Please check COVID and Visa entry requirements for your country BEFORE registering. Please review INSEAD’s COVID protocols on their website here BEFORE registering. 

Travel to Fontainebleau

All attendees of the EO@INSEAD programme should book their arrival & departure flight to & from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris, France.

Paris CDG Airport is located approximately 58 miles from Fontainebleau.

The train journey time between Paris CDG Airport and Fontainebleau is around 1h 35m and covers a distance of around 58 miles. The fastest train normally takes 1h 27m. Operated by Paris RER, Transilien and Swiss Railways (SBB/CFF/FFS), the Paris CDG Airport (CDG) to Fontainebleau train service departs from Aeroport Charles De Gaulle 2 Tgv and arrives in Fontainebleau Avon. Typically 298 trains run weekly, although weekend and holiday schedules can vary so check in advance.

You will need to arrange your own ground transportation to/from the airports as you arrive and depart. Plan to arrive in Fontainebleau by evening of 26 September 2023 and depart from Fontainebleau any time after the Friday sessions are complete on 29 September 2023.

Ground transportation

Taxi: Taxi service is widely available at the Paris CDG Airport.

Car Rentals: Paris CDG Airport has several car rental companies available for reservation. Search their sites here to compare the best deals or check out the Global Partners tab for information about EO’s partnership with Sixt Car Rentals.

Paris CDG airport website

Weather

The average temperature in March is a high of 11degrees Celsius (52 degrees Fahrenheit) and a low of 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit), usually during the nighttime.

Dress

In general, the EO@INSEAD will be business casual during the day and casual chic in the evenings. Bring layers to ensure you are cool/warm enough. Any other specific dress codes will be shared closer to the programme dates.

About Fontainebleau, France

Time Zone: Fontainebleau, France (GMT+2)

Please check www.timeanddate.com to determine what time it is in your home city.

Currency: Euro (€)

For currency converter tools, please visit Oanda.com or XE.com.

Etiquette

For etiquette information, please reference:

• France: Guide to language, culture, customs and etiquette
• An etiquette guide for visitors to France

Language

English is the official language of the EO@INSEAD programme.

Currency

The Euro is the official currency of France. To check the current exchange rate for your currency, go to http://www.xe.com/.

In France, credit cards and debit cards are typically referred to jointly as “carte de crédit” or just “carte.” When a distinction is drawn, it’s between domestic credit cards (“Carte Bleue,” or blue card) versus international ones (“Carte Bleue Visa” or “Carte Bleue Mastercard”). All you need to care about is seeing a CB logo outside a French shop window, which means the shop should take an international Visa or Mastercard credit card. American Express cards are not nearly as commonly accepted in France.

Most places you go — restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions — will accept cards. But some merchants like patisseries, glaciers and outdoor markets take only cash.

That said, it’s always a good idea to carry cash. One of the best ways to obtain cash is from one of the numerous ATMs in France. It’s best to avoid exchanging money at the airport.

Before traveling to France, be sure to contact your bank and inform them that you will be traveling and using your credit card overseas. If you fail to inform your bank of your travel plans, your card may be put on hold and you will not have immediate access to your account.

Tipping

Tipping isn’t obligatory, but is appreciated. Typically, the amount you tip will be up to you and the service received. When in doubt, 10 percent is always welcome.

Please note, you will not need to tip during activities planned as part of the EO@INSEAD registration.

Stay connected

The country code for France is +33. When dialing a U.S. number from abroad, be sure to dial +1 before the area code and number. The national emergency number in France is 112.

Please contact your individual mobile phone service provider for information about international plans. Mobile phones are widely used throughout France. Call your service provider before arriving to determine if you should purchase an international roaming plan.

Wi-Fi is available either for a fee or for free in some public places, such as coffee shops, bistros, airports, restaurants and some hotels. The strength and speed of the signal may vary and you may need to ask for login information.

The standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. For France, there are two associated plug types, types C and E. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins, and plug type E is the plug which has two round pins and a hole for the socket’s male earthing pin. You may also need a voltage converter so you should consider a combined power plug adapter/voltage converter. Be extra careful with certain appliances because of the difference in frequency.

COVID-19 Entry and Exit Requirements

Please check COVID and Visa entry requirements for your country BEFORE registering. Please review INSEAD’s COVID protocols on their website here BEFORE registering. 

