reception booklet for interns
TRANSCRIPT
Reception booklet for interns
Welcome to France !
(Table of Contents) Key Information
Introduction
General Expectations
Applying for a visa in France
Arriving in France
Accommodation
Personal insurance and health insurance
Transportation
Opening your bank account
Booking your plane
Your internship
Preparation for our internship
Social Security
Company policies
Taxes
Relevé de Carrière
Living in France
“Parlez-vous Français?’
Obtaining a mobile phone
Paris et la France!
French gourmet food
Budget
French Habits
Travelling in France
Transportation
Must-see places
Contacts
(Key information)
Introduction
Welcome to France ! AIESEC France is very happy to welcome you to one of most
beautiful countries in the world !
In this booklet you will find all necessary information to help you settle in France as
smoothly as possible and make your experience unique.
In order to prepare your arrival, please read carefully all sections of this booklet:
certain pieces of information are crucial for you to know and prepare in advance.
We wish you all the best for your internship and look forward to meeting you soon in
the City of Lights!
Best regards,
Member Committee AIESEC France
2012-2013
General expectations
The internships that are provided to you by AIESEC France are of high quality and for this,
there are certain elements that we expect all our interns to fulfill, just as there are
expectations that you might have from AIESEC France.
What does AIESEC France provide for you?
Before arrival
o Preparation for your internship (expectation setting, company information…)
o Providing all necessary information for your stay in France
o Support in legal process (CIS, Immigration office approval, Visa)
o Connection with the intern’s group in France
After arrival
o Pick-up at the airport (if you provide us with your flight information at least 5
days in advance)
o Support in opening a bank account and opening a phone line in France
o Support to provide accommodation opportunities through our intern’s network
o Connect with the AIESEC France network through conferences, events, study
tours, parties…
What can AIESEC France not do for you?
Be always available to answer emails and phone calls: please bear in mind that
there are many interns here in France to manage and that you are not alone;
Find a permanent accommodation corresponding to all your expectations:
accommodation is hard to find, especially in Paris, and you need to be very proactive
in this matter. AIESEC France will support you in your research as best as possible
but it is up to you to do the necessary research to find a flat.
What does AIESEC France expect from you ?
Be professional: this internship is an opportunity provided by
AIESEC for your personal and professional development. You
should always show a professional behavior and attitude during your
internship, towards the company and also towards AIESEC France.
This means that you need to respect working hours, show
appropriate conduct (in terms of clothing, behavior, work
environment), be committed to your work and be respectful of your
colleagues. If there is any issue, we are fully available to discuss and
figure out a solution with you as quickly as possible.
Be proactive: please make sure that you provide all documents
asked & that you take initiatives to make this process go as fast as
possible (such as contacting your university, setting up meetings at
the Embassy/Consulate, translating all documents in French as
requested…). This will make everything easier for all parties and will
ensure your fast arrival.
Be open-minded: processes in France may take time and may
require many documents. It is important to be patient and to try to
understand this other culture, especially in terms of administrative
requirements, as you will be living in the country for several months.
Please do not judge if certain things do not happen in the same way
as in your country.
(Applying for a visa for France)
FOR EU CITIZENS :
If you are a resident of the following countries, you do not need a visa to do your internship in
France: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain , Sweden, United Kingdom
FOR NON-EU CITIZENS:
If you are not a EU citizen, you need a visa to do your internship in France: you should apply
for a “carte de séjour” (long term visa for student) from the Consulate/Embassy of the
country in which you are living. The cost for a long term visa is around 99€.
AIESEC France will send you an invitation letter for your visa stating your reasons for
applying.
You will then receive a temporary visa, valid for 3 months once you enter France. In these 3
months, you will have to go to send to the Immigration
office (OFII) with:
- The immigration certificate (OFII) delivered by
the French consulate/embassy where you
obtained your visa
- Copy of your French visa on your passport
The immigration office will then organize a medical visit
for you on a determined date to validate your stay in
France for the whole duration of your internship. During
your meeting with the immigration office, you will have to
provide the following elements:
- Passport with visa for France
- Proof of lodging (provided by AIESEC France)
- Passport-sized picture (respecting the strict regulations: no smiling, no hat, no
glasses, white background, 3.5*4.5cm)
This procedure will cost you 58€ and needs to be paid by fiscal stamps (available in any
tobacco shop in France).
