SELECTIVE PURCHASING
You can get almost everything in France. However you need to purchase a few things, to tide you over the settling down phase. There are also quite a few items that might be much cheaper in India. Plan your purchases judiciously, or you might pay what you save to the airlines for excess baggage.
GROCERIES
You may need to carry spices from home with you, because they may not be easily available in France.
If you are keen on cooking, and you want to save some money, the things to carry would be Sambar powder, Rasam powder, Dal powder, Chili powder, Garam masala and any other masala powders you may require. This is just in case your project is in some remote place with no friendly Indian 'kirana' shop around.
SANITARY/PERSONAL CARE
Most sanitary items are available at convenience stores that will be located near you. However, carry the following:
- Carry what you need during your journey and your first couple of weeks.
- Along with your regular toiletry items, carry a good deodorant and a mouthwash like 'Listerine'. (Bad breath and body odor are not looked upon kindly.)
- There's no need to carry Washing Powder, brushes or other washing equipment. There are Laundromats; the place you stay will probably have one too, which are convenient and cheap.
UTENSILS AND APPLIANCES
You can get appliances and utensils reasonably priced at any of the big departmental stores, so there's no need to carry too many items, other than the ones mentioned here:
- Pressure Cookers may be expensive in France, so you should get one if you plan to cook rice and dal. Carry extra gaskets, safety valves and weights because it may be hard to find them.
- Once you've settled down, find a large departmental store for a set of utensils, which shouldn't be too expensive.
- Don't carry steel spoons, ladles, etc., because most utensils are non-stick.
- At the departmental stores, you'll also find drinking glasses that are pretty cheap.
LUGGAGE
When you buy luggage, you can either buy hard-top or soft-top ones. Considering the way most airlines handle luggage, you will be better off with hard top pieces than soft-top ones even if you consider the extra weight.
CLOTHES
If you're spending any time north of Lyon, and even if you're only going to be in the south in any month other than July and August, it will be cold at least some of the time and it will probably rain at least once. Take enough layers of clothing to keep yourself warm and a plastic raincoat and/or folding umbrella. Even on the Côte d'Azur in summer, the temperature grows chilly in the evening, so pack at least a light pullover and a jacket. Most of the time, you'll want comfortable walking shoes.
Winter clothes should include:
- warm boots
- a thick, windproof coat
- a scarf around the neck and/or across the face
- lined gloves
- warm undergarments
- A hat covering the ears is an important part of dressing for winter because people lose a lot of body heat from their heads. Severe cold weather (below -15 degrees Celsius) can cause frostbite to your fingers, toes, nose and ears.
The cool weather of spring and autumn requires
light clothing that will keep you dry and warm.
Many people wear sweaters with jackets that
keep out wind and rain.
Unless you'll be dining at the most exclusive
restaurants in Paris, you won't need formal
wear. However, you'll probably be more comfortable
in some situations - particularly in Paris -
if you have the option of dressing up a little.
Shorts in the city are frowned upon, but jacket
and tie are not necessary outside business meetings.
Some items are more expensive in France than at home, including camera film, women's hosiery, and disposable razors. Indispensable items are a Swiss Army knife (especially for the corkscrew), a small backpack for day trips, a waist pack and/or money belt, a small calculator for currency conversion, and sealable plastic bags (for wet swimsuits or leftover brie).
Work Clothes
French wear western dress when they are at work. For the first few days dress formally (the dark business suit would be best) but after that play it by ear.
- Shirts: Even if you aren't working in a formal environment, carry at least 5 formal shirts that should be light colored.
- Trousers: Carry at least 4 pairs of good trousers in solid colors like black, blue or gray.
- Jeans: Jeans are pretty cheap in France, and you can buy yours there, but carry at least a couple of pairs to wear before you buy new ones.
- Suits: Definitely carry at least one good suit with you, even if you won't need to wear it to work. You might need it for other occasions. If your work attire is formal, then you'll need to carry at least three. Make sure that they are dark, blue, black or gray.
- Leather Jacket: A leather jacket is one of the best protections against the weather in winter. Take it with you from India, because as mentioned earlier, leather is very expensive in France.
FOOTWEAR
You ought to get as many pairs of leather shoes with you as you can because these are expensive in France. Buy a good pair of black and brown formal shoes. You can buy your Nikes and Reeboks in France. They cost About France the same as they do in India. If you are used to walking around in Hawaii chappals, take a pair with you.
For regular casual shoes, having a pair of sandals or slip-ons is fine. There are some good discount shoe stores in France and some of the Supermarkets have a reasonably priced selection of shoes.
ACCESSORIES
Accessories are important, and it would be agood idea to take the following with you.
- Socks: Buy as many pairs of socks as you will need, although they are available in France. Have a range of colors, especially to go with your trousers.
- Belts: Leather is expensive in France so make sure to carry your own.
- Wallet: Get a good leather wallet, with lots of place for cards.
- Ties: Buy a few good ties, and these should be sober and dark colored.
- Gloves: It would be a good idea to carry one good pair of leather gloves.
- Handkerchiefs: Carry enough of these with you.
- Inner garments: Have your supply of these. They are available in France as well, and are not that expensive.
DRIVING LICENSE
France has a particular set of traffic regulations, including the priorité à droite rule, which gives the right-of-way to cars on your right when traveling through a traffic circle, unmarked intersection, or four-way stop. All traffic proceeds on the right and drivers must be 18 years of age or older, with a valid driver's license from their home country.
Driving in France is hard at first, but not impossible. It is very orderly, and people generally follow traffic rules.
- Get yourself an International Driver's Permit from India. You can get a French License once you're there, but that could take some time.
- The driving rules and methods are very different from those in India, and you will not be spared for making mistakes. You'll need to take some lessons and familiarize yourself with the rules and speeds at which people drive. Also, don't forget to take out some auto insurance if you plan to drive.
- If you don't know how to drive, yet want to drive in France, it'll be a better idea of you take lessons in India, and that would make it easier for you to learn there.
- Penalties are high if caught drinking and driving; cancellation of license for one year, jail time, high fines.
Note: In order to get an International Driver's Permit, you have to go to your local RTO with your Passport, and apply for one. It doesn't take that long, nor is it too expensive. It is normally valid for a year, which is enough time to get a French license, and be able to drive reasonably well.
MEDICAL RECORDS
France has one of the finest health care systems in the world. Excellent hospitals, clinics or doctors' offices are located in most communities. Pharmaceuticals are available from numerous outlets including supermarkets, department stores, hotels and shopping centers.
