34 Fascinating Cultural Differences Between the USA & France

Here are 34 differences in the Home, in Restaurants, out Shopping, and Getting Around Paris.
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there are a lot of things that are really similar between the US and France but there are a lot that are very different too especially in day-to-day living in our 3 years living here we’ve learned about a bunch of them especially from making faux paas so in this video we’ll share 34 differences so you’ll know what to expect when you’re shopping eating out or things in hotels and rental apartments so you won’t be surprised or make embarrassing mistakes while you’re here Ali oniva so let’s start with some differences around the home whether you’re staying in a hotel or rental apartment in France you’re going to notice some things that are typical for the French that may seem weird for people who are visiting for instance homes in France are generally much smaller than the US the rooms are smaller and there’s less of them and if you’re staying in an apartment rental don’t expect a lot of room because when French people visit our home they often comment on how big our kitchen is in the beginning I would just laugh because our kitchen is about the size of my old walk-in closet but here that’s just a luxury Paris has vacation homes just like in the US but if you’re planning on using Airbnb you need to know that the rules that apply in the US are way different here in Paris and in France the Airbnb host are governed by a whole different set of rules that American host for instance the number of days they are allowed to rent a unit out per year is limited to 120 days they often do whatever they want and fly under the radar but if they have neighbors reporting them they may cancel on you to avoid paying a penalty for going over the limit we’ve also heard some horror stories about the conditions of units or host not being responsive if you are looking to rent a vacation home in French check out more business-oriented systems like vbo and booking.com while it’s not uncommon to find hotels and apartments in Paris that have elevators it is common that those elevators don’t work the view from the top floor may be very nice but you have to ask yourself how much luggage you have and if it’s worth bringing all of those bags up the stairs because there’s a possibility that the elevator in your hotel may be out of order and then there is the air conditioning in the US it would be very unusual to rent or book a place without AC but in France a place with air conditioning is a rare and a luxury that very few places have we don’t have AC in our home and we’ve learned to live without it the good news is it can be very hot during hot summer days but it usually cools off at night and all together we may have two weeks combin where we really wish we had AC the rest of the time in friends it’s perfectly fine without AC unless you’re staying in an apartment or a hotel that caters to American tourists chances are you’re not going to find a top sheet on your bed the French use a bottom sheet and a duvet or comforter the duvet cover is removed and washed the way you would wash a top sheet when you change the bed but whether it’s winter or summer you’re going to have a comforter style thing for your top sheet the good news is that other than brief periods in the summer the nights are generally pretty cool and on another note you’re probably going to have a big Square pillow the French don’t use the kind of rectangular pillows that most Americans are used to that’s just how it is now in France there is a difference between a bathroom and a toilet bathrooms are for bathing and toilets or for well you know now unless you are in a really high-end spot don’t expect to find a toilet in the bathroom the bathroom will generally just have a shower and a sink and it’s not common to have a bathtub and it’s pretty common for your shower not to have a door or curtain this one still baffles me it may be somehow connected to handheld showerheads and Water Conservation I don’t know but don’t be surprised if you don’t have a door or a curtain on your shower if you’re staying in a rental apartment in Paris or another big city in France you may find some things that surprise you in the kitchen like a washing machine for your laundry or a tiny dorm siiz refrigerator and no freezer when we rented our home it never occurred to me to ask if there was a refrigerator in the kitchen I just assumed that we would have a full-size fridge back in Florida we had a full-size refrigerator and freezer in both the kitchen and the garage so of course when we moved to France we bought a small refrigerator freezer to put in the basement and oddly enough we rarely use it because we visit the local markets and buy fresh food and items on a regular basis that’s just the local Lifestyle the next differences are all about shopping grocery shopping in France happens different than the us too like what you buy where you buy it even where you find things in the store although there are stores like Costco and France the French don’t generally stock up or fill their pantries in the way that Americans do they shop more frequently and buy less on a regular basis the focus is on quality and freshness and we shop for specific meals since moving to France going to the grocery store is not not something that we do often we go there if we need things like laundry soap toilet paper or shampoo but for regular shopping we go to the local Marche and visit our favorite vendors for produce shakri eggs and cheese they also have vendors that sell clothing or household goods and seasonal products you’ll find these Market twice and sometimes three times per week in towns all over France in Paris there are markets like this and they are open every day like the one in Alig now a cavis is not just a regular wine snob they are Somali who know and love wine and they’re likely to have