Travelling to France from India? Here’s Your Checklist for a Safe Trip

• Written by Care Health Insurance

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There’s a prevalent saying in French – ‘Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard’ – that translates to – ‘Nothing should be left to chance.’ Be it a vacation, business tour, or family trip, your top priority is to ensure a safe and financially secure journey. Read on to know the most basic yet essential items to tick while travelling to France from India. 

5 Safety Essentials to Tick Before Travelling to France

While it is true that ‘When in France, you should do as the French do’, you should always check on the following essentials before starting your trip:

Choose the Off Season

Summertime is the peak tourist season, attracting people from all over the globe to bask in France’s warm weather. However, it is also the time when France sees the most crowded tourist places– thanks to the school’s summer vacations running from July to August. 

So, the best time to travel to France is late spring – in the months of May and June – and early autumn starting from September. With pleasant and soothing weather, you can enjoy France's beauty with lesser crowds at tourist destinations, smaller queues, and better city-tour availability. Also, off-season travelling with a lesser footfall means a lower risk of contagious diseases like flu, COVID-19, cold, etc. 

Opt for the Right Travel Insurance

It comes without saying that you must have travel insurance in place before travelling to France. Given that France falls within the European Schengen zone of 26 countries, foreign travellers must have suitable travel insurance in order to apply for a Schengen Visa. 

At Care Health Insurance, we help travellers in securing their health and finances during their France trip with comprehensive travel insurance from India to France. The plan offers wide coverage and benefits, including cashless hospitalisation, in-patient care, compassionate visit expenses, and compensation for trip cancellation and delays, among other medical and non-medical travel contingencies. 

Follow the COVID-related Instructions

In an effort to organise safe travel, France has categorised countries worldwide into ‘green’ and ‘orange’ zones. While the green-listed countries are exempted from on-arrival tests and isolation, visitors from orange-listed regions must follow all the precautions.

The good news is that India falls under France’s green list of countries; it implies that Indians need to present only the vaccination certificates and/or a negative RT-PCR report taken within 72 hours of travel. As for the France travel and COVID requirements, you must follow all the COVID-related precautions throughout your journey. Most importantly, ensure that your mediclaim covers COVID-19 treatment expenses to avoid stress and unbearable financial loss.

Carry International Debit/Credit Cards for Easy Payments

Wondering how much cash should you carry to France?

The answer is– No Cash. Given the risk of theft at such popular tourist destinations, it is advisable to carry less cash and more international cards. 

Most of the eating and entertainment outlets across France accept easy payment networks, like Visa and Mastercard and international card options, including American Express cards. At other offline places, like street shops and local markets, you can simply withdraw cash from any nearby ATM. Your bank will automatically debit the account in the native currency while dispensing cash in Euro, post-conversion, as per the current exchange rate. 

Pro tip- inform your native bank about your France expedition beforehand, so it can help you with an increased withdrawal limit and other international banking facilities that come in handy.

Pack Your Routine Medications with Precautions

You or a fellow traveller might be struggling with pre-existing ailments like diabetes, hypertension, etc. To ease medical care, check with the Embassy for provisions to carry prescribed medications, including insulin and syringes, with proper medical bags and arrangements. Also, look up pharmacies nearby your hotel. 

Also, you must check the network of hospitals close to your accommodation. The better the network hospital coverage, the easier for you to access quality medical care if the need arises. Also, ensure that your travel policy has provisions for pre-existing disease coverage. 

Make the Most of France with Explore- Travel Insurance

In an effort to make international travel safe and healthy, Care Health Insurance offers ‘International Travel Insurance’ – Your Perfect International Travel Safety Partner. The policy provides region-specific coverage benefits to ensure complete protection of travellers against medical and non-medical emergencies, from hospitalisation to accidental disabilities and trip interruptions. Learn more about the policy, its optimum coverage and affordable premium options that ensure your stay in France is a trip to remember for a lifetime. 

Disclaimer: Plan features, benefits, coverage, and claims underwriting are subject to policy terms and conditions. Kindly refer to the brochure, sales prospectus, and policy documents carefully.