Once this procedure is done, you will need to go to the
Préfecture (Préfecture de Police for Paris) to get your visa card
(carte de séjour). To obtain this card, you need the following
elements:
- Copy of birth certificate translated in French
- Copy of passport with copy of visa for France
- 3 Passport-sized picture (respecting the strict
regulations: no smiling, no hat, no glasses, white
background, 3.5*4.5 cm)
- Proof of lodging (provided by AIESEC France)
- Medical certificate given by Immigration service (OFII)
- CIS (convention de stage) approved by Direccte
(support provided by AIESEC France for this
document)
To obtain the carte de séjour, this will cost you 19€ to be paid in fiscal stamps (available in
any tobacco shop in France).
In total, the procedure to get your long term visa will cost: 58 (medical appointment) + 19 (for
the carte de séjour) = 77€
In order to prevent any issue , please make sure you have several photocopies of each
document.
(Arriving in France)
Accommodation
Finding a flat in France, especially in Paris, can be very difficult and time-consuming. Rent is
usually very expensive (for example 450€ for a 10m2 apartment with shared bathroom) so
you need to be very proactive to find a flat. Flats are less expensive in the suburbs of
Paris but not all suburbs are conveniently located and/or safe so some offers can be
deceiving in that sense.
Paris has a modern metro system which goes all around the city; however, as Paris is a big
ciy, it is common to have 45 to 60 minutes of transportation every morning. (so 1.5 to 2h
return).
There are different possibilities in terms of accommodation in Paris:
- Sharing a flat with several people: is the best option as
it is cheaper and you can share a flat with other interns here
in Paris;
- Having your own flat: is generally more expensive. For
this, you need to have many documents prepared as
landlords are very selective regarding their tenants.
- Living in a French family: is a good way of discovering
French culture and integrating yourself in the country but it is
often expensive (generally 800€ per month) and there can be
more constraints (in terms of living hours, rules…)
How to find a flat?
Searching a flat in can be very difficult because all students who will come to study in Paris
starting September are doing the same so there is a lot of competition. Here are some
website where you can find ads for flats:
www.colocation.fr
http://www.pap.fr/?lang=en
www.seloger.com
www.avendrealouer.com
http://en.immostreet.com/
http://www.appartager.com/?l=1
http://paris.fr.craigslist.fr/apa/
Please start looking at flats as soon as you have finished reading this booklet, as this
procedure takes time. Also, many landlords require several documents to prove your income
and financial guarantees, such as:
- 3 months rent (2 month as financial guarantee called “caution” and 1 month advance)
- Copy of ID
- Copy of CIS
- Proof of income from the last 3 months or of someone in your family which acts as
financial guarantor
- Proof of housing (given by AIESEC France)
- Copy of residence card
- Copy of financial guarantor’s ID
- Work certificate of financial guarantor
- Income taxes of last 3 months of financial guarantor
To secure a flat, you generally need to be in Paris. For this reason, please don’t ask us to
call the landlord before your arrival because it is useless to call if you are not in Paris. The
problem is not the date of availability of the flat; it is merely a necessity that the people who
want to rent the flat have to be present. As accommodation is a bit difficult to find in Paris
and that there are many applicants, landlords can be very selective in their choice. They
want people who have financial securities & who seem serious, which is why they want to
meet potential tenants before choosing.
Also, please keep in mind that as you need to pay the caution to secure the flat, this sum can
reach up to 2000€ (depending on the rent), which means that you need to have enough
money in your account when you arrive in France. You will get back the 2 months of
caution when you leave the flat, unless you have damaged the property.
In order to help you in this process, feel free to ask the person responsible of your arrival to
help you contacting landlords, especially if the landlord does not speak English!
Please also be careful: there are sometimes deceitful people who post ads. If you are not
sure about an ad, please contact the person responsible for your arrival so he/she can help
you sorting out the information and making sure it is not a false ad.
Another way of finding a flat is through:
The interns’ group: as interns come and go through Paris, you might be able to
replace an intern leaving. Check the Facebook group or send emails to the National
trainee team to see what opportunities are currently available
CNOUS (http://www.cnous.fr/ ): is a government institution for students and has ads
for accommodation. It can be a good place to start your research. On the website
you’ll find other type of useful information for students.
