If you're an American tourist in Paris,
trying to decide if you've been embarrassing yourself
or not, you are almost certainly are.
But hey, that's OK!
We can totally help.
Hello, internet, I'm Wil Fulton
and this is "Thrillist Travel Guide."
While traveling to a new country,
it's certainly important to make sure that
you are at least slightly aware of that country's
traditions, customs, laws, and overall vibes.
France in particular has something of a
thorny reputation when it comes to tourism,
especially American tourisms.
- Do French people hate Americans?
- ...No!
- But the deal here is fairly straightforward:
if you act like an ignorant rube,
they will call you out on it.
That's just their way of life.
Which is why learning some very basic
French customs can help you save face,
and, ultimately, have a better trip.
First up, you have to try, at least try,
to speak a little French.
- Oui?
- Oui.
- So, of course, it might be a little intimidating
to break out the handful of French phrases
you googled on the plane ride into De Gaulle
and can't really pronounce correctly.
- I'll try the [mumbles].
The [gibberish]
- But at least give it the old college try
before lapsing into English
and miming your croissant order to people.
In fact, it's considered very impolite to not say
a formal hello in French, when you enter
a shop, restaurant, or hotel.
- Dude, come on, French it up.
- And yes, your greeting might expose you as a
sad, monolingual American, but even just a little effort
will truly go a long way.
Most of the time, they'll quickly gather that
you're a freakin' amateur, and switch to English anyway.
But you gotta try here.
- Do you speak French?
- Tout de la s'more!
- Let's learn a few French phrases shall we?
Thank you.
Merci.
Good evening.
Bonsoir.
Please.
S'il vous plaît.
I don't speak french.
Ne parlez vous français.
That's an important one.
And on that note, let's talk about,
well, what French people like to talk about.
In America, we pretty much fill our day
with endless runs of small talk,
you know, so we never have to be alone with our thoughts.
I talked about the weather with three people
on my way into work today.
Yes, we all agreed it is, indeed, cold out.
This mindless chatter doesn't really fly in France.
The French are generally more formal with people
they don't know, and your idea of an uncomfortable silence
might actually be a comfortable silence for them.
They treat strangers kind of formally,
and, for the most part, don't really enjoy personal questions
from people they aren't familiar with.
Imagine that! A world where you can just ignore people
you don't know. Kinda sounds like a paradise.
If you truly feel compelled to talk to someone,
stay the hell away from politics, personal inquiries,
and well, maybe just talk about football.
And by football, we mean soccer.
Or you can just relax and embrace the silence.
Don't worry, you can talk about the weather
when you get home.
- Is there someone else up there we can talk to?
- No! Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.
- Another big cultural difference
most Americans will immediately notice?
The French, in general, aren't really in a rush.
Obviously, in a big city like Paris,
things will move quicker
than they would in say Boise, Idaho,
but in restaurants, cafes, and most stores
people just move slowly.
Some might call this dragging their feet,
others might contend they are simply savoring life.
Either way,
you will probably have to wait a little longer
to get some service.
But don't worry if service is slow, it's not you.
Well, unless you spent the past 10 minutes
asking your server some extremely personal questions
about their home life and marital status
in a loud American accent; then it probably is you.
And speaking of restaurants,
another thing that will certainly
make you look like a dork is asking for a to-go box.
They don't do that over there.
So, make sure you clean your plate
of foie gras in one sitting.
And again, you'll probably be sitting for a long time,
so it shouldn't be a problem.
Finally, we close with a very poignant tip.
In France you can, and in some cases should, still tip.
As you probably know, a service charge
is baked into most bills at restaurants in France.
But, definitely don't let that stop you
from tossing a couple extra euros
towards your server before you leave.
It's not an unspoken requirement,
like it is in the States,
but is definitely customary for good service
and, as always, is greatly appreciated by your server.
You should probably leave a little extra,
just in good faith,
to make up for your bad French
and give a good name for us American tourists.
As you probably know, we kinda need it.
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For even more tips
on how to not be a dumb American overseas,
check out the article in the description below.
And if you wanna find out
about the best places to visit,
direct your full attention to the video to my left.