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Country guide · France

France travel apps and what you need before you go

France follows Schengen rules: many visitors, including US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens, can stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, and since April 2026 non-EU travellers are registered at the border in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES). ETIAS is not running yet, so there is nothing to apply for. On the ground, book trains on SNCF Connect, buy Paris metro tickets in the Île-de-France Mobilités app, take rides with Uber, Bolt or a G7 taxi, and reserve restaurants on TheFork.

Checked against official sources on 22 October 202612 apps · 5 to set up at home
Mont-Saint-Michel at sunrise, reflected in the tidal flats of Normandy
Photo: Lynx1211, CC BY-SA 4.0

What you need to enter France

Rules depend on your passport. Check if you need a visa with the French government's France-Visas assistant or the EU's official travel site before you book.

Schengen visa or visa-free stay

France is in the Schengen area. Many passports, including US, UK, Canadian and Australian, are visa-exempt for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all Schengen countries combined. Nationals of countries on the EU visa list need a Schengen visa, applied for online through France-Visas no more than 3 months before travel.

Source: Service-Public.fr: Does a foreigner need a visa to come to France? · EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, visa lists

Passport validity

Non-EU visitors need a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave.

Source: France-Visas: Your arrival in France

Entry/Exit System (EES)

The EU's Entry/Exit System started in October 2025 and has been fully running at all external Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. Non-EU short-stay visitors have their passport details, a face photo and fingerprints recorded on first entry, and passports are no longer stamped. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip, including at the Eurostar terminal in London.

Source: European Union: EES · eucrim: EES fully operational since 10 April 2026

ETIAS

ETIAS, the planned EUR 20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not in operation and no start date has been announced. The EU says it will give several months' notice. Do not pay any site offering an ETIAS today.

Source: European Union: ETIAS · SchengenVisaInfo (19 October 2026)

Funds, accommodation, insurance and return ticket

Border police may ask for proof of where you are staying, a return ticket (or the means to buy one), travel medical insurance and enough money for your stay. France sets the amount at EUR 65 per day with a hotel booking, EUR 120 per day with no booked accommodation, and EUR 32.50 per day if you stay with a host who has a town-hall-validated attestation d'accueil.

Source: France-Visas: Your arrival in France · Service-Public.fr: Does a foreigner need a visa to come to France?

Before you fly: 7 steps

  1. Check if your passport needs a Schengen visa.
  2. Make sure your passport is under 10 years old and valid 3 months beyond your departure from Schengen.
  3. Keep hotel bookings, your return ticket, travel insurance and a card or bank statement handy at the border.
  4. Book TGV or OUIGO trains early on SNCF Connect.
  5. Install the Île-de-France Mobilités app and buy your first Paris tickets before you land.
  6. Set up Uber, Bolt or G7 with your home number before you fly.
  7. Pack a Type C/E plug adapter if your devices need one.

The apps that matter in France

Grouped by the job they do. Set up at home means install it and sign in before you fly, while you still have your home number and Wi-Fi.

Taxis and ride hailing

Uber

Ride hailing with private-hire drivers in Paris, Lyon, Nice, Marseille and other cities.

Set up at home

Set up with your home number and card before you fly. At the airports, follow the signs to the ride-hailing pickup zones.

Official siteSource: Uber France

Bolt

Ride hailing in Paris and other French cities, often a little cheaper than Uber.

Set up at home

Check it alongside Uber before you book, as prices shift with demand.

Official siteSource: Bolt France

G7

The biggest Paris taxi company's app, for booking a licensed taxi now or up to 30 days ahead and paying by card in the app.

Set up at home

Licensed taxis can use bus lanes, which helps at rush hour. Paris taxis charge fixed fares to and from CDG and Orly airports.

Official siteSource: G7

Freenow by Lyft

Taxi and private-hire app that books licensed taxis in Paris and works across many European cities.

Set up at home

Worth having if you are travelling on to Italy, Germany or Spain, as one account works in all of them.

Official siteSource: Freenow France · Voyages d'Affaires: Freenow taxis in Paris

Metro, buses and city transport

Île-de-France Mobilités

The official Paris-region transport app for buying metro, RER, bus, tram and airport tickets on your phone.

Paper tickets are gone, so buy tickets here or load them onto a Navigo Easy card. A metro-train-RER ticket is EUR 2.55 in 2026 and allows transfers within the rail network for 2 hours; airport journeys need the separate Paris Region Airports ticket. Phone tickets work on many Android phones and in Wallet on iPhone.