Cité universitaire de Paris (www.ciup.fr): is a student campus where students
from all over the world live & socialize. The cost of rooms is from approximately 350
euros per month up, depending on the size of the room. You will have to fill in a
questionnaire stating you are a student applying for the first time. You can either
apply for a room or for a specific hall of residence
Realtor agencies: you can get good offers through agencies but usually the
agency asks for a fee of 500€
For the first week, you will be hosted either in the MC flat or with someone
from the LCs in Paris. If you have friends living in Paris, we recommend you
to get into contact with them and see if they can host you. Please be
prepared not to find a flat in a few days only, but start this in advance
process (checking ads, possibilities…).
After 1 week of hosting in France, a financial compensation will be asked if
you still live in the MC flat. This again is to make sure that you are proactive
in your research to find a flat.
TIPS
Never give money to anyone without having a contract signed and if possible get the keys at the same moment.
Request a copy of the Landlord's ID.
Be very skeptical about offers too good to be true: if you find a big place at a cheap price and in a good location, it’s very likely to be a scam.
Request a list of the state of the place and list all problems like door handles, painting etc., so that at the end of your contract, the landlord can't make you responsible for previous problems with the place.
Be careful about landlords that don't accept CAF requests: either it can be a scam or the landlord is not declaring the income to the authorities. In this case he/she will normally refuse to give you any attestation letter necessary for your Carte de Séjour or other.
How to get subsidies to pay for your flat?
CAF (Caisse d’Assurance Familliale) is a subsidy you can get to cover part of your rent. This
is quite helpful to have since rent in France is quite expensive. To get this subsidy, you
should fill out application forms specifically for students, which you can find on the following
website (www.caf.fr). Together with the application form you will also have to provide the
following documents:
RIB
Copy of your Convention de Stage
Passport/ID photocopy
Rent papers
Birth certificate translated in French
Electricity, telephone or water bill of your new apartment (the original one).
The application form will also need to be signed by your landlord so you will need to agree
with him/her in advance about this.
Personal Insurance (responsabilité civile) and
health insurance
As you may know, France is one of the most developed countries in terms of social security
and medical insurance. As an intern, you will obtain a social security number once your
company has claimed a Social Security card for you. This process can take up to several
months.
In the meantime, each trainee should have their own health
insurance. Social security will only cover a percentage of the
medical costs so it is better to have your own health insurance
from your country of residence.
If you intend on visiting different European countries or going
skiing, make sure your health insurance covers these different
destinations!
Once you are in France, you will have to get an insurance called Responsabilité Civile
(personal liability insurance). Some procedures, such as Campus France, require you to
have your Responsabilité Civile contract before you enter France. Please check with the
different visa authorities when you provide for this document. This insurance is liable in
case you cause damage to someone or something when in France. You can obtain this
insurance through any French insurance company of French Bank, but your health insurance
may already cover this aspect so please also check with your health insurance
beforehand.
Here are some links to find out more about the Responsabilité Civile:
For a complete insurance, which covers also responsabilité civile:
http://www.assistance-etudiants.com/fr/page/abc
http://www.assurances-etudiants.com/fr/activity-0-274-275.html
For home insurance only, which covers also responsabilité civile:
http://www.bnpparibas.net/banque/portail/particulier/Fiche?type=folder&identifiant=As
surance_habitation_BNP_Paribas_20030116154243
https://www.maif.fr/services-en-ligne/devis/raqvam/accueilRaqvam.action
https://tarif.assurances-biens-
personnes.secure.lcl.fr/pacifica/entreeBam?P_RESCOM=CL&NUMCR=20000&P_LN
APPO=20000LPCPGNEFR&P_SITTRAV=SIMHABI&P_CDRPRO=LCL&SITE_APPE
LANT=LCLFR
http://www.groupama.fr/particulier-mes-biens/particulier-mon-logement/devis-
habitation-le-vrai-spring-privatisEtape1.html
Transportation
The best solution for transportation is the « Pass
Navigo » which allows you unlimited travelling in Paris
according to the zones to which you subscribe (bus,
metro, RER) : www.navigo.fr
When you arrive, if you have few days left in the week
you can get a weekly ticket. But after you have two
options: Weekly Pass (Monday-Sunday) or Monthly Pass
(1rst – 31rst of each month). We advise you to take a
monthly pass as it is cheaper.
