France Tours & Trips

All visitors from the UK can travel to France for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa. You do not need evidence of a negative PCR test or Covid vaccination, either; just a passport with three months validity.

Your list of things to pack when heading on a trip to France depends on what you’ll be doing.

Any trip involving hiking or walking calls for a pair of strong, comfortable walking boots, and clothes that suit the season. In warmer times of the year, lightweight, sweat-wicking layers and thin waterproofs are a good idea, as well as sun cream. For winter, warm underlayers, wind and waterproof layers, and a hat and gloves to keep the cold at bay.

Aside from that, when travelling to France, you’ll need to bring any personal effects, like a camera, travel watercolour set and so forth.

France’s currency is the Euro (€).

French towns and cities have plenty of bureau de change locations where you can exchange money. However, you may find that purchasing foreign exchange for your trip to France is cheaper using an overseas debit card, or at a local bureau de change in your home country.

France’s weather differs depending on the location and season. Overall, its climate is temperate and seasonal so, while it’s typically mild, hot and cold extremes can be common in the summer and winter months. Autumn is typically much wetter than the rest of the year, too.

That being said, France is a large country which straddles several climate zones:

• Southern France has a Mediterranean climate, with hot summers, mild winters and less rainfall than elsewhere.
• Central and Eastern France has a continental climate, with hot summers, cold winters and plenty of rainfall.
• Western France’s climate is oceanic, with milder conditions year-round and lots of rainfall.

The best time to visit France depends on the activities that you want to experience during your trip.

For the hottest, sunniest weather, July and August is the best, though beware that this is also the country’s busiest tourist season.

April to June and September to October are good choices for warmer weather and fewer crowds – great if you want more of the country to yourself, such as a higher likelihood of getting a spot at top restaurants. If you want to travel to destinations like Corsica, this can be the best time of the year to visit.

Low season, between November and March, is much quieter on account of the wintry weather, though you may find that some opening hours for shops, bars and restaurants are a little restricted. Mountainous areas of France like Chamonix in the French Alps are often busier in these months, on account of the ski season.

In France, tipping is not expected or required.

You can leave a supplementary tip for great service but you’re not obliged to do so. And if service is included in the bill, the venue must, by French law, state ‘15% service compris’ at the bottom of the bill – this statement by the French government sets out the practice.   

Yes, you can arrange your own travel depending on your requirements. Just talk to any of our team when making your booking – they’ll be able to accommodate your own travel arrangements. If you want them to customise your travel plans for you, they can help you with that, too.

At the time of writing (January 2023), visitors from the UK do not need a visa to visit France if they are travelling there for 80 days or less within a 180-day period. View up-to-date entry requirements via the government’s advice site.

Yes, you can use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or the newer UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to access medical treatment the same way as a person from France can do.

These cards are not a valid replacement for travel insurance. Every person travelling with Exodus must have a valid policy in place for the duration of their trip to France – find out more here.