Try to speak a bit of French
Speaking French, even just enough to excuse yourself for not speaking French, will go a long way – the assumption that everyone speaks English does not go down well in France.
ALWAYS say ‘bonjour’ when you enter a shop
Unless it’s after 6pm, when you should say ‘bonsoir’.
For extra points, add a ‘madame’ if greeting a lady, or a ‘monsieur’ in the case of a man.
And remember to say ‘merci, au revoir’ as you leave.
Just say ‘bonjour’ once
One quirk to remember with ‘bonjour’ – never say ‘bonjour’ to someone you’ve already said it to that day, it implies that you’ve forgotten you’ve seen them. The easiest way around this is to say ‘rebonjour’.
Eating, drinking and table manners
Keep both hands above the table at all times. And keep elbows, mobiles and all other personal effects off the table.
Avoid talking too loudly and making wild gestures. And don’t speak with your mouth open.
Don’t add salt before tasting your food – it implies you don’t trust the chef.
Also, if you want to wow the French with your manners, you should fold lettuce on your fork, rather than cutting it.
And if you don’t want any more wine, leave a little bit in the glass (un fond de vin) so that your host knows you don’t want anymore.
In a restaurant, you'll likely need to ask for your bill at the end of the meal – your waiter/waitress is unlikely to bring it automatically.
Coffee should be ordered after dessert. Generally, only wine and water are drunk with a meal.
You don’t need to tip, although if the service is exceptional a couple of euros will be gratefully received by your server.
Observe the traditions around bread and cheese
Bread should be broken rather than cut or bitten directly into.
And you may very well not be given a plate for your bread – that’s what the table’s for, so don’t try and balance it on the side of your dinner plate.
You can use your bread to guide food onto your fork.
Don’t butter your bread – this is only done at breakfast.
There are very specific ways to cut the many different types of cheese – make sure you stick to them!
Visiting someone's home
If you’re invited to dinner at a French person’s home, suitable gifts include flowers, except chrysanthemums, which are usually reserved for funerals. Avoid yellow flowers too, as these are associated with infidelity.
Sweets and chocolate are usually a safe bet.
Don’t bring wine – your host will have spent time picking out a wine and it could imply you don’t trust their selection.
Host families
If staying with a host family, delicacies/gifts related to your local area are usually very well received – after all, many host families take in foreign students because they’re interested in learning more about other cultures.
Asking for help
When stopping a stranger in the street (to ask for directions etc.) excuse yourself by saying ‘Excusez-moi de vous déranger…’. And don’t forget your ‘bonjour’, ‘merci’ and ‘au revoir’!
Shopping hours
Don’t plan to go shopping in the afternoon if staying outside of a touristy area – many shops and businesses close down for several hours in the afternoon to allow families and friends to get together over lunch. They will open later into the evening than in the UK.
And most shops and businesses will be closed on Sundays – with many also closed on Mondays.
Faire la bise
We couldn’t write about etiquette in France without addressing that one element of French culture that strikes fear into the heart of any Brit – the kissing!
Generally, if you’re meeting someone for the first time in France, they’ll go for a handshake. But if you know them (or they’re particularly friendly), they may want to faire la bise.
Don’t panic. You don’t actually need to kiss anyone, it’s more of a cheek bump accompanied by the sound effect of a kiss (‘mwah!’).
The number of ‘kisses’ varies depending on the region you’re in, but two is the standard, and you usually start on the right.
Generally, though, the best advice is to just relax and take your lead from the French person. It’s actually a lovely, warm way to greet people and nothing to worry about!
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