How to apply for a “Pass Navigo”
Firstly, you need to check in which zone your company is located (from 1 to 6) because this
will also affect the price.
In order to apply, you need to bring:
one passport-sized photo for your Pass
RIB (Bank Account Proof in France)
Generally, most companies reimburse you 50% of the Pass Navigo: this you will have to
check with your HR manager when you start your internship.
Travelling around Paris
The company in charge of all public transportation in Paris is RATP. The “Metro” runs from
6AM to midnight generally, except on Fridays & Saturdays, where it closed at 2AM. Night
buses are then available so you can get home safely no matter what time!
You can find maps, tourist information, timelines… on the RATP website:
http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/tourists/
You can therefore check directly how much time it takes from your flat to your office!
Other transportation methods:
Another nice way of discovering the city is with the Velib, the
free bike system in Paris. Bikes are available all around the
city and the system is pretty simple to use: you rent a bike and
the first 30 minutes are free (and you can get to many places
in Paris in 30 minutes!). Once the 30 minutes are over, you are
charged every 30 minutes. But you can put down a bike before
the 30 minutes have passed, wait for a couple minutes and
take a new bike for 30 minutes!
You can either buy an annual subscription for 50€ a year
You can also “rent” a bike each time you wish for 1€ for 24h of use.
Opening up your bank account
We have a partnership with Société Générale Flandre (next to the MC office in 19ème
arrondissement) that gives you 30 EUROS for free and other benefits (in case of over-
payment for example)
Generally you need to have the following documents to open a bank account:
Original of convention de stage (just to show them)
Photocopy of convention de stage
Your passport
A photocopy of your passport details
A photocopy of your visa to enter France (if you are Non-EU) & carte
de séjour
Proof of lodging (given by AIESEC France)
Last telephone, water or electricity bill of the place you are living in
Some money to open your bank account
Once you opened your bank account, you will receive a RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire),
which is a document containing all the details of your bank account. You can then proceed to
get your carte de séjour if you are from a Non-EU country (EU citizens do not need any carte
de séjour)
We advise you to make a photocopy of your RIB and keep it with you at all times, because
this document is often asked for. For example, a telephone company will ask you for your
RIB if you wish to obtain a mobile contract in France as most payments are done directly by
transfer in France.
Booking your plane
As soon as you have received confirmation of your start date and approved status from your
convention de stage, please send us the following information:-
- Flight date
- Flight number & arrival time (AM or PM)
- Airport and terminal of arrival in Paris:
It is important to send this information at least 1 week before arrival so we can make sure
that someone is there to pick you up and take you to your accommodation.
Please also try to arrive at reasonable hours (not before 8AM or after 10PM) so the person
responsible of your arrival won’t have too much difficulty in coming to the airport.
If you arrive at Charles de Gaulle Etoile or Orly, a ticket to the center of Paris costs around
9€ and takes around 45min. If you arrive at Beauvais airport, which is generally cheaper but
further away from Paris, you will have to take a bus
for 1.5h and it costs 15€.
(Your internship)
Preparation for your internship
When preparing all documents for your arrival in France, please make sure you have copies
of all your documents, just in case.
AIESEC France and the company coordinator (if there is one) are your main contacts.
Please do not contact the manager directly, unless requested, as this might create
miscommunications between AIESEC France and the company.
Again, please make sure you always demonstrate a professional attitude towards all
parties before, during and after your internship.
Social Security
As an intern, your company will declare you to URSSAF, which is the organization taking
care of social security in France. Your company will declare you as their intern but if you
want to benefit from French Social Security, you need to obtain a Social Security number.
For this, you should go to the CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie) and obtain a
form called E301. Once you have filled it in, your company needs to sign it. As soon as you
get your first pay slip, you can go back to the CPAM and get your Social Security number.
