Quick Answer
The Greeting That Almost Got Me Ignored
I walked into a small boulangerie near Rue Mouffetard, pointed at a pastry case and asked for a croissant. Nothing. The woman behind the counter just looked at me, waited a beat, and then said, pointedly, “Bonjour.” I said it back, she smiled, and the whole transaction turned warm in about two seconds flat. That one word was the entire problem — I’d walked in and gone straight to the ask, which in France reads less like efficiency and more like you think the person serving you doesn’t deserve a hello.
None of the mistakes below will get you kicked out of a café or reported to the mairie. The French are used to tourists getting this stuff wrong. But get the greeting, the tipping and the pace right, and the whole trip shifts — waiters relax, shopkeepers chat, and you stop feeling like you’re one step behind everyone else in the room.
The Bonjour Rule: Say It First, Every Time
This is the single etiquette point that separates a smooth trip from a string of slightly cold interactions, and it’s simpler than it sounds.
Tipping: The Service Charge Is Already in the Bill
Tipping culture in France is one of the most over-thought parts of a trip, and it’s actually simple once you know the rule.
| Situation | What locals actually do |
|---|---|
| Café or casual lunch | Nothing extra required; round up small change if you liked the service |
| Sit-down restaurant dinner | Round up a euro or two in cash; 15% “service compris” is already on the bill |
| Taxis | Round up to the nearest euro |
| Hotel staff (bags, cleaning) | A euro or two is a kind gesture, not an expectation |
| Tour guides | A few euros for a half-day tour is generous, never required |
A 15% service charge is legally built into French restaurant and café prices already — it’s the “service compris” line, and it means the tip is technically done before you ask for the bill. Leaving nothing extra is completely normal in France and won’t get you a dirty look; leaving 15-20% on top, American-style, isn’t expected and can even read as overcompensating.
Dining Pace: Nobody Is Going to Rush You
French meals, especially dinner, run on a slower clock than most visitors are used to, and waiters treat a lingering table as a compliment, not a problem.
- The bill will not arrive unasked. Waiters consider it rude to drop the check while you might still want something else — ask clearly with “L’addition, s’il vous plaît” when you’re ready.
- Lunch service typically runs from around midday to 2pm, and many restaurants — even in Paris — simply close the kitchen between lunch and dinner rather than serving all afternoon.
- Dinner reservations rarely fill before 7:30-8pm, and a table booked for 8pm won’t feel rushed even at 10pm.
- A café table is yours for as long as you want it once you’ve ordered — nobody will hover for a table turn, which is part of why café culture works so well as an alternative to a bar scene: order a coffee, watch the street, stay an hour.
August Closures: Why the Restaurant You Wanted Is Shut
Every summer, visitors discover that a favorite-looking neighborhood restaurant or boutique has a handwritten “Fermeture annuelle” sign in the window, and it isn’t a fluke.
- Many small, family-run restaurants and shops close for part or all of July and August so owners can take their own holiday — a long-standing French tradition, especially outside the biggest tourist zones.
- Large chains, department stores and most central-Paris tourist-facing businesses stay open through the summer; the effect is strongest among independent, neighborhood-level restaurants and boutiques.
- Many businesses nationally still pause around midday (roughly 12:00-14:00) for lunch and close on Sundays, on top of any summer closure — check a specific address’s hours before building a day around it.
- If your dates land in July or August, have a backup restaurant or two in mind for any address you’re set on, rather than discovering the closure at the door.
Greetings: La Bise Is for Friends, Not First Meetings
A little French, used the right way, buys real warmth even at a beginner’s level.
- Bonjour / Bonsoir — good day / good evening, the required opener for any interaction (see the bonjour rule above).
- S’il vous plaît — please.
- Merci — thank you.
- De rien — you’re welcome.
- L’addition, s’il vous plaît — the bill, please.
- Excusez-moi — excuse me, to get attention or apologize.
- La bise — two light cheek kisses, usually starting on the right, is how French friends and family greet each other. It is not the expected greeting for a tourist meeting a shopkeeper, waiter or a new acquaintance — a simple “Bonjour” with a handshake or just a nod covers those moments perfectly well.
Dress and the Evening Scene, Minus the Bar Angle
France doesn’t have a strict dress code for visitors, but a little effort reads as respect, and the best evenings don’t need an apéritif to work.
- Smart-casual beats athletic wear in restaurants, churches and nicer neighborhoods — you don’t need a suit, but sneakers-and-shorts stands out more in Paris than in most US cities.
- Churches and cathedrals expect covered shoulders and knees — worth carrying a light scarf or layer even in summer heat.
- Café terraces are the real evening social scene — order a coffee or a pastry, take a table facing the street, and watch Paris go by; it’s the alcohol-free equivalent of a bar crawl and arguably the better people-watching anyway.
- Morning markets (a neighborhood marché) are where the actual food culture lives — cheese, produce, prepared dishes, and the kind of browsing that beats a tourist-strip restaurant.
