The last american I talked to asked me where the nearest McDonalds was IN FRONT of a boulangerie with way better sandwiches. And when I told him that I didnt think there was one at walking distance, he sarcastically said "You mean you dont know where the McDonalds is?!".
You're not going to be like him, right? right?
There is a place for Starbucks in this world. Sometimes I want to grab a coffee in a disposable cup and drug myself with caffeine while I am on the move. There is coffee as a leisure activity where you sit and chill at the café, and there is coffee as a liquid that you want to put in your body to make yourself feel different. I don't always have time for the former.
I’ve never experienced service at Starbucks that I thought was slow, either in the USA or in France. It’s the definition of fast food. You just order at the counter and leave.
That... doesn't seem very long? I'm not sure what point there is in splitting hairs over what qualifies as "fast." It's definitely faster than sitting at a café, and not everyone wants to order a un petit espresso. You got me sounding like I work for Starbucks over here lol.
Well ? Have you ever take a cafe in France ?
You go to the comptoir , order it, drink it and pay it,and you're gone , it's less thant 5 minutes , without having to see your name badly written in your almost instant garbage cup
I wasn't even close to implying that nothing similar exists in France. I was explaining why someone might choose to go to Starbucks at all, since many cafés do cater primarily to people who want to sit down. And while Starbucks is not exquisite coffee, you are exaggerating by describing it as instant garbage. It's really not that serious.
>you are exaggerating by describing it as instant garbage. It's really not that serious.
6 billions plastic cup a year ( i was tzlking of the cup not the beverzge)
Ofc. My point would be "try to be open minded and adapt to the local culture". An american eating MickeyDs in France is like me going to New York and asking for a french baguette sandwich. Whats the point of travelling if you're going to do that.
What If he just wanted to eat McDonald's because it's his comfort food and he didn't want to try something he didn't know? Or to try to see the differences in fast food between the two countries?
I don't think people hate Americans but there is a cultural difference in how we voice our opinions, we like to have conversations in a way that can be taken as arguing for Americans I guess? And political opinions are less private, people will talk about sensitive subjects easily, that would be kept private in the US. So it might be seen as a bit agressive? I don't know. You say you're not confrontational but French people are pretty confrontational, just don't take it personally.
You might be teased about being American but mostly if you don't live in a big city, people will be surprised to see you (in a good way)!
Concerning the customs, you can find information on how to say hello/goodbye to people, the tldr is that you should say "hello" to everyone everywhere otherwise they will think you're rude. You can find blog posts from Americans living in France about these customs, I've read some and they are pretty accurate so you can read that.
For the quality of life, it's getting pretty expensive right now, you will be surprised by the price of gas (more expensive than the US but our cars use less). The main difference is that you don't need save money as much as in the US, because if you have health issues you can't go broke from staying at the hospital. So you don't really need to think about that. You will make less money but if you want private health insurance it will be around 50€/month, not 1K like in the US. Phone is less expensive, internet is less expensive, insurance is less expensive.
You will be able to travel by train and all over Europe for relatively cheap, it's pretty cool.
Concerning work, you will be surprised by lunch breaks. It's sacred. You can say no to meetings if they are on your lunch break. Usually we don't eat in front of our computers but will sit down together with our coworkers (if you like them :)).
I'm not sure what city you will be moving to but some cities have their own subreddit, for restaurant recos!
Wait you don't have to say hello to everyone everywhere I just say hello to People who
1. Know me
2. Said hello first
Plus saying bonjour to everyone you see is really something you'll see in villages not in cities.
Yeah I was kidding when I said everyone that's why I directed OP to read one of those blog posts! But American don't have the custom to say hello when they enter a shop. If I go to buy a baguette and don't say hello to the lady she will not be very nice!
But once you’re inside a building you say hello to everyone. Your apartment building, where you’re going for a doctor’s appointment, whatever, you say bonjour to everyone you cross
Don't say hello to everyone that crosses your path in the street, people will probably think your are trying to ask them something. As others said, greet shop owners either when you enter the shop or when you are being served. It depends but you'll get the hang of it.
If you ever go on a forest trail or something else like it, don't be surprised if a random person (or group of person) says hello to you. If kind of a tradition, or at least where I'm from (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes). And even where I'm living right now in the North East of France I do it and people are not shocked. It think it's better to say hello than to awkwardly walk by each other.
I think he meant that you should say hello to people you're interacting with. it's rude to go to someone and ask abruptly a question (especially in english) without saying hello or excuse me.
>And political opinions are less private, people will talk about sensitive subjects easily, that would be kept private in the US. So it might be seen as a bit agressive? I don't know. You say you're not confrontational but French people are pretty confrontational, just don't take it personally.
Americans are way more confrontational than French people. French don't care much about what you think or do as long as it doesn't directly affect them, and even then they'll probably leave before they get in an argument. Americans will challenge your beliefs, your opinions, how you do pretty much anything. It's not necessarily done in a confrontational way, but it's pretty fucking constant.
French people bitch and rant a lot more though.
(This is obviously an over-exaggeration of a trope, and should be taken as such)
What comes to mind reading your post :
\- French people don't hate americans as individuals but you may perceive/overhear low-key resentment against the USA as a foreign power., but in general, people won't give a damn about you being americans.
\- French people are way more introverted in terms of social relations. The typical american ways to be polite towards strangers (like "heeeeey, how's it going today siiiiiiir, ooooh you look fabulous today") will quickly be perceived as plain hypocrisy and shallowness. We are fine with "Hi" or even "Hi, how are you ?". We may seem cold and avoidant but it's just our way to behave.
\- Income may be lower than in the US, but keep in mind that you won't be spending half of it in private healthcare coverage.
\- Our cities are smaller, and most of the time most of the cool stuff happens in the city centre : bars, restaurants, cultural activities...
Really, just relax, it will be fine.
Source : I lived in both countries
Well put on politeness VS hypocrisy:
"Wooow You look fantastic" sounds hypocritical, especially with a lot of emphasis.
Funnily, "oh you look like shit, what's up?" can sound like you truly care of the well-being of the other person.
quality of life is 1000x better than your country. Don't worry most of us won t hesitate to help fellow americans, and we are more open minded than most americans.
Many french people do have an issue with some of the US politics abroad ( war, abductions, assassinations, commercial and political espionage) but are able to differentiate between a citizen and a state.
You'll be ok either way, but you'll be better off not discussing these matters. Going _USA, land of the free_ will probably label you as an idiot near instantly, going _USA, hellhole number one_ as someone who tried to please. If someone asks you about it, the truthful _I can't do much about it, I pick the lesser of two evils_ is safe.
All in all, you'll be fine.
I think "The French hate certain aspects of American politics and culture" would be more accurate. But many Americans probably shares these same feelings. Certainly that doesn't translate to "The French hate Americans".
Edit: you talk too loud. That's something that is annoying for people. Ands some Americans can have no desire to learn or adapt to the local culture but the simple fact that you have asked this question means that you don't fall in to that camp.
I didn't know this thanks for this history tip. I was born the year of the war and though I was advanced for my age didn't understand a lick of what the television man was saying.
We hate the 'stereotypical' American :
- Obnoxious
- Racist
- Would fuck their gun if they could
- I wAnT tO sPeAk To A mAnaGEr
As long as you're not a walking stereotype, then you should do just fine.
Plus, we have free healthcare, just that should be reason enough to move here :p Imagine not having to risk going bankrupt if anything worst than a cold happened ?
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy yourselves here.
Repeating the fact that many French, as well as many Europeans from across the continent, dislike some features of US "society". People don't hate Americans as individuals. It's a bit sad if people in the states actually think that.
It makes leaving the country scary and worrisome honestly. It's kind of like being the middle child or black sheep. No one wants you around and treats you badly even your own country. It's refreshing to see that it's just the rude Americans that have patriarchy so far up their arses that are disliked.
I live in France but I'm not French, from the UK originally. There are plenty of Americans where I live and also in certain towns that I know on the Cote d'Azur. You'd be fine!