For more information go to www.cpam-paris.fr
To have more information for about what social security covers in France and what how to
prepare for different possibilities (going to the hospital, accident…), you can check the
following website: http://www.ameli.fr/278/RUB/278/omb.html
Company policies
Salary If you are working in Paris then the minimum amount of money at hand at the end of the
month should be 900€. This is the NET amount, which means that the company does not
deduct any charges or taxes from this amount. You should always get minimum €900 at
hand at the end of the month unless you receive in kind benefits such as ticket restaurants,
50% reimbursement on Pass Navigo, etc. If you are outside of Paris then your salary should
be a minimum of 750€ net, as life is generally more expensive in Paris than in other
cities/suburbs.
Holidays/Days off
It is in your interest that at the start of your traineeship you
get a confirmation from your company concerning their
policies for holidays and days off for interns. This varies
greatly from one company to another. Public holidays are
non-working days (such as May 8th , July 14th, August 15th,
November 11th…) and then for other holidays it depends on
the company. There are certain internships where you don’t
get any holidays at all: this really depends on the company
policies. AIESEC cannot set this as a requirement so it is up
to you to verify this and negotiate if possible with your HR
responsible once you are settled in France.
Taxes
For all tax related matter, please consult the following website: www.impot.gouv.fr
Tax details are specific for each country so we cannot answer every case, but if there is a
particular matter you wish to settle, we will help you as much as possible.
Relevé de Carrière
In order to recognize your internship as a working experience which can contribute to your
pension fund in your home country, you should ask for the “relevé de carrière”. This
document will state that you have worked in France for X months and received Y euros for
your work.
You should ask for this document BEFORE leaving France. Once you have obtained it,
keep it for your retirement days with your salary slips as proof of work experience. When you
will apply for retirement pension, the administration of your country will be able to have all the
information necessary to prove your work experience in France.
The “relevé de carrière” is broken down per trimester and is given for the previous year, so
you might have to recontact the French administration when you are back home to obtain the
full report of your internship.
To obtain this document:
If you are a EU-citizen: write a letter stating that you want to obtain your relevé de
carrière at “Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie – Retraite”, and do not forget to
include your Name, Surname, Address in France and Social Security Number. You
can find more information on the following website:
https://www.lassuranceretraite.fr/cs/Satellite/PUBPrincipale/Salaries/Comprendre-
Retraite/Releve-Carriere?packedargs=null
If you are a non-EU citizen: you should call the administration first to see what the
procedure is, as it varies according to the country and agreements.
(Living in France)
Parlez-vous français?
If you would like to improve your level of French or even start learning French while staying
in the country, the City Hall of Paris proposes French classes for reasonable prices. For
more information, please consult the following website: http://www.cours-municipal-d-
adultes-cma.cma-paris.org/inscription/en
Here you may also find other opportunities to learn French:
http://www.campuslangues.com
http://www.alliancefr.org/sommaire.php3?lang=en
Obtaining a mobile phone
Currently, our 3 main telephone operators have developed an online system which allows
you to have unlimited calls in France and to 40 different countries, unlimited texts and
Internet for 19.99€ a month. This is really a great opportunity because this system does not
require you to subscribe for a certain period of time: you can just get a SIM card for a couple
of months and then cancel it, no stress!
The 2 recommended operators are:
Free: http://mobile.free.fr
B&You: https://www.b-and-you.fr
We also advise you to bring your own phone, desimlocked (ie unblocked) so you only have
to pay the cost of the contract and not the phone (especially if you already have
smartphones). These contracts are pretty cheap but the phone prices are high to
compensate so it’s better to bring your own phone with you.
Paris et la France!
Paris - known as the city of love, the place of luxury, the home of the Eiffel
Tower - is the land of baguettes, smelly cheese and a fantastic glass of
wine in the middle of the day. It is one of the most popular cities in the
world as it hosts several million visitors per year. It is even said that during
the summer there are more visitors than Parisians in the city!
Paris is an enchanting city to be in, regardless of the time of year: the
increasingly cosmopolitan character of Paris reinforced it as one of the
great metropolises of the world. It is also a grand, evocative and stimulating
place to visit. It is one of the most romantic cities in the world, if not the most
romantic city ever.
The history of Paris spans over 2,500 years, during which time the city grew
from a small Gallic settlement to the multicultural capital of a modern European
state, and one of the world's major cities.
