🇫🇷vs🇬🇧

France vs United Kingdom

Compare travel essentials, budgets, and connectivity between France and United Kingdom.

Category🇫🇷 France🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Daily Budget (Budget)€115£85
Daily Budget (Mid-Range)€245£190
Daily Budget (Luxury)€620£500
VisaEU, EEA and Swiss nationals can enter without a visa. Many other nationalities may visit visa-free for up to 90 days in a 180-day period, while nationals of visa-required countries must obtain a Schengen short-stay visa before departure; long stays generally require a national visa. ETIAS is expected for visa-exempt non-European visitors from late 2026, subject to official rollout timing.British and Irish citizens do not need permission to enter. Many other nationalities, including most EU, EEA, Swiss, US, Canadian and Australian nationals, can visit visa-free for short stays but generally need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA); ETAs permit visits of up to 6 months and are valid for multiple journeys for up to 2 years or until passport expiry. Visa-national travellers must obtain a Standard Visitor visa before travel; visa on arrival is generally unavailable.
LanguageFrench; English is widely used in tourist areas.English is the main language. Welsh is an official language in Wales, and Scottish Gaelic and Scots are used in parts of Scotland.
Best MonthsApril to June, September to OctoberMay to September
TimezoneCentral European Time (CET, UTC+1); Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2)GMT (UTC+0) in winter; BST (UTC+1) from late March to late October
Connectivity Rating5/5 (5G)5/5 (5G)
eSIM Starting Price$11.00$11.50
Power PlugType C/E, 230V, 50HzType G, 230V, 50Hz
Emergency Number112 (general emergency); 15 (ambulance), 17 (police), 18 (fire)999 or 112 (police, ambulance and fire)