Emergencies

• Most pharmacists in France can diagnose and treat routine health problems. Look for the neon green cross which identifies all chemists. If you become ill at night, look in the window of the closest chemist - it will post the location of the nearest pharmacie de garde, 24-hour chemist, where you can buy medicine outside normal opening hours. Chemists will also know where to find the local doctors. If it's an emergency, SAMU (Service d'Assistance Médicale d'Urgence) the emergency services, can be contacted by dialling 15.



• Don't forget to take a European Health Insurance Card, which has now replaced the E111 form, as UK citizens are entitled to a 70-80% refund of charges incurred for dental and medical treatments, as well as part reimbursement on prescribed medicines. You can get these from main post offices. Generally, foreign patients pay the doctor for the consultation and are given une feuille de soins, a form for reclaiming the medical expenses. It's also advisable to take out a travel insurance policy for other emergencies.



• If you're faced with mechanical problems while driving in France, all the major car manufacturers have garages and service stations which can be found under garages d'automobiles in the Pages Jaunes, Yellow Pages, who can help in case of dépannage, breakdown. If you break down on the motorway, roadside emergency phone boxes will connect you to the nearest breakdown service facility.



• The police can be contacted by dialling 17. If you're reporting lost or stolen property, go to la gendarmerie, the police station, where you will need to faire une déclaration, fill in a report.



• Les sapeurs pompiers, the fire department, can be contacted by dialling 18. Firemen are paramedics and will perform first aid as well as their more routine life-saving duties.



• It's a good idea to try to keep en eye out for the 11 jours feriés, public holidays, in France, when it is notoriously difficult to access routine services:
  
  Jan 1st: le jour de l'An, New Year's Day
  April 21st: lundi de Pâques, Easter Monday
  May 1st: la Fête du Travail, May Day or Labour Day
  May 8th: la Fête de la Victoire de 1945, VE Day
  May 29th: l'Ascension, Ascension Day
  June 9th: lundi de Pentecôte, Whit Sunday
  July 14th: la Fête Nationale, Bastille Day
  August 15th: la Fête de l'Assomption, the Assumption
  November 1st: la Toussaint, All Saints' Day
  November 11th: le jour de l'Armistice, Remembrance or Armistice Day
  December 25th: la Fête de Noel, Christmas Day
  

French Tourist Office - more information on emergency facilities available to tourists.