Apparently, there is a new season of Emily in Paris on Netflix, in case you were curious.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the show. Most of the time, I find it exhausting to explain how unrealistic it is.

That said, occasionally it perfectly captures the conversations I have had countless times with French people and other foreigners in the city.

One scene that stands out takes place in the first season when Emily whines to her colleagues about the possibility of getting fired. The two French men laugh and say something along the lines of ‘Is that all? It’s impossible to be fired in France. Don’t worry’.

A lot of people – French and foreign – seem to believe this line, but it is a bit of an exaggeration.

Mythbuster: Is it actually impossible to be sacked in France?

Emily does not exactly showcase French values of work-life balance, but that is usually a priority for those looking to move to France for work.

In 2017, France even passed legislation giving workers the ‘right to disconnect’. But, perhaps surprisingly, France has been slow to embrace remote work, and French workers spend more time in the office than those in other industrialised countries. 

Personally, I am very thankful to have an in-person office space, but I’m not sure I would feel the same if I had the commute from my first year in France, which was over an hour and a half, and it involved taking the erratic RER A every morning. 

Why you’re less likely to work from home in France compared to other countries

For those looking to visit France, rather than permanently move here, we have some advice for how to make the most out of your experience.

Each person has their own approach to travel – you may prefer to get up early and pack in a full day of cultural activities, or you might like to sleep in and take it easy, wandering around and spontaneously stumbling upon activities.

That said, there are some habits that are sure to get you an eye roll or even a talking to from a random French stranger. 

Essential advice for how to be a good tourist in France

One way to make your trip to France 10x better would be to visit in the off-season. I know that this is not accessible to everyone, especially those with school-aged children.

But if it is possible, consider doing so to enjoy more temperate weather, shorter lines and smaller crowds. If you visit during autumn, you can enjoy some of the fantastic wine harvest festivals, like the Beaujolais Nouveau festival. 

If you’re more interested in buying some nice wine (at an affordable price), then mark down the dates of the autumn foire aux vins – the perfect time to stock up on quality vintages at a fraction of the price.

Foire aux vins: How to find bargains on high quality wine in France

On the topic of tourism, one of the most France’s busiest airports will have a big change in November. 

Ryanair announced plans to close their base of operations at Bordeaux airport (BOD), which could spell trouble considering the low-cost airline operates about a quarter of BOD’s flights. 

What will happen to flights from Bordeaux airport after Ryanair leaves?

And finally, the Paralympic Games are winding to a close this week. After several weeks of Olympic fun, I will be sad to see the Games end, though not so much that I want the Olympic rings to stay on the Eiffel Tower forever.

In the spirit of the Paralympic Games, The Local has put together a vocabulary guide to help talk about disability in French, in an inclusive and respectful way.

The French words to use and avoid when talking about disability