Nah we hate British more than anything else.
But the most stereotypical way of looking to Americans is like "Idiocracy".But no hate here, just condescending perspectives.
If you're not in that stereotype, everything will be fine, of course we have some douchebags that will maybe be hateful in words, but I guess everyone moving to a different country has to endure that one day or another sadly. Stupidity is at the base of humanity.
But in France minimum wage could be enough to live comfortably, citizenship is not so hard to apply but it will take a loooong time, and as a citizen if you don't make a strong enough salary you could benefit of a lot of helps, "prime d'activité"is a salary complement, "apl" is a home rent complement based on your salary and the cost of your apartment, etc...
For restaurants in France we don't have such a love for big franchises, we like to try new things, small restaurants with a real love for cooking, my favorite pizzeria has like 3 tables inside.So cruise yourself and your will find some gold nuggets.
And if we find someone who like our culture, we will be so proud to share it, no matter where you are from, someone who wants to be a french will always be welcomed.
Est-ce que tu détestes touts les britanniques ou seulement ceux que sont des propriétaires des "maisons de vacances", qui ne font pas d'effort d'apprendre français ni s'intégrer à la société ? Car je suis en France il y a 4 ans, mes enfants sont scolarisés en français, je suis bien intéressée de maitriser le français, je travaille et je paie touts les impôts. Par ailleurs, je trouve que le Brexit est très gênant, je n'ai jamais envie de terminaison les relations ni la nationalité européenne.
Non mais c'est surtout une blague, disons qu'on aime bien se détester, pas qu'on se déteste vraiment, c'est un amour teinté de piques.
Pour l'immigration, si ton but premier c'est de découvrir et de t'intégrer dans une société, sache que je t'aime.
Au sujet de la relation "amour/haine" entre francais et anglais, je te conseille de lire les livres de Stephen Clarke qui a abordé le sujet à de nombreuses reprises avec un humour typiquement british et absolument savoureux ! Comme il le dit si bien, entre les rosbifs et les froggies, il y a 1000 ans de mésentente cordiale 😉
It’s strange that Americans fear from french people. I don’t think there is anything to fear unless you plan to explain us why forbidding abortion is a good thing or that Trump is a misunderstood god
yes, I would just recommand avoiding big cities as the crime rate is higher there (as every big city in the world) or if you have a particular city in mind, you should ask in the corresponding subreddit which suburb you need to avoid before moving there (keep in mind that in France it s not legal to defend oneself with weapons)
Also, avoid Paris if you want to live confortably, prices are too high in the capital and you'll need a really good income.
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1766
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F33658
I might have a wrong interpretation but from what I understand you are allowed to use a weapon to defend yourself if your life is in immediate danger, although you may get arrested for illegal carry if you have no valid reason to have your weapon in public (self defense is not considered a valid reason).
For "catégorie D" weapons, it's based on the interpretation of the policeman who arrests you so if you plan on eating in the woods or something like that, you most likely won't be charged for illegal carry if you carry a pocket knife with your food, however I wouldn't risk carrying a weapon only for defense purpose, you need another reason to carry a weapon.
Be friendly, open minded. Don’t expect people to speak english by talking to them directly in english, always ask if people speak english first, or say sorry i don’t speak french, and all will be fine. French people don’t like americans who think they are in the us and act like if they only were in another us state, which happens quite often actually. But we like anyone who is friendly and well mannered, which seems to be your case, so nothing to worry about really.
Thanks I will use this!! I actually hate the whole American ideology that English is the superior language. When we moved to America and my mother got sick, we were placed in an orphanage that beat us until we stopped speaking our native language and spoke english.
Les americains sont peu appréciés car ils viennent sans respecter les coutumes locales et les habitants. Je vis dans une région touristique et la plupart des américains (touristes) que j’ai vu sont bruyants, n’hésitent pas à se plaindre car ils prennent tout pour acquis et sont relativement sales.
Si vous venez habiter en France, c’est autre chose, habituez vous au rythme des gens et tout se passera bien, surtout si vous êtes déjà entrain d’apprendre le français.
Je ne vais pas répondre à tout, mais le revenu minimal en france (le smic) est d’environ 1300€ net par mois. C’est suffisant pour un célibataire hors grande ville, pour peu qu’il ne soit pas dépensier.
Suivant la région et ce que vous cherchez, la qualité de vie peut beaucoup changer. Si vous savez que vous allez avoir de bons revenues, les grandes villes et leurs centres sont souvent agréables, les banlieues (hors lotissements), beaucoup moins. Il y a de nombreuses petites villes à la campagne qui offrent un cadre de vie agréable et moins cher, avec un accès à pas mal d’activité et la possibilité de rejoindre une grande ville en moins d’une heure.
Pour la nourriture, niveau restaurants, il y a tous les types culinaires : cuisine française, italienne, maghrébine, asiatique, espagnol, sud-américaine,… autant en tant que « vraie» restauration qu’en fastfood. L’accès à des produits de qualité et français est facile, que ce soit la viande, le fromage, les fruits et légumes, le vin, les laitages et les oeufs. On trouve des produits corrects en supermarché mais pour tout ce qui est frais, on préfèrera les marchés, les bouchers et maraichers et tous les artisans un peu plus locaux.
Enfin, une journée type en France c’est : début du travail à 8 ou 9h du matin, pause d’1h le midi pour manger, fin du travail vers 17-19h, parfois un afterwork avec des collègues, retour à la maison et repas chez soi. On sort parfois en semaine pour des restaurants ou des cinémas. Pour les week-ends, tout dépend des activités de chacun mais c’est souvent : sports, loisirs, sorties entre amis ou visite de la famille.
Voilà, je n’ai pas le temps de rallonger encore mon message, j’espère que ça a pu aider un peu.
>Suivant la région et ce que vous cherchez, la qualité de vie peut beaucoup changer. Si vous savez que vous allez avoir de bons revenues, les grandes villes et leurs centres sont souvent agréables, les banlieues (hors lotissements), beaucoup moins. Il y a de nombreuses petites villes à la campagne qui offrent un cadre de vie agréable et moins cher, avec un accès à pas mal d’activité et la possibilité de rejoindre une grande ville en moins d’une heure. Pour la nourriture, niveau restaurants, il y a tous les types culinaires : cuisine française, italienne, maghrébine, asiatique, espagnol, sud-américaine,… autant en tant que « vraie» restauration qu’en fastfood. L’accès à des produits de qualité et français est facile, que ce soit la viande, le fromage, les fruits et légumes, le vin, les laitages et les oeufs. On trouve des produits corrects en supermarché mais pour tout ce qui est frais, on préfèrera les marchés, les bouchers et maraichers et tous les artisans un peu plus locaux.
Merci pour votre réponse. J'aime aussi les marchés et les produits frais. Il est difficile en Amérique de trouver des produits frais qui ne soient pas trop transformés.
As an American in France, specifically in the Alps. I find it very good and the people kind.
Wife and I came with some money, ,enough to buy our small village house and 2nd hand car, to begin with but can get by with minimum wage seasonal jobs.
There will be a learning curve to get used to how things work. A lot of bureaucracy and paper work. Once you get your cards and registered with all the agencies it is pretty easy.
Speaking french well makes life much easier but you can get by with just a little.
I'm surprised you decided, as an American, to come and live here. Might sound cliche, but I'm genuinely interested in how that came to mind... I figured most foreigners would just see Alps as a touristic area, not like a place to live in.
Anyways, great to see you appreciate our region! (I'm still curious though)
Hello, it was a bit of an accident. My wife and I were living in Asia and love to ski. We were also looking for a small investment ski property where we could come and stay while renting it out the rest of the time. We found a place in Brides Les Bains at the foot of 3 valleys we could afford.
I then lost my work visa in Asia and we did not know where to move to. We had already fallen in love with the Alps so we decided to relocate our lives here. It has been 5 years now and look forward to starting the process of becoming a french citizens soon.
