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FAQ

General

How do I get along with the French — and the Bretons?

Though really a LOT could be said and written about subtle and not-so-subtle differences in culture and expectations (and this would indeed make a great conversation topic at a cheese & wine, for example) this FAQ can only cover the most essential recommendations. Your favorite search engine (or library) will be a good starting place to read more on the subject. You may also attend the informal BoF that ?BenjaminSomers intends to organize during DebCamp.

Perhaps the most important recommendation is that “bonjour” (or even “hello”), “s’il vous plaît” (please), “merci” (thank you) and “au revoir” (goodbye) or “bonne journée” (have a good day) are absolutely essential in everyday social interactions, including (but not limited to):

• entering and leaving a shop, such as a bakery
• interacting with bartenders and waiters at cafés, bars, restaurants
• talking to an attendant at an information desk
• approaching a merchant at an open market
• paying at the checkout in a supermarket
• boarding a taxi or VTC (and it's also usual in city buses when boarding through the front door).

For extra niceness a smile and eye contact (especially if that's your smartphone screen that is competing for that precious attention) are always appreciated. Unlike in some other cultures your peer may or may not smile in return; do not worry or feel frustrated if they don't.

While discussing with strangers topics that are usually considered “safe” include (of course) the weather, sports, culture, food (which counts as culture in this country), news events but also fairly often politics (including foreign politics) so feel free to decline to comment if that makes you uneasy. On the other hand asking explicit questions about one's name, origins or occupation may be considered intrusive in many casual situations; if you are curious about these, start by introducing yourself, but let the other party remain evasive if they would rather keep that information private in the current context.

The French way of (not) doing waiting lines can appear frustrating if you are used to a bit more discipline and personal space while waiting for and boarding a bus, or any other situation where lines are not “physically“ managed. Just go with the flow.

Will there be fireworks for the 14th of July?

This year fireworks in Brest are scheduled on Sunday 13 July at 23:00 at the port de commerce, near Quai de la Douane. There will also certainly be a local military parade in Brest in the morning of the 14th.

As this is a national holiday expect most places, shops and services to be closed unless they explicitly advertise that they will open that day.

How do I stay in touch with what happens at DebCamp or DebConf?

The official channels are listed on the contact page.

It is recommended to check the schedule often, as last-minute changes or additions may occur. The schedule for DebCamp is not too formal, some events may be organized on the spot, some sprints are listed on the schedule, some others on the Sprints wiki page.

Public mailing lists are relatively low traffic and are appropriate for announcements, questions and discussions.

The following IRC channels on oftc.net (and bridged Matrix rooms) are available:

• #debconf — general chat about DebConf, english only, expect high traffic

• #debconf-team — used by DebConf organizers, english only

• #debconf-ot — for discussions that are off-topic for #debconf, english only

There is also an unofficial and ephemeral Signal group that you can request to join (Signal app required).

DebConf events have a public etherpad link that can be used for updates, questions and notes before, during and after the event.

Registration

May I come and register on-site?

No. For security and regulatory reasons this isn't allowed for this DebConf, except (maybe) for some IMT students that are already allowed in. Current local regulations required the organizers to provide a final list of attendees to the French government 7 full days before the start of the event, and the venue is also close to full capacity.

If you are not already registered (the closing date was the 29th of June) it is no longer possible to come to the DebCamp or DebConf, but you may still follow some of the events remotely by watching the live video streams, and participate with the interactive pads.

Talks and events

Is it still possible to submit a proposal for a talk or other event?

As of 2025-07-07 event submissions are no longer accepted and won't be handled by the content team.

It may still be possible to self-organize an ad-hoc session, but there will be no video coverage, and available venue rooms are already almost fully booked.

Where are the livestreams?

The video team enables live video streams from 3 of our conference rooms, the streams can be viewed using https://debconf25.debconf.org/schedule/venue/1/ , https://debconf25.debconf.org/schedule/venue/2/ and https://debconf25.debconf.org/schedule/venue/3/ (as linked to from the schedule page, at the heading of each day-table).

Visa

Can I still get an invitation letter?

