FRANCE | Travel | Tourism
Facts & Figures
Territory: 638.475 sq. km (source: Eurostat 2025)
Population: 68.882.600 (source: Eurostat 2025)
Capital: Paris
Official Language: French
Currency: Euro (€)
Time Zone: Metropolitan France uses Central Europea Time (CET). Including its overseas territories, France has the most time zones with 12 in total. For a complete overview of the French time zones, see Time Zones France.
Climate
French weather: Meteo France
Food & Drinks
France is known for its wide variety of wines and cheeses and the French are very proud of their cuisine culture that can be considered as culinary art. The most sophisticated and substantial meal is always dinner, especially in company or when one goes out to a restaurant. In general, dinner is eaten very late and the last orders are taken at 11 p.m. A standard dinner would normally include three dishes: appetizer, main course, and dessert. Most restaurants offer a fixed meal that costs less. A water carafe and bread are always included in the price. Service is included and tips are more common in large cities and good restaurants; but a few coins are left along with the bill when leaving the restaurant.
The main wine producing regions are: Alsace and Lorraine, Bourgogne and Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Champagne, Cotes de Provence and Corse, Jura Savoie Bugey, Languedoc and Roussillon, Vallée de la Loire, Sud-Ouest, Vallée du Rhone and Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados.
Official holidays
There are some fixed public holidays in France which are days off work. However, some public holidays are not enforced all over the country and you must check the holiday dates for the region.
- New Year January 1st
- Easter Monday as per calendar
- Ascension as per calendar
- Labour Day as per calendar
- WWII Victory Day May 8th
- World Music Day as per calendar
- Pentecost Monday as per calendar
- 14 July - National Day July 14th
- Assumption as per calendar
- All Saints Day as per calendar
- Armistice Day as per calendar
- Christmas 25th December