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AMERICANS IN FRANCE

12 of the biggest culture shocks for Americans in France

Moving countries generally involves a bit of a culture shock, but there are certain things that regularly surprise Americans about France. We asked American journalist Genevieve Mansfield to recall her biggest shocks on moving to France.

12 of the biggest culture shocks for Americans in France
Emily in Paris actress Lily Collins poses on the red carpet (Photo by STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP)

Americans have been moving to France for centuries and around 30,000 of them currently call it home. 

While there was a small blip in the Franco-American romance during the invasion of Iraq in the 2000s (lest we forget the ‘freedom fries’ incident) after the television series Emily in Paris began airing, an IFOP poll found that almost three quarters of Americans (73 percent) viewed France in a positive light.

READ MORE: MAP: Where do all of the Americans in France live?

Nevertheless, culture shock happens and some aspects of French life are very different indeed to the US.

Walkability and transport

The great shock of France to Americans coming here is often its walkability – even in the countryside.

Hailing from what I would best describe as suburban sprawl – the type of American neighbourhood that was farmland at some point in the last two decades, walkability is not something I grew up experiencing.

French cities like Paris are highly walkable and brimming with public transport – and I was surprised to find that even in small villages in rural France, you can usually stroll to the local boulangerie.  

It is true that living in rural France typically necessitates a vehicle, but I have found that a lot of France’s countryside is split up into villages and communes, each having some sort of town centre that is accessible on foot.

On top of that, France’s high-speed national train system is hardly comparable to the Amtrak. It takes around two and a half hours to go from Baltimore to New York City. In contrast, a high-speed SNCF train can get you from Paris to Bordeaux (about double the distance) in the same amount of time or less.

You can take a train to the coast, the mountains, nearby cities and many of the different countries around France. Not to mention, France has TER (regional trains) that connect smaller towns and villages across the country. 

READ MORE: Vineyards, mountains and islands – how to plan a car-free trip to France

French buildings

For all the benefits of being able to easily stroll to a local bistro for dinner, France’s old infrastructure leaves something to be desired when it comes to accessibility. 

My mother helped me move to France in 2019, and we booked an Airbnb in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. After a long journey, we lugged three suitcases and a cat carrier to the front of the Haussmanian building we would be staying in. The Airbnb posting conveniently forgot to mention that we would be on the sixth-floor (seventh, if you are counting American-style) of a walk-up.

READ MORE: ANALYSIS: How accessible is Paris for people with disabilities?

We made it work, but scores of Americans, particularly older folks, have complained about finding themselves in similar situations with no recourse. Elevators are not commonplace in French apartment buildings, and many restaurants (particularly in cities) have their restrooms down a narrow, windy staircase. 

Air conditioning and insect screens in windows are also not to be expected in French buildings. In fact, less than a quarter of French households have AC, though you could argue that there are more environmental benefits to avoiding air conditioning.

French admin

On expat surveys, French bureaucracy consistently knocks a few points off the country’s overall score when it comes to the ease of setting up and building a new life in France.

The initial hurdles of setting up essential admin things, such as opening bank account and getting an internet box, certainly feel like they take longer and involve more steps and paperwork than they would in the United States. 

I found myself dreaming of American efficiency in the first few months after moving to France, but when discussing this with American friends at home I was quickly reminded of unending lines at the DMV.

READ MORE: How hard is it to settle in France?

One aspect of French administration that continues to shock me, however, is the lettre de résiliation. Cancelling my gym subscription was a surprisingly lengthy process, which culminated in sending a physical letter attesting that I no longer wanted to pay €25 a month.

That being said – in the past four years, I have noticed French administrative websites improve drastically and the option to send a lettre recommandée or lettre de résiliation via La Poste’s website is a game-changer.

Opening hours and Sunday closures

Looking to run errands on your lunch break? Hoping to get your weekly shopping done on Sunday evening? You might find yourself standing in front of a fermé sign.

Many other Americans in France who have been here longer than I have tell me that in the past few years, Sundays have become almost unrecognisable as more shops and stores remain open for at least part of the day. There’s also a big town-country divide with small towns and rural areas much more likely to observe traditional Sunday or lunchtime closing.

Nevertheless, many Americans (myself included) are pretty surprised to see the ‘closed between 12pm and 2pm’ signs on shops or offices.

Animals and babies

A few weeks after moving, I was walking down the sidewalk, listening to music, and something furry brushed my hand. I looked down and to my surprise there was an unleashed dog trotting past me with no owner in sight. A few minutes later I heard a whistle and the dog went running around the corner behind me. No one else seemed remotely concerned that the animal was walking along a busy street, not attached to its owner.

My friends like to make fun of me for this culture shock, but I am constantly surprised by the number of pet owners who allow their dogs to go leash-less in public spaces and next to traffic-filled roads. 

An unproven theory of mine is that this lax approach could explain the dog-poop-minefield that is Paris.

And as with pet-rearing, I’ve also noticed differences in child-rearing.