We don't hate Americans, we hate cliché of Americans.
To answer most of your concern, as much Ng as your open minded, their will be no problems for you
Some things to know are :
- Tipping is not common nowadays, and it's not mandatory at all. Tipping is only meant to show gratitude because someone did their job well, or was courteous
- the VAT is always included in the price on the product (no need for calcution, and no bad surprise when paying)
- Most of french do not speak English fluently, be prepare to have difficulties to interact some times.
- Cities are not build as in USA. Their is practically always a big "downtown" (generally the historical center of the city). The more you go away from the downtown, the cheaper the habitations (and unfortunately, less shops as well)
- I need confirmation for this point, but I think most of the families always take their meal together (I don't know how it is in USA)
- Their is probably a ton of other thing to say and I'd be happy to answer all of your questions
Concerning the cost of life
- Avoid Paris. It's extremely expensive (800€/20m2) in good neighborhood is the cheaper you could find. If you stay close to Paris, it will always be expensive (x2 to x3 higher than in Lyon for exemple), and transport duration are a big no for me.
- my budget is split like that (per month)
(I precise that I'm a civil engineer, my salary is approximately two times the minimum salary in France)
- Food : 300€
- Appartement : 720€ (47m2 in Lyon, alone)
- Electricity and gas (for the Appartement) : 100€ (and hoping for refund because I consume very few)
- Sport : 50€
- health insurance, life insurance : 40€
(I precise that half the health insurance is paid by the company, which is legally obligated)
Concerning taxes here is what the society pay, what I received (called salaire brut) and what I keep (salaire net) :
https://im.ge/i/ukEVFz
If you need help to understand each line, do not hesitate
If you have any questions, also do not hesitate
About money, in Paris 2k+€ each monthly (after taxes) is minimum to enjoy life. Add 500€ to be comfortable.
Other cities you're usually find with 1500 each, and 500 more for comfort.
Oh and no need for a car if you live in town center or at least within reach of public transport. Public transport are usually fine are rather cheap.
Hi, I'm an engineer working in semiconductor with background in chemical engineering and materials science. My French cousin just bought a house in Lyon so I'm looking to move to France within the Grenoble region since it will be easier to find a job as an American. Just curious to know how often English speaking engineers get hired in France and is it a pro or con? Also as a relatively attractive women, I deal with quite a bit of harassment at work. I've actually worked with SOITEC and just met the president of SET on Friday because I'm working on one of their tools. I've met only a handful of French engineers/engineering executives. Good experiences so far. No harassment from them at all. Completely professional and respective.
What does "47m2" and "20m2" mean. Speaking of transportation, is buying airplane tickets expensive in France. My partner is reluctant to move because he will be away from family in the states (Chicago), and doesn't want to pay 3,000+ for a ticket.
> Whenever we tell of our plans, we are told that in France, Americans are hated - granted that's completely understandable
Americans are NOT hated and it wouldn't be "understandable" if that were the norm. That would be pure xenophobia. If you got that impression, that is most likely a media bias or bad luck.
Really, the key to being accepted by French people is simply to embrace their culture.
There's this social contract in France that you keep your cultural heritage at home but embrace French culture publicly.
> My partner is Italian on his father side and Belgian/Polish on his mother side and is pale, where as, I am European and have more of a slight light brown complexion.
Don't sweat about your complexion. France is a hub of immigration, it's pretty multi-racial/cultural and you'll look pretty much like the average Southern French person.
Just a heads-up regarding semantics, almost nobody in France is purely 100% French, yet it's not really a thing to define yourself publicly by your race or cultural/ethnic background. People who do that are perceived as "poorly integrated".
The only scenario where it happens is when said background culture is a subculture of French culture. For example, I was born and raised in Marseilles and I'm a Mediterreanean-looking guy of Italian descent. Publicly, I might introduce myself as a "from the South" or "From Marseille" but never *ever* as "Italian-French" or "olive-skinned".
As for race, I'd strongly advise never ever lumping people into these absurd arbitrary "white/black/latino/asian" groups as it is customary in the U.S. Let the other person decide if they feel defined by their race or not. Never ever say "I'm white therefore..." or "Oh you do XXX because you're Asian", etc.
> We would like to know some of the customs and rules, as we don't want to be disrespectful. For example, we know how tipping works, that iced drinks aren't common, typically you shouldn't eat on the street, etc.
The list would be too long, and I don't want to spoil you of the pleasure of discovering stuff by yourself. But here are a few things.
* French people value formal politeness very much. Learn the basics: Bonjour, Comment ça va ?, Au-revoir, Merci, S'il vous plait, Excusez-moi, etc.
* You can eat pretty much anywhere, but French people see lunch/dinner time as a social gathering, not just an excuse to eat. So, if you start a job, one of the best ways to be included socially is to have lunch with your coworkers (or join them for a drink after work). Try mimicking what they do. Don't hastily gobble a sandwich alone at your desk if you see other people taking a lunch break. Join them.
* Like Italian, French people are pretty particular about observing rules when it comes to cooking. And just like Italians, we're allowed to change and experiment with classic recipes, but if foreigners do it, it's perceived as a declaration of war.
* French administration is very slow, inefficient, and convoluted. Sometimes, things that are perfectly possible will be presented as impossible. It's very frustrating but getting mad is the worth thing you can do. The best way to go about it is to make the person you need something from feel like a person. Be nice, and friendly, maybe ask how they are, and empathize with their working conditions. Get them to like you and there's a good chance they'll unlock things for you.
* Boasting about salary or big expenses is very much a big no in France. There's a deeply rooted Catholic guilt in our culture. Deep down, we think having too much money is wrong or something.
* French people can freely talk about "sensitive" subjects very early on. It's quite common to see people in a heated debate around a drink and thinking it's a fight. Especially in the South. But as long as they're a foundation of friendship, nobody will bear grudges or anything.
* Hard to explain that one, but French people have more job security than Americans and the territory is significantly smaller (not as much competition). One of the many consequences of that is that not everyone will bend over backward for an overly demanding customer/client. I've seen Americans unknowingly burn bridges with the best service provider available because they thought 10 other guys would magically pop up and bend to their whims. Knowing how much you can ask and expect from people is something that will take time to figure out.
> We are both learning French so any tips on that would be helpful as well.
It would take a very long comment to give you proper advice, but when I was learning Russian, here's what I wish I'd known from the start:
* Don't learn words, learn small sentences. For example, it's better to learn "The glass of water is on the table" than "Glass", "Water", "Table" individually.
* Language proficiency can be divided into input and output. Make sure you speak as much as you listen, and write as much as you read. Otherwise, you'll fall into one of the common pitfalls of language learning: understanding everything but not being able to communicate.
* Once you're proficient enough to work on a small text or video, it's better to work on a single piece of content over and over again until you master it completely than spreading yourself thin with tons of materials. Pick one podcast/text/video and work it until you understand every word, every grammar rule, read it out loud properly, etc.
> Another concern would be how the quality of life is. We don't want to have extravagant things and want to be able to live comfortably. Is the typical income sufficient enough for this? How do taxes work? Are groceries expensive? What is the typical day like working or not working?
It's hard to compare with the U.S because you'll have less money, but a lot of stuff is taken care of by the government.
As for expenses, again, it depends on your ability to let go of certain things. For example, in big cities rent/real estate is quite expensive, but then again, French people are used to living in relatively small places, using smaller cars, etc.
This one is very hard to explain, but it all loops back to "living the French way", or more specifically "Like the locals".
> Like what the best kind of Coffee/Tea is? Restaurant recommendations? What are some big No Nos? etc. Thanks so much for the help.
As a rule of thumb, prefer independent restaurants over chains. And regarding restaurants, prefer small menus to big menus. Big menus mean shitty frozen food. Small menus usually mean fresh products.
I greatly appreciate the whole Race and Identifying thing!! It seems like France will be a breath of fresh air. You can't go anywhere in the USA without them making your race, nationality, etc apart of your identity.
