Any American living in France will notice that tipping in France is different than what they’re used to. Do you tip in France and for what services and how much do you tip in France? The entire culture is different so of course that applies to tipping in France as well. Let’s take a closer look at France tipping culture.
Respecting the culture and doing the right thing
Most of the time, respecting the culture and doing the right thing are one and the same. Other times, it’s not so clear. As a foreigner, it’s hard to always know if you’re doing the right thing and if the way you’ve lived you life up until now counts in the same way it did back home.
How to open milk the French way
I’ve been married for 5 years now and my husband is still full of surprises! Sometimes they’re funny.
Do you know how to open milk? Of course you do. Small children know how to open a container of milk… but not all containers are created equal! Give a French person a carton of milk (American style) to open and let hilarity ensue. We just had a laugh over how to open milk. Seriously. Milk.
Big roundup of my favorite Oui In France posts on French culture
From silly mistakes and misunderstandings to general “good to know” posts for those of you coming to France, I delight in writing about French cultural differences. As I near my 5th year of blogging at Oui In France, I’m rounding up a big list of my favorite posts on French culture. Some are old and have gotten buried in the archives and some are more recent.
French work culture: Doing business in France
Hello and happy New Year! Sometimes certain aspects of French culture will leave foreigners scratching their heads. La Poste, anyone?…
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7 Things the French are more relaxed about than Americans
When you think of Americans and the French, who seems more relaxed overall? For me, it’s a tossup and here are 7 things the French are more relaxed about than Americans.
French things I don’t do
Let’s talk about French habits! Being married to a French guy and all, you’d think that some of his Frenchness…
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7 Things I never did until I moved to France
As babies, our parents carefully note all of our “firsts.” Our first word, first time we crawled and walked are…
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French men peeing everywhere (and a wedding question)
When I was 6 years old and my brother was 2, we were in my grandma’s car going somewhere on…
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Culture shock in France: 13 Things that will surprise you (especially #10)
France is the only country I’ve lived in aside from the U.S. and I experienced a bit of culture shock…
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45 Things Americans think when visiting France for the first time
It’s a thrill to visit a place for the first time and all kinds of thoughts will run through your…
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7 Things I’ll never understand about the French
I’ve been in France nearly three years now and have made great* strides in understanding the French people, the language…
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Things the French would never pay for (especially #2)
At first glance, the French and Americans seem similar enough. People of both nationalities eat, sleep, work, vacation, drink, smoke. But how do we spend money? Differently. Here are 5 things the French would never pay for.
Do people in Paris speak English? Why a little effort with French goes a long way
While standing in line at a Paris Ladurée over the weekend, I observed one tourist after another launch right into…
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French cultural differences: How to freak out an American
The lovely Geraldine of CommeUneFrancaise recently posted a video on how to scare the hell out of a French person…
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10 Biggest French faux pas you can commit. And why #7 is the worst.
This is by no means an inclusive list of French faux pas and it’s not the end of the world if you commit a faux pas below, but they are things to keep in mind when adapting to French culture.
About those well-behaved French children
A popular book that’s been making the rounds in parenting circles is called Bringing Up Bébé and asserts that French child rearing practices have a leg up on the American way of doing things — and you’ll raise a more well-rounded, polite and well-behaved child by doing it the French way.
New House WTF #3: That cloth trash can thing
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, wait… it’s a cloth trash can thingy that’s in the kitchen? WTF is…
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What French people find weird about Americans
Americans aren’t weird… are we? Maybe we are. Many times I’ve been going about my business, doing normal American things…
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When you have an accent
What’s it like when you have an accent? I’m talking all about that here.