In France, it is not uncommon to see parents sitting out smoking and drinking a terrace, relatively late in the evening, with young children in tow. In restaurants, kids’ menus are usually a portion size request made directly to the waiter, rather than a separate category with chicken nuggets and hotdogs.

In general, you are more likely to see French children fitting into the world of adults rather than the other way around, which tends to be the American attitude.

Participation prizes

The other side to raising children in France – the one that happens in the public school system – was another shock for me when I first arrived in France to teach English.

The French school system is a lot more blunt than the American one – teachers are comfortable reading out test scores and sending low-performing students to the other side of the room to revise. When the Bac scores are released, they are public with the child’s name attached. (In contrast, my high-school opted out of announcing the valedictorian publicly). 

The approach to discipline is also less forgiving, and there tends to be a fair amount of yelling involved. 

Ultimately, French school tends to focus teaching to a universal standard rather than splitting kids up into groups based on their individual aptitude or learning styles. Participation prizes are a no-go.

Smoking

When passing by French bars and restaurants with outdoor areas, you will most likely smell cigarette smoke – something many Americans have lost an appetite for in recent years.

Public health efforts to reduce smoking in the United States were undeniably effective. As of 2022, just 10.9 percent of the population over the age of 15 reported smoking daily. In contrast, France saw 24 percent of its population (over 15) smoking daily. 

The majority of US states have enacted some form of ban on smoking in enclosed places, with many expanding that to the public space directly outside of restaurants and bars too. 

Smoking is banned in public indoor spaces in France (eg museums and government buildings), as well as inside of restaurants and shops. However, in most places, you can still smoke in the outdoor terrace area of a café or restaurant, meaning that most streets smell of smoke.

Pharmacies

If you walk into a French pharmacy, you will see that it is quite different from an American CVS. You will not find any bags of chips or candy, though you will find a large natural medicine selection with plenty of homeopathic options.

Grocery stores, on the other hand, do not carry over-the-counter medicines, like low-intensity painkillers and cold & flu medicines, as is common in the US. 

The general rule is that grocery stores are for food (with some exceptions for households goods or soap and shampoo) while pharmacies are the place to go for any medical or health related items.

French pharmacies are a special place though – you can bring your wild mushrooms in to verify none are poisonous, and you can receive medical advice from the pharmacist or even basic first-aid, if needed. 

READ MORE: More than prescriptions: 10 things you can do at a French pharmacy

Green spaces

The formal French garden is sculpted and symmetrical – an exercise of man bending nature to his will (think Versailles gardens). And it seems to me that this approach extends to green space overall in France. Many parks and outdoor spaces have areas where you can look at the grass, but you certainly cannot go touch it, sit on it, or play on it. The Jardin de Luxembourg is a great example of this. 

In my first year, I worked as a nanny and took the kids I looked after to the park next to their house after school. There were a few trees – one perfect for climbing – and I had zero issues letting them hang on the branches, until I was told off by an older French gentleman that the tree was for admiring rather than for climbing.

The same is true for the shared green space in my apartment building – look but do not touch. The cats living in rez-de-chaussé apartments are the only ones allowed to walk on the grass.

All of this being said, you certainly can find French parks to go lounge around in, where it is perfectly acceptable to be on the grass (just check the signage first). 

And of course as soon as you’re out of the cities there are green spaces galore in France’s many forests and natural parks. 

Kissing instead of hugging

One of my most consistently awkward interactions in France is the instinct to go in for a hug when the other person is expecting bisous. I am sad to say I have done this multiple times, and the result is a weirdly intimate hug-kiss that neither of you were looking for.

For the French, cheek kisses are less intimate than a hug. Most Americans I know would say the opposite. Just be sure to memorise which direction goes first (usually left then right) or you could end up in an even more uncomfortable situation.

The entire month of August

The country (with the exception of tourist areas) closes down – including shops, bookstores, restaurants…you name it. 

This will come as a shock at first, perhaps if you were hoping to get your bike repaired and now you’ll have to wait three more weeks, but the benefit is that the summer slow-down is expected of everyone.

Take advantage of it and enjoy the more relaxed pace of life.

Genevieve Mansfield has lived in Paris since 2019 and is mostly very happy there. Do you agree with her culture shocks? Share your views in the comments below

Member comments

  1. It would be so wonderful if Americans realised that real human beings work and live in cities like Paris, it is not a Disneyland built to entertain Americans. Leave us alone when we walk our dogs, do not comment or force yourself on it to pet it. Respect us and learn to say hello, excuse me, please and thank you, in French.

  2. Luxembourg Gardens has a large area that allows people to sit on the grass. It’s absolutely lovely. You should try it! Something that surprises me about Paris is how you can get a dentist or doctors appointment at 5 or 6 pm. That would be unheard of in the US.

  3. Having lived in Paris for several years way back in the 70s with two toddlers my husband and I fell in love with it. Now retired, we’ve managed to return, albeit to the south of France (Yeeay Robert Ménard, our mayor, for trying to minimise the poop level in the city center). Genevieve’s observations are right on. I love reading her writing in The Local. Keep it up, remain open-minded, and enjoy living in this beautiful country.