EO members are individually responsible for satisfying all requirements for entry into France. Additionally, knowledge of and compliance with any requirements for negative Covid-19 tests for readmission to travelling EO member home-countries, whether required by airlines, border-control services, or otherwise, is the individual responsibility of each individual EO member. EO is unable to provide personal assistance with testing or related issues if a negative Covid-19 test is required by an airline for travel or for readmission into your home country. Members are individually and personally responsible for satisfying all travel related entry and exit requirements applicable to them. EO members are individually responsible for arranging their own travel in a timely manner – including, but not limited to, making arrangements to satisfy all exit and entry requirements, any testing requirements, any immigration and/or visa requirements, and any and all related costs and paperwork. EO Members denied entry into France for any reason after event registration purchase remain subject to EO cancellation polies.

Please refer to the below sites for detailed information on:

COVID-19 Event Guidelines

In an effort to provide a safe experience for all attendees, staff, and vendors, we wanted to make you aware of certain health and safety protocols that will be in place during your upcoming attendance to the EO@INSEAD programme.

EO is required to and will be abiding by all applicable local laws, guidelines, and requirements. Additionally, EO is taking precautionary steps to protect all members of the EO community. All participants will be provided an Event Health and Safety Guidelines form to confirm your commitment to follow the safety guidelines prior to the event.

In order to participate in-person at EO@INSEAD, you must sign and return the Event Health and Safety Guidelines form which attests that you and your household are free from any COVID-19 symptoms as of 14 days prior to the event.

In addition you must acknowledge that you will:

• Abstain from participating in any portion of the event if you are showing symptoms of illness or know you have experienced any recent, high risk contacts with COVID exposure including fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, or positive diagnosis.
• Abide by venue protocols should health checks indicate that an attendee is unwell and is required to quarantine.
• Adhere to any masking requirements, including, without limitation:
  • if masks are required during any portion of the event, they must be worn for the duration of such portion of the event.
  • If masks are required during any portion of the event, they must be worn properly, over mouth and nose, during the duration of the event with exception of meal periods, when masks may be removed only when sitting and eating or drinking, or when a participants is the primary communicator.
  • Masks must be worn while going to and from restrooms.
• Refrain from non-essential contact that could make other participants uncomfortable such as hugging, kissing, or close-range communication.
• Maintain a distance of 6 feet (~2 meters) from other participants whenever possible.

COVID-19 and travel insurance

EO highly recommends purchasing appropriate travel insurance whenever signing up for an EO event as cancellation policies and penalties are strictly enforced. Travel Insurance in many cases may cover unforeseen or uncontrollable situations that might affect your ability to attend an event. To obtain travel insurance, please contact a qualified travel agent or visit www.insuremytrip.com and click on “quotes.” Please note that EO does not endorse any travel insurance products. Before purchasing any travel insurance or travelling, please make sure to verify and confirm the terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions, and requirements of your insurance policy before you travel. It is advisable to contact your travel insurance provider (whether you have a group, an individual or a credit-card type of insurance) to specifically confirm, at a minimum, the following:

• Are you covered for COVID-19-related medical expenses, other non-COVID-19 emergency-related expenses, as well as interruptions to your travel plans? While some insurance companies may offer COVID-19 related medical expenses coverage, it may not include protection for other non-COVID-19 emergency-related expenses.
• Find out if you are covered for quarantine costs should you become infected with COVID-19 during your trip.
• Make sure you have travel insurance coverage for your entire trip as some insurers may limit options to extend policies after departure.
• Find out if you are covered for extended stays outside your home country.

Visas

EO members are responsible for arranging their own travel in a timely manner – including, but not limited to, all immigration – and visa – related costs and paperwork. If you are denied entry into France for any reason after you have purchased a registration, you will be subject to EO cancellation polies. EO shall have no responsibility for acquiring visas, nor monitoring the status of a visa applications, for any member. EO can provide EO members limited support related to immigration by providing the following:

• Letters of invitation;
• Hotel confirmation numbers (where applicable); and
• Connections to chapter members via the Chapter Admin

EO cannot:

• Sponsor members
• Guarantee costs or other monetary-related paperwork
• Liaise with ministries, immigration agencies, border control offices, or embassies or consulates on behalf of any member

If you require a sponsorship for entry into France, you assume all risk associated with registering for the programme prior to receiving approval and finding sponsors. EO cancellation policies apply. EO members are required to find other EO member sponsors independently, including using eonetwork.org or through the EO chapter hosting the event. EO staff will not broker sponsorship.

Health

Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine and your yearly flu shot.

You can find more health and safety recommendations for France from the Centers for Disease Control(CDC).

Dietary restrictions

Please notify us of any dietary restrictions during registration so that your needs are accommodated during the programme. To edit any dietary restrictions or input new dietary restrictions, go to the event page and click “Modify registration.” You will be able to edit or enter dietary information and click “Save.” If you suffer from severe food allergies, we encourage you to visit this website and consider purchasing food and travel-translation cards to effectively communicate your needs while traveling.