Currency

France's currency is the euro (€), a currency shared by 12 other European countries.
€ 1.00 = US$ 1.57
€ 1.00 = NT$ 47.7
For more Foreign Exchange Rates, please visit: http://www.xe.com/

Bills: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 Euros
Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 Euros

Tips and Gratuities

Restaurants: change (even though service is almost always included)
Cafes/bars: change (even though service is almost always included)
Taxis: €1 - €2
Porters: €1 - €2
Chambermaids: €2 - €10
Hairdressers: €1 - €2

Visa

-Visa is required for travelers from Taiwan http://www.fi-taipei.org/
-Visa is not required for travelers from Canada or US, for a stay up to 90 days.

Language

The official language in France is French. However, you will find that many French people speak English, although they are not necessarily willing to do so. If you want to use English to communicate, it's polite to add "parles-vous anglais?" before asking your question. You will find that you would get a much better response.

Time Difference

Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +1 hour
Daylight saving time: +1 hour
Check out the time in Paris now: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=195

Climate

Paris enjoys a temperate climate. In the summer average daily temperatures are 20°C (68°F), and in the winter average daily temperatures are 5°C (41°F). Paris locates at the heart of the Ile de France region, which has lowest rainfall in the country. The city receives about 650 mm (26 in) of precipitation each year, spread evenly over the course of the year.

Telephones

Telephone booths are operated with a phone card, which can be bought for 50 or 120 units from post offices, newsstands, etc.

Emergency Numbers (Emergency calls are free from phone booths) –
Police: 17
Fire: 18
Ambulance: 15
Pan-European emergency number 112

Phoning France from Abroad (country code for France is 33)
From Taiwan: 002-33-1- [telephone number]
From Canada or US: 011-33-1- [telephone number]

Phoning from France
To Taiwan: 00-886-(local number)- [telephone number]
To Canada or US: 00-1-(local number)- [telephone number]

Voltage

220V; 50Hz

Urban Transportation

- The easiest way to get around Paris is by the Metro (subway).
- There are also tourist buses, tourist boats, regional trains, ferries
-Taxis: You can hail a taxi if the luminous sign on the roof of the taxi is lit up. There are three taxi rates:
Rate A applies to journeys in Paris between 7 am and 7 pm except for Sundays and public holidays. (€0.77 / km)
Rate B applies to journeys in Paris between 7 pm and 7 am and Sundays and public holidays. The rate also applies to daytime trips to the suburbs (to airports). (€1.09 / km)
Rate C applies to journeys to the suburbs (to airports) between 7 pm and 7 am (€1.31 / km)

Words for Politeness

"bonjour" (hello)

"merci" (thank you)