Local Information

Some handy hints and tips as well as legal stuff!
Probably most important is that you need to check your phone contract to see if you will have to pay roaming charges to use your phone.
There are good deals to be had, so do some homework.

Local laws: Government advice

You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food required for medical reasons. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.

You must be able to prove your identity either by providing documents when asked or within 4 hours at a police station. Identity documents can be a passport, a photo driving licence or other documentation provided by a government body.

Concealing your face in public places in France is illegal. This includes balaclavas, full veils or any other garment or mask that is used to conceal the face. Failure to comply with the ban is punishable by a maximum fine of €150. Under this law, forcing someone to hide their face is also a crime and is punishable by a year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to €30,000. If the person forced to hide their face is a minor, the sentence is doubled. The law does not provide any exemption for tourists.

Money

The currency of France is the Euro. Take sensible precautions and remain alert when handling cash and credit cards in public areas and at cash machines. Credit cards are widely accepted- check for transaction charges - same applies to debit cards. You may be asked to provide ID if you can’t pay by chip and PIN. Credit cards can be an expensive option due to exchange rates - some people find the Post OfficeTravel Card which you preload from a bank account much cheaper.

Healthcare

You should get a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. If you already have an EHIC it will still be valid as long as it remains in date.

The GHIC or EHIC entitles you to state provided medical treatment that may become necessary during your trip. Any treatment provided is on the same terms as French nationals.

If you don’t have your EHIC with you or you’ve lost it, you can call the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999 to get a Provisional Replacement Certificate.

It’s important to take out appropriate travel insurance for your needs. A GHIC or EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance and you should have both before you travel. It does not cover all health-related costs, for example, medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment and non-urgent treatment. In towns there is usually a pharmacy open on a Sunday and occasionally a 24hr pharmacy.

Weather - the weather in Normandy is very similar to the south of England. In June the average maximum temperatures are: day: 20℃ / 68℉, night: 11℃ / 51℉. Heavy showers are common especially near the coast.

Local Food

The food of Normandy owes many of its characteristics to its rich and fertile farmland which includes orchards and meadows. Cheese-making in the area began in the Dark Ages with modern varieties established by the seventeenth century.

Pont l’Evêque, is square with a washed crust, soft but not runny, and Livarot, is round, thick and firm, and has a stronger flavour. Camembert was invented in the 1790s and became world famous.

Other famous dishes include veal cooked in rich buttery and creamy sauce or orchard fruit, either in its natural state or in alcoholic forms either as apple or pear cider, or even distilled to produce brandies. Normandy’s long coastline is also renowned for its seafood. Waterfront restaurants in its ports and resorts offer a wide range of dishes including assiette de fruits de mer, an assortment of different types of seafood.

Shopping

The traditional French shopping week covered six days, Monday to Saturday, with shops generally open from 9 a.m. to Midday, and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. In some towns and villages, it is still the rule that shops close at lunchtime. However, things are changing and now most shops stay open all day. Some close part of or all of Monday. Although supermarkets are widespread, a rich variety of small specialist shops remain even in smaller towns and villages. If you arrive Sunday afternoon shops will be closed.

Grocery store: épicerie
Bakers: boulangerie
Cake shop: patisserie
Butchers: boucherie
Chemists: pharmacie
Cobblers,: cordonnerie
Tobacconists: un tabac
DIY store: magasin de bricolage
Clothes shop: magasin de vêtements
Wine merchants: marchand de vins

Bakeries often stay open at the start of the traditional midday break but may shut from 1-3pm although there is no rule with each bakery free to decide its own opening times. Many bakeries stay open later in the evening, especially in towns or if they have bread left to sell.
Pharmacies open and close like other small shops but like in England a rota system ensures most out of hours are covered - it is easy to see a pharmacy which is open, as its green cross will be lit. but in the event of a night-time emergency you might need to ring a doorbell. In large towns, there are always some pharmacies open 24/24 - google for details.

Supermarkets in France come in all shapes and sizes:

Auchan: Specializing in larger-format stores, Auchan has hypermarket and supermarket stores across France. Stores can be found mostly in out-of-town locations.
Carrefour: The French retailer is one of the world’s biggest supermarket chains. It has over 5,000 outlets across France, from smaller central stores to large, out-of-town hypermarkets.
Intermarché: With almost 2,000 stores across the country, you’ll probably never be too far from an Intermarché, whether the smaller-format supermarkets or the larger-format hypermarkets.
Leclerc: Carrefour’s main rival has over 700 hypermarket stores nationwide. Although most of these can be found outside major cities, Leclerc is France’s biggest food retailer by market share.
Monoprix: While a tad more on the expensive side, Monoprix’s assets are the relatively pleasant size of its shops and the quality of its products, from daily groceries to its fashion line and home ware
Super U: Owned by French retailers’ cooperative, Système U, the Super U family has over 1,000 stores. This includes supermarkets (Super U), hypermarkets (Hyper U), and the smaller U Express stores.

Small supermarkets are located in town centres (some might close for lunch) but out of town in “centre commerciaux" there are many larger superstores or hypermarkets, they normally stay open up to 8pm but there is great variation – even regarding Sunday opening. Hours are available online.

Like in many other European countries, French supermarkets don’t give out plastic shopping bags. The locals bring their own, or you can buy a reusable bag at the register. French supermarkets don’t sell any medicine – you’ll have to go to the local pharmacy for that. They also don’t sell tobacco products, so you’ll need to head to your nearest tobacconist.

French Markets are one of the main attractions of life in France; for many locals, a trip to the local food market becomes an everyday fixture to buy fruit and vegetables, cheese, cider, meat, fish and bread. The majority of markets are open in the morning from 8 or 9am and finish around 12 – 1pm and offer locally grown produce. Of particular note are the fish markets along the coast at Grandcamp Maisy, Port en Bessin and Courseulles.

There is also fantastic value to be had from buying direct from the producers – farm shops are signposted from local roads and in Asnelles local oyster and seafood producers sell direct to the public. Look out for local cider and calvados producers selling directly from their farms too.
Further inf: Normandy Market Days

Internet/Mobile Phones

Increasingly accomodation options include wi-fi but many services can be slow.
The 4G coverage network is much improved and mobile phones can access internet in most places. Check with your contract about roaming charges; since Brexit charges apply to most contracts and providers. Savings can be made to pre-order a set period of international roaming.