Planning a trip to France? 🇫🇷
After living in Paris for more than 37 years, I’ve noticed that some everyday French habits continue to surprise visitors from around the world.
From saying “Bonjour” before asking a question, to never receiving the bill until you ask for it, to the French relationship with tipping, meal times and restaurant etiquette, this video explains 16 cultural habits that often catch visitors off guard.
The goal isn’t to say that the French way is better or worse — simply different. And once you understand the logic behind these habits, France suddenly becomes much easier to understand.
Whether you’re visiting Paris for the first time or you’ve already been here several times, I hope this video helps you enjoy your trip a little more like a local.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:05 1. Bonjour Comes Before Everything
01:59 2. French People Don’t Do Much Small Talk
03:16 3. Shop Assistants Leave You Alone
03:48 4. French People Smile Less at Strangers
04:21 5. Money and Religion Are Private Matters
05:04 6. Complaining Is Almost a National Sport
05:42 7. Shops Close At Surprising Times
06:23 8. Lunch and Dinner Have Fixed Hours
07:14 9. French People Don’t Snack All Day
07:45 10. French Children Often Eat the Same Food as Adults
08:52 11. French People Eat Food the Way the Chef Prepared it
09:38 12. Nobody Brings the Bill Until You Ask
10:33 13. French People Can Sit for Hours at a Restaurant
11:50 14. Tipping Is Appreciated but Not Obligatory
12:56 15. No Free Refills
13:37 16. French People Use a Lot Less Ice
14:31 Conclusion
28 Comments
I hate it when shopping you are immediately surrounded by flocks of shop assistants. When I need info, I’ll ask.
I always tell my American friend that it isn’t necessary to tip in Paris. Many Americans however feel uncomfortable leaving no tip. In the US tipping has gotten out of control. As you mentioned the hand held devices ask you to tip even when no service is provided. Very annoying!
France is amazing , your vidéos are awesome .
My question is if french people do not make small talk ,how can we make friends there ?
Merci
business may be open less than foreign customers think for one reason, personnel are paid a minimum living wage, where in some other countries they'd depend heavily on tip or commissions… so maybe the shop owners are not all that fond of paying overtime.
broccoli, what's wrong with it? I ate broccoli long before I ever touched fast food. Roquefort… i do admit, acceptance of blue cheeses came later, for very long, i liked only hard cheeses like comté and emmethal, and of course that vache qui rit thing i now regard as an abomination.
and yes, respect of what the chef makes means to this Frenchman that restaurants have to be chosen very carefully, and one must make sure there is stuff you'll want, or at least tolerate… because if there's only food you dont want, you're stuck.
Alain, great video as usual. Question ? How many seatings would a restaurant have that serves dinner 7-10 PM ?
As a Russian I find French people always smile and love small talks. It really depends on the perspective 😅
I like your real footages in this video.
Hi Alain! I love your videos, which gave me lots of useful hints for my stays in Paris. One thing I have to add, especially for our friends from America: In France people often dress up for dinner! I don't think you mentioned that. I have noticed that for example the service at Brasserie Lipp (one of my favorite places to eat at) sometimes gets complaints about lack of friendliness. And I bet those patrons are the ones who walk in clad in shorts and T-shirts. And sandals! OMG! This kind of attire may, especially during dinner time, be considered rude or simply inappropriate. So, if you expect perfect service, show up in a proper outfit, offer a friendly bonsoir, and here you go!
I love visiting cities and small towns in the United States. The people are so friendly and try to help you so often it is almost comical, but at the same time very charming.
8:30 For me Children’s menu is not about options, but about portion size.
1.50?!? Daylight robbery!
In general, conservative, hostile, nationalistic, difficult to reason with, inflexible, and tedious with their whining…(I spent 17 years in the bloody country, never again moving there).
Bonjour
I prefer the French way, pas de bavardages inutiles but I do smile in social interactions 🇨🇦 I do not like the "friendly" American way which appears superficial and sometimes intrusive.
We Americans never ask someone about their salary unless we were somehow comparing our income in a conversation. I generally eat a big lunch in France as 7pm is too late to eat dinner for me. I have a hard time with French business dinners. In Strasbourg, I was forced to tip – they just added it on at one restaurant! If the Coke Zero is already cold, I generally don’t need ice.
Great video! A couple questions on tipping: Would you leave 10% at a Michelin starred restaurant with excellent service, or less? Would you tip a tour guide working for a tour company? Would you tip a tour guide who owns her own business and is the only guide? Would you tip the captain on a private boat tour (small boat on the Mediterranean)? (Edit: I know I can search for this info elsewhere, but I trust your opinion because I think you are very honest)
I loved this explanation of the differences in expectation and behavior in France. Do more of these please.
Bonjour Alain! None of these tips surprised me because I’ve made every single mistake or incorrectly assumed something that wasn’t part of French culture.
I love learning how to act & react abroad.
This video made me laugh with similar memories
Merci bien!
I hyped it for you.
Alain, just a little thing, the Brits say bill, while it's called cheque in the US. A bill in US is either a bank note or a law.
And that all is EXACTLY why I love being in Paris and not be subjected to endless "HIIIII HOW ARE YOU TODAY? WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?" from a complete stranger every time I enter a store… If I want an interaction, I will start the Bonjour thing anyway! As I keep saying for years now to baffled Starbucks people, my name is Mickey Mouse and I just want a coffee, NOT a relationship!
All my life, I've often felt like I was in the wrong country as I always say GOOD DAY/GOOD NIGHT/GOOD MORNING and people look at me like I'm deranged.
At home, we prefer no ice to our soft drinks.
Believe me. Many of these (French things) occur in Australia. Strangers don’t do small chat – it would be weird striking up a conversation on a train or bus here unless something common event occurred – such we were suddenly having to get off a stranded bus. I think many of your examples are people from the U.S. who seem to us to want to make new best friends of everyone you see. Our shops while in the city open longer hours, in rural areas often only the big chains may be open Saturday afternoon or Sunday. And many restaurants are not open 7 days a week – my favorite Hungarian Restaurant (went last night for my 60th) isn’t open Sunday or Monday. Plus the refills – never really seen that anywhere in the world except the U.S. again.
Thank you Alain! Love your videos. I’ve been to Paris many times and your videos continue to make it even better each time. Still trying to get used to very little ice especially in summer 😂 Merci Beaucoup!
I don't do small talk, I like to browse without interference in a store, I don't smile at strangers, I have to be sitting down to eat. The only thing is I'm not a complainer, other than that I think I would fit in well with the culture of France, it's civilized and sensible.❤🇨🇦💙🇫🇷
Polite Americans (yes, there are some) would never ask about salaries or religion outside of their close family. These days, we have to be careful about discussing politics, but many of us complain a lot about that topic, so making friends with a Parisian might not be too difficult! 😊