- Museums and gardens fill the after-dinner gap nicely on long summer evenings — the Musée d’Orsay’s Thursday late hours (until 18:00, reduced admission) and a walk along the Seine cover the “what do we do after dinner” question without a bar in sight.
Mistakes Tourists Make Most
| Mistake | Do this instead |
|---|---|
| Skipping “Bonjour” before a request | Always greet first — “Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur” — then ask |
| Tipping 15-20% like in the US | Round up a euro or two; service is already included |
| Expecting the bill without asking | Say “L’addition, s’il vous plaît” when you’re ready |
| Assuming everything’s open in August | Check hours; many small restaurants/shops close for summer holiday |
| Greeting a stranger with two cheek kisses | Use “Bonjour” and a handshake for first meetings |
| Assuming ETIAS is required in 2026 | It isn’t yet — the 90/180-day visa-free rule still applies |
| Dressing in athletic wear for dinner or churches | Go smart-casual; carry a layer for covered shoulders/knees |
Entry Rules: What’s Actually True in 2026
Here’s the etiquette-adjacent question every visitor eventually asks, and it’s worth getting right: ETIAS is not live in 2026. As of July 2026, the EU has delayed the launch again — eu-LISA concluded a 2026 rollout wasn’t feasible on the back of the troubled Entry/Exit System launch, and the governing board was due to meet in September 2026 to set a new timeline, with 2027 now the realistic expectation. Until it launches, US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders (among others) can still enter France and the wider Schengen Area visa-free for up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen Area, not country-by-country. Overstaying risks fines or a 1-5 year entry ban, so track your own days carefully — but no ETIAS form, fee or authorization exists to worry about yet.
Getting Around Without the Mistakes
Good etiquette extends to how you move through Paris, and this is where a few outdated assumptions still trip people up. A single Paris metro/RER ticket runs around €2.55 in 2026 under the flat-fare reform (no more zone calculations for a short hop), and a Navigo Jour day pass runs around €12.30 for unlimited travel across all zones. From Charles de Gaulle airport, skip looking for the old Roissybus — it was discontinued from 1 March 2026 — and take the RER B instead, using the “Paris Region ↔ Airports” digital ticket at around €14. CDG Express, the long-promised direct rail link, is still not open in 2026 — it’s now targeting March 2027. From Orly, Metro Line 14 reaches central Paris in around 25 minutes on the same ~€14 airport ticket, since Orlybus was discontinued too. Our full France trains guide covers SNCF’s TGV InOui and low-cost OUIGO for trips beyond Paris.
Staying connected matters for reading transit apps and translating menus on the fly — an eSIM landed before departure means you’re not hunting for café wifi to check opening hours; see our France eSIM guide for current plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common mistakes tourists make in France?
The most common mistakes are walking into a shop or café without saying “Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur” first, over-tipping because service is already included, expecting a quick turnaround at dinner, showing up in July or August expecting every neighborhood restaurant or boutique to be open, and greeting a stranger with two cheek kisses. None will get you thrown out anywhere, but getting them right buys real warmth and better service.
Do you tip in France?
Not really, and not the way Americans expect to. A 15% service charge (“service compris”) is legally built into French restaurant and café bills already, so tipping is not required. Locals commonly round up the bill or leave a euro or two in cash for good service; leaving nothing extra beyond the bill is completely normal and won’t read as rude.
What is the “bonjour rule” in France?
The bonjour rule is the expectation that you greet any shopkeeper, waiter, receptionist or ticket agent with “Bonjour, Madame” or “Bonjour, Monsieur” before asking for anything, and say “Au revoir” on your way out. Skipping the greeting and launching straight into a request or question reads as rude in France, even if you follow it with “please”.
Why are so many shops and restaurants closed in France in August?
Many small, family-run restaurants, boutiques and neighborhood shops close for part or all of July and August because owners take their own summer holiday, a long-standing French tradition. Large chains, department stores and most tourist-facing businesses in central Paris stay open, but it’s worth checking a specific address’s hours before building a day around it in late summer.
Do you need ETIAS to visit France in 2026?
No. As of mid-2026, ETIAS is not live and is not required to enter France — the EU has pushed its target launch to 2027 after concluding a 2026 rollout wasn’t feasible. Visa-free travelers (including US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport holders) can still enter France and the wider Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period under the existing rules, with no ETIAS authorization needed yet.
How do you greet people in France — is la bise expected?
La bise (two light cheek kisses, usually starting on the right cheek) is how French friends and family greet each other, not something a stranger meeting a tourist expects. A simple “Bonjour” with a handshake or just eye contact and a smile covers nearly every first encounter, including with shopkeepers, hotel staff and people you’re meeting for the first time.
Travel France Like You’ve Done This Before
Get the rhythm right — greet first, tip lightly, let the meal breathe, and check hours before you plan an August evening around one address — and the rest sorts itself out by watching how the table next to you behaves. France doesn’t expect visitors to get everything right; the greeting and the pace are what turn a checklist trip into the kind of evening you didn’t want to end.
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