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Everything you always wanted to know about France - from France |
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Recent email exchanges from a reader who saved money by comparing prices and then wanted to put it into a french bank account === Tony, Once again, thanks for the brilliant News Letter. My family of 4 are going to Antibes for the whole of August and we will need to hire a car. Would it be cheaper to hire one when we get there instead of paying about £800 to pre-book one on line from the UK. Hope to hear from you, Thanks, Mary === Hi Mary It is usually cheaper to pre-book cars from the UK rather than pay the top price when you arrive - unfortunately car rental companies have a big range of prices and a "trade" renter can pay a fraction of the "tourist" rate. Try doing some searching to look for competitive rates with sites like http://www.travelsupermarket.com/ I was getting a month rental quoted from £438 from them for 31 days - but try to find other sites not just using airport hire desks. Bonne Route Tony === Tony, Thanks for info on car hire, I looked at travelsupermarket.com and got an amazing deal. An other question, while in Antibes I would like to set up a French Bank Account. Could you tell me how to do this? and what documents I need to take with me. Thanks again, Mary === Mary My experience with French banks is that they are inefficient, expensive, rude and incompetent. To cancel a standing order we had to close our bank account last month as they could not even do this simple operation. It is a very good feeling not having any of these thieving rascals any more. You get banking services from La Poste https://www.labanquepostale.fr/ which are sufficient for most purposes but not so good for transferring money - totally inefficient and impersonal of course, but at least I know this in advance and do not have to pay for the non-service. Having got that off my chest - If you are living for less than 6 months in France each year, a "non-resident" account receiving transfers from abroad under foreign exchange regulations can be arranged. A passport and proof of your European address (electricity bill in your name for example) are required. If you are living for more than 6 months in France each year you need proof of identity, proof of address in France and adequate income. Managers of a French bank have complete discretion in accepting or refusing new clients. You need proof of a permanent address in France, (an electricity of gas bill is suitable), proof of income for the six previous months (wage slips UK bank statements etc), passport, Let me know how you get on Best wishes Tony There are over 2,000 features and articles on this site about French life and living in France. You can search from the search box above. Do browse through our website and please use the advertising links, they help pay for the site. I do try to reply to all mail - Contact Me - most is about property or living in France. I publish comments in this newsletter which I believe are of interest and may help find answers for people wanting to come to France. I hope readers will go to the adverts which help support our overheads. |
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