Getting By
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Getting By:
Some Practical Advice
Here are some tips to help first-time American travelers in France avoid awkward
situations.
- Shops close for two to three hours in midday. Non-food establishments usually close at
noon, grocery stores and bakeries at 12:30 or 1:00.
- Some outdoor cafes turn into restaurants during the lunch hours. Tables with tablecloths
are for diners only; those without tablecloths are still available for those who want to
drink coffee and hang out.
- Restaurants generally don’t open for dinner until 7:30 or 8:00 pm. Before that you
can get light fare at cafes and bars, but serious dining begins late. On a warm summer
night, it’s not unusual to see folks finishing up their dessert at 11:30.
- In cafes and restaurants you won’t get your bill until you ask for it ("s’il vous plait, l’addition").
- You tip less in French restaurants and cafes than you do in the U.S.
Generally a menu will say "servis compris"--service
included. So your tip is truly a gratuity. However, if you have enjoyed
your meal and feel that the service was good, it is appropriate to leave
a small tip of five or ten percent.
- Don’t be surprised to see dogs in restaurants. It’s customary.
- As you pass French people on the street or in a country lane, don’t expect them to
flash you a smile or give you a hearty greeting, American style. More typical responses
are a slight nod, a muttered "monsieur" or "madame," or nothing; this
is custom, not rudeness.
- However, when you enter a small shop you should always greet the
proprietor before you start browsing, just as you would greet someone as
you entered their home--"Bonjour, Madame" or "Bonjour,
Monsieur."
- Most major freeways or autoroutes are toll roads (payage). Carry money,
preferably change, and be prepared to stop at toll booths periodically. Better yet, avoid
the autoroutes and enjoy your drive on two-lane roads that wind through the countryside.
- In city parking lots, you pay before you get into your car to leave. You go to a
machine (caisse), insert the parking ticket you got when you entered, and pay the
amount shown in the digital window. This erases the deficit on your card, which you insert
into another machine as you are driving out. If you arrive at the exit gate without having
prepaid your card, you are in an awkward situation.
- The best way to get cash in France is at an automatic teller, using your VISA,
Mastercard, or ATM card. These machines are widely available, operate at all hours of the
day and night, and give you the best exchange rate.
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