The French revolution ensured the development of a certain spirit of thought,
now a particular western mentality, and a strong sense for the individual
prevails. It has also paved the way for an inventive and creative spirit in the
arts, architecture, literature and music which enhanced the development of
science and technology.
The name Paris derives from that of its inhabitants, the Gaulish tribe known as
the Parisii. The city was called Lutetia (more fully, Lutetia Parisiorum, "Lutetia
of the Parisii"), during the first- to sixth-century Roman occupation; but during
the reign of Julian the Apostate (360–363) the city was renamed Paris.
On the cutting edge of fashion, Paris is also a great place to enjoy not only
haute couture and gourmet cuisine, but to experience the throbbing nightlife
and intense cultural aspects the city has to offer.
As the famous touristic attraction, Paris has a plethora of museums and
touristic attractions that can be found throughout the city. Some, like the
Louvre, are hard to miss with not just the mile long entrance queue, but also its
beautiful palace setting housing the world famous Mona Lisa.
The city abounds with numerous museums — Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael,
Monet, Rodin, Delacroix and Picasso are all represented here. Then there is
the architecturally defying Centre Georges Pompidou where the structure of
the building has been turned inside out. This national museum is the place to
go for lovers of modern art.
If museums are not what interest all visitors, there are many other attractions to
keep tourists amused for hours, days, and even weeks! Of course, there is the
renowned Eiffel Tower which lights up every hour after 6pm. Walking along
Pont Neuf, visitors will be astonished by the beauty of the sparkling tower as
the Seine runs rapidly underneath their feet.
Close by is also the cathedral of Notre Dame. The gothic masterpiece is a
popular religious tourist attraction, and so is the spectacular Sainte Chapelle
which is famous for its awe-inducing stained-glass windows. Built in thirteenth
century, Sainte Chapelle represents one of the most complete examples of the
stained-glass window art of the time.
Another impressive place of worship is the Sacre Coeur. Sitting on top of
Montmartre, it is not so much the building that induces wonder, but rather, the
view from the top. The basilica looks over the whole of Paris and this is one of best views of
Paris. The area Montmarte itself is famous for its artistic atmosphere. You can find many
painters, singers in the streets and it full of lovely cafés and restaurants.
There is also a great cultural life in theaters
and operas. The choice is famously vast:
Opéra Garnier, Théâtre du Châtelet and the
national theatres are some of the best-known
in France, but don’t miss the smaller theatres
where you can also find great plays and
comedies: there is always something going on
in Paris!
Paris’ towers, churches, palaces, archways,
bridges and fountains are renowned worldwide for its splendor and beauty. These monuments
relate two thousand years of the capital’s glorious past.
Nightlife in Paris
The City of Lights’ nightlife is sure to have something for everyone: discos, nightclubs and
bars of all kinds and in all districts of the city strive to attract people looking to have a good
time and hoping to enjoy the night.
Techno, house, garage and latino are the popular sounds at discos and clubs at the moment.
Admission prices vary from 0€ to 50€ and up! Cocktails prices start from 10€ but are usually
around 15€. Clubs open around midnight and tend not to close until dawn.
Popular areas include Champs Elysées (pretty chic area with high prices), Montmartre (very
crowded during summer) and Bastille, which is full of clubs and bars. The younger crowds
tend to head to Oberkampf, which is becoming increasingly fashionable.
The opera, the theatre or cafés where live music is being played are just some of the quieter
night outing options. Good music venues are found in the Pigalle area, which has a
reputation of its own with the Moulin Rouge right in the middle. Another great place for cafés
in the evenings is the Marais district.
French gourmet food
France is the country of food! French gastronomy has
an international reputation but we also like simple
products: it’s the country of wine, bread and cheese.
France is the first producer of wine in the world with 63
000 000 hectolitres per year. The most famous are :
Bordeaux (Médoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion,
Pomerol, Sauterne, Montbazillac);
Bourgogne (Chablis, Côte de nuit, Côte de
Beaune, Beaujolais)
Champagnes,
Côte du Rhône,
Côte de Provence, Muscadet…
A glass of wine is really appreciated at any meal and goes very well with bread and cheese
of course! French people eat around 167 g. every day of bread and 3.48 million tons are
produced every year.
It’s not a real meal for a French if he doesn’t have some bread! France produces also 365
different types of cheese made from cow, goat or sheep milk.
