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| *Travel Info>>>General - France Travel Info |
What are key points of etiquette when staying as a houseguest in France? |
Travel Info I'll be staying with a family in the south of France this summer, and I would like not to unintentionally offend them with some grievous breach of etiquette. Travel Tips (I am assuming you're American...please excuse me if this is incorrect) Normal polite behavior will generally be quite fine. Recall that the French are a bit more formal and reserved than Americans so adjust your behavior accordingly. The easy informality of Americans can be seen as rude by the French, especially older people. You should not, for example call people by their first names at first meeting and, if you can speak French use the "vous" form instead of "tu" with people at first. Say please (s'il vous plait) and thank you (merci) to everyone whenever it is applicable. When entering a shop always say "Bonjour Madame/Monsieur" to the proprietor and say "Au revoir" when leaving. There are a few little food oddities you might want to know. The French don't butter bread except at breakfast or with the cheese course at lunch or dinner. Cafe au lait is taken at breakfast. The rest of the day it is called "cafe creme" or "un creme." Generally people drink coffee without milk or cream except at breakfast. The tradition is to eat only very lightly at breakfast. You won't find bacon and eggs served as a morning meal. Dinner tends to be eaten very late by American standards ie 8 or 9 PM. Others hugging is appropriate.. eat only when everyone has food on their plate.. The same rules of etiquette aply here as they do in the U.S. I'd be careful to turn off lights in an empty room (tv too) and offer to make an American meal one night... an American in Paris Arrive with presents - eg Flowers for her and whisky for him (esp an unusual American whisky like Wild Turkey). JD is widely available here (I live in France). My mother in law gets terribly offended if a houseguest fails to produce at least a bunch of flowers. However, when someone does bring her a present, she becomes almost tearful "Oh you shouldn't have", and then tells everyone she sees for the next 3 months how lovely this person was, and how they brought this lovely present/flowers "which, of course they didn't HAVE to do" !! The French also seem quite obsessed with saving electricity and water, so as long as you're SEEN to be not wasting it, they won't complain about you. Bon chance!! I don't agree with with bread and butter! we put butter on our bread when we want! we don't hug, we shake hands at first and after a while we kiss on the cheeks! and yes, french are very economes even stingy! but you know it depends of people Take a gift with you. I would recommend something that is unique to your hometown... a local type of pottery or something. Boys would probably be excited by sports t-shirts for local teams. Jelly Bellies are fun for kids, because jelly beans are a novelty over there. During your stay, remember that water and electricity cost a lot more than they do in the U.S. Avoid long showers, remember to turn off lights and other electronics (laptops, tv, etc.) when you are not using them. The toilet will be separate from "la salle de bain." When exiting the toilet, remember to shut the door behind you. Unless if you are directly invited to, do not help yourself to what is in the fridge. Americans tend to be more lax about this sort of thing. My advice would be to ask if they would mind if you bought some snacks and stored them in their fridge. Other than that, I would just say use your common sense. Be open to trying new foods. Express interest in their culture, don't make noise if you come in late at night, keep your room tidy, etc. I lived with host families in France and found that these things went a long way. |
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