France Local Customs

  Cafes at Pl. de la Sorbonne
by Beausoleil
 
  • Cafes at Pl. de la Sorbonne
      Cafes at Pl. de la Sorbonne
    by Beausoleil
  • one of many faience shops in Moustiers
      one of many faience shops in Moustiers
    by angiebabe
  • personally signed by its crafter
      personally signed by its crafter
    by angiebabe
  • French chic, Paris
      French chic, Paris
    by kris-t
  • street towards pl notre dame early Dic11
      street towards pl notre dame early Dic11
    by gwened
 

Most Viewed Local Customs in France

26.

Parlez vous francais?   Paris

Parlez vous francais?, Paris

 115 Reviews  Before our trip to Paris, my French vocabulary consisted of "croissant" and "crepe" - pronounced improperly, I may add. Armed with just these two terms, I figured we wouldn't starve but wouldn't be... 

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27.

Topless Sunbathing   Nice

Topless Sunbathing, Nice

 5 Reviews  Topless sunbathing is permitted on the beaches of the Cote d'Azur. You'll see a mix of women with their tops on or off as you enjoy the beaches. The lesson to be learned is not to stare like a... 

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28.

Food & Drink   Lyon

Food & Drink, Lyon

 4 Reviews  Around Lyon you have many wineyards and also companies which sells guided tours to the wineyards. If you want to do one of these trips, which I did not have time and I was there during the wrong... 

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29.

JOAN OF ARC   Rouen

JOAN OF ARC, Rouen

 1 Review  Jeanne d'Arc, patron saint of France, was tried and burned at the stake in Rouen. The English and French fought each other in the Hundred Years War until Jeanne d'Arc helped put Charles VII on the... 

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30.

Festivals   Avignon

Festivals, Avignon

 6 Reviews  Since the late 1940s, for three weeks in July, Avignon hosts le Festival d'Avignon, during which numerous theatrical plays, both large productions as well as low budget, are shown. The city's numerous... 

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31.

Prices Cafe/Bar/Restaurant   Yvoire

Prices Cafe/Bar/Restaurant, Yvoire

 1 Review   This board show you that you will pay different prices depending on your location : - at the bar (the cheapest), - in the restaurant (the most expensive) - on the terrace (the best place to be of... 

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32.

Fashion   Paris

Fashion, Paris

 33 Reviews  If you want to look like a local, make sure you are wearing a nice scarf, matched with your coat, artfully knotted around your neck. Even on a rather warm September day when we were sweating, people... 

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33.

Local Food   Nice

Local Food, Nice

 10 Reviews  2006 Monday 1st and every Sunday on May 7, 14, 21 and 28. From 11 AM to 7 PM at Jardins des Arènes de Cimiez Free entrance Kids games, clowns, music, typical dance, local food stands, picnic.... 

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34.

Festival des Lumières   Lyon

Festival des Lumières, Lyon

 2 Reviews  The Festival of Lights is probably the most popular as well as the most established event in Lyon occurs on December 8th. Lanterns adorn balconies and windows and streets a full of performers making... 

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35.

Money/Tipping   Avignon

Money/Tipping, Avignon

 2 Reviews  Service charges are included on all restaurant bills at a cost of between 10 and 15 percent. Extra tips are accepted of course if you have received above good service. s fair to add a little more if... 

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36.

Stereotypes: Rude, or friendly?   Paris

Stereotypes: Rude, or friendly?, Paris

 81 Reviews  I've just returned from a wonderful vacation in Paris and I have nothing but great things to say about the folks that live in this magnificent city. Everyone was polite, helpful and friendly, I have... 

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37.

Local Music   Nice

Local Music, Nice

 2 Reviews  Listen to: Dum Dum Boys: if you like electro rock/indie-punk, I can highly recommend their album "Electronic Pop Music Created by...". Curl: if you like trip-hop/new wave... Not really my cup of... 

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38.