Sorry, but as of June invitation letters are no longer issued. The deadline to request one was the 14th of April.

Travel and Transportation

Travelling to Brest

Detailed information is available on this page: https://debconf25.debconf.org/about/venue/. To sum it up:

• By rail: 3h30 to 4h away from Paris Montparnasse. Much more detailed information and alternative routes in BrestByTrain.

• By sea: Ferry services from England and Ireland to Roscoff, St Malo, Cherbourg or Caen. Several sailing ports around.

• By air: Brest-Bretagne airport (BES): https://www.brest.aeroport.bzh/

• By road:

  • coach services from Paris (8h), Nantes (4h30) and Rennes by FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus (formerly known as OuiBus, BlaBlaBus or iDBUS).

  • by car: N12 from/to Rennes. N165 to/from Nantes (toll-free inside Brittany). Distances and times from Rennes: 242km / 2h50, Nantes: 298km / 3h30, Lille: 760km / 7h40, Paris: 590km / 6h20, Saarbrücken: 976km / 10h00, Basel: 1065km / 11h00, Geneva: 1019km / 11h20, Lyon: 963km / 10h20, Nice: 1409km / 15h20, Perpignan: 1054km / 11h40, Hendaye: 831km / 10h00.

Getting around in Brest

Taxis and VTCs

The address of the venue for drivers is “IMT Atlantique, 655 avenue du Technopôle, 29280 Plouzané”.

In general in France outside of Paris do not expect many taxis roaming around except at airports and major train stations, and even there taxi availability will vary according to arrival times.

In France VTCs (for “Voiture de Transport avec Chauffeur”, ”Transportation car with driver”) are a popular alternative to taxis. Like taxi drivers, VTC drivers need a license and their vehicles must be above a minimum size and not older than a maximum age. The main difference is that they can't have a meter, and that they are not allowed to roam, wait or pick up new customers in public places: all their trips must be booked prior to the trip. VTC cars must display a red round sticker on the windshield, and drivers have a government-issued professional card. Uber (and similar services) drivers in France are all VTC drivers; services like UberPop are forbidden in France. Rates are much less regulated than with taxis, but the driver must receive at least 9 € per trip, 1 €/km and 30 €/h, so in practice they are often only marginally lower than taxi rates, though a bit more open to negotiation. You can find some of them with your favorite search engine, with a query like “VTC Brest”.

Taxi fares are strictly regulated. No additional charges are allowed, except for luggage beyond the 3rd piece by passenger (2€/additional piece) and additional passengers beyond the 4th (4€/additional passenger). In Brest and around the night fare is applicable everyday between 7pm to 7am, and the entire day on Sundays and national holidays. There is a minimum fare of 8€. Below are a few estimates (times are without traffic):

When booking a taxi by phone or online, the taxi may (and usually will) charge the “approach” at the same rate (the counter will show that charge when they arrive to pick you up). This can be avoided by using an application compatible with le.taxi electronic roaming register, and being within a 500m radius of a free taxi (this may happen downtown, but is unlikely near the venue). In Brest the only compatible application so far is Mob1Taxi: iOS Android.

It is theoretically possible to negotiate a fixed trip price with a taxi driver prior to a trip (but be wary that most drivers won't welcome the initiative). If agreed, the taxi driver still has the obligation to start the meter anyway (so don't be surprised, they could be heavily fined if they didn't). Per the law, the meter (plus authorized additional charges, e.g. luggage) displays the maximum amount they are allowed to charge for the trip, which could be less than the agreed amount.

Tipping taxi or VTC drivers is entirely optional. The local custom is to round up to the nearest 1, 2 or 5€ when paying cash, or tip with (preferably) cash. e.g. a few coins when paying with a card. Really outstanding service with a VTC driver could be worth a 10% tip.

All taxi drivers are required by law to accept both card and cash payments. It is recommended to confirm with the driver (before boarding) that their card machine is in working order if you intend to pay this way.

A very good way to save costs is to share your ride: add yourself to the TravelCoordination page.

Public transportation

Information about public transportation (operated by bibus) is available on the venue page.

