Respect Starts With Bonjour

If there’s one French habit worth learning before your trip, it’s this: say bonjour.

In France, greeting someone before asking a question or starting a transaction is an important sign of politeness. Walk into a bakery? Bonjour. Approach someone at a ticket counter? Bonjour. Need to ask a shop employee where something is? Start with Bonjour, excusez-moi…

When you leave, say Au revoir or Merci, au revoir. Skipping the greeting and immediately asking for something can come across as abrupt.

Teen Tip: This tiny habit can make a surprisingly big difference in how interactions go.

Politeness Is a Little More Formal

French social interactions can initially seem more formal than what many American teens are used to. French has two ways to say “you”: vous, which is formal or polite, and tu, which is informal and familiar.

Friends, family members and teens speaking to one another generally use tu. When speaking to an unfamiliar adult, vous is the safer choice. You’ll also hear s’il vous plaît (please), merci (thank you), pardon and excusez-moi constantly.

You don’t need perfect French. Making the effort matters.

La Bise: The Famous Cheek Kiss

You may see friends and relatives greet one another by lightly touching cheeks and making kissing sounds. This is la bise.

How many kisses people exchange—and whether they do it at all—depends on the region, situation and relationship. As a visitor, don’t overthink it.

Teen Tip: Don’t launch yourself toward someone’s face because you read about la bise in a travel guide. Let the French person take the lead. A handshake, wave or simple bonjour is completely fine when meeting someone.

Meals Are Meant to Be Enjoyed

Food isn’t simply fuel in France. Meals are often treated as time to stop, sit and enjoy eating with other people. Lunch and dinner may feel less rushed than you’re used to, and sitting at the table talking after everyone has finished isn’t unusual.

You’ll also notice that eating on the go isn’t as central to daily life as it is in some countries, although quick food and takeaway are certainly common, especially in cities. And yes, bread really is everywhere.

A Few Table Habits to Know

Wait until everyone is ready before beginning a shared meal, and saying Bon appétit! before eating is common. Bread may be placed directly on the table beside the plate, and it’s customary to keep your hands visible rather than resting them in your lap for long periods.

If you’re invited to someone’s home, bringing a small gift such as chocolates or flowers can be a nice gesture. Most importantly, watch what the people around you are doing.

Café Culture

French cafés aren’t just places to grab caffeine. They’re places to meet friends, talk, read, people-watch or simply take a break.

Outdoor café terraces are a major part of street life, particularly in cities. You’ll often see tables facing outward toward the sidewalk—which makes people-watching practically part of the furniture.

Visitors sometimes interpret slower café service as bad service. Often, you’re simply being given space rather than being hurried away.

Teen Tip: Find a café with an outdoor table, order a drink or snack and spend a little time watching the neighborhood. It’s one of the easiest ways to experience everyday France.

Public Life Is Often Quieter

French cities can certainly be loud—traffic, markets and packed streets aren’t exactly peaceful. But in places such as trains, restaurants and shops, you’ll often notice people speaking at a lower volume than some visitors are accustomed to.

That doesn’t mean you need to whisper. Just notice the volume around you and match it. The same idea applies to personal space and behavior: being aware of the people around you goes a long way.

French Teen Life

French teenagers aren’t a completely different species. They worry about school, text their friends, listen to music, watch videos, play sports, shop, game and use social media just like teens elsewhere.

But there are some differences you might notice. School days can be relatively long, and academics play an important role in teen life. Students progress through collège and then lycée, with many lycée students eventually working toward the baccalauréat, usually called the bac. Foreign-language study is also a normal part of school, with English widely taught.

As teens become more independent, public transportation can play a major role in getting around, particularly in larger cities. Outside school, interests vary enormously. Football (soccer), rugby, basketball, dance, music, gaming, fashion and simply hanging out with friends are all part of modern teen life.

Good to Know: Don’t expect every French teen to dress like a Paris fashion model, discuss philosophy over espresso or carry a baguette home from school. France has cultural traditions—but French teens are individuals, too.

Music: From Versailles to French Rap

France has been influencing music for centuries. During the Middle Ages, troubadours in southern France composed and performed lyric poetry and songs. Centuries later, the court of Louis XIV made music and dance central to life at Versailles, with composers such as Jean-Baptiste Lully helping shape French opera and ballet.

