INTRODUCTION.
I. Language. Money. Expenses. Season. Passports.
Custom House. Octroi.
Language. A slight acquaintance with French is indispensable
for those who désire to explore the more remote districts of Northern
France, but tourists who do not deviate from the beaten track -will
generally find English spoken at the principal hôtels and the usual
resorts of strangers. If, however, they are entirely ignorant of the
French language, they must be prepared occasionally to submit to
the extortions practised by porters, cab-drivers, and others of a like
class, which even the data furnished by the Handbook will not
always enable them to avoid.
Money. The décimal Monetary System of France is extremely
convenient in keeping accounts. The Banque de France issues
Banknotes of 5000, 1000, 500, 200, 100, and 50 francs, and thèse
are the only banknotes current in the country. The French Gold
coins are of the value of 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 francs ; Silver coins
of 5, 2, 1, Y21 ar,d Vs franc; Bronze of 10, 5, 2, and 1 centime
(100 centimes = 1 franc). 'Sou'1 is the old name, still in common
use, for 5 centimes ; thus, a 5-franc pièce is sometimes called 'une
pièce de cent sous', 2 fr. = 40 sous, 1 fr. = 20 sous, lj% fr. =
10 sous. Italian, Belgian, Swiss, and Greek gold coins are received
at their full value, and the Austrian gold pièces of 4 and 8 florins
are worth exactly 10 and 20 fr. respectively. Belgian, Swiss, and
Greek silver coins (except Swiss coins with the seated figure of
Helvetia) are also current at full value; but Italian silver coins,
with the exception of the 5-lira pièces, should be refused. The only
foreign copper coins current in France are those of Italy and occa¬
sionally the English penny andhalfpenny, which nearly correspond
to the 10 and 5 centime pièce respectively.
English banknotes and gold are also generally received at the
full value in the larger towns, except at the shops of the money-
changers, where a trifling déduction is made. The table at the begin-
ning of the book shows the comparative value of the French, English,
American, and German currencies, when at par. Circulât Notes or
Letters of Crédit, obtainable at the principal English and American
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