Budget National museums and monuments are for free for EU residents under 26 (it means that
those with carte de séjour also apply for this). You generally just have to present your carte
de séjour or European ID at the front desk and they will give you a free entrance ticket. Often
this benefit applies only for permanent expositions.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of some common prices in Paris
Beer (Restaurant or bar): 5-6 €
Wine (Supermarket): from 2€ and up ( a good bottle is generally at 4€)
Cigarettes: 6 € a pack
Coffee (cup): 2 to 3.5 €
Eggs (one dozen): 2.5 €
Haircut: 25 € for men, 30 € for women (short hair) but depending on the area it can
go up to 60 €
Baguette (bread): 80 cents - 1 €
Cinema: 8-10 €; 13 € for 3D but you can find offers for students
Newspaper: 1 €
Internet (an hour): 4 €
Restaurant: around 15 € for a main course
Breakfast: 5 €
Lunch: around 10-12 €
Dinner: around 12-15 €
Sandwich: 4 - 6 €
McDonald’s meal: 6 – 7 €
Pizza: 8-11 €
Bus ticket: 1.5 €
Laundry: 3,50 to 4 € for a normal load + 1 Euro for 10 minutes for the dryer
Stamp for Letter: 58 cents
French habits
Non verbal communication
o Making eye contact is a statement of equality in France. It is recognition of the
other person’s identity. Refusing to make eye contact gives you distance.
o French people have a medium physical distance with each other and the
southern you go, the more they are used to touching each other while
speaking!
Greetings
o French people kiss on the cheek to greet each other; they can kiss 2, 3 or 4
times according to the region!
o In a business environment, you shake hands: kissing would be seen as too
intimate and not business-like
(Travelling in France)
Transportation
The best way to travel in France is to take the train. With the TGV,
Marseille in only 3 hours away !
If you wish to travel often around France, we advise you to take a
“Carte 12-25” which gives you from 25% to 50% reduction on all
train tickets. This is very convenient if you intend on taking the train
more than 2 times during your stay. The card costs 49€ and can be
obtained at any SNCF agency:
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/services-train/carte-abonnement-
train?prex=ID_4D483B3BA8380
Must-see places
Côte d’Azur (French Riviera) : Nice & Marseille
The Côte d'Azur, often known in English as the French
Riviera, is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner
of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco. There
is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend
from the Italian border in the east to Saint Tropez, Hyères,
Toulon or Cassis in the west. The French Riviera is a major
yachting and cruising area with several marinas along its
coast. As a tourist centre it benefits from 300 days
of sunshine per year, 115 kilometres (71 mi) of
coastline and beaches, 18 golf courses, 14 ski
resorts and 3,000 restaurants
Transportation from Paris to Nice :
approximately 120€ return for 6h train
Transportation from Paris to Marseille:
approximately 100€ return for 3h train
Presence of 2 Local Committees : LC
Marseille and LC Nice
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde
department in southwestern France. Bordeaux is the
world's major wine industry capital. Bordeaux wine has
been produced in the region since the 8th century. The
historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage
List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble"
of the 18th century. Bordeaux is classified "City of Art and
History". The city is home to 362 monuments historiques
(only Paris has more in France) with some buildings dating
back to roman times.
Transportation from Paris : approximately 120€ return for 3h train
Presence of 1 Local Committee : LC Bordeaux
Reims
Reims, founded by the Gauls, became a
major city during the period of the Roman
Empire. Reims played a prominent
ceremonial role in French monarchical
history as the traditional site of the crowning
of the kings of France. The Cathedral of
Reims (damaged by the Germans during the
First World War but restored since) played
the same role in France as Westminster
Abbey has in the United Kingdom. Reims,
along with Épernay and Ay, functions as one
of the centres of champagne production. Many of the largest champagne-producing
houses, known as les grandes marques, have their headquarters in Reims, and most
open for tasting and tours. Champagne ages in the many caves and tunnels under
Reims, which form a sort of maze below the city. Carved from chalk, some of these
passages date back to Roman times.
