French news

Why do some cars have red number plates in France?

Red plates are one of several rare coloured plates you might see on French roads

New report reveals how much you must earn to be considered rich in France

France’s national statistics agency (INSEE) highlights income thresholds in France

Decathlon store building with a blue sign against a clear sky.

Decathlon workers to strike in France as unions join forces

Weekend action will impact stores across the country

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72 Auchan supermarkets to become Intermarché or Netto following sale

See which Auchan supermarkets are affected on the list below

Date confirmed for obesity drug refund in France

Wegovy and Mounjaro medications will be covered under France’s health scheme

Road sign with EU stars and France text showing 500 m on a mountain road.

France among countries recommended to end internal Schengen border checks

Introduction of EES reduces need for checks, believes European Commission

Three forestry staff questioned over deadly south-west France wildfire

Investigators believe August 2025 fire was started deliberately

EasyJet shares jump amid potential takeover by US company

US investment firm has until June 26 to decide whether to make a formal bid for the airline

No summer cancellations due to jet fuel shortages, predicts Air France

Airline believes fuel supplies are secured throughout summer period and launches flexible ticket promotion

Warmer than average summer predicted in France

Riviera and other eastern areas are most likely to experience particularly hot conditions says state forecaster

Close-up of hands holding a small lugworm over a blurred body of water.

Blood of worms from Brittany helps Crans-Montana fire victims

Inventor of pioneering gel in line for top European prize

A view of a number plate showing the ‘F’ for France sign

I fell victim to number plate fraud in France - fines kept arriving

Resident fined multiple times even though he was in US at the time of offences

150 miss Toulouse to London flight due to airport queues

Long queues at border control leave travellers struggling to reach gates in time

Rendez-vous aux jardins 2026: visit over 2,800 parks and gardens across France

Many participating sites are often otherwise closed to the public

France road deaths rise in 2025, official figures show

Speed and alcohol remain the leading causes of fatal crashes

Processionary caterpillar numbers on rise in northern France: what to do if you spot them

Several departments issued warnings over weekend, with certain areas closed to public

Updated: 14-metre whale found on beach in Nouvelle-Aquitaine

A young sei whale was found on a beach on Île de Ré, prompting an investigation into how it died and why it was in the area

Cancer patients in three French regions to be reimbursed for physical activity classes

A two-year trial scheme will fund prescribed activity, including a final assessment

British Airways opens London City - Toulon route

New service targets visitors and residents by offering quieter journey

French weekly weather forecast June 1 - June 5: rain and storms as temperatures drop

Below average temperatures for season forecast for weekend

Partially built villa with concrete block walls and open window spaces behind a site fence.

UK directors investigated over failed French holiday village

New rules require holiday village developers to explain risk

Airline boss tells travellers to arrive three hours before flights from France to the UK

The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) can mean lengthy queues

Garden hose watering plants, with a red car and a backyard swimming pool shown in adjacent panels.

Water restrictions imposed across parts of France

Officials warn that conditions could worsen in the coming weeks

Gloved hand holding a cadmium-labeled container over a blurred field.

France restricts free cadmium screening despite doctors’ warnings

Experts say criteria for patient inclusion is too narrow

4G antennas near homes in France spark legal and planning disputes

Applications already approved for 3,760 more

€30m clay subsidence scheme helps only 19 cases in France

'We cannot hide it: the result is not good', minister says

Man's hand holding a pen about to sign a document

France 2021 inheritance law: Why wills choosing Scots law may be exempt from forced heirship

The same may also apply to wills electing law from one US state

France records over 90 cases of mosquito-borne diseases in May

All infections were linked to travel abroad

Spain’s new speed cameras can catch drivers ‘before they have time to brake’

The new laser-based AI speed cameras can identify vehicles from over 200 metres away

Authorities in south-west France seek to improve beach safety following recent drownings

Police lifeguard union call for changes after four drowning deaths in a week

Air quality improves in parts of France as heatwave eases

Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur were the most affected during the early-season ozone episode

Videos: 5cm hail batters Normandy during sudden storms

Greenhouses, roofs and cars damaged as winds reach 91km/h

French weekend weather forecast May 30 - 31: heatwave ends, storms in east

Temperatures will drop in the west but remain high in east and along Mediterranean

Blood donor rules, gas price drop: what changes for residents in France in June 2026

Fuel aid payments will also begin

Two travellers with luggage pass through an airport security Parafe gate marked 12.

