Doing business in Strasbourg, France.

• Communication:
  Use formal names and academic titles.
  Business and private are not mixed.
  French are not direct, they prefer subtlety to directness, but questions can be very direct.
  Learn some key phrases French.
  Never interrupt somebody.
  Dress formal and conservative.
  


• Meetings and negotiations:
  When making appointments use the 24-hour clock time format to avoid misunderstandings.
  Be very punctual, if you suspect you will late, call and explain the situation.
  Never cancel a meeting at the last minute.
  Shake hands with everyone upon arriving at the meeting and leaving.
  Remain standing until invited to sit down or others do so.
  First appointments are more socially oriented, French would like to know you a bit better at first.
  A lot of time can be spent to getting to know you before the business conversation begins.
  Agenda’s are not strictly followed and a meeting can take much longer then planned.
  Keep your presentation as short as possible, to the point, accurate and precise, do not exaggerate.
  Follow up a meeting with a letter with all agreements outlined.
  


• Table manners:
  If unsure on how to behave, mimic the behavior of others.
  Wait until you are appointed a seat.
  Avoid alcohol if possible, otherwise drink little. Wineglasses will be refilled when not full, so keep some lots of wine in your glass.
  If making a toast, stand up.
  Put a napkin on your lap, eat not too much but finish your plate.
  Keep your hands above the table when eating.
  After finishing your plate lay your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles to the right.
  Thank your host at the end of the meal.
  

France is a member of the G-8, the European Union, the World Trade Organization and the OECD, confirming its status as a leading economic player in the world.

France is the second-largest trading nation in Western Europe, after Germany. France had a record-setting € 49 billion deficit in calendar year 2008. Total trade for 2008 amounted to € 772 billion, 75.0% of which was with EU-24 countries.

Government economic policy aims to promote investment and national growth in a stable fiscal and monetary environment. Creating jobs and lowering the high unemployment rate through recovery-supportive policy has been a top priority. The unemployment rate in metropolitan France slipped to just over 7% in the fourth quarter of 2008. Unemployment is expected to increase in 2009.

Despite major reform and privatization over the past 15 years, the government continues to control a large share of economic activity: Government spending, at 53 % of GDP in 2007, is among the highest in the G-7. Regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive. The government continues to own shares in corporations in a range of sectors, including banking, energy production and distribution, automobiles, transportation, and telecommunications.

Product tip: Keep an eye on the size of your trolley Many luggage stores sell suitcases described as ’carry-on’, but these suitcases are sometimes larger than the size most airlines will accept. The safe maximum size is 114 cm, in the form of a 55 x 40 x 20 cm bag. Some airlines allow up to as much as 140 cm, but most do not. Not only do luggage stores and manufacturers seldom tell you if their bag is legally sized or not, but they also frequently mis-measure their bag. Their measurements generally are for the inside of the main compartment, and assume that any external pockets are of zero thickness, rather than stuffed full of things (which can easily add another inch or more) and ignore any external framing such as wheels and carry handle (which can also add another couple of inches).

Address
Strasbourg International Airport
F-67960 ENTZHEIM
Tel :. + 33 3 88 64 69 54
Fax. : + 33 3 88 64 67 64
E-mail: f.montet@strasbourg.cci.fr
www.strasbourg.aeroport.fr

Airport codes
IATA airport code: SXB
ICAO airport code: LFST

Lost property
When you have lost luggage you can turn to Passenger information:
Phone : +33 3 88 64 67 67

Train
Shuttle train stops at the airport up to 4 per hour , allowing you to be in Strasbourg station in 9 minutes!A covered pedestrian footbridge allows you to walk between the airport and the station platform.