Later came composers including Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, followed by artists such as Édith Piaf and jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.

Modern French and Francophone music covers just about everything: pop, hip-hop, rap, electronic music, rock and more. French electronic music in particular has had enormous international influence through artists such as Daft Punk and David Guetta.

Listen While You Travel: Pay attention to what’s actually playing in cafés, shops, taxis and public spaces. Modern France has a soundtrack that’s much broader than accordions and old chansons.

France & Dance

If you’ve ever taken ballet, you already know some French: plié, jeté, arabesque, pas de deux.

Much of ballet’s standard terminology is French because ballet was formally developed and codified in France, particularly during the reign of Louis XIV. France went on to become one of the world’s most important centers for ballet.

Centuries later, Paris became famous for a very different style of dance: the cancan, associated with the lively dance halls and cabarets of 19th-century Paris. Today France has everything from classical ballet and contemporary dance to hip-hop and breaking.

Fête de la Musique

Visit France on June 21 and you may wonder why musicians have suddenly taken over the country. That’s Fête de la Musique.

Launched in France in 1982, the annual celebration fills streets, parks, squares, cafés and other public spaces with performances. Professionals perform, but amateurs do too. Rock bands, DJs, choirs, classical musicians and neighborhood groups can all end up performing on the same night.

Teen Pick: If your trip overlaps June 21, don’t miss it. It’s one of the easiest ways to experience French culture rather than simply sightseeing.

Festivals & Traditions

France’s calendar is filled with national celebrations and regional traditions. July 14, known to English speakers as Bastille Day and in France as la Fête nationale or simply le 14 juillet, brings fireworks, concerts and public celebrations across the country, along with a major military parade in Paris.

Christmas markets are especially important in Alsace, where places such as Strasbourg and Colmar fill with decorated stalls, lights and seasonal foods. In the south, Carnaval de Nice brings elaborate floats, parades and its famous flower battles.

Some of the most interesting celebrations, however, aren’t national at all. Towns and regions hold festivals connected to music, food, history, harvests, religious traditions and local products.

Teen Tip: Check the local calendar wherever you’re staying. A small-town festival may end up being more memorable than another museum.

France Is Very Regional

There isn’t one single version of French culture. Travel around the country and you’ll notice real differences.

Brittany has strong Celtic traditions. Alsace reflects centuries of French and German influence. Provence has its own Mediterranean foods, traditions and rhythms of life. Basque Country has a distinct language and cultural identity that crosses the French-Spanish border, while Corsica has a particularly strong island identity and its own language and traditions.

Even accents, architecture, food and local celebrations change as you travel. That’s an important part of understanding France:

French identity is national—but it’s also intensely regional.

Religion & Laïcité

France has a long Christian history, which is obvious from the cathedrals, churches and religious art you’ll encounter almost everywhere. Modern France, however, places strong emphasis on laïcité, or secularism—the principle of separating religion and the state.

At the same time, modern France includes people from many religious backgrounds as well as people who aren’t religious. For travelers, the important thing is simply to be respectful when entering any religious site, even when you’re visiting primarily to see the art or architecture.

Easy Ways to Experience French Culture

You don’t need a complicated “cultural experience” to connect with France. Visit a neighborhood marché, where stalls filled with produce, bread, cheese, flowers and regional specialties are often part of regular local life. Buy something from a boulangerie and remember to say bonjour. Have a picnic in a park, browse a bookstore, ride public transportation or listen to street musicians.

Try a regional food you’ve never heard of. Walk through a neighborhood instead of staying only around major attractions. Check whether there’s a festival or market happening nearby.

And spend a little time simply watching how everyday life works. Sometimes that’s when a place starts feeling real.

7 Culture Basics to Remember

If you remember nothing else before your trip, remember these:

1. Say bonjour before asking for something.

2. Use vous with unfamiliar adults.

3. Let locals lead when it comes to la bise.

4. Meals and cafés aren’t always meant to be rushed.

5. Match the volume and behavior of people around you.

6. Don’t assume Paris represents all of France.

7. Make an effort with French—even a few words matter.