10 Things To KNOW about CULTURE Differences in Paris

traveling to Paris is wonderful but for many people it also brings up anxieties and many questions like how will I communicate if I don't speak French and what should I wear will I stick out and what about the money and are French people really rude so in this video we'll share 10 cultural differences about French people you need to know so you can travel with confidence and at the end of the video I'll give you four phrases that could be super useful [Music] thank you the first cultural difference is about the Wardrobe yes Paris is the fashion capital of the world but let me be super clear nobody in Paris cares what you wear full stop culturally French people are practical and understated in the way they dress they wear casual clothes the odd Couture you see in Emily in Paris is not what parisians people wear at all they wear muted tones and not bright colors and they wear sneakers and comfortable shoes because they walk a lot and there are a lot of stairs and cobblestone streets they wear jeans sweaters coats and a scarf in the winter and simple dresses and linen shirts in the summer now of course there are exceptions to that if you go to a Sunday brunch at The Ritz hotel in place vandom but for the most part just be you and first and foremost be comfortable [Music] the next cultural difference is about speaking of foreign language many people traveling to Paris are concerned about being able to communicate while a lot of tourists don't speak French at all the French Have Spent A Lifetime being exposed to American TV and films and music put that together with how close France is to the UK and it's safe to say that most parisians speak at least a little bit of English but that doesn't mean they're comfortable doing it kind of like how I feel weird when I speak French when it comes to communicating there are a couple of options you can use Google Translate for whatever you want to type or speak and get translated you can use Google Lens if you want to scroll over a page and have the page translated to read or you can learn a few key phrases to help you get by and we'll go through some of those at the end of this video but starting a conversation with bonjour lets the person know that you respect them and if you screw up enough they'll figure out their English is better than your French and if they can they'll help you in English foreign difference is about the French formality French people have rules they are far more formal in their behavior than Americans and they view Americans as super casual and informal that informality can make some French people uncomfortable when we first arrived Colleen asked a woman in a bakery hi what's your name and the woman was stunned she wanted to know why does a stranger wants to know my name the proper protocol would be to greet each other with a proper bonjour and we are a lot more distant at first we don't stay like that but we'll have a more cautious and reserved first or second exchange once we know each other that's a total different story but the first Contact will be a lot more formal than you're accustomed to so keep that in mind when entering a shop or Restaurant start with bonjour dial your casual mess just a bit and you'll fit right in that leads us to the next cultural reference which is about being quiet Americans are known for living with a higher level of self-expression and social interaction and the French are much more discreet yes they love to laugh and have fun but when they're out in public they're much more closed-lit they speak in low voices and are much more subdued in their physical expression we often hear French people say they can spot Americans because they're the ones laughing and speaking loud in restaurants on the street or in trains and metros and if you look around you'll see that the French are often reading books they don't talk at all or they're having a quiet conversation so if you want to blend as they say in the movie Coneheads maintain low tones [Music] the next cultural difference is about meals and dining for the French meals are social events and there are time to relax and enjoy yourself and there are some things that you need to know about that if you're visiting France one is that meal times are from 12 30 to 2 30 for lunch and 7 30 P.M to 9 30 p.m for dinner and the French don't eat between meals and they don't eat on the go if you spot someone snacking eating on the Metro or carrying a cup of coffee around you can bet that they're not French now things have evolved since I was a kid there are a lot more Street Foods around but it's mostly by tourist attractions and it's okay to eat a crepe from a street vendor but if a French person is having street food they will likely find a park or a place to sit and enjoy it also French people take their time to enjoy what they're eating they will often sit around the table talking about life politics and and complaining about this or that with my French family for example we'll sit around the table for three to four hours and spend at least one hour just for the goodbyes so when you're in Paris take your time enjoy the flavors and breathe a little bit [Music] the next cultural difference is about business hours and when things are open or closed in the U.S we're used to places being open every day and often 24 hours that's not the case in France here expect businesses to be closed on Sundays and Mondays even major stores are often only open until noon if at all on Sundays that may be in part