Guignol   Lyon

Guignol, Lyon

 3 Reviews  There are three troupes presenting puppet shows daily in Lyon. One is located in a small theater in Old Lyon and the others are in other parts of the city. We attended an afternoon show at the Daniel... 

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39.

Dining & Drinking   Paris

Dining & Drinking, Paris

 81 Reviews  It is easy to confuse menu (in English) with menu (in French). They are two different words. What is referred to as a menu in English is called a "carte" in French. In French the menu is a prix fixe... 

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40.

Siesta   Nice

Siesta, Nice

 3 Reviews  The French love protesting. The tradition goes back to the French Revolution - when the monarchy was overthrown and a lot of people had their heads separated from the rest of them. If its American... 

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41.

Money   Lyon

Money, Lyon

 2 Reviews  Leaving a pourboire (tipping) is at your discretion. Service charges are included on all restaurant bills at a cost of between 10 and 15 percent. Extra tips are accepted of course if you have received... 

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42.

Toilets   Paris

Toilets, Paris

 15 Reviews  A guide that lets you quickly spot on a map the location of the nearest sanisette (free public toilet). And so you don't have to rush in a café and spend your money !(drinks are especially expensive... 

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43.

Pétanque   Nice

Pétanque, Nice

 1 Review  Stroll down the Prom as far as the eye can see - shortly before the airport, and at the furthest end of the bay locals from the poorer end of Nice will be out playing petanque, or "boules". Its a... 

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44.

Weather   Lyon

Weather, Lyon

 1 Review  Lyon is warm and sunny between the months of June and October. In June there is plenty of daylight to get things done and it is also fairly light on the summer crowds. September is usually... 

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45.

Bastille Day   Paris

Bastille Day, Paris

 14 Reviews  I purposely scheduled our London/Paris trip so that we could spend at least part of Bastille Day in Paris, we had to leave in the evening but we were there during the day and the night before. We made... 

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46.

Tipping   Paris

Tipping, Paris

 12 Reviews  Service charges are included on all restaurant bills at a cost of between 10 and 15 percent. Extra tips are accepted of course if you have received above good service. s fair to add a little more if... 

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47.

Nudity   Paris

Nudity, Paris

 8 Reviews  is often used in advertising in France. Nudity is much more frequent. I remember being surprised the first time I saw a naked woman in a yogurt commercial on TV! Yves Saint Laurent pushed new... 

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48.

Street Artists   Paris

Street Artists, Paris

 31 Reviews  There are some really good musicians out there on the street, you just need to have your ears and eyes open to catch them. Photo 1 - 2) - These fellows were actually Americans, dressed for the part,... 

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49.

Religion   Paris

Religion, Paris

 32 Reviews  While I am semi-religious and do enjoy the faith aspects of attending a church service in a foreign country, I also go for the music, the architecture and the ambiance. I mean how else do you get to... 

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50.

Smoking   Paris

Smoking, Paris

 10 Reviews  I shall go to Paris and hope the fear of cigarette smoke is less than in the west. There is no reason why both nonsmokers and smokers can't have a place to go. Unless of course the nonsmokers have a... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Greetings: handshake, kiss, ...

by vinc_bilb

Typical local greetings are important to know. Some of the frustrations foreigner people could experience in France could result of some misunderstanding or abuses. HANDSHAKE: the commong gestureFrench typically greet someone, who is not a close friend, by shaking hands. It often takes place when you meet or leave someone or offer congratulations or agree on a deal or an arrangement.It is considered impolite to refuse to shake hands, saying "No" because of health problems is not unfair, but you should always offer an apology and a brief explanation so that the other person does not feel shunned.(Double) CHEEK KISSING: with close acquaintancesCheek kissing is a standard greeting between friends or close acquaintances, to indicate friendship, love, respect. It is less common in professional settings and does not indicate sexual interest. You may be sometime kissed immediately upon being...