Official siteSource: Île-de-France Mobilités: Metro-Train-RER ticket · Île-de-France Mobilités: validating with your bank card · RATP: Tickets on smartphones

Bonjour RATP

RATP's app for Paris journey planning, live metro and bus times, disruption alerts and ticket purchase.

Good for checking strikes and line closures before you set off. It sells the same tickets as the Île-de-France Mobilités app, so you only need one of them for tickets.

Official siteSource: Bonjour RATP: Tickets and fares · RATP: Tickets on smartphones

Trains and long-distance travel

SNCF Connect

The national rail app for TGV INOUI, OUIGO, Intercités and TER regional trains, in English.

Book TGV and OUIGO seats early, as fares rise as trains fill. Open your tickets in the app or save the PDF before you lose signal, rather than relying on loading them at the platform.

Official siteSource: SNCF Connect (App Store listing)

Trainline

Compare and book French trains, including SNCF and OUIGO, alongside cross-border routes, in English.

Handy if you are also travelling to Italy, Spain or Germany. Booking direct with SNCF Connect can avoid a booking fee.

Official siteSource: Trainline

Maps

Citymapper or Google Maps

Door-to-door directions across Paris and other French cities, combining metro, RER, bus, walking and bikes.

Citymapper is strong in Paris and Lyon for exits and live disruptions. Download Google offline maps before rural drives in Provence or the Dordogne.

Official siteSource: Citymapper: new cities across France · Google Maps

Messaging and calls

WhatsApp

Widely used for messaging hosts, guides, drivers and small hotels.

Set up at home

Keep it on your home number so contacts and booking chats carry over.

Official siteSource: WhatsApp

Food and delivery

TheFork

France's biggest restaurant booking app (LaFourchette in French), with some restaurants offering discounts at set times.

Book ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner in Paris. Offers depend on the restaurant, day and time, so check the conditions before you go.

Official siteSource: TheFork France

Deals and bookings

Too Good To Go

Buy bakery, café and supermarket surplus food at reduced prices for collection at a set time.

Boulangerie bags are a cheap breakfast or picnic. You pay in the app with a card and show your receipt at pickup.

Official siteSource: Too Good To Go

Money: Euro (EUR)

Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, including bakeries and cafés, and contactless is normal. Keep a little cash for markets and small purchases. On the Paris network, tapping a bank card is only a fallback for now: it works on buses in Paris and the inner suburbs, the Montmartre funicular and the Orly line 14 exit, and costs more than an app ticket. When a card machine offers to charge in your home currency, choose euros.

Practical things to know

Plugs
Type E sockets (two round pins with an earth pin); Type C and most Type F plugs fit. 230 V.
Emergency number
112 for all emergencies. France also uses 15 (medical), 17 (police) and 18 (fire).
Mobile data
EU SIMs roam at home rates. Others can buy an eSIM or a prepaid SIM from Orange, SFR, Bouygues or Free; prepaid SIMs need ID to activate.
Tipping
Menu prices in restaurants and cafés include service (service compris), so a tip is not expected. Leaving small change or rounding up for good service is common.
Paris metro and bank cards
Tap-to-pay bank cards are coming to the metro gradually: line 1 is planned for July 2027 and the whole metro, RER and tram network by 2030. Until then, buy tickets in an app or on a Navigo Easy card.

Questions travelers ask

Do I need ETIAS to visit France?

Not yet. ETIAS is not in operation and no start date has been announced. The EU says it will give several months' notice before it starts.

What is the EES and what happens at the border?

The Entry/Exit System records non-EU short-stay visitors digitally instead of stamping passports. On your first entry your face and fingerprints are taken. It has been fully running since 10 April 2026.

How much money do I need to show at the French border?

Officers may ask. France sets EUR 65 per day with a hotel booking, EUR 120 per day without booked accommodation, or EUR 32.50 per day if a host has given you a validated attestation d'accueil.

Can I pay for the Paris metro with a contactless card?

Not at metro gates yet, apart from the line 14 exit at Orly airport. Contactless bank cards work on Paris buses and the Montmartre funicular. Metro line 1 should follow in July 2027. For now, buy tickets in the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP app, or on a Navigo Easy card.

Should I tip in France?

Service is included in restaurant prices, so tipping is optional. Rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good service is common.

Sources

Checked on 22 October 2026. Entry rules change, so confirm with the official links before you travel.

Found a mistake? Report a correction and we’ll check it against the source.

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