Real romantics should definitely visit the capital and provinces of France. The unique atmosphere of this country can awaken the most tender feelings and give unforgettable emotions. According to itypejob.com, Paris is the capital of France.
Bus tours to France from Minsk often involve stops in Marseille, Cannes, Nice, Avignon and other amazingly beautiful cities. Each of them has preserved many remarkable architectural monuments – small medieval monasteries, majestic cathedrals and knight’s castles. Not to mention the museums that are sure to be available in every French city.
Still, tours to Paris remain the most popular among our compatriots. Depending on the duration of the trip, tourists stay in this city from 2-3 to 7-10 days. During this time, they need to see a lot of sights – the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Versailles, etc. Trips to other regions of France are no less intense. Perhaps, tourists bring the most impressions from a trip to the castles of the Loire. Despite the fact that many of them were built in the Middle Ages, the castles are perfectly preserved and amaze tourists with the richness of their decoration and interior decoration.
However, sightseeing tours to France are not limited to just visiting museums and architectural monuments. Do not forget that this country is considered one of the centers of world fashion, so every tourist will find excellent shopping here. And of course, it’s a sin to visit France and not visit at least one restaurant. French cuisine is famous for its sophistication and sophistication, so tasting local delicacies should be given separate time.
Trips to the capital of France are carried out on modern and comfortable buses, so the journey will not be tiresome for you. We also offer air tours for those travelers who do not want to spend a lot of time traveling to France. In Paris, excursions are conducted by experienced Russian-speaking guides. They will tell a lot of interesting things about the sights, which, it would seem, everyone knows. You can also purchase tours to France from Minsk with a stop in Marseille, Lyon and many other cities. To buy a ticket, call the managers of our company on the phones posted on the site. If necessary, they will answer any questions you may have, including those regarding visa processing.
DESCRIPTION OF FRANCE
GENERAL INFORMATION
France is a state in Western Europe. The official language is French. The political system is a republic. The vast majority of believers are Catholics. The capital is Paris. Den. unit – euro.
For more information, see the file “Useful information about France”.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION, NATURE
France is the most visited country on the European continent, 60 million tourists a year. After Russia, it is the largest European country. In the west and north it is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, in the south by the Mediterranean Sea. The island of Corsica belongs to the French territory. In addition, France owns overseas departments: the Reunion Islands and Martinique, French Guiana, Guadeloupe. Each province of France (there are 22 in total) is completely different from one another in its architecture and nature, customs and traditions, but they all have style, color and taste. The most famous are Brittany, Normandy, Gascony, Champagne, Burgundy, Alsace, Provence.
CAPITAL, MAJOR CITIES
The capital is Paris. Major cities: Rouen, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg, Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Lyon.
Climate
Four types of climate: oceanic (in the west), Mediterranean (in the south) and continental (in the center and east). There is never a real winter in Paris: it rarely snows, it rains. In summer it is warm everywhere, especially in July and August – from + 20C to + 30C.
POPULATION
The population of the country is about 60 million people. The main part of the population is French, but about a quarter of the indigenous population are foreigners born and settled in France.
LANGUAGE
The official language is French. German is spoken in some areas, and local dialects are also spoken.
RELIGION
The dominant religion in France is Christianity (Catholics – ~ 45 million people). The second religion in terms of the number of followers is Islam (~ 4 million people). Protestants ~800 thousand people. Jews – ~ 650 thousand people
HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS
January 1 – New Year.
Monday of Easter week.
May 1 – Labor Day
May 8 – Victory Day 1945
June 1 – Ascension of the Lord.
Beginning of June – the Second day of Trinity.
July 14 – Bastille Day (National holiday).
August 15 – Assumption of the Virgin.
November 1 – All Saints Day.
November 11 – Armistice Day 1918
December 25 – Christmas.
KITCHEN
French cuisine is known as one of the most refined and varied in the world. gourmets have a wide choice of restaurants for all tastes and numerous cafes. Breakfast in France is quite simple, consisting of coffee, tea or chocolate and a croissant. Lunch is extended in time from 12 to 14 hours. Dinner – between 19 and 21 hours – is varied, but soup or oysters are often served instead of snacks. Almost every meal is served with an aperitif. Favorite French dessert – cheese. Drinking cheese with juice or Coca-Cola is considered indecent in France. Cheese is served with red wine. Great wines are categorized as “Grand Cru”, “Premier Cru” and the unofficial category “Cru Bourgeois”. The best wines have “Appellation controlee” written on the label, which means “Controlled Designations of Origin”. The cost of wine in France corresponds to the quality: the more expensive, the better. The best prices are in the big supermarkets, but there is a limited selection of high quality wines.
Transport
France’s road network is the densest and longest in the world. The railway network is 31,852 km. ways. The French high-speed train TGV holds the first place in the world in terms of speed. It moves along special railway lines with a length of 1281 km. There is a metro network. Taxi (payment by meter). To rent a car, you need an international driver’s license and a credit card. Renting a car to use in Paris is not recommended as traffic conditions in the city are very difficult.
TIME
Behind Minsk by 1 hour.
