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10 tips to make life in France easier and more fun, from the team at The Local

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
10 tips to make life in France easier and more fun, from the team at The Local
Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP

From practical tips on registered mail and driving to food and drink recommendations and money-saving tips, the team at The Local has brought you their top 10 life hacks.

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At the end of each episode of Talking France, the team at The Local - host Ben McPartland, editor Emma Pearson, and Journalist Genevieve Mansfield, offer their tips for living in and travelling to France, and perfecting your French.

From simplifying administrative procedures to making your French life more enjoyable, here is a selection of the tips offered in the last series of Talking France.

You can find all episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple or Google podcasts, download them HERE or listen to the latest episode below.

 

Use the La Poste website to send registered mail

The lettre recommandée – or registered (or tracked) mail in English – is a very important part of administrative life in France.

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Whether you are moving house, cancelling a subscription, or quitting a job, you will likely have to send one of these letters at some point. Essentially, a lettre recommandée is a registered letter that gives legal proof that a correspondence has been sent. 

One "life hack" to make sending these letters easier - particularly for English-speakers - would be to use the templates already available on La Poste's website. These offer the professional language needed for such a correspondence, and they are easily accessible on the website. You can also send them from the website directly, without ever having to go into the post office.

READ MORE: Lettre recommandée: Why you need them and how to send them in France

Consider sending and receiving packages at Points Relais

The Local team's next tip can also serve to help you avoid further trips, and long lines, at the post office. Also, for those who do not have a post office in walking distance, they might have a "Point Relais" nearby.

The Point Relais is a service that allows you to have parcels delivered directly to a local shop - similar to Amazon lockers - and one primary benefit is that you collect the package when you have the time to do so. This is convenient because often-times you will need to be home to sign for a package when it is delivered in France. You can find the nearest Point Relais HERE.

Try these French websites for buying second-hand

If you are looking to purchase a used item, there are three websites that French people swear by - both for selling and buying.

The first is LeBonCoin - which is very similar to Craigslist. On Le Bon Coin, you can search for all manner of things - from used microwaves and bikes to dishware and even apartment and home listings. Le Bon Coin has added a feature where you can purchase the item directly via the website's payment portal, to help protect against fraud. There is also a service to complain if you did not receive the item you were meant to. In general, Le Bon Coin is the most broad-reaching of the three websites for buying and selling used goods.

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The second is GensdeConfiance - this site intends to offer more secure, reliable items. Similar to Le Bon Coin, the things you can sell and purchase are broad reaching, but the primary difference is that in order to access this website you must be recommended by other people who are already members. This is meant to make transactions more reliable. You can also buy and offer services, such as babysitting and childcare, on Gens de Confiance.

The third website is Vinted. While Vinted is more geared toward buying and selling used clothes - with a broad selection of popular and vintage brands - you can also find some household items too. 

Finally, if you enjoy looking for second-hand goods in person, you can always consider visiting a "Brocante" or "Vide grenier" near you - these are similar to yard sales, jumble sales or vintage sales.

READ MORE: Vide grenier and brocante: The written and unwritten rules of France’s second-hand sales

Order a télépéage badge

If you frequently drive on toll roads in France - or you are planning a long road trip - you might consider buying a télépéage badge.

This allows you to go through the automated pay systems when driving on French toll roads. It can come in handy for drivers with UK vehicles, as it saves you from having to lean over the passenger seat to pay. It also comes in handy because it can help you avoid long slowdowns for toll lanes.

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You can order one online at the Bip&Go website here and follow the instructions to order a scannable personalised device (up to a maximum of two per account for private users). You will need to set up an account to arrange electronic payment of charges.

The website is available in English, French, German or Dutch.

READ MORE: Driving in France: What is télépéage and how does it work?

If you’re in France, you can also pick up the device at one of Bip&Go’s stores, if you prefer – you will need need your bank details, proof of identity and a mobile phone.

Write to Santa by La Poste

In keeping with the mail-related tips, here is one you can save for every Christmas-season if you have small children around. France's national mail service, La Poste, allows children to 'write to Santa Claus' and be guaranteed a response. As part of a service that has been available for over 60 years in France, Santa's "secretaries" (members of the staff at La Poste) respond to each letter individually. 

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More recently, Santa has modernised. Children can send e-mails to Father Christmas on the mail service website as well. 

You can find more information at La Poste's website HERE.

Drink vin chaud - all winter long

Vin chaud, or mulled (hot) wine, is a French winter staple. While you might think that this is only available during the weeks directly leading up to Christmas, it has become a general, cold-weather necessity in France. 

Many restaurants will allow you to buy vin chaud 'to-go' - and nothing brightens the spirits like a cup of hot, delicious mulled wine while taking a stroll through the chilly streets of Paris in the dead of winter. 

Sometimes, if you get lucky, your local park may set up a stand, so you can enjoy a vin chaud while walking through nature too.

READ MORE: Four things you need to know about Vin chaud in France

Visit the Grande Mosquée in Paris

While renowned for its beautiful architecture, outdoor garden and tea room that serves authentic mint tea, the Grand Mosquée - located in Paris' 5th arrondisement - is worth the visit for many reasons.

You can also relax in the steam and enjoy a gommage - or exfoliation treatment - at the Grande Mosquée's Hammam. Keep in mind that this is only available to women, however. For more details about prices and treatments offered, as well as operating hours, click HERE.

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While at the Grande Mosquée you can also eat at the restaurant. Offering traditional north African cuisine, the restaurant menu has several delicious couscous and tagines that might just make you feel as if you have been transported out of France.

Different prices based on where you sit

French cafés are a great place to sit, read the paper, and enjoy a coffee. You can grab a quick espresso or relax and chat for hours. There are some ways to get cheaper drinks at French restaurants and cafés though.

READ MORE: ‘They are squatters’: Are Paris cafés right to clamp down on laptop users?

The Local's editor Ben McPartland recommends that anyone visiting Paris, and France in general, be sure what price they are paying for the drink they have just ordered after entering a French café. Some cafés offer reduced pricing for drinks ordered and drank at the bar, so if you are looking to save a euro or two, you might consider choosing this option rather than sitting down at a table and being served there. If you have any questions about pricing, do not be afraid to ask before ordering.

Plan for the 'Soldes' ahead of time

Whether you are preparing for the winter sales or the summer sales - there are two times of year where you can get great deals in France - and it is worth planning ahead for them.

This is because the les soldes are the only time that stores are allowed to sell items for less than they purchased it for.

The Local team recommends that you learn the soldes dates for your region, and begin by visiting the shops and stores you like to get an idea of what you might want to buy when the sales come around. 

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about France’s 2022 summer sales

While Black Friday in France can be tempting, oftentimes it is best to wait to buy that special item once it has been marked down during the winter sales, just a few weeks later in January-February (in most of France). 

Buy your train tickets (and passes) during sale periods

Finally, if you are planning to travel around France this year, you might consider waiting to buy your train tickets  or passes during specific periods. Whether that is the soldes periods, or during Black Friday, French rail services tend to put both their tickets and railcards at reduced pricing during specific times of year.

READ MORE: How to save money travelling by train in France

If you travel regularly, it is worth looking at the various different types of railcards and passes on offer.

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