Country Information

Country Code: . Card-only telephones are common, with pre-paid cards bought from post offices and tabacs; coin boxes are being phased out throughout the country. International calls are cheaper between Mon-Fri 1900-0800 and all day Sat-Sun. Calls can be received at all phone boxes showing the sign of a blue bell. Information in English and other languages can be accessed by pressing the button with a two-flags icon.

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is excellent.

Public access is available at internet cafés in all large towns and cities.

France enjoys a free press and has more than 100 daily newspapers (quotidiens), including an increasing number of free newspapers. Most newspapers are in private hands and are not linked to political parties. State-run Radio France runs services for the domestic audience, French overseas territories and foreign audiences. Daily newspapers include Le Monde, Libération, France-Soir, Le Parisien and Le Figaro. The main English-language daily is the International Herald Tribune. Outside of the Ile-de-France region, the provincial press is the most popular. International newspapers and magazines are widely available, particularly in the larger cities.

France 2, France 3, France 5 are national, public TV channels; TF1 and M6 are national, commercial TV channels; Arte is a cultural channel originally launched by French and German public channels; LCI (La Chaîne Info) is a rolling news channel; TV5 is an international French-language channel and Canal Plus is a national, subscription channel; Télévision Numérique Terrestre is the national digital terrestrial service. There are no daily newspapers in Monaco, but French papers - and the tabloid magazines - cover news from the principality. The principal regional daily is Nice-Matin (which includes two pages on Monaco). Weekly publication, the Monaco Hebdo, covers Monaco's current affairs. The Journal de Monaco is an internal government journal published weekly. Other newspapers include Gazette Monaco-Côte d'Azur, Monaco Actualité and Monte Carlo Méditerranée. French newspapers are widely available, as are English books and magazines. The Riviera Reporter, the only English-language magazine for residents in the French Riviera, is published every two months. Riviera Radio is a privately-run English-language network.

Stamps can be purchased at post offices and tabacs. Post normally takes a couple of days to reach its destination within Europe. In Monaco, expect the same rates as France. The main post office is at The Scala Palace, Beaumarchais Square. There are special Monégasque stamps.

Mon-Fri 0900-1900, Sat 0900-1200. In smaller towns and villages, post offices may close earlier and at lunch, while in Paris the main office is open 24 hours, but only to send mail in the evenings. In Monaco, the hours are Mon-Fri 0800-1900, Sat 0800-1200.