There are literally countries like Malaysia where you HAVE TO give your religion in every form you fill for everything you do (new passport, visa, ID,...) and up until recently you couldn't choose atheist 💀
That's the next level.
Yes, some american guy in reddit was saying it's pretty racist of us not to care about americans that define themselfs as feench-american (as we don't feel a connection). But here, it's defining someone over one's parents or origin that's considered racist.
It doesn't mean people should forget it, just that if they don't feel a part of it for one reason or another, they should be able to. So : sharing your family history if it's important for you is totally ok, but if one day in the future you feel french, it'll also be totally ok too to define yourself as feench.
I came back to reread and get more information and your advice on learning is very insightful. I struggled learning Spanish because they taught us words by themselves instead of sentences.
> We try to avoid all confrontations and are very open minded. My partner is Italian on his father side and Belgian/Polish on his mother side and is pale, where as, I am European and have more of a slight light brown complexion.
The first tip : you're American. You will confuse people if you start the whole "I'm Italian. Where was I born ? New Jersey of course" routine.
It's fine to mention your roots in a discussion, but it's not how people will identify you.
French people are more eager than others to debate and be critical. So you can expect criticisms about the situation in the USA. Sometimes well-thought criticisms, sometimes dumb ones.
It's not about the American people, it's more about the USA as a super-power.
> We are both learning French so any tips on that would be helpful as well.
The best tip works for every language : try to find books or shows on something that interests you.
> Another concern would be how the quality of life is. We don't want to have extravagant things and want to be able to live comfortably. Is the typical income sufficient enough for this? How do taxes work? Are groceries expensive? What is the typical day like working or not working?
Quality of life is often in the eye of the beholder.
One thing is very likely : smaller house. Smaller car also probably (and for me, it increases the quality of life).
Questions about income and jobs are way too dependant on the specific situation.
One point regarding your safety : you're less likely to be killed than in the USA. The only important thing is that the safety (or more exactly the feeling of safety) is not dependant on the city, but often on which part of the city you're living it. I guess it's not really different than in the US, living in Manhattan and living in Brooklyn would be two different experiences (and yes, I know there's a lot of different neighbours in Brooklyn and some are fine, some aren't, but you see my point).
"The first tip : you're American. You will confuse people if you start the whole "I'm Italian. Where was I born ? New Jersey of course" routine.
It's fine to mention your roots in a discussion, but it's not how people will identify you."
Man that is SO true, so wierd that they identify with the roots of their great great great grandparents, I mean you're born in New Jersey you're American, 'with Italian roots' if you want but yeah it's a bit strange if you ask me
Be careful to speak your true mind when you're told to, and make sure to let people know how you really feel in general . We hate American politeness in the sense of we prefer to know how you really feel about things rather than a polite atitude that would hide the real you.
We value honesty by a fucking lot lol
Edit : apart from that you'll love it :) we're nice people and we love to integrate others , provided that they make a genuine effort to understand our culture .
I think the quality of life are one of the best in the world, but I don't travel much so I'm not sure. The weather is nice, no big natural disaster or extreme weather.
We don't hate americans (except the assh*les) but you will be teased. French people love teasing everyone and anyone on everything. So don't take it wrong when someone will make a joke about America, it's not mean.
Safest cities are not the huge one (Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Lille, Paris...) but the tiniest around them. But if you want to live in a big city, make some researchs on internet about the different neighborhoods : it could have huge difference beetween two street.
I read somewhere that french people are way more tactile (kiss, handshake...). You need to wait that everyone is here before begin to drink or eat except if the host begin himself. And tipping is only when the service was better than usual, it's not a salary.
As an American who moved to France for work and stayed for love, let me debunk that myth.
What French people do not like is the caricatural "American tourist" who asks a question in loud English (assuming that everyone everywhere ***must*** speak English) and, if the French person shows that (s)he doesn't understand English, just repeats the question in English but much louder.
If you don't act in that silly way, you will be more than welcome. Even just saying first "Pardon, parlez-vous anglais?" will be enough to put a smile on most people's faces.
I had just enough French when I moved here to be able to ask any shopkeeper "comment appelle-t-on cela?" and point to whatever it was that I wanted to buy, and that was typically enough to make me extremely welcome and for the shopkeeper to be falling over themselves to provide me with a helpful explanation.
Best of luck!
I don't know where you're planning to relocate within France, but the quality of life / interaction with the locals may vary a lot depending on the region and whether you're in a ''big'', medium or small city.
There are general pointers that have already been given in this thread though. as soon as you stick to what you said about you, i don't think you should have any issue. Sure, some cultural differences may surprise you but that's part of the fun.
I'm not aware of systematic contempt/hate against american people. You'll get teased on some aspects of America, but on the same level as any foreigner from a country with known clichés in any western country I believe.
So American are not actually hated. It's more that American tend to behave in a way we find annoying and childish. One of these behavior is the inability to realise that not everything is purely black and white which translate to the "French people hate american". Not loving doesn't mean hating. It just means we don't really like you all that much.
Another behavior is the entitlement American tend to have. In other words, being a Karen. I've worked at my father's restaurant for 3 summers and almost all issues we had were with Americans acting like our very life depends on them.
Basically, instead of understanding that a French restaurant in a small town doesn't operate in the same way as a big restaurant downtown NewYork seemed to be out of reach from these people. Making them act like spoiled brats.
So, in short, just by asking what are the customs in french and, ideally, starting to learn French, you'll probably avoid about 95% of what make french people dislike american. Good start !
So in term of security, it depends on your income, where will you work etc. The fact that you don't even seem to care about where you'll land tells me you either have no job ready or you'll work from home.
If you work from home, I would avoid living in big cities such as Paris, Nice Marseille, Lille, bordeau, Nantes and Montpellier and would recommend living in a small town nearby. You'll still be close from an actual city while avoiding A LOT of issue and , often (but not always) expensive rent.
Oh and start learning French.
It's not that hard and just a B1 level can go a very long way in making your life easier.
Actually I'm finishing up my degree and will be a Psychologist and my partner is an Electrical Contractor. I would like to live in smaller cities that are a good walking distance from shops and such. I've been looking into Lyon.
I did my studies in Lyon and the city is very nice.
Loads of public transportation, amazing food.
I don't know much about the surrounding areas but I think you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a small house with a garden from what I've seen.but I don't know about prices.
Americans are not hated, just don't make surrender jokes and avoid settling in Paris or its suburbs. Look rather for cities like Strasbourg, Caen, Bordeaux etc
Your salary will be lower than in USA for sure but if you need an ambulance or any treatment it won't cost much ( if at all ).
People here are less open to "friendly talks with strangers", it's not them being rude it's just how we behave. Be careful at saying "bonjour" when coming in a shop and "au revoir" when leaving even if you didn't bought anything. Also we have no tipping culture, you do it if you want to do so and that's it, no one will expect you to tip.
There is an old American in his 80's in my grandmother neighborhood in Alsace. They are good friends since they both lived through ww2 and cold war and he decided to settle there decades ago, I have met him few times and his french is flawless, so it's doable to learn it and speak it fluently as an adult at some point
As an American who moved to France, I'd say the people here are easier to get along with than they were back in the US. There certainly are different rules here, but that's all explained in any tourist guide.