relationships with many small family-owned Vineyards and they can recommend some extraordinary wines at reasonable prices and not to mention that most of them will sell full or half bottles and are quick to chill them for your picnics another place to shop in Paris is to go to a specialty store that you will see all over the place buer ferie Chate ptis and cavist these are store that specialize in something particular and it doesn’t mean that they’re expensive Gourmet Store it means that they are owned and operated by people who are Professionals in that industry before moving here we would thought to go to a bakery or buong to buy macaron but you’ll actually find the best macaron in artisanal chocolate shops it is worth noting here that when you’re looking for top quality croissant or cheese you should look for the word artisol this is an actual distinction in France regarding products that are made by hand and are not industrially produced it refers to the level of skills or training of the producer and you can expect that they use locally sourced fresh ingredients when given a choice choose the artisanal one it’s not just a marketing term in France in the US when you see a price in the store you’re used to adding a little bit on top of the price to figure out what is the real amount including tax taxes but here in France you don’t have to do that for sure it says it’s €50 it’s €50 out the door that’s true in shops but also in restaurants in fact even the service in a restaurant is already included in the price on the menu of course your server will appreciate if you leave something extra but you don’t have to most French people just round up the bill or leave a EUR or two on the table in the US you probably wouldn’t think to buy just one stock of celery or only two eggs when you go grocery shopping but here in France people do it all the time I remember the first time I heard an older woman asked for a piece of bread this big in a bonger the baker took out a knife and cut the piece there’s a mindset here of not wasting food or money so you can just get what you need and I love that I can go into a chocolate shop and just buy two pieces of chocolate if that’s all I want if you’re going to spend some time in Paris make sure to check out our Paris travel guides we have one which is a bundle of seven of our top guides or you can buy them individually there’s a link in the description check it out and see if it’s for you next is inside of a grocery store you may not find the items you’re looking for where you would expect them to be for instance milk and eggs are not in a Dairy section they are with the dry goods American foods or in the international section and don’t be surprised to find a whole row of just cheese or just yogurts those sections are huge and you’ll find a row of hard liquor in addition to beer and wine in a regular grocery store you’ll find shampoo and hene or makeup stuff in a grocery store but you won’t find aspirin or Al could sell certaint type of things medicine and health rated things are only in a pharmacy by the way you won’t find flipflops or Cheetos in a pharmacy either a pharmacy is just for health rated items the US is full of shopping malls and strip malls but France is full of small boutiques and family-owned businesses and the charm of those shops is part of of what makes walking through the streets of Paris so delightful for the most part the national International chain stores will be in touristic areas or inside a train station but do yourself a favor and go window shopping down the streets of Paris in the US stores advertise sales all the time it seems like every holiday has a sale but in France sales in stores are regulated a shop just can’t decide to Discount their stuff sales happen twice a year in January and in June so other than these two months out of the year don’t expect to see big sales in Paris or around France another thing that’s different is all over France you’re going to find stores called episer These are gourmet shop selling specialty items from various regions of France these are Foodies delight and they are full of amazing souvenir to take home and relive your Paris Adventure now let’s look at some differences about transportation in the US it’s common to find multiple cars in the driveway of a family home but it’s not like that here in France with the kind of public transportation of aailable many families don’t even own a car they walk or bike or use buses and use metros or trains to get just about anywhere in the US getting an Uber is simple and effective now you may have the same experience here in France but not necessarily we’ve had it happen when we ordered a ride and there aren’t drivers that picked it up it has also happened that the ride was picked up by a driver and then they cancel right before they arrive in our experience Uber is not nearly as reliable in France as it is in the US on top of that Ubers are not allowed to drive in the bus lanes the way taxis are and that makes a big difference during peak hours the closest alternative is the G7 taxi app which works just like ordering and paying for an Uber is just a pre-qualified taxi and you have the benefits that they drive in the bus lane in the US I never really think about taking a bus it’s like the option of Last Resort but here in France the bus system is quite efficient clean affordable and it’s a great way to see the sites while you’re riding around Paris in the US we have a car culture and a car mentality I remember driving just a few minutes to get to the grocery store but with many people living in the suburbs you kind of have to drive to get places Paris on the other hand is quite walkable hotels and apartments are right in town mixed together with shops restaurants and attractions you’re not going to need a car here the next items are about food and eating something that is funny here in France is the thing that they eat with a fork and the thing that they eat with