Have a wonderful holiday in France!

Now we’re in the summer season, millions of British people, literally, come to France every year, and almost everyone has a wonderful holiday. That’s obviously what we want in the Embassy as well.

Our Consular staff are here to help if things do go wrong, but we very much hope that we won’t need to speak to you, and you will have a great time.

I just wanted to give you some of the experience that our staff have of things that can go wrong foir you to bear in mind as you plan your holiday in France. I’ll put them under three headings: driving, strolling in Paris, and swimming.

Driving: do remember the speed limits. Do please remember that you drive on the right – and you’d be amazed at the number of people who do get into problems forgetting that, and the drink and driving limits here are very tight and you really need to respect them.

Strolling around in Paris and other big cities is fantastic, but like any big city, there are problems of pickpockets and our consulate, every Monday morning, has a queue of people who’ve have their passports stolen and their wallets stolen. So do look after your valuables in the big towns.

And then swimming. Many British people go to the wonderful beaches of the Atlantic coast. There are strong tides and currents on those beaches, and every year, British holidaymakers get into difficulties on the beaches so just take sensible advice locally on what it’s safe to do.

And then finally, before you set off, check with your sun cream that you have your passport – which is up to date; travel insurance; and your European Health Insurance Card – and then you’ll be fine.