10 Things Americans Dislike About France (Perfectly Normal to French People)
You spend months dreaming about Paris. You pack the right shoes. You’ve watched enough French films to feel like you practically live there already.
Then you land, walk into a bakery, say “Hi!” to the cashier, and get the kind of look usually reserved for people who eat their croissant with ketchup.
Welcome to France.
The Greeting Is Not Optional
Every single interaction in France starts with “bonjour.” Not “hi.” Not a friendly wave. Bonjour.
Skip it, and shopkeepers will ignore you. They’re not being rude – they’re following an unwritten social contract Americans don’t know exists. Say it first. Every time. Even in the elevator.
Your Waiter Is Not Coming Back
In the U.S., a good waiter checks on you three times before you finish your appetizer. In France, your waiter disappears on purpose.
Meals are meant to last. You’re not supposed to rush. When you want the check, catch someone’s eye and make a small writing gesture. It won’t come on its own.
Lunch Is Sacred, and Everything Knows It
From noon to 2pm, France shuts down. Pharmacies, government offices, small restaurants, local shops – closed. This includes the hardware store, the notary, and the person you were supposed to call about your visa.
Plan around it, not through it.
Dinner Doesn’t Happen at 6pm
Most French restaurants don’t open for dinner before 7:30pm. In Paris, 8pm is more common.
If you show up at 6, you’ll find chairs on tables and a confused server asking if you meant to go somewhere else. The kitchen isn’t ready. Neither is France.
Ice Is a Special Request
Asking for a glass of water in France gets you a small bottle at room temperature. Asking for ice gets you two cubes if you’re lucky.
Cold drinks, free refills, a soda the size of a small bucket – none of that is coming. This is not a failure of service. It is simply not the point.
Smiling at Strangers Is Weird Here
In America, a smile at a stranger is friendly. In France, it reads as forward, confused, or slightly unhinged.
The French smile when something is actually funny or genuinely warm. On the Metro, looking at someone you don’t know and grinning will make them look away fast. It’s not hostility. It’s just a different setting for the default face.
Strikes Can Cancel Your Plans
France strikes more than almost any other country in Europe. Trains, airports, museums, public transport – when workers walk out, they really walk out.
The 2023 pension reform protests brought millions into the streets across the country and disrupted travel for weeks. In 2024 alone, port workers, civil servants, and teachers all walked out at various points. If you’re planning a trip, check the news. Then check it again the day before.
The Paperwork Never Ends
Opening a French bank account, renting an apartment, or registering a car requires a stack of documents you didn’t know existed.
Proof of address. Three months of pay slips. A utility bill. A letter from someone who can confirm you are who you say you are. And then another appointment, because something was missing.
La Bise Is the Hug
French people don’t hug when they greet you. They do la bise – a light cheek-to-cheek tap, sometimes twice, sometimes three or four times depending on the region.
Hugging a French person hello is a bit like picking them up and spinning them around. Technically not offensive, but definitely surprising.
You Will Smell Cigarette Smoke at Outdoor Cafés
Around 30% of French adults smoke daily, compared to under 15% in the U.S. At a Paris café terrace, that gap is impossible to miss.
You can ask to sit away from smokers. There’s no guarantee it helps. The terrace belongs to everyone.
None of this makes France worse. It makes it different – and for most Americans, the friction fades fast once you know what to expect. The hard part is the first three days, when everything feels like a test you forgot to study for.