Transportation from Paris : approximately 50€ return for 1h train
Presence of 1 Local Committee : LC Reims
Strasbourg :
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace
region in eastern France and is the official seat of the
European Parliament. The city and the region of Alsace are
historically German-speaking, explaining the city's
Germanic name. Strasbourg's historic city centre, the
Grande Île (Grand Island), was classified a World Heritage
site by UNESCO in 1988, the first time such an honour was
placed on an entire city centre. Strasbourg is fused into the
Franco-German culture and although violently disputed
throughout history, has been a bridge of unity between
France and Germany for centuries, especially through the University of Strasbourg,
currently the largest in France, and the coexistence of Catholic and Protestant
culture.
Transportation from Paris : approximately 100€ return for 2.5h train ride
Presence of 1 Local Committee : LC Strasbourg
Lyon :
Lyon is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes
region, situated between Paris and Marseille. The city is
known for its historical and architectural landmarks and
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lyon was historically
known as an important area for the production and
weaving of silk and in modern times has developed a
reputation as the capital of gastronomy in France. It has
a significant role in the history of cinema due to Auguste
and Louis Lumière who invented the cinematographe in
Lyon. The city is also known for its famous light festival
'Fete des Lumieres' which occurs every 8 December
and lasts for four days, that earned Lyon the title of
Capital of Lights
Transportation from Paris : approximately 60€ return for 2h train ride
Biarritz :
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-
western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers.
The town lies in Basque territory, and Basque flags and symbols are prevalent
throughout Biarritz. It is located near to Bayonne: Bayonne has the longest tradition
of bull-fighting in France and there is a ring beyond the walls of Grand Bayonne. The
season runs between July and September. Bull-fighting is
part of the five-day Fêtes de Bayonne which starts on the
first Wednesday of August and attracts people from across
the Basque Country and beyond. Parades, music, dance,
fireworks, food and drink all feature in the celebrations
Transportation from Paris : approximately
100€ return for 5h train ride
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France (French
Flanders). It is the principal city of the Lille
Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in
the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and
Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium. Lille
features an array of architectural styles with various amounts of Flemish influence:
these architectural attributes, many uncommon in France, help make Lille a transition
in France to neighboring Belgium, as well as nearby Netherlands and England
Transportation from Paris : approximately 50€ return for 1h train ride
Presence of 1 Local Committee : LC Lille
Tours :
Tours stands on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the
Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known
for its wines, the alleged perfection (as perceived by some
speakers) of its local spoken French, and the Battle of
Tours in 732. The Loire Valley is referred to as the Cradle
of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to
the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards (such as
cherries), and artichoke and asparagus fields, which line
the banks of the river. The valley includes historic towns
such as Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Nantes, Orléans,
Saumur, and Tours. In 2000, UNESCO added the central
part of the Loire River valley to its list of World Heritage
Sites.
Transportation from Paris : approximately 50€ return for 1.5h train ride
Grenoble :
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot
of the French Alps. The proximity of the mountains
has led to the city being known as the "Capital of the
Alps." Grenoble's history goes back more than 2,000
years, and it has been the capital of the Dauphiné
since the 11th century. It experienced a period of
economic expansion in the nineteenth and 20th
centuries, symbolized by the holding of the X
Olympic Winter Games in 1968. The city is now a
significant scientific centre in Europe
Transportation from Paris : approximately
100€ return for 4h train ride
Presence of 1 Local Committee : LC Strasbourg
Mont Saint Michel (Normandie):
Mont Saint-Michel is a rocky tidal island and a commune in Normandy, France. It is
located approximately one kilometre (just over half a mile) off the country's north-
western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches. The population
of the island is 41, as of 2006. The island has been a strategic point holding
fortifications since ancient times, and since the 8th century AD it became the seat of
the Saint-Michel monastery, from which it draws the name. The Mont-Saint-Michel
and its bay are part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.[1] More than
3,000,000 people visit it each year
Transportation from Paris : approximately 75€ return for 4h train ride
(Contacts)
Laurence Dumont
Member Committee President and Incoming Exchange
Kasia Chareza
Member Committee Vice President Talent Management
kasia.chareza @aiesec.net
Fanni Szasznadasy
Member Committee Vice President Finance
April Ong Mae Vaño
Member Committee Vice President Outgoing Exchange
april.ongvano @aiesec.net
Alina Boaca
Member Committee Vice President Organisation Development
Bryan Corbion
Member Committee Vice President Business Development