United Church of God

Important Information

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A United Church of God Feast of Tabernacles site

Important Information

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

MEALS

Meals will be served in the resort restaurant based on a preset menu. Breakfasts will be buffet style. For lunch and dinner, please seat yourself as you enter, proceed to the buffet to get your first course (salad, etc.), and then a waiter will be with you shortly to bring you the remaining courses.
 

CHURCH SERVICES AND TRANSLATION

English speakers are welcomed and do not need to speak French. A short, opening service will be held after dinner on Sunday, September 23 at 8:30 pm. Some of the services will be held in French and some in English, with simultaneous translation into the other language provided via FM radios and headsets. Those wishing to make use of the translation service will need to bring their own FM transistor radio, spare batteries, and headphones. We will not be able to provide radios, headsets or batteries at the site. Such items are usually less expensive in the United States and Canada than they are in France.

Note: An English-language church service will be held at the VVF Resort in Évian-les-Bains the Sabbath before the Feast, September 22 at 2:30 pm in the main auditorium. Even if you can't stay at the VVF Resort before the Feast, we look forward to seeing visitors who arrive in the region before the Feast.
 

ELECTRICITY

The electrical current in France is 200-220 volts, 50 cycles. This will burn out North American appliances if no transformer is used (in the past, several visitors attending the Feast in France have had "bad hair days" due to short-lived but supercharged curling irons...). Note that a transformer is not the same thing as an adapter. An adapter is the plug that allows the appliance to be connected to the wall outlet. The sockets in France generally have two thin cylindrical prongs rather than the rectangular flat type found in North America. A transformer is a separate item that modifies the electrical current. Many companies market travel sets including both a transformer and several European adapters. Such sets usually cost about $20 and are available at luggage shops or department stores.


EXCHANGING MONEY

The currency used in France is the Euro. Exchange rates vary from day to day. As of February 5, 2018, 1 Dollar was worth 0.8 Euros. This will most likely change before the Feast. Banking hours in small towns and villages are typically 9:00 a.m. to noon and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, the best place to exchange money is at the post office, which is also a bank. Exchanging $100 bills is not practical given fraud detection requirements, so it is recommended that visitors who wish to exchange cash, only bring bills in denominations of $50 or less.

It is also recommended that visitors change at least a small amount of money before their trip to be sure some local currency is available on arrival. Traveler’s checks are a safe way to bring money since they can be replaced if lost or stolen, but they are becoming more difficult and expensive to change. Some visitors use ATM cards to withdraw Euros from ATMs. A visitor’s bank account is debited in the home currency and a small fee is charged. This is very convenient and one of the least costly ways to change money, since the fee is offset by an often more advantageous exchange rate. It is also possible to use MasterCard or Visa with a PIN code, to obtain a cash advance (in which case, visitors are charged a fee as well as interest on the cash advance "loan" by the home bank.) It is always a good idea to have at least two different means of procuring Euros in case there is a problem with an ATM machine or with your card. We recommend bringing some traveler's checks in case of emergency. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in France; other credit cards are accepted in a more limited way or not at all.

Please note: For those flying into Geneva airport, you may consider exchanging some money into Switzerland’s currency–Swiss Francs–according to your travel needs.