When you move to France, you’ll notice little differences that will either make you smile, drive you mad with frustration, make you question why you moved in the first place, and ultimately let you fall in love with France a little at a time. After a while, all of the differences become normal and when you return to your home country, all of the differences there start to seem foreign. Let’s get into it with my list of 77 little differences you notice about life in France. Feel free to add yours in the comments!
Please note that these are my observations over the years as someone who doesn’t live in Paris. Of course, there are always exceptions but in my experience, they ring true.
Big list of 77 little differences you notice about life in France:
1. You can get great wine for 10€/bottle and under. Of course there are more expensive bottles, but there are cost-effective ones that are excellent, too.
2. Soccer is big business. It’s the most popular sport to play and watch on TV.
3. Medication — even over-the-counter products like a pain reliever or diarrhea medication — can only be purchased at a pharmacy. You will not find Advil, cough medicine, etc. at a grocery store.
4. You’ll never see the French president talking about prayers or God after a national tragedy. Religion doesn’t mix with politics.
5. The amount is clearly marked on French coins so you know if the coin you’re holding is a 1, 2, 5, 10, or 50 centime piece (or 1 or 2 euros). Relating to #3, there’s no mention of God on the currency.
6. There’s a wider variety of meat products in the regular grocery store like cow tongue and rabbit. Some of the options might make you consider vegetarianism.
7. Dessert is a welcome part of dinner, even if it’s just a piece of fruit or a yogurt.
8. The election process is very different than what it is in the USA.
9. Unopened milk and eggs aren’t refrigerated. Here’s why.
10. Many homes have slate roofs.
11. The French love leeks and the vegetable is commonly used in soups, savory tarts, and other dishes.
12. All French homes have an electric kettle (and it’s not just for tea!).
13. The French don’t typically send Christmas cards, so don’t be offended if you don’t get one from a French friend in December. It’s more common to send a New Year’s card come January.
14. Quite often, public toilets in train stations and on the street cost money to use. About 50 centimes is the norm.
15. Well-behaved dogs are welcome in stores, restaurants, and other places people go (exceptions would be doctors’ offices and grocery stores).
16. At the hair salon, there’s always an up-sell called a soin. It’s a deep conditioning treatment that will add about 15€ to the bill, so when you’re being shampooed and the stylist asks if you want a soin, be prepared.
17. Postal workers ride bikes in smaller towns to deliver your mail. Sometimes they even have mini electric vehicles.
18. Many French bathrooms are actually two rooms, where the toilet is in a different room from the shower or bath. Sometimes there’s no sink to wash your hands in the toilet room.
19. It’s perfectly normal to get a fresh baguette from the bakery every single day.
20. Veterinary care for your pets is much cheaper and the care is been excellent.
21. There’s an abundance of bakeries, cheese shops, butchers, and more and it’s wonderful!
22. Tolls are expensive on the autoroute. You can easily pay upwards of 50 euros in tolls for an all-day road trip.
23. Traffic lights are at the end of the street where you stop your car and not hanging 20 feet above you in the middle of an intersection. In France, you stop next to the traffic light. Be sure not to roll to far forward or the traffic light will be behind you and you won’t know when it turns green.
24. French homes have window shutters called volets that are either manual or automatic. Some are quite decorative. They are opened each morning and closed each evening and are for privacy, security, and temperature control.
25. The price of gas might make your head spin. As I write this in March 2020, the cost of a liter of diesel in my area is 1.25€ and gas is 1.40€. In US gallons, that’s US$5.27 and US$5.93 per gallon, respectively. And it’s been much higher!
26. Most houses have fences or gates for privacy and to mark the property line.
27. Potato chips aren’t with the other snacks like pretzels in the grocery store. There’s a reason why.
28. Lunch breaks at work and school tend to be longer than those in America and French workers who work locally often return home for lunch.
29. Health insurance is not linked to your job, so if you lose your job or get fired, you will still have the same benefits.
30. There’s this amazing frozen food grocery store called Picard and I love it.
31. Drive-through pharmacies and banks aren’t a thing in France.
32. The TGV (high-speed train) is a great way to travel all over France: efficient, easy, and often cost effective.
33. It’s normal to see doors that have dead locks. Basically, if the door is locked and you’re inside without the key, you can’t open it. There’s no knob to unlock it from the inside without the key. It could be dangerous if you had to get out quickly because of a fire or other emergency.
