Getting To Know Our Hosts: All About France

A general briefing on the host country for supporters heading to France. The language section notes the Academie Francaise’s four-century guardianship, the strength of regional dialects from Brittany to Marseille, and the advice not to assume English will get you by. On climate, expect something close to a British summer in the north but a noticeable jump between Le Havre and Nice, with the Mediterranean south hottest. Fans are told to expect the Police Nationale in cities and the Gendarmerie in the countryside, more armed patrols since the 2015 Paris attacks, and given the emergency numbers 112, 15 and 18. There is practical detail on tipping and prix fixe menus, on chip-and-PIN, Cartes Bancaires and overseas card charges, and on carrying photo identification.