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

101.

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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102.

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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103.

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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104.

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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105.

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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106.

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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107.

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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108.

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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109.

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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110.

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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111.

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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112.

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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113.

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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114.

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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115.

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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116.

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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117.

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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118.

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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119.

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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120.

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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121.

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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122.

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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123.

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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124.

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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125.

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

Martinique speciality : cod accras

by mariev

If you don't have tasted accras, those delicious small fritters used as aperitive or starter, you haven't tasted MartiniqueCod AccrasIngredients: (for about 6 people-aperitive) - 250 grams flour- 100 grams butter- 150 grams cod (disencumbered of its bones and de-salted)- milk (or water)- 2 eggs- salt, pepper- 1 onion, chive (cives), 1 or 2 garlic clove(s) grounded, parsley- spices (according to tastes': thyme, fennel-flower...) - 1 small red pepper (pepperoni, piment, chili pepper) thinly chopped- oil (for frying)Preparation: 20 mn (+ 4 hours pause) Put the flour in a large bowl, add the butter, milk (or water), add the eggs beaten (the yolk first, then the whites whipped 'in snow'), salt and the pepper(oni)Mix the whole with the cod, season with onion, garlic, parsley, chive, and spices, add pepper according to tastes.(nota : if you want them super puffy, you can add a pich of baking...

Tip Photo
Don't bin it! RECYCLE BIN IT!!

by pedroswift

Recycling is Big in France. Most towns have an area set aside for bins to accept a range of recyclable products such as glass, plastic, paper, as well as reusable clothing for charities. It is not unusual to see very large dark green cubical fiberglass bins to take glass (wine bottles) placed at strategic locations around the town. These bins have several openings with one way rubber closures so that bottles can go in but flying glass won't come back out if they break. If you are on a self-catering holiday, go green and recycle.

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Try a Horse Burger

by pedroswift

There is a history of horse consumption in France (& other European cultures). The practice was probably introduced to Europe by invaders from Asia but popular mythology dates the French habit to Napoleon's unsuccessful Russian Campaign. French soldiers were advised by the surgeon-in-chief of Napoleon's Grand Army, Baron Dominique-Jean Larrey, to eat the flesh of horses that had died on the battlefield to prevent starvation during their winter time retreat from Russia. Horse meat is widely available from specialty butchers and at the prepackaged meat refrigerators of the bigname supermarkets.Although I have chosen not to try the product (as far as I am aware), why don't you give it a go on your next visit to France??

Tip Photo
KISSING!!!

by sunshinejo

Haha, that got your attention! However, it's true, French people do kiss each other a lot. In France, people who know each other kiss each other on the cheek as a greeting. The number of kisses per cheek depends on the area, for example where I stayed in Niort people kiss each other three times, first on one cheek, then the other, then back to the first. In Alpe d'Huez, people kiss each other just twice, once on each cheek. Unfortunately, I can never remember which cheek is supposed to come first! This is usually only done amongst friends and family, you wouldn't greet a stranger (or even a business collegue you don't know well) by kissing them, you'd just shake hands. To be honest, it's not something that's going to offend anyone if you get it wrong. If you're not sure how many kisses you're supposed to exchange, then just try and follow what the other person is doing, and if you find...

The 24 hour clock

by pedroswift

Are you familiar with the 24 hour clock which dispenses with the requirement to add “AM” or “PM” so is more precise than the 12 hour one? Because there can be no chance of misunderstandings, the 24 hour clock is much favoured by the transport industry (aviation) and the military. It is the conventional method in France (as is annotating dates as dd/mm/yy – day,month year). You should then make yourself familiar with the system(s). Especially if you are booking accommodation, restaurant tables or using public transport. 24 hour clockA practical result of your desire to adopt the French 24 hour clock is that you should be able to count in French to 24. For us, a practical example of using 24hr time: French hospitality at its best. On arrival at the marina in Epernay (Champagne), we received an invitation from the club manager for drinks at the nearby Tennis and Rowing Club – a dix-huit...

Tip is already included!

by adelinemmc

In France, the price you see is the price you pay. In restaurants, bars and cafes, the VAT and the tip (at 12.5%) is already included. You are NOT expected to leave an additional tip. Some people leave 20 or 50 centimes when they leave a cafe but no more should be left and only if you are very happy with the service.No tip should be left at the restaurant. If you are a tourist from a country where tips are not included, if you leave tips in France you will be paying twice and you will be messing with the local way of doing things. Remember, do as the locals do and don't try to impose your own customs!

Birthdays.... not a big deal?

by Arial_27

I was suprised at the way my exchange family went about celebrating birthdays!When Franck, my exchange partner turned 17, he was simply handed an envelope and given a kiss on the cheek."When's the party?" I asked."There is no party," he replied. "Why would there be?""Isn't it your 17th birthday? When am I going to give you your gift?""Oh, you didn't need to go buy me a gift," he chuckled. "I'm too old for that now."WHAT? Too old for birthday gifts at 17? My grandparents, in their Golden years still recieve birthday gifts. Aparently thats's not the case in France. They may give a few small gifts, but generally they don't make as big of a deal out of birthdays the way we do in North America.Take a look at this picture. This is Franck and I on his 17th birthday. The cake candles are lit, but notice they didn't even take the cake out of the box? Infact, they didn't bring the cake in singing...

A FEW FRENCH PHRASES THAT MAY HELP YOU

by DAO

Quel pays est ceci? What country am I in?Nous regardions le Télé et il a explosé soudain. We were watching the TV when it suddenly exploded.Cela a été cassé avant que nous spyons sois arrives. It was broken when we got here.Quel est la plus grande chose sur le menuWhat’s the biggest thing on the menu?Où est l'hôpital le plus proche? Where is the nearest hospital?

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Dogs

by ant1606

French love their dogs and take them along everywhere. There are so many dogs, and their owners with a disgraceful low attitude to remove the droppings, that in many places it's strongly advisable to keep your nose down instead of gazing at interesting buildings. When doing so, my suggestion is to stop for the occasion as there can be an otherwise high chance of stepping on something soft. Beaches are not a safe place too in this respect, as some of these are dedicated places for 2- and 4-legged.Dogs should always be on leash through the streets but most are not. In Dinan, Brittany, I had the curious unusual sight of a dog leading another dog on leash!

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Say "cheese" (or rather "fromage")

by b1bob

Most meals served every day in France are at least 3 courses. They start with a type of salad, then there is the entree, and then there is the cheese course. In France, there are as many types of cheese as a dog has fleas. When I stayed with Luc's family in the summers of 1989 and 1990 and on my return in 2000, they had brie, camembert, roquefort, and some type of hard cheese. It makes sense to have a cheese course because it cleanses your pallette in transition to dessert or as a last course of the meal.

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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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