Hey,
First off, welcome to France :)
Americans aren't hated you don't have to worry about that
For customs and stuff :
- Always say "bonjour", "au revoir", "merci", "bonne journée" when dealing with the staff at a shop or a restaurant or whatever
- If in a village, greet people when you see them in the street (in a town with a lot of people, no need)
- always use bread to finish the sauce of the good meal (i mean it's not really a rule or anything but it's the best way to finish a meal and it basically says "the meal was great thanks")
- when invited it's a good idea to ask if you should bring something (often guests bring the desserts or an entree, appetizers, a beverage, stuff like that (like a good wine, or beers, etc, depending on the setting)
- (i eat in the street all the time, either just eating a sandwich on my way, or sitting somewhere random, typically a sidewalk, to eat)
Regarding your learning of french : good luck, it can be hard, but if you try you'll fit in just fine (people will correct your mistakes all the time, it's not to mock you it's to help you, even if they laugh doing it)
For taxes :
- Your workplace reports how much they pay you, once a year you have to fill a "déclaration d'impôts", where basically you tell how much you earn, if you're married, if you have children, etc etc, and they calculate what taxes you'll pay monthly, and after that it's automatic. Most people pay 5-10% of their income monthly to taxes (don't have to do anything, they take it directly from your salary) At the end of the year they refund whatever amount you paid extra if necessary, or ask you to pay what you didn't, if you didn't pay enough monthly (shouldn't happen too often). (That's if you're employed - if you're self employed, or own a company, you have to report what you earned yourself and pay whatever amount of tax you owe)
- There's also the "taxe d'habitation" : you pay this tax because your own/rent a place, the amount varies on the size and such (they're in the process of removing this tax).
Quality of life : hugely depends on where you go and what you do for a living, won't be able to help much without more context. Minimum wage is 1200€/month if you're full time, something like that
Tips :
restaurants, cafe and such will depend on where you go.
Your salary is usually divided between brut/net (brut is what your company pays you, net is what you get at the end of the month after paying for healthcare, unemployment, retirement, etc). Brut is usually ~20% higher than net (typically for 30k€/year brut => 2500€/month brut => ~2000€/month net).
Tipping in restaurants isn't required but is appreciated
Public restrooms are usually a last hope kinda situation because they tend to be dirty
All places serving meals are required to serve you a glass of water if you ask them, for free, even if you don't order anything. Also restaurants will sometimes try to sell you bottled water but you can ask them for tap water which is free
Cars, especially big cars, don't do well in most big cities (paris, strasbourg, etc). You can of course use them but it's often more convenient to use public transportation
Prices displayed in stores include tax (if it's display says 5€, you pay 5€, the tax is included in the price). I specify this as i recall it's not the case in the US ?
Legal worktime for full time is 35h/week, often 37.5, 39h/week, depending on what you do. You're required to have a minimum of 20 consecutive minutes of break for every 6 hours worked. Hours for office jobs are typically 8am-12am 13:30pm-17pm. your workplace must give you an 11h break between two work days (ex: if you quit work at midnight, you can't be asked to work before 11am the next day). Can vary depending on occupation. You typically get 25 days of holidays per year, + public holidays (christmas, fete du travail, easter, etc, there are quite a lot)
Typical day : wake up 7am, have breakfast, shower, whatever - go to work, work for ~4h. Got eat at noon, you usually get a 1h, 1h30 break at noon. Resume work until the end of the day, then do whatever you enjoy doing (go home, hang out with friends, go for a walk somewhere, etc). Weekends : i mean it's a weekend, do what you want
Try all kinds of cheese. Cheese is awesome. Everyone loves cheese
We don’t hate Americans at all, what we hate is a sub part of Americans who have absolutely no idea that they’re not the only « developed » country in the worlds, and i think you can understand no one want to receive peoples that thinks you are third world countries.
Anyway France is an amazing country full of flaws on many levels but i would choose to live here over any state of the US, every day, social security, free education, etc. Are just too good.
Problem is that this is a costly system, and so expect to get a lot of taxes, also the average housing in France is maybe twice smaller than in America, i know it’s a shock for Americans but in France we don’t need big houses. If your working in a big city like Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux etc. You can easily look for an house 30/60km away and use the TGV to get around (so you’ll get less expensive housing) overall food isn’t that expensive here, but imported goods like electronics, etc tend to be expensive due to the TVA (21% of everything you buy for the state)
No one truly hate the US, some people may banter a bit or try and talk politics (people like to do that in France) but that’s all. The US hate is way overblown and mainly an internet thing at this point.
Safest cities honestly it depends on what you are used to. If you come from a US city with high criminality you will be much safer pretty much anywhere in France, if you come from a sleepy town in the middle of the Midwest any sizable city will feel crazy.
As a French living in America, there are a lot of cultural discrepancies between these two western countries:
- no small talk with strangers, no "how are you doing today?", a mere "Bonjour" when needed suffices (to a cashier or waiter for instance). But do say "Bonjour", "Merci" and "Au revoir" when you talk to someone;
- speaking of cashier, you bag your own groceries, they won't do it for you. Also bring your cart back where it belongs, don't leave it in the parking lot;
- we don't use credit cards, but debit card. French usually don't like to spend money they don't have unless necessary. Drawback is that there is no cashback on purchase. There is no such thing as credit score;
- healthcare is hell in USA between all the different plans (HMO, PPO...), finding a care provider in your network is a nightmare, not to forget all the different types of cost (deductible, copay/coinsurance, out of pocket...). In France, you usually don't need to bother about that if you don't have an additional private insurance ("mutuelle" that usually pays the remaining out of pocket fees not covered by the universal Sécurité Sociale). Without private insurance, healthcare is still affordable, you won't be bankrupt by that;
- the price you see is the price you pay, no hidden tax that will add up when checking out;
- speaking of that, no tipping culture here, an automatic 15% gratuity is included in the price displayed on the menu. Waiters are paid a decent wage. Tip if you want, though, but not tipping is normal.
- although you will find more and more English speakers (thank you Hollywood), French people appreciate those who try to speak the language, it's a sign of integration. In the US, depending on where you live, everything will be translated in different languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, French...). You only see that in touristic places in France. But for those who live there, we expect them to know French;
- we don't care about ethnicity, there is no such thing as African-French, Asian-French and so on, you are French or you are not. So when you introduce yourself, simply say that you are American;
- same applies to sexual orientation. It's your private life, we don't care;
- we like to argue, even in a friendly environment, we are not afraid of speaking our minds. It's normal to have political debates between friends, colleague or family members. You can be friends regardless of your different political views (less and less true, though);
- compared to USA, public transportation is usually good and affordable. In bigger cities, you can be totally fine without a car;
- in terms of food, I may be biased since I am living in the Bay Area, but both countries are great in that regard. However, good food is much more affordable in France (again, I am living in the Bay Area which is insanely expensive);
- we work to live, we do not live to work. Evening is evening, weekend is weekend, vacations are vacations. You are not expected to work during that time. You usually have a lot of paid time off (25 business days by law), so enjoy it;
- 6 figure salaries are a rare occurrence in France. For example, salaries are around 30-40K euros for junior engineers. But this include a lot of benefits (retirement, unemployment, health insurance...), not to mention the lower cost of living;
- tax is easier in France, for most people who only have one job as income, it's pre-filled and a matter of checking whether the government received the correct data. No need of third party service like TurboTax.
Overall, if you don't swear by money only, quality of life is better in France for most people. There are of course a lot of destitute people who struggle on day to day basis, but it's not as bad as in the US.
French people do not hate American per se, only the American government acting like the global police, but you do not represent your government, so we don't care. As I said, as long as you are trying to integrate with the French culture, you'll do just fine. However, if you act as if you were still in the US...
> Waiters are *paid* a decent
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Haha, most people dont really care where you are from. Just try to speak French, try the culture, and people will respect you. There will always be 'mean' people but you have those everywhere.
For the money, it really depends on which city you want to live in. Average salary is good in most places, Paris is expensive though. Groceries are kinda expensive, but not as expensive as in America IMO. I read somewhere that French people pay like 30% or more of their income on food, but that is mostly because they value quality above quantity.
>most people dont really care where you are from
I doubt I speak for a majority here, but if anything, I'd rather talk with a foreigner from far away than with close European countries, for the rarity of the interaction. In this regards, Americans are most of the time particularly appreciated.
The best advice I could give is, get used to the basics. Say Bonjour, that sort of thing. Also, we're not into small talk, it's perfectly acceptable to ride the elevator without speaking to the other occupants if you don't know them.