Britons and Americans living in France can use PARAFE e-gates again, government confirms

The same nationalities may be invited to use them if going through EES visitor checks

Processionary caterpillar outbreak in Île-de France linked to hot weather

Rising temperatures have led to sharp increase in numbers of poisonous insect

Airbnb landlord in France must repay €10,000 over renovation works

A French court ruled that ongoing renovation work and reduced natural light significantly affected the renter’s enjoyment of the property

How do new language tests affect Americans moving to France?

Immigration bill changed requirements for several residency card types

France becomes first EU country to refund obesity drugs

France will begin covering the cost of Wegovy and Mounjaro under strict eligibility rules

Weekend protests planned in France against rave crackdown

Protesters oppose a proposed law tightening penalties on 'free parties'

Appeal trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy ends

Judge will give verdict over claims of corruption and illegal campaign financing in November

French heatwave continues with more records likely to be set

37C forecast in south-west with more than 900 areas seeing new May highs

200,000 sterile tiger mosquitoes released in Toulouse

City latest to adopt experimental technique for curbing numbers of disease-carrying mosquitoes

Speed camera box beside a road as a blurred car drives past

Drivers in France face more cameras and harsher penalties

Rising road deaths are ‘intolerable’, minister says

France conducts world’s first eight-person kidney transplant

Four hospitals worked together to perform the ‘new milestone’ in transplant history

Swimmer deaths in south-west France: why rip currents are so dangerous

Authorities have advised people on the best way to escape being dragged out to sea

France's Mint launches €4,000 solid gold investment coin

The ‘Marianne’ coin is the first gold bullion minted in France in a century

EU approves new legislation for cats and dogs

Rules include stricter welfare and identification requirements for breeders and sellers plus a new 'pet travellers' database'

Speed limits reduced across France as heatwave drives ozone pollution alerts

Regional measures aim to reduce emissions and limit health risks during peak temperatures

Video: long queues this morning for Nice airport passport control

Problem was not related to the EES digital border scheme

French driver fined €43,000 for traffic offences he did not commit

A French driver spent four years fighting fines for offences he says he never committed

A damaged roadside speed camera stands near a rural road, with two police officers and a vehicle nearby.

Drivers in France destroy ‘abusive’ countryside speed camera on hill

‘You can easily hit 100km/h without realising’

20,000 volunteers sought for lung cancer screening in France

Programme looking for current or former heavy-smokers

France heatwave update: 13 departments under orange alert and highs of 38C expected

Warnings have been extended across parts of western France as authorities urge residents to stay vigilant

‘Brown foam’ appears in sea across south-east France amid record May heat

People reported unusual yellow-brown patches in the water during the Pentecost weekend heatwave

Do not buy: French authorities warn of 52 dangerous items sold online

Recalls include children’s toys and electrical items such as hairdryers

Heatwave: Eight French departments placed under orange alert

See the map of affected departments

A garden sprinkler sprays water next to model houses and a British passport.

15 recent and upcoming changes in France you may have missed in May

Includes water restrictions, residence permits and ETAs

France braces for hottest day of heatwave as seven deaths linked

Temperatures are expected to exceed 35C in parts of western France as officials warn residents to stay vigilant

France homeowner faces legal trouble over 4cm land encroachment on neighbour’s property

Any construction encroaching on a neighbour’s land may be required to be removed

Notaire fees on French property sales rise

97 French departments have now decided to apply the higher fees

French justice minister calls for three-year halt to legal immigration

‘We have reached the limits of our capacities for integration and assimilation’, Gérald Darmanin says

Two die after being swept away by sea currents in south-west France

Heatwave draws bathers to unsupervised beaches

Sun flare on a blue background next to a coloured map of France.

France heatwave: Paris and western regions on alert

Heat forecast to intensify on Tuesday

Whit Monday holiday: how it works in France and how much it raises for state

It used to be a simple bank holiday like any other - but the tragic events of 2003 changed everything

French heatwave set to continue amid record May temperatures

Hottest days and nights to come in next few days, warn forecasters

France suspends Dover’s EES border checks amid long queues

Waiting times reduced and traffic ‘free flowing’ on Sunday, says port

How a Paris tasting changed views on French and US wine

May 24 marks 50 years since the ‘Judgement of Paris’ when Californian wines triumphed

Commercial aircraft taking off above a Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport sign.

Paris airport strike on June 18: which routes are at risk of delays?

One-day strike called by ground staff at Charles de Gaulle Airport

Nice airport letting foreign travellers use e-gates

Riviera destination is easing the checking process for Britons and Americans

Shoppers in France warned after ham recalled from supermarkets over listeria fears

Consumers urged not to consume affected batches of Aoste ham

France’s EV charging points: survey highlights frequent breakdowns and uneven pricing

Consumer group points to only two-thirds of public chargers fully operational in 2025 and price variations of nearly 500%

Dover ferry delays: Bank holiday queues grow as Entry-Exit System slows crossings to France

Passengers travelling from the UK warned to expect long waits

France sees early-season heat: how long will it last?

