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WASTE DISPOSAL Rubbish collection is organised by the authorities of your commune at the local town hall, called la mairie. There is no need to request this service, which is paid for in your yearly local taxes. The frequency of the service varies from place to place; in Paris, rubbish collection is daily, but in small towns it is often only three times or less per week. The local authorities provide the regulation large plastic ‘wheely’ bins free of charge. In very rural areas you will often need to take your rubbish to the nearest ‘wheely’ bin as they may not be right outside your property. All apartment buildings have a bin area, where residents deposit their waste. In large buildings it is the caretaker, called gardien or concierge, who looks after the collection. Otherwise, you will need to ask your local mairie on what days the rubbish collectors pass. Bins are placed in the street the night before. Most French towns make containers available for waste disposal, with, separate collections of a) cardboard and paper waste, and b) all other domestic waste, and separate bins are provided. There are bottle banks in most French neighbourhoods and on large shopping carparks, but it is both legal and common to dispose of bottles in bins. It is illegal to dispose of dangerous substances, including batteries and motor oil, in domestic bins. Most supermarkets, and every town hall, have used-battery bins.
On the La Poste website, you can find a useful PDF with current tariffs, www.laposte.fr. In most cases, a letter posted before 17.00 with a rapide stamp will be delivered to an address in France the next morning. La Poste also offers same-day express deliveries, as do the many private courier firms in France, which include all the major international operators.
TELEPHONES The installation and maintenance of all telephone lines in France is handled by France Telecom. To open a line you will need proof of residence and proof of personal identity (residence permit or passport). Getting connected takes about 24 hours. France Telecom has boutiques in most urban neighbourhoods, or you can call 10 14 but call from a fixed line, it can get expensive from your mobile phone. Once you open a line, you will automatically be billed for calls by France Telecom, although you can instead subscribe to a service from one of several private telephone operators offering very competitive rates. Dial 12 for French directory enquiries and 3212 for international enquiries. The phone books are the pages blanches for all numbers and the pages jaunes for trade lists (see French phone book decoder). Both are available online, www.pagesjaunes.fr.
POSTAL SERVICE France used to have just one public postal service, La Poste. In 2010 it was converted into a public company. The postal service is generally efficient, although occasionally subject to strikes. There are post offices, called bureaux de postes and easily identified with their blue-on-yellow logo, in every urban neighbourhood and most rural villages.
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