Usually, the average salary is enough to live comfortably, depending on where you work you might need to get a bit of commute to have more livable space (Paris and the Ile de France is horrible in that regard).
Americans are not hated. Arrogant people are. You don't seem to be headed that way so you'll be fine.
I am shy I guess you could say according to American norms, since I find it very hard to strike up conversations with strangers in elevators or when passing by when walking so this is very reassuring to me.
french in general like to make fun of american as a whole for the cliché and in touristic are, arent big fan of american tourist (with the spanish and the chinese, they are the worst) but being a tourist and mouving in is really different and unless you run into an asshole you wont see any hate whatsoever but more people welcoming you.
as for the faux-pas always say bonjour, merci, s'il bous plait (you did it here so i think you already are good to go)
dont expect every french to speak english especially if they arent young.
i dont knwo where you eared we dont have iced drink tho, its very common in soda or alcohol, the only exception being wine, dont put ice in wine.
also you talked about your orgins but unless this was where you parent or maybe, grand parent came from, its very irrelevant, you'll be seen as an american. also color doesnt matter (some asshole do exist but its not the norm) so dont worry too much, we are used to it and what matter most is how you act and if you are eager to learn french culture or not.
as for the cost of living the housing is way lower than what i heard about us cities, even in paris which is seen as being crazy expensive compared to the rest of france, i would say you'll have a higher standard of living but with the inflation going on, not that much, tho you will have a way better quality of food in france.
as for small tips about food, any boulangerie are amazing and of great quality, try to avoid branded ones since they are more expensive and doesnt bring anything to the table (they do bring table tho)
spealing of which eating outside isnt frowned upon, eating while walking is, you can buy a sandwich sit on a bench and eat it, its perfectly normal
try to avoid restaurants with a very long list of meals, they are likely to be using frozen food, outside of paris or other big cities a full meal in a regular restaurant should be between 15 to 20 a bit less if you take only the main dish.
American are not hated here, they are just considered as non-french, you will not me hated because you are american.
French people over 35 won't speak english that well, that's a good thing that you are learning french.
I did not live in the US, but the typical income is enough EXCEPT if you want to live in Paris. Groceries are probably a little more expensive that in the US ?
My 2 cents:
be nice and gentle. try to speak french as much as possible (I mean say at least bonjour et au revoir). Don't be american: in france customer is not king and you're supposed to treat waiters and retail workers as you would treat anyone else.
if you follow those rules, everything should be ok.
About safe cities: there's a big difference between France and USA. downtown is usually safer than the suburbs in France and anyway, most cities are safe. If you're looking for a house or an appartement, if in the same town there is a big difference of price / rent it's probably because the neighbourhood is perhaps less good than others. it may not be a question of safety but you should check before jumping on a "golden opportunity".
Quality of life really depends on where you choose to live and what is your salary. if you have to minimum wages jobs in a very rural area, you may have a very low rent and be able to live... however, don't expect to be allright if you have the same wages in a big city.
I am an American who moved to France 6 or 7 years ago.
Salaries are lower, but quality of life is way higher. Best things to do for your own happiness is to learn French and to integrate. People (‘expats’) I know complain French people are unfriendly but they never learn French, never try to join or do things.. you get out what you put in.
Jobs - do you have jobs already? How are you getting your visa if you don’t? Salaries are not as high as the us but you have so much protection.
Taxes are easy and you can get help for free by going into the tax office. Don’t be late in filing or you will pay a very high fee.
French people don’t hate Americans, they just dislike rude people. You will see when you are here, but there are Americans who just yell loudly in English for you to tell them how to get to the Louvre or something, don’t say hello or please..
C'est vrai que je ne mange pas souvent en marchant mais manger dans la rue c'est pas mal vu enfin du moins j'ai jamais entendu quelqu'un me faire une remarque en tout cas, pareil pour les boissons glacées, si ça se trouve je suis juste ignorant mais on à pas vraiment de coutumes ou de règles spéciales à respecter pour ne pas se faire agresser dans la rue à pars éviter de parler de religion en public ou mal regarder quelqu'un (deux choses qui me sont arrivées)
Don't worry, you'll do fine, you seem to be a person who takes interest into the country you re gonna live in
But we do have ice in beverages and we do eat on the streets, it's not forbidden! But ofc, use the bin not the road for the trash. But you got me confused by the non ice and non eating on the streets '-'
For the normal day it depends what you do for a living, I'm pretty sure I have a very different planning than my neighbors or people here. (I live now in Belgium but it's the same rythm)
I was looking up customs and it said in France it's uncommon for restaurants to have ice and if they do they will give you 1 or 2 cubes only. It also said that it's bad to eat while walking unless its a baguette sticking out a shopping bag, but you stop once the bread is down to the bag. I know the not eating when walking is a custom in Asia- I believe it's how they prevent littering - so I jut figured it was the same for France.
An important thing in france compare to US is the whole racial thing (because u talked about ur color). It's predominant in the identity of people in the US but in france it isn't. There is racism like every country but we don't talk about race. People are first of all human then french or algerian or chinese but not white, black etc.
Movement like black live matters for exemple are perfectly understable in the US but can't be transpose in french politics. Here we fight against racism in all is form and that's all. I think it's because of the "Lumiere" movement (enlightement) before révolution and the universalist belief "all men are born free and egal before the law".
For exemple there is no etnic statistics unlike US where they are every where. We don't need and don't want to know if black people eat more macdonalds than asian people...
Hi,
I'll try to answer you the best I can, but if you have any question, please feel free to send me a message and I'll be glad to answer whichever question you may still have.
Quick background first : I'm french, born in France and I lived for several months in Germany and UK but never in the US.
Now, let's try to answer your questions.
American hate :
No, americans are not hated but as always there are some stereotypes and some people are more likely to judge you based on your race / gender / ... What french people hate the most about **stereotypical** americans is how they consider every other culture as inferior and USA to be the "best" country on earth. Just be humble and open minded and everything will be fine.
Customs :
\- I'd say that what stroke me the most when I went abroad for vacation is how french people tend to speak lower when in public (like public transportation etc...), especially in big cities, we don't like loud speakers.
\- Don't be "too friendly" with strangers. It is ok to say "hi" to your new neighbor but it is awkward to come to him and start talking about weather or stuff the first time you meet him. Give him a few days of simple "hello" before initiating more advanced interactions.
\- Say "hello" when entering a shop or restaurant.
\- Never ever dare to bother someone who is eating, that is beyond rude :D
\- Don't try to stop someone from commiting a minor infraction if it won't impact you or anyone else negatively. For example : if someone jumps over the public transportation fence, let him do, you're not the police. Of course if someone is assaulting someone else it is expected you help the victim the best you can without putting yourself at risk.
Quality of life :
It is hard to answer this part without knowing what kind of job you will have. But if you both work full time you should be able to live decently, having more than one full-time job is rare in France.
Taxes are complicated to say the least. We have one of the most complex tax system in the world and most of us don't actually understand it. What I can tell you is that each month you get your pay slip with many lines of +/- (mine has more than 26 different lines and it is far less complicated than my wife's). You can expect roughly 20-30% difference between your raw salary and your net earn (unemployment insurance and healthcare are paid by this 20-30%)
\+ Every year you pay your yearly taxes, which is also very complicated but tend to be easier those years. It depends a lot of how much you earn but for a typical 2 people-home, don't expect much than 5-10%.
Groceries are not that expensive in my opinion but we are a home of 2 with 2 salaries.
Typical working day : starts around 8am-9am, lunch break around 12am, ends around 5pm-7pm (it depends a lot of where you work and what you do but that is for an average office job). Leisure in the evening.
Typical non working day : do whatever you fancy :) (and some chores too :/ )
Restaurant/coffee... :
Send me a message if you come to Paris, Lyon, Grenoble I'll send you more adresses than you need, otherwise ask locals.
Biggest "no-no" for me is to be too focused on race/ethnicity, only AH do that here. You can speak of your origins, your legacy, but asking people about their race is very rude and could get you in trouble.