Note that free (as in “no additional charge”) bibus passes will be distributed to the first 400 DebCamp/DebConf attendees, so if you come early enough you only need to buy a single ticket (1.70 €) for your first trip to the venue.

What are the stops that are closest to the venue or accommodation sites?

See GettingThere for a detailed and visual walk-through of the itinerary to the venue.

The “Technopôle” stop (which is also the terminus of line 2b) is the one that is closest to the venue.

For the Camping du Goulet get down at “Cosquer” and then walk a bit further down the “route de Sainte-Anne du Portzic”.

For line 2b expect a typical interval of 20 min between departures on weekdays and Saturday afternoon, and 30 min on Saturday morning, Sunday and holidays.

Towards the venue (Technopôle):

• the first bus in the morning stops as Porte de Plouzané at 06:15 on weekdays and Saturday, and 08:56 on Sunday and holidays
• the last bus stops at Porte de Plouzané at 23:28

Towards the camping and Brest (Liberté):

• the first bus in the morning leaves Technopôle at 05:08 on weekdays and Saturday, and 08:21 on Sunday and holidays
• the last bus leaves Technopôle at 22:23

• there is an additional DebCamp/DebConf “Magic Bus” that goes all the way to the camping entrance: departures are at 23:15 and 00:30 from the Technopôle stop

  • if you miss the last bus the camping is a 45 min walk in the dark along the road (55 min along the coastal path) ... beware of the Korrigans!

See the official timetable (PDF) for the full schedule.

Are there scheduled disruptions on the bibus network?

Yes. Check the bibus website for updates.

• Due to works the tram A will not run between stations Jean Jaurès and Château. It's a 15 minutes walk between these stations (or line 2b). As a consequence, the public transportation itinerary between the venue and the airport is now estimated to be close to a 2h ride (normally around 1h20).

Are city bus accessible to wheelchairs?

Yes, the entire bus fleet is accessible to wheelchair users, as well as the streetcars (tram) and cable car.

The bus stop close to the venue (“Technopôle”) is wheelchair-accessible. The one close to the camping (“Cosquer”) is accessible as well, but the path to the camping is not comfortable: there are around 700m to go from the bus stop to the entrance of the camping, with narrow or no sidewalk and narrow roads.

Where is the cable car?

It's close to the “Château” tram stop, within walking distance of the train station, and crosses the Penfeld river.

The bibus website says contactless bankcard payment will return in summer 2025, is it likely to be working during DebConf?

No, the necessary replacement of equipments on the entire fleet won't be ready for DebConf. More information here (in french).

Public e-bike rental

https://www.bibus.fr/services/velozef-location-libre-service

A mobile phone and specific application are necessary. The rate is 1€/15 min, charged to a payment card.

The “Technopôle” station is close to the venue, while “Plage de Sainte-Anne” is closer to the Camping du Goulet.

Getting around in Brittany

Public transportation

The BreizhGo regional transportation network operates coaches, TER trains and several ferry services.

Most coach lines adopted a very affordable fare (2.50 € per trip regardless of the distance).

Carsharing

There is currently no locally managed carsharing (in french: “autopartage”) service in Brest that is open to non-resident temporary users. For the curious, how the local scheme works is documented here (in french only).

There are however many car rental companies with branches in or around Brest.

Carpooling

The local dominant carpooling (in french: “covoiturage”) marketplace remains by far BlaBlaCar (you may change the language at the bottom of the page, but this may also change the currency).

mobicoop offers an alternative (and open-source) carpooling app and service, but it's much less popular. They also operate an e-hitchhiking service but there is currently no coverage in Brittany.

Flights

The Finistair Company operates subsidized links between Brest and several islands, including Ushant (Ouessant). The fares for tourists are ”only” a bit more than two times the ferry fares.

Vehicles for hire

See the section above about taxis and VTCs. This is probably the most expensive option besides chartering your own flight, with effective rates that can reach in the hundreds of €/h for a taxi.

Venue

Detailed information is available here (DebConf website) and here (IMT website).

Is an ID required to be allowed into the venue?

Yes. You will be asked to show a government-issued identity document (ideally passport, some national ID cards and driver licenses may also be accepted) to be allowed into the venue. This is required to comply with national regulations (vigipirate). The entrance screening will be managed by DebConf Front Desk, not the venue security staff.

