#1 Don’t order water
Unless you want sparkling water, do not order water but a “Carafe d’eau”. It’s tap water but it’s free
#2 Learn basic French
Most of the French speak English, but don’t expect anyone to speak it. You will come further if you know some basic French phrases.
#3 Say Bonjour and Au Revoir
When entering or exiting a store, say Bonjour and Au Revoir. It shows good manner and is common in France
#4 Take the metro
Taking the metro is the fastest and easiest way to get around Paris. Paris has a really good metro system and there are metro stations literally everywhere
#5 Don’t throw away your metro ticket
Keep your metro ticket until you’re done using the metro. There may be police checks for tickets. If you throw your ticket away you obviously have no prove you bought a ticket anymore. Even dogs need a ticket, if they don’t fit into a strictly defined bag size
#6 Take your time in restaurants
When you’re eating in a restaurant don’t expect to be out within an hour. French take their time and so does the restaurant. Plan around 2 hours in a restaurant.
#7 French dine very late
French eat lunch around 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. hence they eat dinner very late. Usually French dine at around 20 p.m. That’s also the reasons many restaurants open late
#8 Wear proper clothes
You probably already heard the phrase ‘Paris. The city of fashion’ and it’s true. Parisian are always put well together. If you don’t want to stick out as a tourist, wear proper clothes. Flip Flops and caps don’t belong into Parisian streets.
#9 Tipping
Check the receipt. In some restaurant there is a so called “Service Compris” with 15% on it which is basically the tip.
#10 Order a menu
Many restaurants in France offer menus. It often contains a starter or dessert, main and a drink. It’s cheaper when you order the menu than the actual dish. However, the menus give you 3 main options to choose from.