MONEY
Euro.
DOCUMENTS FOR APPLYING FOR A VISA TO FRANCE
Embassy of France in Minsk
Address: Minsk, Freedom Square, 11
ATTENTION! Personal submission. Bring your passport and 35 euros.
Two photographs(actual color photo on a light background (white background is prohibited!), no older than 6 months, size 3.5*4.5 cm.);
Passport / international passport for citizens of the Russian Federation, valid for 3 months from the date of the intended departure from the territory of the Schengen Agreement member states. Must have been issued within the last 10 years. The passport must have at least 2 free pages with the inscription “Visa”.
Copy of passport:
photocopies of pages containing personal information;
for citizens of the Russian Federation also a copy of the residence permit and the original.
International health insurance, valid on the territory of the Schengen member states, for the entire planned period of stay. The minimum amount of insurance coverage is 30,000 euros.
Proof of employment/economic solvency:
5.1. For employees: a certificate on the letterhead of the employer, which indicates the date of employment, qualifications, wages (a breakdown of wages for the last 3 months is given); the minimum wage per month is 450-500 bel. rub. With wages below 450-500 bel. rub. it is necessary to provide an extract from the bank account on the availability of funds (in any currency, in the equivalent of 45 euros per day of stay) or documents of the sponsoring person (sponsor letter in any form, a copy of the sponsor’s passport, a copy of documents confirming kinship, as well as a certificate from the place of work ).
5.2. For individual entrepreneurs: certificate of state registration and recent tax payments, as well as a certificate that there are no debts for the last 3 months and a bank statement.
Non-working:
6.1. Students:
a certificate from the dean’s office confirming the current place of study (in case of requesting a visa during the study period, permission from the dean’s office for absence from classes is required);
copy of student card;
copies of the record book, agreement with the university and hostel for foreign students;
confirmation of the availability of sufficient funds (bank statement / certificate of employment or sponsor’s documents: sponsorship letter written in any form; copy of the sponsor’s passport; documents confirming kinship; certificate of employment / statement from the bank account of the sponsor).
6.2. Students:
certificate from the place of study (in case of requesting a visa during the study period, permission to be absent from classes is required);
sponsor’s documents: free-form sponsorship letter; a copy of the sponsor’s passport; documents confirming relationship; certificate of employment/extract from the bank account of the sponsor).
6.3. Pensioners:
a copy of the pension certificate;
certificate of received pension (decryption of payment for the last 3 months);
it is also possible to provide an extract from a bank account instead of a certificate of the amount of the received pension.
6.4. Other non-working citizens:
photocopies of work book pages containing personal data and indicating places of work for the last 3 years, or a copy of a diploma (if the applicant graduated from an educational institution no more than 6 months ago);
Sponsor’s bank account statement or documents (free-form sponsorship letter; copy of sponsor’s passport; proof of kinship; certificate of employment/statement from the sponsor’s bank account).
For minors:
birth certificate (copy and original);
if the minor is traveling with one of the parents, a free-form written permission from the other parent must be provided (do not need to be notarized).
if the minor is traveling without parents, permission to leave from both parents is required. This permission must be certified by a public notary, translated into French, and the translation is notarized by a public notary. It is also necessary to provide permission for the border troops (copy and original);
if there is only one parent, it is necessary to provide a supporting document confirming the absence of the second parent (court decision, death certificate or other document). If the child has only one guardian, then the relevant document (court decision on the exclusive right of custody, death certificate or other document) must be submitted (copy and original);
Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting. The presence of one of the parents when applying for a child is required!
Spouses provide a copy of the marriage certificate.
Consular fee – 35 euros, citizens of the Russian Federation – 35 euros. For children from 6 to 12 years old – 35 euros. Up to 6 years free.
A visa is issued within 8-10 working days, but the embassy reserves the right to extend the time for consideration of documents.
It is important to remember that the listed list includes the minimum list of documents that must be provided when applying for a visa. The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documentation at its discretion.
AIR TRAVEL TO FRANCE
France is a mecca for many tourists. Quiet streets of Paris, smoothly leading to the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, Champs Elysees, Notre Dame Cathedral… And also France – a country known for its wine-making traditions, delicious cheeses, a country where fashion is born and the best flavors are created. For these and many other reasons, air tours to France are invariably in high demand.
If you are going on a tourist trip, a business meeting, a conference or a seminar, the professionals of the reservation department will help you choose the most suitable options and take care of all the hassle of registration.
In each of our offices you can buy air tickets to anywhere in the world. To select the best options, you can seek advice from our specialists or use an independent search form. We offer air tickets from Minsk and other cities, taking into account all your wishes: convenient connections, optimal cost, airline and much more.
Use our flight search and booking form in order to evaluate the options for your future travel, for example, choose dates with a suitable airfare, which can often be a decisive factor in determining the dates of your upcoming vacation. Try it and you will understand how convenient it is to look through all the possible options yourself, rather than pronounce all the details and options over the phone. In the form of online booking of air tickets, you can take into account all the search criteria that interest you. Having found a suitable option, book it and pay at one of our offices.