What are the hours of the venue?

Presence is allowed 24/7 into the venue. Entrance is limited by Door Guardian volunteer staffing and will close at 2am (1am during DebCamp) for the night until 8am next morning.

Is alcohol consumption permitted within the venue?

No, it is not permitted to bring or consume any alcoholic beverage into the venue. The venue administration may grant exceptions for specific events, in designated areas, for a limited time and possibly for a limited choice of beverages; these exceptions will be explicitly advertised. For this reason the Cheese & Wine event will be organized outside the venue.

Detention and consumption of alcoholic beverage is however allowed in private areas (dorm rooms).

Being drunk in the venue is also forbidden. In France being obviously drunk in the streets is an offense and you may end up being detained for a few hours in a police station.

What about tobacco and other drugs?

It is strictly forbidden to smoke or vape indoors within the venue and dorms. There are designated smoking areas outside.

Detention or use of illicit drugs may get you banned from the venue.

Are children allowed in the venue?

Children are allowed into the venue, but must remain under close supervision of a responsible adult at all times.

Are pets allowed in the venue?

Only service dogs are allowed in the venue.

How do I enter the venue parking lot with a vehicle?

At the gate, use the intercom, wait for an answer and announce (in french) that you are coming for DebConf: “Bonjour, je viens pour la DebConf”.

To exit at night, you may need to use the same intercom. As it's on the entrance lane you will need to get out of the vehicle and ask: “Bonsoir, pouvez-vous ouvrir la sortie s’il vous plaît?”

Is there reserved parking space for people with disabilities at the venue?

Yes, there are reserved parking spaces at the venue. As this is a private parking you don't have to worry about having the “right” type of badge to park there, as long as it is visible. The venue and dorms are generally well equipped for wheelchair users.

May I park my motorhome/van/RV at or near the venue?

Sleeping overnight on the (private) venue parking is not allowed. Daytime access may be subject to size/weight restrictions for larger vehicles.

Overnight parking (and sleeping) in the street near the venue is allowed as long as no chocks are used, no equipment is deployed outside, and the vehicle remains less than 7 days in that spot. There is no service area in Plouzané, the closest one is in Locmaria-Plouzané.

Accommodation

Are there fridges for keeping medications/cheese/wine cool?

Yes, both a the dorms and the camping. See the accommodation page for details.

Is there any access to a kitchen and kitchenware?

At the camping, yes: see the accommodation page above.

At the dorms, some rooms may have a small kitchen and a microwave. Otherwise there are kitchens in the common areas that are shared by many rooms. The equipment is minimal: an oven, a stove top, a microwave, and no kitchenware.

Are towels and sheets provided?

Sheets and a towel are provided at the beginning of your stay. They won't be changed during your stay, it is your responsibility to wash them when you need clean ones.

It is recommended that you also bring your own towel if you intend to go to the beach.

Are pets allowed?

At the camping, yes under conditions: see the camping FAQ.

At the dorms: only service dogs are allowed.

Which sports facilities are available to attendees?

Unfortunately the gym facilities (and other indoors sports equipment, such as tennis tables) at the venue are not open to attendees.

Access to the outdoors facilities such as the athletics track and soccer field is allowed.

The camping (for those sleeping there) has a ping-pong room, pétanque strip, swimming pool and offers other activities, details here.

You may also swim in the ocean at plage du Dellec or plage de Sainte-Anne.

Food

This is France! How come there aren't any food Q&A?

(some questions are still pending)

Tourism and activities

Detailed information is available in the TouristGuide.

When is the Day Trip and what is it about?

The DebConf25 Day Trip will occur on July 16 (Wednesday).

As of 2025-07-05 it is no longer possible to register for option D (capacity could not be extended, and the ferry operator needed a final list of names early so the waiting list was dropped).

The other three options are still open to registration, and option A has actually no limit on the number of participants.

There is also an informal biking day trip planned.

Where may I rent a paddle, kayak or sailboat?