a throwback to France's Catholic Heritage but it also gives small family business owners a fair chance you can feel the importance of family-owned business in the culture and this gives them an opportunity to have days off to enjoy with the family which is also a big focus in French culture so rather than being annoyed that places aren't open celebrate that they've worked hard and get a chance to enjoy a well-deserved rest [Music] another cultural difference is access to bathrooms in the U.S it's easy to find a public bathroom but Paris doesn't have a lot of toilets available don't expect to find them in shops or Supermarket this may be surprising to you but they aren't there and you may be in for a surprise if you need one this is an old city with an old infrastructure French people know better than to expect them out in public what you'll find in some places are these tall pill shaped public toilets around town but there are often broken and just nasty a Parisian who needs to go is likely to walk into a cafe and order an espresso and use the nice clean facilities as a customer so as a rule if you're near a good clean bathroom use it while you can it may be a while before you find another one the next cultural difference is about people going on strike now you've probably heard about the strikes in Paris and it does seem to be happening more often but there are some differences between strikes in Paris and Strikes in other places for one thing they're scheduled in advance and advertised so people can make other arrangements they do have a right to strike but they can't just walk out that's the law these are peaceful events where organized groups are having their unified voices heard and they most often affect transportation that means metros buses rers and trains including ones from other cities and international destinations the day the strikes are posted to be in effect can be a nightmare for using public transportation getting to and from the airport or around the city is tough so if you're traveling to Paris do a Google search for parastrike over your dates so you'll know what to do and if it happens while you're here plan on doing some extra walking and build in time for that if you have time tickets the transportation will probably be running but only at about 25 percent capacity they won't be going as often and they'll be packed with other writers who are inconvenienced as well you may want to download and set up Uber or a G7 taxi app just in case the next cultural difference is about pharmacies in the U.S you can buy a beach chair a cooler and a 24 pack of beer and a pharmacy and not so much in France in France a pharmacy is a pharmacy not a convenience store and it would be the first stop if you happen to get sick or feeling ill while on vacation in Paris the pharmacist should be able to give you the right treatment to get you going and many in our experience speak some English maybe not fluently but at least good enough to understand what's going on and in the event at your pharmacist does not speak any English use Google Translate our last cultural difference is about how money Works people often get nervous about the money they need for their trip and we get questions like what's the currency where or how do I exchange money how much do I need to bring or how does it work to use credit cards the currency in France and in most European countries is the Euro and you can exchange money at the airport or money change Outlets all throughout the city or you can just get cash from an ATM at a bank in Paris the truth is you really don't need a lot of cash in Paris culturally France is set up for contactless payment and you can easily use credit cards Apple pay Google pay or any other digital wallet but you may want to check with your Bank regarding International transaction fees and their exchange rate policies things you might need cash for are tips and restaurants because service is included but the gratuity is not and we've learned to leave about 10 percent TAXI fares because not all taxis take credit cards and if you're making purchases in a Marche a small shop or getting a portrait or caricature done you're going to need cash for that and don't forget that you may need a coin to use the bathroom now here are the few sentences you should know of course always start with bonjour which is hello because that's a mark of respect in France now the first sentence you need to know is which means do you speak English and if they respond to you in French and you don't understand anything you should say which means sorry I don't speak any french another important phrase to know is which means where are the bathrooms and this one can be really useful when you're in a restaurant and finally which means how much does it cost and with those four phrases you'll be in good shape next I would recommend that you watch this video and until next time all as well [Music]

Channel: Les Frenchies

Views: 219,538

Keywords: visit paris, things to do in paris, france places to visit, best places to visit in france, les frenchies, les frenchies travel, best food in paris, paris travel tips, paris food tour, paris street food, paris vlog, paris tour, french food, paris travel, best food paris, paris travel guide, paris travel vlog, french culture shocks, french culture, french lifestyle, france culture shocks, cultural differences france v.s. united states, what not to do in paris

Id: GXMZc9xb30A

Length: 11min 9sec (669 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 11 2023