Make sense of鈥� boating in France Summer is almost upon us and many people will be taking to the water once more. We recap what paperwork you might need to get afloat
France鈥檚 tug-of-war between its regional languages and official French How dozens of languages evolved over centuries to become a source of pride despite efforts to stamp them out
Explainer: Make sense of six-month visas for France Popular with second-home owners, any non-EU citizen looking to stay longer than three months in France can benefit from a temporary long-stay visa (VLS-T)
practical Make sense of鈥� Physiotherapists (kin茅) and osteopaths in France Kin茅s (physios) and osteopaths are easily confused. In fact they offer different but complementary skills
Make sense of... Visiting the dentist Reforms to make dental work more affordable have been delayed a year. Here we outline how the current dentistry system works
Make sense of... French vide greniers A brief guide to France鈥檚 take on the good old jumble or car boot sale
Contesting a planning application in France Anyone can contest a planning application 鈥� permis de construire 鈥� as long as they can show they have good reason to do so.
Make sense of: Maisons de Services in France If you live in a rural area and need help with administrative procedures related to public services 鈥� such as social services, job centres, public transport, family benefits, energy, health prevention and even the post 鈥� you might face a long drive to one of their offices.
Make sense of... The Michelin Guide When looking for a good place to eat out in France you face an embarras de choix, not only of venues but also of books and websites advising you on where to go 鈥� however top chefs still care most about a listing in the 鈥� guide rouge 鈥�, the original Michelin Guide
Make sense of: France鈥檚 online medical records Anyone with a Carte Vitale can sign up for a dossier m茅dical partag茅 (DMP), a personal online medical records system.
Make sense of: Sworn translators in France However good your French, there may be occasions when you need the services of a sworn, or official, translator for administrative formalities.
Make sense of鈥� Alternative funerals in France Alternative choices for funerals in France are possible 鈥� from different types of service to choice of coffin, urn and place of rest. The Connexion explains more...
Make sense of: fake practice offices in France The unemployment rate in France went down earlier this year for the first time in six years. It means that it has dropped from its record of 10.5% in 2013 to 8.5% (March-June 2019 figure). But the rate is still one of the highest in Europe, although behind Greece, Spain and Italy. We look at two schemes that France uses to get people into work, including a network of 110 鈥減retend鈥� offices where 7,000 people go to 鈥渨ork鈥� every day across the country.
Make sense of鈥� your local French Mairie In a survey of more than 15,000 people for the Association des Maires de France, three out of four people said they believed their mayor does a good job. We explain more about this key community role and also what a mairie does
Make sense of鈥� The french 鈥榝onctionnaire鈥� status There are millions of fonctionnaires in France: civil servants with a special status who are often seen as privileged. Reforms are under way.
Make sense of... Riding a scooter Running a scooter can be an ideal way to be mobile 鈥� especially if you live in a city
Make sense of... French higher education This month as students take up their university courses some will have experienced something new 鈥� a selective entrance system鈥�
Make sense of... Service national Bringing back 鈥榥ational service鈥� is in the news again. Here we look at the history of this in France and what form the new version may take
Make sense of... French private schools Private schooling is increasingly popular in France but bears little resemblance to the UK
Make sense of... starting an association The French equivalent of a 鈥榗harity鈥� is an association reconnue d鈥檜tilit茅 publique or an association d鈥檌nt茅r锚t g茅n茅ral. The first is a status held by certain large organisations like the SPA animal charity or La Croix Rouge and which has to be applied for from the Interior Ministry. The latter is simpler and is the most common kind of structure. It is easy to set up and later it can apply to become reconnue d鈥檜tilit茅 publique , which brings extra benefits and obligations, if it has more than 200 members and more than merely 鈥榣ocal鈥� activities.
Make sense of... LGBT prides and rights As the first LGBT pride events of the year get under way, we take stock of the situation for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people in France
Make sense of... the new contr么le technique Anyone driving a car in France should be aware of the contr么le technique (CT) 鈥� France鈥檚 鈥楳OT test鈥� 鈥� but recent changes mean the next time you put your car in for the test it will be subject to tougher rules and likely to cost more
Make sense of... Burial and cremation Giving thought to what we want to happen to our body after death can be helpful for those left behind as it removes the stress of them having to decide. It is also good to become familiar with what you need to do on the death of a relative
Make sense of... French Christmas traditions Le P猫re N枚el is known to all French children but in parts of the country he is still rivalled by his ancestor Saint Nicolas.
Make sense of... B芒timents de France If you live in a listed building or in an historic area, any significant changes you wish to make to your home may need authorisation from the Architectes des B芒timents de France
Make sense of... MJC cultural centres Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture (MJCs) play an important role at the heart of many communities. In 2018 they will mark their 70th anniversary
Make sense of... Learning to drive There are several different ways to learn to drive in France - here we review them and look, in general, at how the French test works
Make sense of... Playing golf in France Like whisky, golf is a Scottish import loved by many 麻豆传媒映画. This month, we look at how to get started in the sport.
Make sense of... La bise and other greetings The art in la bise and other greetings can be a subtle, nuanced affair depending on situation and social milieu as well as geography. Here are some pointers to bear in mind, from essentials to very refined.
Make sense of... Leaving a tip in France You do not have to tip in France 鈥� but it can be the polite thing to do for a service well done.
Make sense of... Camping in France If camping conjures up images of cooking sausages on a camp stove, sleeping bags and chemical toilets you might want to think again
Make sense of... Autoroutes and p茅ages France鈥檚 fast, safe motorway network is the largest in Europe after Germany
Make sense of... Le baccalaur茅at Created in 1808, the 鈥� Bac 鈥�, is the French school leaving exam and a pass - at least 10/20 overall 鈥� grants students the right to go to university. There are plans for reforms of the exam by 2021
Make sense of... The micro-entrepreneur The micro-entreprise small business regime 鈥� which rarely remains unchanged from year to year 鈥� is set for big changes again...
Make sense of... Les soldes d鈥檋iver A Frenchman is credited with the invention of seasonal sales 鈥� an activity which is limited to two periods per year
Make sense of... French boules games Playing boules has a long history in France, probably even going back to the Romans and, contrary to its image, it is not limited to the south.