Le Violon d’Ingres
Located in the Robertsau district, this plush, richly furnished restaurant attracts businesspeople, locals, and members of the European parliament who enjoy elegant, well-prepared modern French cuisine. Among the set menus is one devoted entirely to seafood. Impeccable service is part and parcel of this establishment’s refined, sophisticated atmosphere.
1 rue du Chevalier Robert
Strasbourg
Tel: 03883 13950
www.violondingres.com

L’Alsace à Table
Located near place Kléber, this gorgeously attractive 1920s Parisian brasserie is decorated with paintings, wooden tables and sea scenes. On offer is a good choice of dishes, including fish of the day and chef’s suggestions. There is a strong emphasis on traditional Alsatian cuisine, and the house speciality is choucroute aux trois poissons (sauerkraut with three fish). The first floor is tailor-made for business meetings or banquets. If you are on a business trip to Strasbourg, this is a great restaurant for entertaining your hosts.
8 rue des Francs-Bourgeois
Strasbourg
Tel: 03883 25062
www.alsace-a-table.fr

Buerehiesel
Antoine Westermann has earned a Michelin star for the refined regional cuisine at Buerehiesel, a 17th-century country house at the heart of the Parc de l’Orangerie. The chance to dine in a timber-beamed room - or on the summer terrace - overlooking the lush greenery of the park is one not to be missed. Try dishes such as his ravioli with onions and chervil served with frogs’ legs.
4 parc de l’Orangerie
Strasbourg
Tel: 03884 55665
www.buerehiesel.fr

Best Western Monopole Métropole
Set just 250 metres from Strasbourg train station, close to the old town and La Petite France district, the Best Western Monopole Métropole is housed in a lovely 19th-century building. The entire hotel is equipped with free wireless internet access and a PC with high-speed internet access is also available in the lounge.
16, rue Kuhn
67000 Strasbourg
tel. +33 (0)3 88 14 39 14
More info about Best Western Monopole Métropole

Holiday Inn Strasbourg City Centre
Located opposite the Convention Centre and less than 5 minutes from the European Institutions and tourist areas, the hotel boasts a privileged location for business and leisure travelers. The tramway is situated in the immediate vicinity of the hotel and offers easy and quick access to the city centre which is very convenient during a busy business trip.
20 Place De Bordeaux
Strasbourg, 67000 France
Tel: 33-3-88378000
More info about Holiday Inn Strasbourg City Centre

Hilton Strasbourg Hotel
From the Hilton guest rooms to the executive rooms with access to the executive lounge, all the rooms offer Wi-Fi access. Set opposite the congress centre, the Hilton Strasbourg features 15 meeting rooms with Wi-Fi access, an executive lounge and a ballroom.
Avenue Herrenschmidt
Strasbourg, France F - 67000
Tel: 33-388-371-010
More info about Hilton Strasbourg Hotel

Bastian, 22-24 place de la Cathédrale, specializes in 18th- and 19th-century ceramic tureens that Alsace produced in abundance. Look for ragout pots in the forms of a cabbage, a trout, a boar’s head, or a turkey, painted in bright colors. There’s also a selection of Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture, crafted in the region during the 18th and 19th centuries following Parisian models from the same era.

One of the most appealing shops in Strasbourg is Arts et Collections d’Alsace, 4 place du Marché aux Poissons, which offers copies of art objects and utilitarian ware from museums and private collections through Alsace. You’ll see upscale gift items for the home and kitchen, made from pottery, stone, wrought iron, glass, copper, and carved wood. The shop also sells fabric by the meter or yard. You will find some great gifts for your loved ones when your return from a business trip to Strasbourg.

A name in pottery that you’re likely to encounter is Soufflenheim, a provincial rococo pattern -- usually in blues and reds -- named after the Alsatian village north of Strasbourg where the style originated. To get there, take N63 north of the center of Strasbourg for 24km. In the village, ceramics and pottery have been made since the Bronze Age. Soufflenheim is home to at least a dozen outlets selling cake molds, tureens, saucers and cups, dinnerware, and more, usually in rustic patterns. One of the most prominent retailers is Gérard Wehrling, 64 rue de Haguenau, known for pottery that can withstand the rigors of modern ovens, microwaves, and refrigerators. Expect to pay € 55 to € 100 for a large casserole.

At the far end of a series of canals are the so-called Ponts Couverts (they are in fact no longer covered), built as part of the fourteenth-century city fortifications and still punctuated by watchtowers.

