Relocating to a new place is very challenging and France because of its fondness of bureaucracy and small ability to expect you to know all from before isn’t any different. So, below here are some apps that can make your life just a little simpler. Though you may have your friends, relatives and colleagues to help you out, sometimes a little technical help can give you a lot of benefits. Hopefully, you will find it supportive and surely it will help in smoothing your life in France.
1. CityMapper
Though you can use any mapping app or even go for a paper map, in big cities, these apps will help you in finding public route transport if it is too far to walk or help you know about the disruptions and delays on the path. There are some helpful snippets in Paris which help you with which Metro Station exit you should use (because in bigger stations if you choose the wrong exit, then you may have to walk 0.5km more) and which end of the train you should pick to make sure you don’t have to walk extra. However, the app works in just a few cities.
Talking about public transportation, when you are in Paris, and you don’t want to waste your time looking for cardboard tickets, then city transportation authorities have just launched the app which permits you to load your device with Metro, tram and bus tickets and swipe it at the barricade. However, this is not for iPhone users, because Apple didn’t agree to be a part of the project, hence it is just for Android devices.
3. BlaBlacar
If you are travelling and wish to save some money, then you can go for ride sharing at the BlaBlaCar app. The drivers promote a trip they will take and invite passengers in exchange for a small payment to help them with the petrol charges.
It is just an advanced version of hitch-hiking but for foreigners, it has brought some great benefit of being stuck in a car with French locals as it will help you practice a lot of French. (The BlaBla in the name of the company states how chatty you can get with someone during a trip)
4. Doctolib
Speaking to the receptionist of any doctor can be an excruciating pain in any language; hence you can take help of this amazing app which allows you to book an appointment without speaking to anyone. All you need to do is search doctors by area or by specialty before making an appointment. Apart from this helpful info, the app also helps you know about the doctor you have chosen and whether they speak your native language or not. So, if you are not French, then you can easily find an English speaking doctor for you.
5. C’est la greve
Though this is a French app, it mentions the list of all the strikes taking place in France, whether ongoing or planned. However, not all strikes in France can lead to widespread disruption. If the strike is just about one union with less number of members, then it will not cause any real issue.
The problem usually arises when the unions work together as it may create a big impact just like the mass transportations strike in December and January. Also, some protests or work-to-rule may be listed as strikes. For instance, emergency works and firefighters who aren’t allowed by law to leave the job. In short do not freak out if you see too many strikes listed.
6. La Fourchette
La Fourchette (the fork) is a restaurant booking app which has listed over thousands of nice eating places. It allows you to search either by restaurant type or location. If you aren’t confident of your French, then you will save from making a call to ensure that you get the right hour and right booking for the number of people you need.
7. TUP
Trouver Un Preservatif is for lovers. If you are in an emergency romantic situation, then the app will help you by scanning your location and searching the nearest pharmacies, supermarkets and vending machines to buy condoms. These locations are marked on the map and it will also reveal to you, how long it will take for you to reach there. So, you don’t have any excuse for not having secure sex.
Allo Medecin: Though it is not an app but an online platform that helps you get access to an immediate doctor on call for your health condition by using your geo-location. So, all you need to do is put in your local address and the nearest doctor on call will speak to you and give you all the medical assistance you need. So, for any medical emergency, come here!