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Bedbugs, baguettes, bureaucracy: Essential articles for life in France

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
Bedbugs, baguettes, bureaucracy: Essential articles for life in France
The recipe for the traditional baguette is changing. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)

Why bedbugs are a growing concern in France, renewing your carte de séjour, a new recipe for your traditonal baguette, getting a mobile phone contract, property rental terms, and autumnal travel - your six must-reads from The Local

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Long-standing advice for how to avoid bedbugs has typically focused on hotel rooms and old furniture, but the pests have exploded in France in recent years. And things appear to be getting worse. 

A recent study by the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety found that approximately 11 percent of French households between the years 2017 and 2022 experienced a bedbug infestation.

Trains, Metro, cinemas: Why bedbugs are causing growing concern in France

If you’re resident in France, you’ll know that the admin never ends, but one very important task is making sure that your carte de séjour residency permit is renewed on time.

Reader question: How and when do I renew my carte de séjour?

Breakfast, lunch or dinner... there is never a bad time to eat a baguette in France. It is an enduring feature of life in France, where some 320 baguettes are consumed every second. New rules mean they might taste slightly different in future - but at least they will be healthier.

Could your French baguette taste a little different in future?

If you are planning to spend extended time in France, you will likely want to set up a French mobile phone (cell phone) contract. Having a French phone number can be crucial when organising apartment visits, signing up for certain subscriptions, and setting up utilities bills in your French home.

EXPLAINED: How to get a mobile phone contract in France

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When it comes to finding somewhere to rent in France, the process is easier if you have a basic grasp of some of the vocabulary you might come across at an estate agency. Here is our list of key terms.

The vital French vocab for renting property

Speaking of autumn - it is a great time to explore France with smaller crowds making things more comfortable while glorious landscapes gain an extra touch of seasonal colour. Here are some of the areas in France which are best experienced in the fall.

The 6 best destinations to visit in France this autumn

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