Useful tips

• Health Insurance

• Housing

• Housing Insurance

• Gas/Electricity

• Internet, Telephone, Television

• Mobile Phones

• Paris/Suburbs Transportation

• Travelling Outside of Paris

Housing Insurance

Note that it is required by French law to get insurance for your apartment, even if you rent.
These are a couple of organizations offering student housing insurance :

• Assistance Etudiants

• Most major banks also offer housing insurance. Please ask your bank for more information.

Gas/Electricity

While some landlords will include electricity and/or gas in their rent, other will ask you to subscribe directly with the provider.

• The main electricity providers in France are EDF and GDF Suez.

• The main natural gas provider in France is GDF Suez.

Alternatively, you may inquire about other electricity and natural gas providers on this website.

Internet Access, Television, Telephone

Most Internet providers will charge a monthly flat rate typically ranging between 30 and 40 Euros approximately, including unlimited Internet access, unlimited phone calls to a large number of countries (generally including the US), and access to a broad range of television networks.

The main Internet and telephone providers in France are:

• Orange

• SFR

• Free

• Bouygues Telecom

Mobile Phones

While mobile phone plans are separate from fixed phone/Internet plans, you may subscribe for both with all main providers. Most providers will offer a discount for a coupled plan.

See above for provider list.

Paris/Suburbs transportation

Metro/suburban train

The Paris metro is very convenient to travel within the Paris metropolitan area, while the RER is convenient for the Paris suburbs. 

Unless you plan to use the metro/RER only occasionally, we recommend buying a monthly or yearly pass, named "Navigo", giving you unlimited travel within Paris, as well as to the suburbs on weekends. If you are under 26 years old, you are eligible for a discounted rate yearly pass named "Carte Imagine'R".

The rate will depend on the area of travel covered (Paris only vs. Paris+suburbs.)

All information is to be found on the RATP website.

Link to interactive metro/RER map

Bicycle Rental

Velib' is the largest public bike-sharing system in the world. It includes 1,800 bike stations located throughout the city 300 meters apart from each other for easy and quick access from anywhere.

Unlimited use monthly subscriptions go from 30 to 40 Euros approximately depending on your age. Daily subscriptions are under 2 Euros, weekly subscriptions are 10 Euros.

More information on the Velib' website.

Car rental

The Autolib' car-sharing system is convenient and relatively inexpensive for travelling within Paris. More information here.

Taxis

More information here

Travelling Outside of Paris

Train

The railway is very convenient and rather inexpensive alternative to airplanes for travelling across France and to some nearby European capitals (London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Geneva, Rome, Madrid, etc.).

All information is to be found, and reservations are to be made, on the website of the national train company SNCF.

Make sure to inquire about the various special rate cards available depending on your age ("Carte 12-25", "Carte 25-30", "Carte Jeune", "Carte Escapade", etc.)

Car Rentals

France car rental price-comparator website: www.locationdevoiture.fr