When my husband went to France with me for the very first time, not only had he never been to another country before, but he had never experienced culture shock. And man did he get a big one! I think a lot of the things I was doing back home, or how I was acting sometimes, started to make sense to him after that first trip. Here are a few things you want to know before you go to France. Always say Bonjour, Merci, Au revoir It might be common sense, but when you go to France and you don't speak french, try to at least learn those 3 things: Bonjour (Hello), Merci (Thank you), Au revoir (Goodbye). Why? Because French people are very adamant about being polite, and you will look like a very rude tourist, which could be an issue at a place where you want good customer service, like a bakery or a restaurant. Also, don't even try to say these things in English (even if they look like they understand), it will be considered rude as well. Something that I have said before, but clients are NOT king in France, and I think a lot of people, especially Americans have a hard time understanding that. Here is what to say at a bakery: When you go to a bakery, always say "Bonjour" as you enter. When it's your turn, order what you want. Bonus if you say "S'il vous plaît" ("please" in a polite form). Then as you leave you say "Merci, Au revoir" (thank you, goodbye). Eating time Like in every country, we all have different times for lunch, dinner, and even sometimes breakfast. In France, we typically have breakfast before 10 am. Lunch is between 12 and 2 pm. Finally dinner is between 7 and 9 pm. It can start a little earlier or end a little later depending on people and places. It is important to know, because most restaurants are only open during those hours. Always, always, always, make sure to check restaurant hours. Also try to eat when everybody else eats so you don't find yourself in a situation where you are hungry but can't find a place to eat. Walking and taking public transportation French people walk everywhere if they can. If it makes sense, they try to use public transportation. For example, in Paris, it is always much better to use the public transportation and walk. Don't ruin yourself in taxis and Ubers. If you plan ahead and use a map (paper or you phone), using the metro isn't that scary. It's good to keep in mind that it's hard to drive in France, and it's even worse in cities with traffic. Also, French people will use the train over the car to travel in the country or the neighboring countries. Tips : download the RATP app when you go to Paris. It is so easy to use and it will tell exactly what metro to take, the schedule, and the price. You can buy your tickets there too. Another app is Citymapper for metros and buses in Paris. It's great because it's connected to Twitter and you can see if there are any delays or strikes. Fashion is the big deal France is known for a lot of things. Among them is fashion. Most French people, men and women, like to look good, all day everyday. Yes, even at home. It is culturally not allowed to go out in pajamas or sweatpants unless you are going to the gym. If you do it, expect judgemental looks. Overall we don't wear a lot of bright colors, or no more than 2 or 3 colors per outfit. When you go to France, pay attention to what French people wear and buy clothes for the stores there if you don't want to stand out. Another part of fashion is perfume, or cologne for men. I always thought it was normal to wear perfume everyday until I lived in the US. I guess French people like to smell good all the time, and not only on occasions. Note : did you know that stores that are also in the US, for instance H&M, have different clothes in Europe? La bise If you go to France and meet people there you are going to experience "la bise". This is how it works: you touch cheeks while making a kiss sound. As a note, you actually don't kiss the cheeks. Depending on where the people are from, it can be from left to right or right to left, and the number of "kisses" can change too. Something that my husband wasn't expecting was that men can also do "la bise" to other men. He didn't know how to feel about that being his first experience! "La bise" is how we say hello, but also how we say goodbye. Also, it is very impolite to not do "la bise" to the entire group of people, even if you don't know some of them. A quiet people Another thing that my husband didn't know about until he went to France for the first time is how quiet we are. In public places we don't necessarily like to speak loudly. It's the same thing in public transportation. If you travel with kids by train, make sure they can stay quiet, and if they can't (like a crying baby), go to the common area where the stairs and bathrooms are. French people will be indulgent just because they are kids. They do expect everybody to be quiet. The food French food is really what France is known for. Food is everything for French people. We like to enjoy our meals, and take our time to savor it. Meals can last between one and two hours. When I first came to the US I was shocked at how fast Americans eat and how little time I had to eat. It probably took me a good year to eat my lunch in less than 30 minutes. Now everytime I go back to France, my family and friends tell me I eat too fast and I don't take the time to savor every bite. Kids are also taught to eat everything. Actually, most restaurants don't even have a kids menu. French food culture is taught right after the womb. Another thing is that French people like to eat fresh food most of the time. They go to the bakery to buy their bread, to the butcher for their meat, and the markets for the produce. Obviously not everybody does that every single day, but it's pretty common. Little to no customer service Like I've said before, the client is NOT always right in France. If you have something to complain about, they will either ignore you, say that they don't care, or they will yell back at you. One time we were at the store and I couldn't find tweezers. I asked a worker and she just said that she didn't know and acted like she didn't care. Obviously not everybody is like that, but I would say that's the case most of the time. My advice is, don't expect the same customer service you get in the US. Wine French people know their wine. It is served at almost every meal. Some parents would even serve their kids some wine after a certain age for certain occasions. I'm not an expert in that matter, but what I would say is ask French people what wine to get for what meal, or ask the server at the restaurant. French people are very proud of their wine, and if you like wine, then you have to drink it like the French do when you go to France. Not very expressive If you expect French people to be excited for you when you announce to them you're pregnant, you might be disappointed. When I announced to my in-laws in the US that we were expecting our first baby, there were happy tears and hugs. When I announced it to my family in France, all I got was an OK and congrats. It's not that they were not happy about it, it's just that they don't express their joy the same way. French people don't express their feelings very much compared to the US. I think it's so interesting to see how different people are depending on where they're from, and it helps to understand them better when you know more about their upbringing. French people have a reputation of being rude. I think that when you know what to expect, they don't seem that rude anymore, and you just understand that it's normal to them.
2 Comments
Patti Sanchez
10/3/2022 03:28:44 pm
Love, love reading your blog.
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AuthorMy name is Melanie Ashby. I am from France and I currently live in the US. Here are some tips about traveling to France from a French and an American perspective! Archives
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