The 10 UNSPOKEN RULES Tourists Keep Breaking in Paris

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A lot of these apply to Paris but not across France. We live in the Loire Valley and people invariably acknowledge each other with a ‘Bonjour!’ and a smile when passing in the street.

Funny story. I was on the corner by the Louvre at Pont Royal and an American couple approached me and asked in very awkward French where the Musée D’Orsay was. So I said in English that it was the building with the big clock across the river. The said “wow your English is great!” so I said “i hope so I’m from Texas!” We all had a good laugh.

It's not a theme park. You made my day right there. I come from a beautiful village in the south of France and tourists are so loud, even in the middle of night, because they forget that all those typical old houses are actually homes for real people, not a movie set.

From the Uk I used to work in Paris…..if not strictly an unbroken rule, I have always found French/Parisiens welcome an attempt to speak the language. If they speak back to you in English don’t take it personally! ….but they will appreciate you’ve tried

The last time I was in Paris I thought I could pass for 65. Every time I got on a bus or the Metro people would immediately jump up and give me their seat. Sometimes while holding onto the pole for a short hop I would say I wasn't going far. But then they would watch me carefully to make sure I wasn't about to lose my grip. I love Paris! Also, it is wise to hang onto anything you can on public transport, no matter how old you are!

3:00 The staring-and-not-acknowledging thing happens in Paris and busy tourist places, but in smaller towns and villages it's quite common to greet the strangers with a polite “bonjour” and a smile.

The unspoken rule I always adhere to is when engaging with a Parisian, make an honest attempt to communicate in French first. The French and, in particular, the Parisians are very proud of their culture and history and this includes their language. I have found that if I initiate contact in French and take it as far as I can, that really goes a very long way with Parisians. I've heard countless people complain about Parisians being rude. Often this revolves around an unwillingness on the Parisian to speak English to the tourist (often US tourist). If the roles were reversed and a Parisian was visiting the US we'd expect them to communicate in English, so extend the same courtesy when visiting Paris. I've found that if you do this, Parisians are very warm and helpful.

If you're going to Paris I can not recommend going to Giverny highly enough. It's Monet's home, and you are basically walking through his waterlily paintings. Go early to avoid the tourists! We took a shuttle out there, then walked part of the way back. It was one of my favourite days in France.

I went to Paris for the first time last year, and I found the French to be very kind and friendly. I'm going back again in a few months because I liked it there so much

I lived in Paris for four years. I have to say this is a great video. Paris in particular has ritualised behaviour, people from countries with ritualised behaviour like Japan have no problem there. Visitors who complain about Parisians, waiters in particular, just didn’t learn the rules. Always say bonjour in a shop or restaurants and remember that the waiter is the boss, not you.

I've been to Paris three times and Parisiens have been nothing but friendly, helpful and kind. My favorite city on the Continent.

I'm French but living in Toronto. I thought about the "French are formal" (or "Canadians are informal" rather) yesterday when I went to a glass repair shop to have my broken glasses fixed. The guy greeted me and talked to me like we knew each other. I didn't think anything of it at first because I'm used to it now, but when I came home last night I realised that's not something that would've happened in France. We would've greet much more formally and I'd probably never know the person's first name (the guy from the repair shop was called Alex)

Hahaha! What you say about Parisians not liking tourists mindlessly blocking the way is equally true here in New York City. I once saw an advertisement here (for an online dental booking service) that said "I'd rather get stuck walking behind tourists than make a dental appointment." I want to be gracious to tourists, but sometimes tourists need to pay attention on busy sidewalks and stairs to the subway. New Yorkers and Parisians are quite different, but in this way we are the same.

Parisian here. First point is not very accurate. Most shops aren't closed on Mondays in Paris (as they are in the rest of the country). "And we don't know why they are closed": of course we know, it's written on the paper: "For inventory". This happens usually once a year, and usually in the early days of the year (for businesses that close their books in December).

I visited Paris for the first time last year. I didn't encounter rude Parisians. What I did find was similar to what I noticed in Italy: when you encounter polite behavior, it tends to be especially gracious.

I drove in Paris on my first trip........ it was a mess........but a badge of honor never to be repeated.....I survived the Arc de Triumph traffic circle. The second trip we took a car to Paris and later back to CDG, rented a car and drove out to the countryside from there. Much better.

I just came back from Paris (about 36 hour ago). The magic words are Bon Jour/Bon Soir/Merci/Au Revoir. We went to places that tourists usually don't go, and with us being polite and appreciating the culture (especially at restaurants) everyone was so nice and helpful! And even funny at times: at one restaurant I tripped and nearly took out a beverage cart with about $1K worth of wine on it - luckily, I found my footing and didn't fall - and the owner came over and said to me in a joking way, "I'm sorry, we don't serve drunk people!"

Some things you mention are the same in every big city, but if you get out of Paris to another region or small town people to say hello, people smile and reply. (Paris does not represent France it's same as London doesn't represent all the UK)

My wife and I are fortunate to have visited Paris 13 times. Far and away the single most important thing to do when you’re there, which was addressed in this video, is to greet people when you enter a shop or restaurant, and also to say “Au Revoir” when leaving. Stores in France used to be in people’s homes, and just like you expect someone to say hello and goodbye to you when visiting your house, it was also expected by French people, and that tradition continues even now that most businesses are in commercial buildings, not homes. If you fail to do this, your interactions with French people are going to be cold, as you’ve skipped what they consider to be a fundamental part of social interactions. On the metro, wait for people to get off before getting on. And if a metro car is crowded, do not sit in the fold down seats located near the doors. Sitting there makes it difficult for others to get on and off, so stand until the crowd thins. Also, when you’re looking for a table at a restaurant, the ones with silverware on them are reserved for people who are ordering a meal. If you just want a coffee or a glass of wine, sit at a table without silverware. And when you want the check, you have to ask for it. The French phrase for that is “l'addition s'il vous plaît”, although if the waiter is far away, making a writing motion in the air will also let them know you want the bill.