yourself

For someone from an ‘Anglo-Saxon’ background may find it odd, or even discriminatory, but a French CV requires a bit more personal information about you. Things such as your age, nationality, and marital status are standard fare on a French CV. Normally these are listed just under your name, address, and phone number. It’s also quite common to include a small photo at the top right of your CV, although this is beginning to fall out of use due to concerns over discrimination.

Some major companies have put in place an ‘anonymous CV’, where personally identifiable information is separated from the rest of the CV. Your recruiter should then only see the parts relating to your professional experience, education, and interests.

Responsibilities are nouns, not verbs

In our CVs in English we like to show a lot of action. For example we say things like “Lead a team of five people” or “Increased product revenues by ten percent”. In French CVs your responsibilities don’t start with verbs, they start with nouns. The above phrases would therefore translate to “Encadrement d’une équipe de cinq personnes’ and “Augmentation de dix pour-cent des revenus produit”.

Education – be brief

For your education, list only those degrees you have obtained at university, and you may even only list the last degree you earned. The French place great importance on your qualifications, and these should relate to the job you are applying for. If you are looking to make a career change to a new type of position or in a new sector, you will need to be extra careful in your CV to highlight skills and achievements that can relate to the position you are seeking.

What are you interested in?

The French also llike to see your interests outside of work. It doesn’t need to be more than three lines, and should be something that will either add to or complement your professional experience and set you apart from the rest of the crowd.

If you have held a position of responsibility in a club, for example, it may be worth it to include it in your professional experience.

Further reading

http://french.about.com/library/writing/bl-cv.htm

http://www.iagora.com/iwork/resumes/cv_france.html
http://www.workinfrance.com/home.php?idRubrique=7
http://www.cadresonline.com/coaching/cv_lettre_entretien/index_cv.php (in French)

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If you find work in France, you will need to sign up to the French system. If you are coming for a shorter period of time, for studies, or to look for work, you will need certification from the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK that you are entitled to health benefits there. You’ll need to ask for the right E-forms from them before you come to France. You can find a list of the various E-forms on this website. If you are still unsure, check with the DWP.

Once in France if you need medical treatment or whilst you are waiting for your French Social Security benefits to be assigned, show the E-Form to your GP. This is your proof that you have health insurance and are covered for treatment.

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The Grande Ecole

Technically speaking, the Grande Ecole is just the cornerstone of the French business school. The programme is typically equivalent to a Master’s degree and lasts three years. ESSEC, however, considers their programme to be equivalent to an MBA. The courses revolve around a combination of coursework, internships, and exams.

Specialised Masters

If you already have a Master’s degree in a discipline other than business, French business schools offer one-year master programmes designed to broaden your skill set. For example, someone with an engineering background may want a career that requires business knowledge. In this case, a specialised master from a business school is one way of quickly gaining a new perspective and opening up new opportunities in their career.

MBA

If after a few years of professional experience you would like to move into upper management, then an MBA is for you. French MBAs are similar to other MBA programmes around the world and are often compared against American, European, and Asian schools in the rankings. French MBAs typically do well in the FT rankings, and are certainly worth a look if you want to gain an international perspective and network. Most French MBAs are held entirely in English, but will still give you ample opportunities to practice your French!

Executive Education

These programmes are designed for those who already have 10-15 years’ professional experience and are either preparing to move into management or want to refresh their skills. Programs range from short, two-day courses all the way to an Executive MBA.

Want to know more about French business schools? Subscribe to our RSS feed to be the first to know when a new article appears on TresFrench!

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Internet Cafes still exist

If you don’t want to lug your laptop around while you’re on vacation, you can still find internet cafes in major cities. In Paris (and maybe even some other cities) there are internet cafes open nearly round the clock. Expect to pay between 0.50 and 1 euro for fifteen minutes with digressive increases if you want to stay online longer. Some providers will even let you buy time in bundles of five or ten hours, but if you’re just on holiday it won’t be worth it. And if you plan on doing more than just surfing the net–printing documents, burning CDs, etc–expect to pay more.

WiFi networks

Paris has particularly caught on to the idea of WiFi, going as far as installing free to use networks in many city parks and gardens, libraries, and town halls. To connect to the network in one of these places, just look for the Paris_WiFi network. You’re limited to two hours at a time though.

There are also a number of cafes and restaurants with free wifi.

Internet at home, how does it work?

If you’re coming to live in France for a year or longer, you can have internet installed at home. In most major cities, you can have your phone line with whatever telecoms company you like (not just France Télécom). Internet often comes bundled with a landline and cable television. Expect to pay around 30€ per month for the lot-more if you want extra option and channels. Some companies are beginning to install fibre optic networks (particularly in Paris) with up to 100 mbps connexions, and this will also cost extra.

Mobile Internet

If you’re often on the go in France, telecoms companies are also offering mobile internet keys that plug into the USB port on your laptop. Coverage can be patchy however. If you want an idea of prices, SFR offer unlimited mobile internet for 30€ per month if you already have a mobile phone plan with them, and Orange bundle two hours of mobile internet with home internet, phone and television for 44€ per month.

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If you aren’t required to have a job lined up before you come, you can always wait until you get here and pound the pavement as you would at home! France’s major cities are abound with English, Irish, and Scottish style pubs and bars that are in need of a helping hand during high tourist seasons. The work is often temporary and particularly adapted to those who plan on staying for a relatively short time and looking for some pocket money to supplement their savings. The best way of finding a job is to walk in and ask! It’s best if you manage to come in just before the start of the tourist season and the start of exams, as the work is popular with students once they are on their summer holidays.

Go camping

If you want to get off the beaten track and have a stay in the countryside, try your hand at helping out at a camping site in France. This is particularly ideal if you plan on going into tourism later on. You’ll need to organise yourself before you go, and you can start by doing a search for campsites on campingfrance.com. Cast your net as wide as possible and you’re sure to find something!

Down on the farm

If you want to work out in the sunshine and do something physical with your time but campsites aren’t for you, why not volunteer to work on a farm? There’s more to it than just milking cows and picking fruit and for most of us can open our eyes to a whole new way of life. One popular organiser is WWOOF – WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms. There’s a whole network of participating farms throughout France – have a look!

Get a work placement

This opportunity isn’t limited just to the warm weather, and is for those who want to come as part of an internship or just simply prefer office work. There are too many options for me to talk about them all in this article, but you can get started by checking with on EURES, the European job mobility portal, or if you’re already in France, you can ask at a private employment agency or at the Pôle Emploi. If you’re a student you should also get some information from your university. The major ones will no doubt have links with organisations and companies in France and can be able to help you find something.

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