Just beyond is a dam built by Vauban (daily 9am–7.30pm; mid-March to mid-Oct till 8pm; free) to protect the city from waterborne assault. The whole area is picture-postcard pretty, with winding streets – most notably rue du Bain-aux-Plantes – bordered by sixteenth- and seventeenth-century houses adorned with flowers and elaborately carved woodwork.

On the south side of the Pont du Corbeau, the medieval Impasse du Corbeau still looks much as it must have done in the fourteenth century. Downstream, the quai des Bateliers was part of the old business quarter, and the streets leading off it – rue Ste-Madeleine, rue de la Krutenau and rue de Zurich – are still worth a wander. Two bridges upstream, the Pont St-Thomas leads to the church of St-Thomas (Jan & Feb Sat & Sun 2–5pm; March & Nov–Dec daily 10am–noon & 2–5pm; April–Oct daily 10am–noon & 2–6pm; closed Sun morning for services; tel 03.88.32.14.46), with a Romanesque facade and Gothic towers. Since 1549 it has been the city’s principal Protestant church. Strasbourg was a bastion of the Reformation, and one of its leaders, Martin Bucer, preached in this church. The amazing piece of sculpture behind the altar is Jean-Baptiste Pigalle’s tomb of the Maréchal de Saxe, a very capable French military commander active against the Duke of Cumberland in the campaigns of the War of the Austrian Succession in the middle of the eighteenth century.

From here, it’s a short walk upstream to the Pont St-Martin, which marks the beginning of the district known as La Petite France, where the city’s millers, tanners and fishermen used to live. At the far end of a series of canals are the so-called Ponts Couverts (they are in fact no longer covered), built as part of the fourteenth-century city fortifications and still punctuated by watchtowers. Just beyond is a dam built by Vauban (daily 9am–7.30pm; mid-March to mid-Oct till 8pm; free) to protect the city from waterborne assault. The whole area is picture-postcard pretty, with winding streets – most notably rue du Bain-aux-Plantes – bordered by sixteenth- and seventeenth-century houses adorned with flowers and elaborately carved woodwork.

The area east of the cathedral is good for a stroll, too, where rue des Frères leads to place St-Étienne. Place du Marché-Gayot, off rue des Frères behind the cathedral, is very lively, almost southern in feel, with a row of trendy studenty cafés on the north side and a mixed bunch of eateries opposite. From the north side of the cathedral, rue du Dôme leads to the eighteenth-century place Broglie, with the Hôtel de Ville, the bijou Opera House and some imposing eighteenth-century mansions. It was at 4 place Broglie in 1792 that Rouget de l’Isle first sang what later became known as the Marseillaise for the mayor of Strasbourg, who had challenged him to compose a rousing song for the troops of the army of the Rhine.

There is no guarantee that any English will be spoken on any of these emergency and helpline telephone numbers.

In case of a medical emergency:
When you are in Paris and you are in need of medical help you can go to the American Hospital of Paris - 63 boulevard Victor Hugo - 92200 Neuilly-sur-SeineTelephone: 33 (0)1 46 41 25 25 - Fax: 33 (0)1 46 24 49 38

In history most French refused to speak any English. Nowadays the yournger generation speaks quit good English.

Some French phrases can always come in hand....

How are you?	Comment ça va?
I’m fine, thanks. And you?	Ça va bien, merci. Et vous?
What’s your name?	Comment est-ce que vous vous appelez?
My name is ...	Je m’appelle ...
Pleased to meet you	Je suis enchanté(e)
Good day	Bonjour
Good evening	Bonsoir
Good night	Bonne nuit
Goodbye	Au revoir / À bientôt
Have a nice day	Bonne journée !
Bon appetit	Bon appétit !
Cheers/Good health!	À votre santé !
I don’t understand	Je ne comprends pas
Please write it down	Pourriez-vous me l’écrire ?
Excuse me	Excusez-moi !
How much is this?	Ça coûte combien ?
Thank you	Merci beaucoup
You’re welcome	Je vous en prie
Where’s the toilet?	Où sont les toilettes ?
How do you say ... in French?	Comment dit-on ... en français ?
Yes / No	Oui / Non