There are rental possibilities in the Brest harbor or in nearby towns (Locmaria-Plouzané, Plougonvelin). Among these:

• the Minou surf school (paddle, surf, bodyboard)

• there will be an initiation to kayak and paddle organized by local clubs at the plage de Ste-Anne-du-Portzic (close to the camping site) on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 July.

Services

Where may I buy a local SIM card?

With 4 overlapping networks and a large number of virtual operators there are many options. Unfortunately the venue is still out of free.fr coverage (which is sad, because that's otherwise a very convenient deal for visitors) so it is not recommended to choose this network. The three other networks (Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom) have decent coverage over the venue.

There are many virtual operators with prepaid plans such as Lycamobile that offers 350GB / 30 days for 14€, SIM included (store locator). Note: I bought 40GB eSIM plan from lycamobile.fr into my iPhone, and by default hotspot is disabled. But I find hotspot can be enabled by adding the APN for hotspot in the settings. (Settings -> SIMs -> Cellular Data Network -> Use Carrier Settings -> OFF, add back "data.lycamobile.fr" to both common APN at beginning and hotspot APN at the bottom.)

There are cheap plans (including eSIM plans) that can only be bought online, such as a 10€ (+1€ SIM) 200GB plan (bouyguestelecom.fr but they will require providing a SEPA bank account number and an address in France.

Are there ATMs near the venue?

There is no ATM really close to the venue. The closest ones are located in the village of La Trinité, about 2.5 km away (more than 30 min walking).

Are there washing machines or laundromats at or near the accommodations?

There are washing machines and dryers at the camping and the dorms. At the dorms, they are located in building I4, are accessible 24/7 and only accept card payment.

There is also a laundromat in Plouzané.

See Laundry for further information.

Misc

Which kind of power plug do I need?

Mains in France is 230V 50Hz. The local socket type is known as CEE 7/5. You will need adapters or power cords fitted with CEE 7/7 plugs to use them.

Security and emergencies

What do I do if there is any emergency ...

... at the venue?

In case of any emergency (medical, criminality or other urgent issues) please contact the DebConf Front Desk (eventually call/SMS/signal +33 6 8571 6269) or a nearby french speaking DebConf volunteer, IMT staff or student. They will then contact the venue security (extension 1199 or +33 2 2900 1199) that has privileged access to emergency services and will coordinate their arrival much more efficiently than if you contacted the public emergency numbers directly.

The venue welcome office (when opened) or venue security can provide a first aid kit and assistance. There is an unstaffed (no nurse) first aid room at the venue, should someone need to lie down until the emergency services arrive. An automated external defibrillator (AED or DAE in french) is available on a wall near the welcome desk.

... at the accommodation?

The same procedure as above should be followed at the dorms.

At the camping, emergency procedures are detailed on the map of the camping. The locations of fire extinguishers are shown on that map; it is always a good idea to check where are located the ones that are closest to your room. The emergency number of the camping is +33 2 9845 8684.

... elsewhere?

If you do not speak french, the recommended general-purpose emergency number is 112 (equivalent of 911 in North America). They will listen then route your call to the appropriate service. Emergency services may call you back with a number that will show as +33 800 112 112; if you could not answer do not try to call back this number, just dial 112 again. In France on a mobile phone you need to be registered on a network (implies having a valid SIM card) to call the 112: this is so you can be called back if necessary.

If you are unable to hear or talk you may contact emergency services by sending a SMS to 114, or by using www.urgence114.fr (UI in french only unfortunately).

In public transportation (especially trains and stations) the recommended emergency numbers are 3117 (voice) or 31177 (SMS). There is also a dedicated “3117” mobile application that you can use.

See also the official (and not even exhaustive) list of emergency and support numbers.

In case of traffic accident, if anybody got hurt (even if one is not sure or if there is no medical emergency) it is strongly recommended to (also) call the police to write a formal report: this will facilitate later insurance or medical claims.

If for any reason you have to deal with the French law enforcement (Police Nationale or Gendarmerie), and especially as a victim, it is recommended to seek assistance from an experienced local if possible: not all officers can understand or speak english fluently, and then there are other Known Issues.

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CategoryDebConf25