34. Things like wine, cheese, and baguettes are super affordable and absolutely delicious.
35. When you order something online, you have the option to ship to a delivery point such as a gas stations or minimarts instead of directly to your home. This avoids it being delivered when you aren’t home and you can then pick it up at your leisure. Mondial Relay is a very popular one of these companies.
36. Not too much is open on Sundays, especially outside of major cities. Sundays are meant for relaxing and spending time with the people you love.
37. French speech has fun little noises that you can’t help but pick up yourself.
38. Public bathroom stalls are more private in France with doors that extend all the way to the floor. There’s no space in between stalls so you can’t see people’s feet. In the US, public bathrooms seem to be space that is partitioned off where as in France, the stalls feel more like a private bathroom space.
39. Hair salons are everywhere. Nail salons aren’t as popular.
40. If you see filet mignon on a restaurant menu, it is pork.
41. Debit cards aren’t free and bank accounts often come with a monthly fee.
42. The color khaki is not a light/medium beige in France. For the French, khaki is this color, which has more green in it.
43. The majority of cars on the road in France have manual transmissions, not automatic, although automatic transmissions do exist.
44. When driving, large intersections have traffic circles (roundabouts) to keep traffic flowing instead of big traffic signals.
45. Salut means “hey!” as well as “see ya!”
46. Social politeness is important. Always say bonjour, merci, and au revoir.
47. It’s more than fine to have a glass of wine or a beer at a business lunch or work cafeteria. No one will bat an eye.
48. The French don’t use Vaseline in the same way.
49. Doctors make house calls.
50. The French strike. A lot.
51. The age nationwide to get a driver’s license is 18 (unaccompanied by a parent, permis B classique).
52. French gyms might be a little different than what you’re used to, especially outside of major cities. They have shorter business hours, for starters, and most don’t open at the crack of dawn.
53. Markets, both indoor and farmers’ markets, are quite common and many larger towns have at least one per week. You can find local produce, meat, cheese, wine, and other goods.
54. Store hours tend to be shorter than in North America. It would be rare to see a grocery store open past 8 or 9 p.m.
55. Most kids don’t have school on Wednesdays. It’s an old school tradition from the 19th century back when students were expected to study catechism on Wednesdays.
56. McDonald’s is fancier in France.
57. There aren’t as many water fountains in France in public areas like parks, museums, schools, etc.
58. Meal times at restaurants, especially outside of large cities, are quite strict. Lunch is served from 12-2 and dinner is 7 p.m. at the earliest.
59. Drinks are rarely served with ice unless you ask.
60. If you have a non-urgent medical issue like a sprain, bad cold, or burn, for example, but are unable to see a doctor, your local pharmacist can be really helpful and recommend medication and a treatment.
61. The bread basket at restaurants doesn’t come with butter.
62. There are two ways to say “you”: tu, the familiar “you” and vous, the formal “you.” Learn the difference between tu and vous here.
63. Customer service phone numbers are not free if you need to call a company for assistance about something.
64. To-go coffee culture doesn’t really exist. Have your coffee at a cafe or at home, but thermoses for the car and to-go cups aren’t very popular. McDonald’s does serve coffee to go.
65. Student loans and credit cards aren’t really a thing. Debt culture doesn’t exist like it does in the USA.
66. Breakfast foods tend to be sweet, so a pastry and fruit not an omelette and bacon.
67. A standard tip at a restaurant is not 20%. At a casual restaurant, no tip is expected but leaving a couple of euros for good service is appreciated.
68. Medical care isn’t free, but it’s a lot more affordable than what I was used to paying. A regular doctor’s visit is 25€ and most of that is reimbursed.
69. French kitchens sometimes have a bread drawer or bread receptacle of some sort. Don’t make the same mistake I did and confuse it with the trash.
70. At a restaurant ,make sure you ask for the bill once you’ve finished your meal and would like to pay.They usually don’t bring it to the table automatically. Otherwise, waiters won’t rush you and will let you sit at the table for as long as you’d like.