their fingers in France we’ve seen people using a fork to eat things like french fries sandwiches and barbecue ribs even our once All-American son has started eating hamburgers on a bun with a knife and fork and there are some things on a French menu that will look a little bit bizarre to an American like omelets and Waffles aren’t breakfast foods here omelets are a main course for lunch and Waffles are a dessert and by the way cheese is also on the dessert menu and salad does doesn’t come before the meal it comes after and those french fries won’t come with ketchup they’re going to come with mayonnaise and you’ll eat them with a fork in the US it is not uncommon to make special requests when ordering food in a restaurant like hold the onions or please use soy milk but in France restaurants are not used to having locals make these kinds of requests of course they take allergies very seriously but they just aren’t in the habit of changing their Chef’s creation unless absolutely necessary when dining out the French trust that the chef knows best how they prepare an excellent meal and how they submit to enjoying what the chef prepares if you are nervous about trying something or are traveling with a picky eater check out our video on the top iconic French dishes and what’s in them and don’t be afraid to ask your waiter as well use Google Translate if they don’t speak English in the US you’re going to have a waiter come over and offer you a beverage before a meal but they don’t necessarily mean something with alcohol in France your meal will start with an apparo even at lunch and it’s common here to have an adult beverage before the meal and a glass of wine with your lunch you don’t have to drink alcohol but it would be normal to order a glass of wine or champagne or have some liquor these beverages aren’t an excuse to get drunk during the day you’ll have them to wet your appetite and enhance your meal and regardless of the time of day you will be offered a cup of coffee to complete the meal in France meals are a dining experience there are social events to be enjoyed to be savored and they last longer and you don’t have servers dropping the bill on your table without you requesting it they expect you to relax and die they won’t come around asking if everything is okay if you need something give the universal signal but for the most part they will leave you alone to visit with the people you came to share your meal with in the US things are pretty casual like your server might come to your table and say hi my name is Becky can I take your order that won’t happen in France and even if the person taking care of you is wearing a name tag do not refer to them by their first name life here is much more formal your server is not your friend and they are providing a professional service and they’ll generally be friendly but they won’t be casual like an American server the next differences between friends and the US is about socializing in the US it’s very common to get your server or your Clerk’s attention by saying excuse me and then lead with your question like for example excuse me where are the bathroom please but in France you need to start with bonjour it’s a greeting that establishes a mutual respect and regard between you and the person you are interrupting to get what you want there have been times when I forgot this Rule and quickly regretted it bonjour is a way to regard their Humanity in the US people tend to greet each other with a hug or a handshake sometimes even a head nod but in France we kiss two times and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a man or a woman we kiss once on each cheek unless it’s a special occasion and then we kiss three times or more if you’re invited to a party in France plan on staying there for at least 5 hours that’s just how it is when Antoine’s mom would visit us in the US people would stop by for dinner around 7:00 and we told her they would be gone by 9:30 or 10: she thought we were crazy sure enough by 10:00 p.m. we were either cleaning up or going to bed if a party in France wraps up more quickly it would be understood that people were not having a good time another difference is in the US it’s quite normal to arrive at a party at a friend’s house with a bottle of wine but in friends bringing a bottle of wine and giving it to your host as a present would imply that you don’t think that they have a good bottle and how can you know what bottle will go best with what they’re serving in France don’t bring a bottle of wine to your dinner unless explicitly ask instead bring flowers another difference is in the US for example it’s very easy to find a public restroom anywhere but that’s not true in France I remember colen asking me to stop at a grocery store so she could go and I told her I bet you they don’t have one and I was right not only they did not have a restroom available but they looked at her like she was crazy for asking in Paris you’ll find paid toilets where you have to put a coin to open the door all around the city think Porta poty with a quarter you’ll also find paid toilets in train station and some Metro station even even inside the shopping malls at Leal takes a euro to get in don’t expect to pee for free unless you are in a museum or a Pay customer in a restaurant or bar even in large department store you will find a restroom usually next to the cafe if they have one and On a related and maybe risque a topic don’t be surprised if you see grown men peeing in public it shocked me the first time I saw that as an American I remember thinking wow he’s lucky a cop didn’t catch him doing that but then I saw a cop doing it there are literally places all around Paris with outdoor urinals that look like little merry go rounds and I for one am thankful that I don’t have to use anything like that in this video you learned about cultural differences between the US and France and next I would watch this video with 10 unspoken rules [Music]