Paris Customs: A Little French Etiquette Goes A Long Way. Some Do's and Don'ts

We’ve all heard the stories of ill-mannered waiters and the stuffy French. Well, most of what you’ve heard is simply a difference in custom. The French are an exceedingly polite people. Well, mostly... well, most of the time... well, there are some very polite French people.

You will see this if you enter into the social contract properly. It begins with the basic things that we were all taught as children.

Proper greetings, sprinkled with “Please” “s’il vous plait” (say "seal-vou-play") and “Thank you” “Merci,” (say "mare-sea") will open many a door that otherwise remain resolutely shut upon the visitor.

When walking into a shop in Paris it is customary to greet the shopkeeper with a proper “Bonjour, monsieur,” (say "bone-jhur miss-sure") or “Bonjour, Madame” as the case requires. And saying “Merci monsieur” or “Merci, Madame” “Au revoir” (say "oh-rev-wah") upon leaving.

If you simply walk into a shop saying nothing, the French take it as a lack of courtesy. Also, it's a little like when an actor forgets his line. There is an awkward moment and then someone adlibs.

After all, they are waiting on you and a little extra courtesy on your part reflects well on you, even if it is the only French you know.

One other point: You will not make yourself better understood in English by shouting. Just thought I'd mention that.

A few notes on restaurants

• If you want to make a really bad impression in a restaurant or brasserie just call the waiter “Garcon.”

  That’s usually enough to insure that your food will come cold, and your beer will come warm, and possibly in your lap.

  “Garcon” means “Boy” and who wouldn’t be a little put off by that.

• To get a waiter’s attention, “S’il vous plait” (say "seal voo play") is the accepted custom. This won’t necessarily insure great service but at least you won't insult him right off.

• When you are ready to leave and want the check, just hold up a hand and say "l'addition, s'il vous plait" (say " la-di-see-on, seal-voo-play") and he'll get it for you.

A few Notes on the Metro

• When traveling the metro, notice that most people speak in a subdued tone of voice.

• When boarding a crowded subway car, make your way into the car and do remove that daypack. It’ll keep you from jamming it into a fellow riders and will also keep it safe from the occasional pick pocket.

• When walking through the tunnels keep to the right, just like in traffic. Except if you are British. It's not like traffic back home, or Australia, South Africa, India, Thailand, Japan etc.

• When taking an escalator also stand to the right. This allows others to pass you on the left.

• When reaching the street by escalator, or stairway, do move away, as there will be people coming up behind you.

Some Notes For on the Street

• Street traffic lights are, for most Parisian’s, merely suggestions. Be aware of this while waiting for a light to turn green. In this case, don’t necessarily go with the flow.

  I’ve seen many a tourist wander off the curb thinking it was safe because a fleet-footed Parisian dashed across at a break in the traffic.

• Look both ways. Even one-way streets frequently have bus and taxi lanes going in the other direction.

• A little common sense, as in most situations, goes a long way here also.

More Notes on Walking the Streets: Things to look for and look out for.

• Scattered throughout the city are drinking water fountains called Wallace Fountains,as they were a gift from the British philanthropist Sir Richard Wallace. Designed by Charles Auguste LeBourg, they are made of cast iron and are a deep emerald green color and adorned by statues of four muses representing Goodness, Temperance, Charity and Simplicity. Originally, in 1872, fifty were made. Many more have been added since.

  There are other fountains, without the muses, which have the height and look of a green fire hydrant. Both styles are equipped only with spigots, so it is best if you have your own bottle to fill.

• Get in the habit of carrying 6 or 8 twenty cent euro coins. The toilets on the street take forty euro cents, two coins. Do give these a try. They are quite a piece of work. Don't worry you won't get locked in.

  After every use they lock up and go through this cleaning cycle and "Voila" ready for the next customer.

• You can always slip into a brassierie to use the toilet. They are usually downstairs. These can be a real adventure in itself, especially for an American who has never negotiated a "toilet du turque" before.

• The joke, "If you don't like my driving, keep off the sidewalk," takes on a very real meaning in Paris. You'll find the curbside of the sidewalks are lined with steel posts at about hip-height.

  Their purpose is not to damage inattentive tourists, but, to keep cars off of the sidewalks. The narrow and busy streets do not always provide ample space to park a car, and Parisians tend to park their cars anywhere, including on the sidewalk, if not for these posts.

• Motorcycles, however, are not restricted by these posts and they do park on the sidewalks, which means driving on the sidewalk before they park. So, watch out for moving and parked motorcycles.

• Generally, wherever there are cars parked along the street, there will be, somewhere along the sidewalk, a green parking meter post. These are about 4 feet tall, and at the top is a white "P" on a blue background. These all have digital clocks on them, so you can always know what time it is.

• At almost every sidewalk entrance to a metro station, opposite the stairs leading down to the station, will be a city map available for viewing, showing the main streets and the metro lines.

• Every bus stop will have a route map for that particular bus either on the pole that designates the bus stop or on the inside of the bus stop booth. On the outside of the bus stop booth will often be a city map showing all the bus routes.

• On many street corners, especially in the more touristed areas, are brown signs on tall posts, pointing in the direction and giving the distance to whatever museum or monument is in the neighborhood.

• There are lots of people who keep a dog in Paris. 1% of them live in houses/apartments with yards, maybe. While sight-seeing, keep an eye on what your feet might be stepping into.

• Sidewalk cafés are as typically Parisian as the Eiffel Tower. The trouble is, they are on the sidewalk. Give the tables as much room as possible and always give the waiters the table-side of the sidewalk.

• A recent development in keeping the city clean are standing, green metal hoops that hold green plastic trash bags. They are everywhere, so it won't be too many steps before you find one.

• The doors leading in and out of shops are often right on the sidewalk and people can walk out of shops without thinking that there may be somebody walking past. Watch out for them. And forgive them. You may find yourself doing the very same thing.

• When waiting at a corner to cross the street, resist the impulse to go when somebody else moves. They may be dashing against a red-light and leading you into traffic.

• Pick-pockets are out there, especially when crowds are moving on and off the metro trains. Do not let yourself be distracted by small groups of children who may crowd around you. They can be professional pick-pockets.

• When walking down the street, you may be asked for directions by somebody driving a car. If he tells you that he is trying to get gas-money and offers to sell you a designer leather jacket, keep walking. It's a rip-off scam. By the way, let us know if you'd like a nice fake-designer, fake-leather jacket. We'll give you a good price.

• While walking, you may see somebody bend down and appear to find and pick up a gold ring from the sidewalk. They will try and sell it to you. Keep walking. It's not a gold ring. It's another rip-off scam.

• There are people with clipboards who will ask you to sign a petition for something, usually to fight AIDS. Then, they will ask you for money, figuring that, if you care enough to sign a petition you should donate some money. The money does not go towards AIDS research. It goes in their pocket.

• People, usually on the Champs-Elysées, will ask you, "Excuse me, do you speak English?" Their next question will be to ask you for money.

Of course, you can give your money to whomever you want to. These are simply tactics used by professional scammers.

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