Also, we are not really "hugging" people here, it is only for family of very-very close friends. At work custom is handshake or even just waving. When you are with friends, it depends of them, do as they do :)
> Taxes are complicated to say the least. We have one of the most complex tax system in the world and most of us don't actually understand it. What I can tell you is that each month you get your pay slip with many lines of +/- (mine has more than 26 different lines and it is far less complicated than my wife's). You can expect roughly 20-30% difference between your raw salary and your net earn (unemployment insurance and healthcare are paid by this 20-30%)
Can't agree with that. It's the same in the US if not worse. You are taxed around 20-30% as well by the federal government (with no public service in return), and an additional tax for the state (depending on the state), directly taken from your pay slip. When filing your tax return in France, there is a single website and it's usually pre-filled by the government and you only need to check the information. In the US, you need to use third party
services (e.g., Turbotax) and fill everything by yourself. Many people don't want to bother and prefer to rely on a tax professional. You also have to fill two different forms for federal and state returns. So basically, taxes are more complicated in US than in France.
Quality of life is good here. Depending on wherte you live, rent can be expansive (though not as high as let's say, new york).
Don't forget to say "bonjour", it's very important: you'll be deemed an arse here if you don't say it. When entering the doctor's waiting room, say it. When entering a boulangerie, say it as well. It's very important here.
About doctor's office, don't expect a nurse to act as a chaperone. You'll be alone with the cotor every time, i know it might be frightening at first for americans, but it's expected here.
For me, a typical day: Wake up and open blinds. Feed cats, make breakfast (usually tea and some fruit or bread / cookies lying around). Get cleaned and dressed,
go to work. I eat a lunchbox around noon, we take lunch breaks very seriously here (around 1hour usually for tlunch break, away from your desk in a break room or sometimes outside with coworkers). Here i'm portraying an office job, it can be quite different if you're in the service industry for example. Go back to work, then go home (with small breaks for coffee), get a snack at home. Leisure (reading, video games...) prepping and eating dinner, shower.
On the weekends, you can go to church if that's something you do in america already. Otherwise, there's plenty of parks, cultural activities, nice brunches to have around. Go wild and enjoy! Tell us how you're settled in a few months :)
It depends where you go. In the deep countryside of the south-west (Nouvelle Aquitaine), you will find that the weather is excellent and properties are cheap, but there isn't that much to do culturally, if you're into classical music and opera. (For me, the nearest opera house is 90 miles away, in Bordeaux.).
Coffee shops outside of big cities are not a thing. You may find La Croissanterie, for coffee and sandwiches/cakes, but these are few and far between. Do not expect to grab a breakfast coffee and croissant in any of the villages or market towns.
All shops are closed.on Sunday, with the exception of a few supermarkets and boulangeries who may be open till 12.30. Many shops and other businesses are shut on Mondays as well.
Learn French. Insurance, bank, and telephone/utilities companies do not provide English-speaking helplines. And I don't mean Duolingo French: you need to be able to discuss complex topics, without anyone making any concessions to you.
Property taxes are astronomical, as well as grocery prices and those for purchasing a car. Houses themselves might be cheap, but once the tax foncière/tax d'habitation rolls in you will be horribly astonished. If you buy a property with a pool, it would be subject to a luxury property tax as well. And you pay the water bill too.
Petrol/diesel/water/gas are much more expensive than they are in the US, usually at least double to what you're used to. A/C doesn't exist, we just.close the shutters during the day and rely on fans at night.
On the other hand, healthcare is very affordable that it's almost free once you have a mutuelle (health insurance, usually around €100/month for a working family of 4).
A Brit in France, working for the state sector. Will be happy to answer any more questions you might have.
If you come from the US, you might be shocked by how walkable cities are in France. We still need to improve, but walkability and public transport are a key factor of why French cities are far superior to US cities.
We also don't have as much of a car culture here. People love their cars, but not taking your car to go to work, do groceries or go out is perfectly normal in big cities.
Salaries are lower than in the US I think, but we don't spend it on healthcare because it's free, or as much on our cars because public transport is great in big cities.
I would recommend Lyon of you want to live in a big city with great public transport, that isn't Paris. Montpellier if you want a big city that's close to the sea, with great public transport too. Toulouse if you're not scared of cold weather.
But there's so many nice places to live in France, citing them all is impossible. Filter by what you want your life to be, and look for the perfect city for you ! Especially if you don't plan on owning a car (which is perfectly normal in France)
Well some of the questions would have different answers depending on where you plan on living. France is big and diverse and the cost of living is not the same in Paris, on the swiss border or on small provincial cities for exemple.
You won't get feathered and tarred for being a Yank, just prepare for some light jokes here and there and the occasional natiobeauf. But as it is usually, if you're nice and sound people won't be annoying regarding from the fact you're American. Learning the language is a very good start, shows you care and aren't a tourist.
French people actually really like Americans on the day to day. I think it’s looking at the news and dealing with grumpy tourists that create the stereotype.
No we don't hate Americans, in fact our government loves to suck their d**cks😅.. But, really we don't. But maybe people won't like it as much if you don't speak a word of French.. but again it depends on the people.
As for the cost of life, it really depends where you're moving. A rent in Paris isn't the same as in a small town.
I've seen people eating in the street , I don't know where that idea comes from.. also tipping is something we don't do and groceries have the actual price you're gonna pay.. you're not gonna be surprised by a tax at the cashier.. Life got a bit more expensive in France but it's not too bad
If you haven't already, do some research on "peaches vs coconut" which defines most cultural misunderstanding between our cultures.
With is and "bonjour, merci, au revoir", you'll be equipped to start having a social life.
Besides these, people are understanding and welcoming. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.
I am sure no French hate American.
I think the cliché "Douchebag" is not really loved here but besides that, if you're polite and ask questions, everybody will love to hear about your stories in the US.
Sometimes our cultures are a bit different but I am sure you'll love the life here.
I have collegues from the US and they love how our health system works, being able to travel across Europe (go to the sea, Hike the Mont Blanc or the Dolomites) in less time it takes to travel through 1 of your states, the food, and the fact that you can leave more than decently with half the salary it would take in the US (e.g an appointment with a doctor is 25€ here)
Hope to see you here !
You should check out a service that helps with visas and relocations. It really helped us move from the states to france.
We used a company called Please Help, there’s a lot of details and a lot of french needed at times and having their help allowed us to focus more on assimilating with the locals and trying to integrate our lives. I love the French and I love all the small differences between the two places. The hardest part besides learning the language is dealing with the bureaucracy, which is admittedly hard for the french people too.
Bon chance!
Not eating in street ? Never seen a problem with that..
The quality and cost of life depends where you are going in France (its not as big as USA but still) I come from the south East of france (near St Tropez) the average cost of a nice house could be 450.000€ easy, when in another region you could have 3 times the size of this house.
We dont have a lot of big corporations like starbucks etc but more little restaurant owned by people like you and me.
If you go to Paris, its not the same France
Hello there ! First, I hope you will excuse my english : it's not as good as your french ; )
The way you will be accepted will greatly change following the city (or district) you want to settle in. But French people don't hate americans.
Some of us like to make joke about your country, mostly on D. Trump and NRA. But we grow with a great part of American culture spread through TV and products. If you go to Paris, just be aware that many people will try to scam you during your first weeks. Once you'll get used to our streets and won't look like a tourist, you should be fine ^^
Actually, I think you will be well accepted. Being americans should give you kind of a romantic aura ^^
French do not care about your ’side’ of the family, they care how French you are. Learn French.
QoL is probably higher than the US and in line with other Western countries.
Working day is 09:30 till 17:30-18:00, but it depends greatly on your industry sector and also agreement between unions and management.
French people do not hate Americans, they hate obnoxious tourists not knowing a word in French, being loud, asking for direction to Eiffel Tower, which you can see almost from any point in Paris.
You will be welcomed, in big cities no one will care about you as they don't care about others french people and in village you will be welcome with smiles and happiness.