Tip Photo
You've Heard That The French Are Rude...

by JohnnyGeek

Let me enlighten you - this is false. The French have a (well deserved) reputation for being a bit snobbish when speaking of political topics. However, that's where it ends.Unless you're a politician attending a G8 Summit, you'll find that the French are absolutely lovely people. The best tip I can give is to give the French language an honest effort. Learn please, thank you, where is the..., how much is...., and you'll be quite well received. Even if you butcher it horribly, if you at least make an effort to speak the language, you'll find the French go out of their way to try to be helpful.

Shaving armpits

by chess_machine

When talking to a foreign friend one day he told me he thought French women did not shave their armpits. Maybe he had read a book about "who are French people" or had seen a movie from the 1920s. Anyway, the common thing in France for women is to shave their armpits. I personnaly havent seen young women who didnot...

Frog legs and snails

by chess_machine

We dont eat frog legs every day. Those who told you that are lying. ;) It is actually quite rare to find restaurants that propose frog legs as a meal. I personally had 2 or 3 time in my life frog legs (with garlic) and it is delicious. Really! It has a soft taste, so I think the main stop is the conscious of eating a frog. Same thing goes from snails, except snails are much more frequent in restaurants. It is quite common to find them in a menu. And they are also delicious!!

The French Bath

by Lady_Mystique

While the busy pace of the modern world has taken over many aspects of French life, the bath is not one of them.Like "take-out coffee", the idea of a quick shower has never caught on (or maybe it has since I visited??...but I doubt it).Most French homes do not have 'showers' as we know them in North America.Instead of a shower-head attached to the wall, the French configuration includes a 'pommeau', or hand-held spray shower (the kind one uses to give their dog a bath).And, although my hostess oferred me the use of her "shower" --- stuck in the corner of her spare bathroom/laundry room --- I much preferred lounging in her claw-footed tub at the end of the day, melting away the dust and hurry of that days' travel.I loved to lay back with the warm water up to my neck, breathing in the aromas of the essential oil I had chosen for that particular evening.My baths were much savoured and even...

Tip Photo
Le CAFE

by Lady_Mystique

A giant cup of hot, rich coffee with steamed milk in the morning and a final cup (with no milk) at the end of dinner ~ now, these are the 'Good Morning' and 'Amen' to a day filled with gastronomic pleasures!!The quintessential French woman observes the simple rituals of coffee with care. She uses the best coffee ~ usually ground fresh in a shop that features an authentic five-foot brass coffee roaster ~ and made in the classic French-press coffee pot. Whole milk gently steamed on top of the stove. Real sugar or none at all. Good oversized ceramic cups or bowls without handles for breakfast, antique china demitasse for dinner.~ "Take-out" coffee in paper cups is considered undesireable, if not completely uncivilized.The point is ... to not think of coffee as a fix, like it's the jumper cables attached to your day. Instead, it's about taking the time for the pleasure of a fine,...

Tip Photo
Fingers/hands usage and langage

by vinc_bilb

- One or several fingers circling at the temple: "fou" (crazy).- Holding one’s nose with a closed fist and faking a turn: "il est saoûl” (He’s drunk)- Kissing the tips of one’s finger: "délicieux" (delicious).- Pulling the right cheek downward at the eye: “mon oeil” (my eye - I don’t believe it).- Thumbs down/up: bad/super.- Shaking the right hand fingers in front of the chest: “ooh la la”: a great surprise, often accompanied by a puff of air through closed lips.- fingers flat against the lips with eyes open: “Houps" (Oops, I made a mistake)- finger tips rubbing together with the thumb up: “cher” (expensive, money)- using the back of fingers to stroke the right cheek as if feeling a beard: “quelle barbe” (What a beard - What a bore)- A fist with the middle finger extended: "doigt d'honneur" (It appears to be universally understood as "f uck you").