71. People faire la bise (do cheek kisses) to say hi to friends and family. They don’t hug.
72. Small talk is less common in France. You don’t overshare with people you don’t know very well.
73. You can only buy cigarettes at tabacs (tobacco shops) and not the pharmacy or gas station.
74. If you order un café, you’ll get a little shot of espresso.
75. The cheese course comes after the main meal and isn’t an appetizer or something you eat with crackers.
76. If you live within walking distance of a grocery store or market, people of all ages put their groceries in carts like these.
77. All full-time French employees are legally entitled to 5 weeks of paid vacation per year.
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Hope you enjoyed my list of little differences you notice about life in France!
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Aussie Jo says
So very interesting , I like learning the difference between countries
Diane says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Karen says
Often toilets in Australia are separate from the bathroom ( or shower room as some call it)..
I’ve only had one apartment out of 10 that I’ve rented – that has a separate toilet. In France
Aurélie says
Thank you for all these differences. Really well observed (I noticed the same ones visiting USA as a French woman)
A little detail : before 1968 the children’s day off was Thursday. In these times, there was school on Saturday mornings AND afternoons !
Terry ORNEr says
Spot on Diane, and except for autoroute tolls, are many of the reasons we enjoy living here. Although, the autoroutes are exceptional and put US highways to shame.
Diane says
Yes, the autoroutes are really well maintained. Thanks for reading my list!
Lily Fang says
I loved reading these, Diane! Saw it the other day on Pinterest and made sure to share to my Life in France board 🙂
Can definitely resonate with a lot of these (I miss McDonald’s potato wedges in France haha–definitely much fancier!), and also learned tons of new info. The Vaseline story in your linked post made me laugh–I would’ve been so embarrassed, but it sounds exactly like something that would happen to me. I had no idea that it had a sexual connotation. It’s funny, because on the flip side, apparently French people don’t know about KY lubricant, which is very recognizable in the US. I remember seeing a tube of it out on my friend’s kitchen table one day, and she must’ve noticed me looking perplexed, as she explained that she used it for her menstrual cup, and kept it out since French people had no idea what it was haha.
Hope you’re doing well and staying safe during the quarantine! I heard France just began 14 days of an actual shutdown, so sending you the best during these unusual times.
Diane says
Thanks so much, Lily (and thanks for pinning too!)! I had no idea about the KY not being well known. Likewise about the ever-changing coronavirus situation. Hunkering down here.
Dave the French says
I’ve never seen KY Jelly on sale in France. There are however multiple brands of water-based lubricant (“gel lubrifiant à base d’eau”), e.g. Intimy. You’ll see them on sale in major supermarkets, along with condoms and other related items. (Smaller stores do not necessarily stock them.)
Sharon Crigger-Stokan says
I always look forward to your posts. Loved reading this one. Many of the things I knew from my visits to France and from working for someone who spent as much time in France as in the US. The links also took me to many ‘side journeys’ that I also loved!
Diane says
Merci beaucoup, Sharon! So glad you enjoy my posts. 😉
Anna Spasova says
When I read it I had realized how much of the list is applicable for most of the Europe, with some minor differences. Love it, just show me how similar we are in different parts of Europe.
Diane says
Absolutely! Many are not specific to France. It’s just the perspective I write from as an American living here. Thanks so much for reading!
Natasha says
I found it interesting because many of these apply in Canada as well!
karen hazlett says
Diane, loved this content! I, too, have a grocery cart. Unfortunately, I kept it in my trunk and when my car was robbed, they also took that!! I have another cart now, but keep it in the house and have to lug it downstairs when I plan to shop. Which is NOT every day. I do love the French daily bread purchasing. For bread that good, it’s worth it! I did make some great bread yesterday; It’s called Anadama Bread. Made with molasses as the sweetener. It was created by a man who apparently had to make his own bread. His spouse’s name was Ana…you get the drift.
Looking forward to your next post! And by the way, I recently got my 2nd vaccination. Glad that’s one way we are not like the French. I was glad to read that your restrictions are loosening. Have a great warmer weather day!
RitaS says
When I was in school in France, eons ago, the local tradition was no school on Thursday but then we went all day Saturday
Gus says
Hi !
