Car Rental France

Weather:

France being located mid-way between the equator and the North Pole; it has a temperate climate with generally cool winters and mild summers, while along the Mediterranean the warm Gulf Stream current provides mild winters and hot summers. Mountain areas tend to be colder, with considerable rain and snow.

The climate of France is generally temperate, but wide regional contrasts occur, as in the Mediterranean coastal area, where semi-tropical conditions prevail, and in the plateau and eastern highlands regions, where the climate is uniformly bleak. Temperatures along the Atlantic seaboard are equalized by ocean currents and the prevailing south-western winds. In the interior, particularly the north-eastern region, severe winters and hot summers are usual. The mean temperature in Paris is 3° C (37° F) in January and 18° C (64° F) in July. At Lyon, the January average is the same as in Paris, and the July temperature is 20° C (68° F). Precipitation is 573 mm (22y in) per year in Paris, and 764 mm (30 in) annually in Lyon. The heaviest rainfalls occur in June and October. Regional variations in precipitation range between 1,397 mm (55 in) annually in the mountainous areas and 254 mm (10 in) annually in certain northern lowland areas. One of the meteorological peculiarities of southern France is the mistral, a violent north wind of the Mediterranean region, originating in the central plateau region.

Currency:

The monetary unit of France is the single currency of the EU, the euro (1.07 euros equal U.S. $1; 1999 average). France is among 12 EU member nations to adopt the single currency under Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). France's national currency, the franc, is used for other purposes.

The monetary unit of France is the franc of 100 centimes (6.8929 francs equal US$1; 2001). The Banque de France, which was founded in 1800, nationalized in 1946, and given independence in 1994, is the bank of issue. In January 1999 France adopted the Euro in accordance with its commitment to a single European currency, but this is initially not issued in cash form and will not replace the national currency until three years after its introduction. Among other leading banks are Crédit Agricole, Banque Nationale de Paris, Crédit Lyonnais (state-owned), Société Générale, and Banques Populaires. About 10 per cent of the French workforce is employed in business and finance.