Being a good tourist in France can not only save you from angry glares, but it can also substantially improve your visit to France.
Here are some tips from The Local:
Speak softly
English speakers in a crowded room or Metro in France are particularly easy to spot.
We’re not talking intentional bad manners here, but the quiet hum of numerous French conversations in a room will suddenly be jolted by a noticeably louder conversation in English.
On top of drawing attention to yourself, you might be seen as rude for talking at a higher decibel than everyone around you, particularly if you are in a quiet space, such as a train or bus.
Visit out of season
This one will help you have a better time.
First-time visitors to France might be forgiven for thinking that the country has no holiday off-season, given that it welcomes almost 100 million tourists a year.
But that’s by-the-by. Summer tourism is very busy in France, particularly in July and August during les grande vacances (school holidays). Winter is also very busy in the mountainous and Christmassy bits (yes, Colmar and Strasbourg, we mean you).
But, if you can visit outside the traditional big holiday seasons, you can take France at your own pace, and often at a price that’s kinder to your bank manager. Consider booking your trip in the autumn or spring.
Queues are shorter, so there’s less waiting; crowds are smaller, so there’s less pressure to move along; and there’s might even be some space in front of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. You can take your time to breathe in France properly. You will enjoy it so much more.
READ ALSO 19 alternative places to visit in France to avoid the crowds
Don’t get drunk
For a country that produces so much alcohol – and enjoys consuming a fair amount of it – it is considered bad form to drink too much in a single sitting.
That’s not to say you’ll never see anyone in France who has enjoyed a little more wine / cognac / pastis / cider / beer / whiskey / liqueur than they should. You will. But don’t follow their lead.
READ ALSO ‘I broke my face’: How to say you’ve had too much to drink in French
Generally, the French don’t go in for session or binge drinking. There’s a reason that Rugby World Cup 2023 venues ran out of beer – the French don’t put that much away all at once, and what seemed to venue organisers like plenty of booze beforehand turned out to be nowhere near enough when bigger boozing nations’ fans were in town.
A glass or two with a meal is one thing – though watch your intake even more closely if you’re driving: French drink-drive laws are strict – but drink too much and you’ll get pitying looks. And no country on earth does looks as pitying as the French.
Besides, it might get you in trouble with the law…
Don’t get arrested
Let’s be honest, this section shouldn’t be necessary. Not getting into trouble with the police is a common sense approach to life as well as tourism.
But, as in all countries, there are a whole range of laws to foul of – from your standard driving infractions to ages-old French rules on running the air-con in your winnebago, for example.
Now, most very minor law-breaking can probably be solved with a grovelling apology to the world-weary police officer standing in front of you and tactical use of the very unofficial and totally non-legal ‘dumb foreigner’ defence.
But more serious offences may see you in the back of a police car, en route to a police station, where you can be held for up to 24 hours before someone has to decide whether you can be detained for longer.
Suffice to say, this alone will put a kink in your holiday.
READ ALSO What to do if you are arrested in France
But not as much as the kink as any future court appearance and French criminal record may do.
Don’t wander round topless
France has a reputation for being pretty laissez-faire about nudity. But there are rules – and, while there is no nationwide law against being naked in public in France, there is one against disturbing the public order.
On the beach, it’s fine to strip down to your swimwear, but even if you’re having lunch in a beach bar, it’s appropriate to cover up a bit.
READ ALSO Can you go topless in French resorts?
It’s important to be aware of local bylaws on public nudity, which – in a certain area – take precedence over national rules. Or, at least, be aware that local bylaws may exist.
A number of other towns, cities and tourist resorts across the country have also taken steps to ensure people cover up, with mayors ordering local police to fine anyone baring their chests.
You are – mostly – not allowed to go topless in Paris, for example. In the capital’s parks and gardens it is forbidden for women to go topless (that doesn’t, however, mean it doesn’t happen) and, in fact, bathing suits should not be worn in city parks. According to the official rules, dress should be ‘decent and in accordance with good morals and public order’.
Take the route less travelled
And finally, France has more than its fair share of bucket-list attractions that you feel you have to visit.
But confining any trip to those overcrowded places in France that everyone else goes too really rather misses the secret of France.
READ ALSO What are the most overrated tourist attractions in France?
For every Eiffel Tower, Loire Valley chateau, Bordeaux domain, or Provencal lavender field, there’s four or five hidden gems waiting for you to discover.
So, while you’re doing the traditional tourist bit, also find time to travel hipster. Fall in love with those less-travelled parts of France before everyone else catches on.
Even Paris has its magical tourist mysteries.
What do you think about this advice? Share your tips for being a good tourist in France in the comments below.
I’d add the importance of the bonjour/ bon soir on entering a shop/ bar/ taxi … as you point out elsewhere in your pages. You will always get one back, and it puts things on a more human basis.
Excellent advice. We should add this in. THanks!
Overheard on metro, american tourists – “the trouble with Paris is that everything is so old. It would be much nicer if they pulled it all down and built nice new buildings”.
I politely suggested they go home !