https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Popular with French tourists but perhaps less well known to international visitors are the western islands of France - here's a look at three islands that you should add to your holiday list. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230310/3-french-islands-to-visit-this-summer Fri, 10 Mar 2023 08:38:09 +0100 3-french-islands-to-visit-this-summer You might have heard that everything closes down in August in France - in truth that's a slight exaggeration, but you will still notice that some businesses and services close down for at least part of the month. Here's what to expect and how to find alternatives for vital services such as healthcare. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250801/whats-open-and-whats-closed-in-august-in-france Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:34:37 +0200 whats-open-and-whats-closed-in-august-in-france Originally a term from the world of ballroom dancing, this is now something that you will want to avoid while in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260731/french-expression-of-the-day-chasse-croise Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:58:47 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-chasse-croise From days-long celebrations and endless family reunions to a handy French rule for drinking wine - this week's La Belle Vie takes you inside a traditional Breton wedding. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260730/la-belle-vie-french-wedding-traditions-and-the-trick-to-avoiding-a-hangover-allegedly Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:29:10 +0200 la-belle-vie-french-wedding-traditions-and-the-trick-to-avoiding-a-hangover-allegedly From civil ceremonies at the mairie to the famous vin d'honneur and car honking, French weddings blend legal formalities with long-standing traditions. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260730/9-french-wedding-traditions-you-should-know Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:22:42 +0200 9-french-wedding-traditions-you-should-know From staying informed about natural disasters to mastering fluent French and navigating French real estate agents, here's our latest newsletter for Americans in France and those planning a move. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260729/americans-in-france-supporting-wildfire-victims-and-reaching-french-fluency Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:49:27 +0200 americans-in-france-supporting-wildfire-victims-and-reaching-french-fluency Rules for renting out your main residence in France as a short-term holiday let have changed - here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260730/explained-frances-new-rules-for-renting-out-your-home-on-airbnb Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:32:22 +0200 explained-frances-new-rules-for-renting-out-your-home-on-airbnb This property-related phrase has a surprising military history. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260730/french-expression-of-the-day-pied-a-terre Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:22:17 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-pied-a-terre More and more tourists from southern Europe – particularly France and Spain – are heading to Sweden to experience a cooler summer, according to new data from the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Development. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260730/tourists-from-france-and-spain-flock-to-sweden-for-cooler-summer Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:55:23 +0200 tourists-from-france-and-spain-flock-to-sweden-for-cooler-summer As wildfires continue to disrupt parts of south-west France during the height of the summer holidays, many travellers are wondering if they should cancel and, if so, whether they will get their money back. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260729/wildfires-in-france-will-your-travel-insurance-cover-cancelled-holidays Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:28:42 +0200 wildfires-in-france-will-your-travel-insurance-cover-cancelled-holidays If someone in France tells you c'est du pipeau, don't start looking for a musical instrument... https://www.thelocal.fr/20260729/french-expression-of-the-day-cest-du-pipeau Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:00:14 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-cest-du-pipeau Will this summer's repeated fatal heatwaves and enormous wildfires cause French politicians to get serious about tackling climate change? Don't bet on it, says John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260729/opinion-french-politicians-are-failing-their-trial-by-wildfire Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:26:19 +0200 opinion-french-politicians-are-failing-their-trial-by-wildfire For those not lucky enough to come from a 'swap' state/country, the process of getting a French driving licence is difficult, time-consuming and very expensive. So are there any ways around this? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260728/mythbuster-is-there-any-way-you-can-drive-in-france-without-a-french-licence Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:53:03 +0200 mythbuster-is-there-any-way-you-can-drive-in-france-without-a-french-licence France is facing an "exceptional and highly worrying" drought, with half the country facing the highest level of water restrictions - here are where drought measures are in place. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250805/map-where-are-water-restrictions-in-place-in-france Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:19:27 +0200 map-where-are-water-restrictions-in-place-in-france This French expression has nothing to do with farting... https://www.thelocal.fr/20260728/french-expression-of-the-day-pete-sec Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:06:44 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-pete-sec Headlines in France in recent days have been dominated by a series of huge wildfires, with thousands of hectares burned, homes evacuated and others left without power. So is it still safe - and advisable - to holiday here? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260722/is-it-safe-to-come-to-france-in-wildfire-season Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:58:35 +0200 is-it-safe-to-come-to-france-in-wildfire-season Want to dispense a little tough love? French has the perfect phrase . . . https://www.thelocal.fr/20260727/french-expression-of-the-day-pleure-tu-pisseras-moins Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:03:42 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-pleure-tu-pisseras-moins The French government has confirmed plans to reduce the share of some healthcare costs - including dentist visits and medical transport - that are covered by the public health system. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260727/explained-changes-to-costs-for-healthcare-in-france Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:55:24 +0200 explained-changes-to-costs-for-healthcare-in-france You could say this French expression is the same rationale that was applied to Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260724/french-expression-of-the-day-qui-vole-un-oeuf-vole-un-boeuf Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:47:46 +0200 french-expression-of-the-day-qui-vole-un-oeuf-vole-un-boeuf Sometimes you will take a prescription to a French pharmacy only to be told that it is 'not reimbursed' - here's a look at what this means, why it happens and what you can do about it. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260722/explained-why-are-some-medication-not-reimbursed-in-france-and-what-you-can-do-about-it Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:36:43 +0200 explained-why-are-some-medication-not-reimbursed-in-france-and-what-you-can-do-about-it