I’m French and definitely concur with most of what’s written here. BUT you’ve made a mistake on two points :
POINT N° 1
” 55. Most kids don’t have school on Wednesdays. It’s an old school tradition from the 19th century back when students were expected to study catechism on Wednesdays.”
That’s not really true. In 1881, when compulsory instruction** for 6 to 13-y.o, became compulsory in France thanks to Jules Ferry’s law, state schools became free and non-religious (= no religion was taught, and no reference to one was to be found in schools). Thursday was already a common rest day, especially in school, so Ferry and his mates chose to preserve it and conveniently let it be said to be for religious instruction. In truth, it was a rather convenient break, because children were expected to be in school 6 h a day, 5 days a week (usually 9.00-12.00 and then 13.30-16.30) : so Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday, break on Thursday, Friday-Saturday, Sunday break).
By the 1940s, school time was cut down to 27 h weekly, meaning that Saturday afternoon became free.
Thus, the equilibrium was destroyed and in the late 1960s, the decision was made to switch the break to Wednesday instead. Thus : Monday-Tuesday, Wednesday break, Thursday-Friday, Saturday-break
(this is simplified, in reality some slight changes occurred in the 1990s, some school adopting a 4-days model)
However, in 2008, the right-wing minister Darcos (a complete moron, by the way) ordered all school to suppress the Saturday half-day (in order for families to go on weekend trips, even though very few people actually do so – I think the figure was some 3 %). All chronic-biologists and other education specialists were against the reform, but anyway, the minister rules.
In 2012, when the center-left came into power, a new minister came into office and, the following year, passed a decree making schools go back to a 4,5 days per week. But schools had complete freedom on the said days, so some opted for the 1960s model and others for the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday_morning-Thursday-Friday model. The 2nd model is actually more widespread, even though parents mostly prefer the 1960s model when it comes to the children interest.
Against, most chronic-biologists and other education specialists are in favour of :
– a six-days a week school (Monday to Friday, and half-day on Saturday)
– with an earlier finish time (somewhere around 15.00/16.00)
– no homework
– activities and sports offered to all (like the “Éducation populaire” movements tried to do in the 20th century)
*instruction : because schooling is not compulsory in France, only instruction is (now from 3 to 16 ; before 2021 it was from 6 to 16). Children not schooled are tested every year: progressed are to be made and everything as to be made so that s.he reaches a minimum level by age 16 – otherwise, the child has to be send back to a recognised school (either a state school or a private-school recognised and authorised by the French State)
POINT N° 2
“71. People faire la bise (do cheek kisses) to say hi to friends and family. They don’t hug.”
That’s true, we definitely don’t hug. We do “a calin” which a sort of hug were you go closer to the other person ; plus, it’s a sign of affection, no really a way to salute someone !
But we don’t “faire la bise” either. In fact, there’s a difference to make between “faire la bise” and “faire un bisou”.
– with close family members, you usually “faire un bisou”: that’s kissing the other’s cheek with your lips. A variation would be “faire un baiser”, usually meaning to kiss but between lover etc.
– with every body else that you’re close to (friends, some close colleagues or mates from your club/association/band…), you do “la bise” – meaning that you put your cheek on the other’s cheek. Repeat that operation on the other side any number of time (from 1 to 4) depending on the region you’re in). The local culture also influences the side you begin with. There’s even a website where French people can vote to help others have an idea what to expect in an other region: https://www.combiendebises.com/
– with all the other persons you may encounter, you either just salute orally or you may shake hands (depending on the situation).
Obviously, everything changed with Covid.
– “bisous” were maintained, because they only occur with close family members whom you live with anyway ;
– “bises” kind of had to fade way. We don’t know whether they’ll actually come back to common usage or not. In my brass band, for example, and my sport club, we have switch to fist bumping for the time being.
– handshakes disappeared for a large part as well. But they’ll probably come back as usual.
Thanks for reading my (rather long) explanation !
Clarice says
Wow~ I love the idea of 5 weeks of vacation. That is so awesome!
Dave the French says
Point 55 /
In the old days, schoolchildren had classes from Monday to Saturday included except on Thursdays. At some point (1972, it seems), this was changed to Wednesdays.
The old schedule with Thursdays off survives in the (now quite old-fashioned) expression “semaine des quatre jeudis” (“week of four Thursdays”), alluding to something desirable but impossible.