HELP GUIDES

Income Tax in France

Healthcare in France

Inheritance Law and Wills in France

Visas and residency cards for France

River

Why is Bordeaux also known as the ‘port of the moon’?

The nickname hints at the long maritime history of the World Heritage city

PHOTOS: Rivers flood French towns and giant hailstones over weekend

Hundreds of homes had to be evacuated in the west. We include videos of the flooding

PHOTOS: Floods hit west France, hundreds of homes evacuated

Charente river rises six metres above usual levels. Many departments remain on alert for river flooding

news

Heightened flood warnings maintained in south-west France

Two-thirds of departments across country on alert after several days of rainfall

PHOTOS: Floods across south-west France as rivers burst banks

Departments including Dordogne have seen rivers increase by more than five metres above usual levels

Floods and storms: much of France facing weather alerts

West and south-west particularly affected with heightened warnings. Warm weather, however, is set to continue

Polar wind set to bring below average cold snap to France next week

One department still remains on heightened alert for flooding

Hospital evacuated: Haute-Savoie on red alert for river flooding

Motorway closed and several rivers overflow across country. Flooded North remains on alert with more rain predicted

Red alert for flooding as rivers burst banks in north France

Residents are being asked to stay home and to not drive as rain continues

12-year project to rewild French river a success

Local authorities aimed to return the site in southern France to its natural state to mitigate the effects of climate change

‘Monster’ cannibal fish in French rivers, but no threat to humans

The huge catfish called ‘silures’ can grow to 2m long - scientists want more studies on this edible, prehistoric throwback

Is River Seine clean enough for Paris Olympics 2024? Public says no

Preparations to clean up the river are underway in a bid to enable athletes to use it, but a new poll shows that public perception of the waterway is still poor

Mini-tornado rips off roof as more extreme weather hits France

A 17-year-old is still missing after falling in a river in Oise, declarations of an official ‘catastrophe naturelle’ imminent - and more storms forecast across the centre-east

Historic French river bridge rebuilt too low for barges to pass easily

The €8million restoration project to boost water transport of goods ended with the bridge being 38 centimetres lower than previous version

France on heatwave alert and water limits as drought worsens

Water restrictions are in place in 72 departments across France and a red heatwave alert is issued for 15 departments, as the drought worsens, meaning many endangered river fish have needed to be moved.

Greenpeace protest blackens fountains across France

Environmental activist group Greenpeace has blackened the water of several major fountains in cities across France to protest a project by oil company Total.

Nature group protests French charity plastic duck race

Environmental activists in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie) have called for the cancellation of a “duck race” tombola that would see thousands of numbered, plastic bathtime-style toy ducks dropped into the Garonne river.

121 deaths by drowning in 35 days in France

Lack of lifeguards, and poor standard of swimming lessons to blame, according to secretary general of Fédération des maîtres-nageurs

Paris Mayor: 'Swimming' Seine to cost €1bn

City centre rivers are not often known for swimming, but Mayor Anne Hidalgo has promised that the length of the Seine will be clean enough to bathe in by 2024, in a project set to cost €1 billion.

Paris Mayor takes SeaBubble taxi to work

Anne Hidalgo shows her support for eco-friendly river taxi with morning commute broadcast on social media

Flying river taxis return to Seine

SeaBubbles resume testing after six-month absence due to red tape and river regulations in capital

12,000 plastic ducks released into river for charity

A huge basket of 12,000 plastic bath ducks was released on to the Aa river in Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France) as part of a charity fundraising duck race this week.

Historic barge that once housed Paris's homeless sinks

Owners hope vessel that was fitted out by Le Corbusier in 1929 can be refloated

Seine plateaus but 12 departments still on flood alert

Water levels in Paris have remained steady since late on Sunday evening

Hundreds evacuated as floods continue

13 departments on flood alert, while another seven warned of snow and ice

The statue that warns Parisians about Seine floods

Statue of a Crimean soldier has alerted locals to water levels since 1856

Rivers still rise - and more rain and snow is forecast

Seine in Paris expected to peak at weekend, while river traffic resumes on Rhine south of Strasbourg

Flood alerts in 30 departments as rivers burst banks

Seine and Rhine among rivers that have flooded, and while current drier conditions have offered respite, more rain is forecast from Thursday

Bordeaux bridge 'to stay closed to traffic until June'

Mayor announces Pont de pierre will be restricted to pedestrians and cyclists pending a final decision later in the year

Flood warnings in force as rivers rise

Several departments on orange alert as water levels rise following recent heavy rain - as floods watchdog warns "many rivers" could burst their banks

Power plan for Bordeaux bridge

Prototype water turbines under Bordeaux's first bridge over Garonne could start generating electricity from early 2018

River ban after algae kills dogs

Dog-owners in seven departments have been warned not to let their pets swim or drink from rivers and some lakes after around a dozen dogs were killed by toxic cyanobacteria.

River

Why is Bordeaux also known as the ‘port of the moon’?

PHOTOS: Rivers flood French towns and giant hailstones over weekend

PHOTOS: Floods hit west France, hundreds of homes evacuated

Heightened flood warnings maintained in south-west France

Trending

Cars and driving: What's new in France in 2025

Residency rights and border changes: What's new in France in 2025

Letters: Retirement in France costs more than €15,000 a year

Dordogne: See which communes have grown in population - and those that have fallen

Police warn drivers of car headlights rules in France

How to create the perfect French Christmas cheese platter

Learning French: when and why do we say le jour J?