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Glassware at the Bar

by pedroswift

A long established French custom which one sees more and more back home in Oz is drink service in specially marked glasses to match the product. Buy a glass of Acme beer and it is served in a suitably branded glass placed on a beer mat to match it. Makes for greater storage problems compared to plain old generic beer or wine glasses because a much bigger stock of glasses is required.May not make the drink taste any better but it does look classy.

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La langue francaise

by Elodie_Caroline

I decided, quite a few years ago now, to teach myself the French language, I didn't want to go to nightschool etc., I like to do things when I want to do them.Anyway, the biggest thing, to remember in French, is the grammer, there are different endings to Verbs and are all associated with gender and number... I, you (familiar and formal), we, him, her etc, etc. I found VT and my French fell by the wayside somewhat, unfortunately. But I do delve myself right back into it some days, so as to keep my dream aliveTo learn French or any other languages: Buy yourself a very good 'Teach yourself' book, one that includes grammer and all of the important things. Get dictionaries, a Verb dictionary, and also buy yourself books that are written all in the language itself, this way you will see in paragraphs how the language is written and spoken. CD roms containing the verbal language is also a...

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Les Belles Heures de Paris

by Elodie_Caroline

One day, a couple of years ago, my hubby and I were having a day out in the city of Watford, when we came across an Oxfam charity bookshop. Of course, me being a great lover of books, we went and had a browse around in there.My eyes fell upon this wonderful little book and I quickly snapped it up! It's about 15 ins by 15 ins and called, 'Les Belles Heures de Paris,' It is absolutely full of black and white photographs, taken in Paris in the very early 1960's, it was actually printed in 1964 and it is beautiful! It has writing, all in French too, describing each of the photographs. There are photographs of the people of Paris, like the very chic ladies and of lovers kissing etc. There are also the usual sights of Paris and also the parts of Paris that a tourist would probably never see if he/she weren't looking for them!I love this little book; it is my most treasured possession!

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Local Customs: Cities in France
  1. Paris Local Customs
  2. Nice Local Customs
  3. Lyon Local Customs
  4. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Local Customs
  5. Versailles Local Customs
  6. Marseille Local Customs
  7. Cannes Local Customs
  8. Lille Local Customs
  9. Strasbourg Local Customs
  10. Toulouse Local Customs
  11. Rouen Local Customs
  12. Aix-en-Provence Local Customs
  13. Avignon Local Customs
  14. Grenoble Local Customs
  15. Carcassonne Local Customs
  16. Bordeaux Local Customs
  17. Reims Local Customs
  18. Antibes Local Customs
  19. Lourdes Local Customs
  20. Marne-la-Vallée Local Customs
  21. Mont Saint Michel Local Customs
  22. Montpellier Local Customs
  23. Colmar Local Customs
  24. Arles Local Customs
  25. Dijon Local Customs
  26. Bayeux Local Customs
  27. Nantes Local Customs
  28. Annecy Local Customs
  29. Chartres Local Customs
  30. Tours Local Customs
  31. Menton Local Customs
  32. Saint-Malo Local Customs
  33. Éze Local Customs
  34. Nîmes Local Customs
  35. Caen Local Customs
  36. Saint-Tropez Local Customs
  37. Amiens Local Customs
  38. Morzine Local Customs
  39. Beaune Local Customs
  40. Honfleur Local Customs
  41. Biarritz Local Customs
  42. Boulogne-sur-Mer Local Customs
  43. Pau Local Customs
  44. Perpignan Local Customs
  45. Angers Local Customs
  46. Nancy Local Customs
  47. La Rochelle Local Customs
  48. Rennes Local Customs
  49. Saint-Denis Local Customs

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Questions and Answers

Mongy profile photo

Q:  Dear all, Does anyone knows whether it is possible to get a phone sim card in France for use during a short term/traveller stay... 

gwened profile photo

A: get it at any mobile phone provider Bouygues, SFR or Orange. I use Orange. very easy http://agence.orange.fr/search?query=paris&st_like%5BSERVICES%5D%5B%5D=%25 have... 

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