On the French bit ... you may not get any response at all from Lille, so don't bank on them helping you through.
Likewise, don't call Paris Info for the service you get from London Info - all you'll get is told off. Most other Info services are actually full control services with radar, and will give you a squawk and ignore you till you leave their airspace.
The good news is that those French mil areas are NOT a problem; some you can fly through, some you can't, but it's all set out in the relevant documentation which you'd need anyway. I use Bottlang, which explains each one in detail.
Just sit with the map, work out your route, and if it crosses a red corridor or area, look it up in Bottlang. Check time (some are night only), rules, and callsigh/frequency (for clearance to enter, or for activity status), and you're all set. If you call on the frequency and a recording gets played at you, it probably means the shop is shut and you can do what you like. If your French isn't up to that, and you want to be safe, then call one of the other listed units (something like the local Approach Control).
I've bimbled all over France, and never had a problem with anything. It could hardly be easier.