Temperatures are set to reach up to 35C

Constitutional Council blocks removal of low-emission zones for drivers in France

Vote to end zones à faibles émissions (ZFEs) overturned on review

French news

Why do some cars have red number plates in France?

New report reveals how much you must earn to be considered rich in France

Decathlon workers to strike in France as unions join forces

72 Auchan supermarkets to become Intermarché or Netto following sale

Trending

Greece backtracks on EES exemptions for Britons

150 miss Toulouse to London flight due to airport queues

France among countries recommended to end internal Schengen border checks

Warmer than average summer predicted in France

Airline boss tells travellers to arrive three hours before flights from France to the UK

Water restrictions imposed across parts of France

Map: tap water restrictions and warnings by department as of June 2

Date confirmed for obesity drug refund in France

France among countries recommended to end internal Schengen border checks

Three forestry staff questioned over deadly south-west France wildfire

EasyJet shares jump amid potential takeover by US company

No summer cancellations due to jet fuel shortages, predicts Air France

Warmer than average summer predicted in France

Blood of worms from Brittany helps Crans-Montana fire victims

I fell victim to number plate fraud in France - fines kept arriving

150 miss Toulouse to London flight due to airport queues

Rendez-vous aux jardins 2026: visit over 2,800 parks and gardens across France

Theft of Normandy Scottish piper statue sparks sadness ahead of D-Day commemorations

France cuts air ticket tax on 26 regional routes

South-east ‘colonised’ by tiger mosquitoes amidst disease fears

France road deaths rise in 2025, official figures show

Greece backtracks on EES exemptions for Britons

Storms set to hit eastern side of France today

Will 2026 see record Asian hornet numbers in France?

France plans 10 new offshore wind farms

Nuit Blanche 2026: ‘all night’ free culture festival in and around Paris

Processionary caterpillar numbers on rise in northern France: what to do if you spot them

Updated: 14-metre whale found on beach in Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Cancer patients in three French regions to be reimbursed for physical activity classes

British Airways opens London City - Toulon route

French weekly weather forecast June 1 - June 5: rain and storms as temperatures drop

UK directors investigated over failed French holiday village

Airline boss tells travellers to arrive three hours before flights from France to the UK

Water restrictions imposed across parts of France

France restricts free cadmium screening despite doctors’ warnings

4G antennas near homes in France spark legal and planning disputes

€30m clay subsidence scheme helps only 19 cases in France

France 2021 inheritance law: Why wills choosing Scots law may be exempt from forced heirship

France records over 90 cases of mosquito-borne diseases in May

Spain’s new speed cameras can catch drivers ‘before they have time to brake’

Authorities in south-west France seek to improve beach safety following recent drownings

Air quality improves in parts of France as heatwave eases

Videos: 5cm hail batters Normandy during sudden storms

French weekend weather forecast May 30 - 31: heatwave ends, storms in east

Blood donor rules, gas price drop: what changes for residents in France in June 2026

Britons and Americans living in France can use PARAFE e-gates again, government confirms

Processionary caterpillar outbreak in Île-de France linked to hot weather

Airbnb landlord in France must repay €10,000 over renovation works

How do new language tests affect Americans moving to France?

France becomes first EU country to refund obesity drugs

Weekend protests planned in France against rave crackdown

Appeal trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy ends

French heatwave continues with more records likely to be set

200,000 sterile tiger mosquitoes released in Toulouse

Drivers in France face more cameras and harsher penalties

France conducts world’s first eight-person kidney transplant

Swimmer deaths in south-west France: why rip currents are so dangerous

France's Mint launches €4,000 solid gold investment coin

EU approves new legislation for cats and dogs

Speed limits reduced across France as heatwave drives ozone pollution alerts

Video: long queues this morning for Nice airport passport control

French driver fined €43,000 for traffic offences he did not commit

Drivers in France destroy ‘abusive’ countryside speed camera on hill

20,000 volunteers sought for lung cancer screening in France

France heatwave update: 13 departments under orange alert and highs of 38C expected

‘Brown foam’ appears in sea across south-east France amid record May heat

Do not buy: French authorities warn of 52 dangerous items sold online

Heatwave: Eight French departments placed under orange alert

15 recent and upcoming changes in France you may have missed in May

France braces for hottest day of heatwave as seven deaths linked

France homeowner faces legal trouble over 4cm land encroachment on neighbour’s property

Notaire fees on French property sales rise

French justice minister calls for three-year halt to legal immigration

Two die after being swept away by sea currents in south-west France