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AMERICANS IN FRANCE

Is there really a 1949 treaty that allows Americans an extra three months in France?

You might have heard rumours about an old but never-repealed treaty between France and the USA that allows Americans an extra three-month stay in France without requiring a visa. But is it still valid?

Is there really a 1949 treaty that allows Americans an extra three months in France?

It sounds almost too good to be true – an obscure treaty that would potentially allow Americans to stay up to six months in Europe without needing a visa . . .

The agreement exists, it was one of several bilateral travel agreements that France made in 1949.

It states: “From April 1st 1949, citizens of the US can enter the following countries on the simple presentation of a valid passport, without a visa, and stay between one day and three months; France, Andorra, Algeria, Morocco, Gaudeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion (or Tunisia for two months).”

First things first, we would strongly advise against turning up at the border of Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco and claiming your right to free entry based on an agreement that France made for them back in the days when they were colonised. Awkward.

The Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the Indian ocean island of La Réunion and the South-American territory of French Guiana remain French. For administrative purposes they are part of France, but they are not part of the Schengen zone so have slightly different travel rules. Andorra is different again.

Schengen rules

These days France is part of the EU’s Schengen zone and that has its own rules for travel.

Americans are one of several nationalities covered by the ’90-day rule’ – this allows for stays of up to 90 days in every 180 in the Schengen zone, without the requirement for a visa. In total over a year you can spend 180 days visa free, but they cannot be consecutive – within any 180-day period you must not stay for more than 90 days.

READ ALSO How does the 90-day rule work?

The 90-day limit covers time spent in any of the Schengen zone countries – so for example if you are travelling around France, Italy, Spain and Austria you get 90 days total, not 90 days in each country.

The 1949 agreement allows three months visa-free in France, while the Schengen zone agreement allows 90-days visa free in France – basically the same amount.

However where the 1949 agreement could potentially be an advantage is for Americans who want to travel around Europe for several months – essentially giving them three months in France plus 90 days in the rest of the Schengen zone countries, allowing for a six-month visa-free stay in Europe.

Neither rule allows for more than 90 days in France without getting a visa – if you want to stay longer than that in France, you will need a visa (unless you have dual nationality with an EU country).

Schengen rules versus pre-existing bilateral agreements

But is the 1949 agreement still valid? It’s true that the agreement was never specifically cancelled, but since then something big has happened – the creation of the Schengen free travel area which came into force in 1990.

The Schengen agreement creates a free travel zone (expanded several times since 1990 and now encompassing 29 countries and about 420 million people).

Countries that are part of the Schengen area;

  • do not carry out checks at their internal borders, except in cases of specific threats
  • carry out harmonised controls at their external borders, based on clearly defined criteria

The rules are covered by the Schengen Borders Code, which involves countries adopting a common visas policy – in brief this means that countries are free to set their own visa policy (eg types of visa offered, visa costs/duration) but must agree on who needs a visa and who does not.

The European Council explains: “An EU common visa policy is necessary for the effective functioning of the border-free Schengen area as it facilitates the entry of visitors into the EU, while strengthening internal security.

“The EU has established a visa policy for: intended short stays in or transit through the territory of a Schengen state; transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen states; short stays are stays of no more than 90 days within any 180-day period.”

So the EU is clear that it operates a common visas policy – limiting visa-free stays to no more than 90 days in every 180.

French policy 

Part of the confusion over this historic agreement seems to be that over the years several French consulates have provided contradictory or confusing advice suggesting that the 1949 agreement is still in force.

You may be lucky and find a border guard who agrees with their interpretation – but if you find someone who interprets the Schengen rules as superseding the 1949 treaty, they will be able to provide a lot of more up-to-date and clearer statements of the rules specifying that non-EU citizens such as Americans are limited to 90 days in every 180 within the Schengen zone.

If you lose your argument at the border, you are liable to end up with an ‘over-stayer’ stamp in your passport which may make it difficult for you to re-enter any EU country, or to get a visa for any EU country.

Is it really worth taking that risk?

EES

Starting later in 2024 – probably October although it could be delayed again – is the EU’s new Entry & Exit System.

You can find a full explanation of it here, but it basically automates the counting of the 90-day allowance – passports will be scanned on entry and exit of the Schengen zone and dates automatically tallied.

There are exemptions for people who have residency permits or visas, but there is no provision built into the system to show old treaties at the border.

French citizens

The 1949 agreement is a bilateral one, so it also includes a provision for French people wanting to go the USA.

It states: “French citizens wishing to travel to the United States for stays not exceeding three consecutive months may, if they wish, receive free visas valid for two years and for an unlimited number of trips during that period.”

Sadly, this is no longer valid either – the US does not allow visa-free travel and French citizens wishing to go even for a short holiday will need to complete the ESTA visa-waiver online before travelling. Anyone who has failed to complete this form (which is not free) will be denied boarding by their airline.

Once completed, the ESTA visa waiver covers multiple trips for two years (unless your passport is renewed in that time, in which case you have to do it again).

The ESTA visa allows trips of up to 90 days per visit, French people wishing to stay for longer will need to apply for a visa.

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