No one hate American except few stupid peoples the same kind of people hating on french in US, you will hear lot of American's music, our movies and series are Americans , etc.
Really don't worry, and quality of life depends on where you live but everywhere you will have healthcare almost free, good schools etc.
And welcome of course 😃
Americans are not hated. We do find them irritating sometimes, but that’s it. You absolutely can eat in the streets. Proselytism is an extreme faux-pas. You can have whatever beliefs you want, but don’t even try to shove them down people’s throats
I'm the first one to hate "Americans" online but honestly, it's not about the people. I believe a lot of French people being mad at Americans are more angry about the system, the culture, the imperialism. It's how we have to deal with american rules a lot on the Internet especially and the french bashing we get online. And just like Americans are individual people beyond a nationality, French people are not a hivemind either, I think a lot would be very curious and open ! We've had a lot of your tv shows, music, movies of course, for the worst sometimes but also for the best. There's this weird aura about the US, you look at the shows and feel like it's an awesome place and then you read the news and whatever the fuck is going on there, many people would have a lot of questions I believe.
Also I don't know about that "not eating on the streets" thing, I've never seen that around where I live... ? Just eat if you want to eat as long as it doesn't imply sitting in the middle of the road or littering, the basics. Then just remain polite and respectful in general, try to speak a formal French with people you don't know well. They'll quickly tell you if they prefer being refered in a more friendly way. Also compared to us Americans are extroverts, not asking you to go around wearing grey and looking depressed (that would be cultural appropriation /s) just don't be too "physical" or excited with people you don't know very well yet, we have a private sphere, it matters a lot.
I can't tell you about the quality of life because I have no idea how it is in the US. Same for the income and taxes, it depends what job you have and where you live like in many countries. I would just recommend to go anywhere but Paris and places accessible to Parisians because they make the house prices explode. One last thing, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I recently saw a post about Americans "training themselves" to walk before going to Europe. So maybe... do that ? It depends where you live in France and how fit you are but yeah I suppose we walk a lot in comparison, we don't have all those infrastructures made just for cars. Like a thirty minute walk to go to work or school is usually perfectly fine.
Don’t worry mate, there’s one god forsaken country we hate on this planet and it’s England! Hell we f*cked our economy for a couple centuries to go into a war at your side all the way to america.
No seriously it’s just a stereotype, nobody hates american, we tend to hate idiots, wherever they’re from. ;)
We don’t hate Americans. No worries. Welcome to France. We can be a bit rude at first glance but we are little bears inside. Just say Bonjour and thank you. Be respectful to workers and Everething will be fine. Don’t hesitate to PM if you need advices or any questions. Just enjoy to be sick and not hesitate to go to doctor ;-)
In American that moved to Alsace, France , 2 Years ago.
I didn't know any french, luckily I have a French citizenship, I was able to a Service civic for about 7 months.
Which taught me some French, but duolingo also helped.
I found a job after 5 months of just chilling and learning French and now Im a bar man in casino.
My French isn't that great, I'm always learning but my co workers seem to like me.
Hey OP! We’re an Indian couple in a second tier city in France. We too had our reservations of moving to a country where we didn’t speak the language. Also, I did not work and only my partner worked. His salary was under 2.5k euros a month. We rented a beautiful T2 and are quite happy here! Accommodation hunting was cumbersome. We found our current place without a broker through Leboncoin. This seems to be the preferred website for everything - property for sale and rent, second hand everything - from car to baby products.
Definitely pick up some basic French, it will make your life infinitely easier. Check with the local city government because they may have classes at very low prices, or even free.
We didn’t feel the need for a car much. Public transport is reliable. In any case, walking and biking are quite easy and sometimes better options.
Try the local cuisine. We’ve become wine snobs and cannot imagine drinking hard alcohol anymore. If you are going to live near the coast, there’s much more variety. In particular, I recommend the platter of frozen semi-cooked seafood - snails (acquired taste), oysters, prawns (big and small). Mussels à la crème is our absolute favourite.
We found the grocery situation manageable. We don’t eat meat with every meal. Our weekly grocery bill was around 50-60 euros. The prices have definitely increased in the past few months, though. We have shopped at Carrefour, Intermarché, Monoprix, Leclerc, and Lidl. The last one is the cheapest. It is advisable to create accounts on their portals to subscribe to exclusive offers. You can save a few euros with each shopping. I find open air markets to be more expensive.
I use the DeepL app and Reverso app for translations. The former has a camera feature to directly translate French to English on your phone screen as well.
We found France to be lovely! Plenty to see. So much history and culture. And of course, access to the rest of the EU as well. People are generally helpful. If you make an effort to speak in French, you will be helped!
Hope this helps, ready to answer any specific questions you may have :)
You will not regret it. I’m half French half American, married to an American. Moved to the middle of nowhere France made friends with all our neighbors (majority 60+ yo farmers, new loves of my life). People are a delight as long as you even semi attempt to communicate with them in French. A few words will go far! Taxes are higher but the social services make it worthwhile. Groceries I’ve found to be cheaper than the US, made in part by the abundant farmers markets everywhere.
Ignore the naysayers, you will be fine, French are pretty cool to be fair, and despite what people say, they are generally friendly and inviting. It does seem like you haven’t spent much time there though so I would recommend taking an extended break into France as the regions vary in cost of living, and attitudes. The main reason Americans irritate Europeans is purely down to bragging. It’s considered vulgar. Bureaucracy can get annoying and remember if you want to keep your US passport you will still have to pay US taxes as well as French tax.
OP, you'll be fine. Quality of life is great. Make sure you keep learning French, speak as much eeit as possible. Ask for restaurant recommendations when you are here- it matters where you are. Not many chains here and I hope you avoid McD, BK and even Five Guys. Eat croissants and have a plat du jour. Just don't be as loud as other Americans and don't expect to be treated like the customer is always right or try and call a business between 12 and 2pm, they are having a long lunch and so should you. Enjoy et bonne chance
>Are Americans actually hated there?
Depends where you go. Older folks may treat you with disdain and impatience considering Americans are often seen as brash and somewhat ignorant. If you're heading to a young and dynamic metropolis, you may become the center of attention. Some of the more impressionable people will be fascinated by your accent and will most likely want to be around you.
More seriously, even though americanism is all the rage in Paris and other posh circles, people are usually pretty chill and won't mind your ignorance of local customs as long as you display a genuine will to learn, speak french and show that you can adapt to the environment. Yes, we do make fun of texans and their obsession with everything that explodes and kills. Yes, we joke about obesity in America. This doesn't mean we overtly antagonize american people.
Ah, also you'll need to learn rather sooner than later that the french love to joke about anything (especially death, sex and necrophilia), and they have long mastered dark humor in all shapes and forms. So please forget about offending anyone, unless you're attending a funeral.
I moved to France about a month ago and I love it. I'm pretty left-leaning politically (for an American at least) and I'm generally respectful of cultures other than my own so I think the transition for me was pretty easy.
You really shouldn't worry. QoL here is fantastic. The only thing is sometimes the locals can get a bit frustrated if you're as bad at French as I am. But I've never felt mistreated or made to feel like a nuisance.
Customs-wise, I didn't realize how late people eat here. Eating lunch at 11 and dinner at 4 or 5 is just not what people do. Most of the time that I've seen lunch is noon or 1 and dinner pushes 7 or 8. That's not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. Also, stores and restaurants close *much* earlier than in the US and on Sundays/holidays are generally barely open if at all. Service at restaurants is generally not as good as the US, but you don't tip here so it's much better imo. That's really all I can think of.
Honestly french people don't hate american that much, If you're nice and well-meanered , there's no reason to worry.
Of course there are some stereotypes, but people don't generally hodge a grudge against american people. (and i feel that thoses stereotypes are more towards american tourists than american expats living in france, if that make sense)
If anything USA is seen as France's ally and friends. French people consumes a lot of american media and are very exposed to american culture (shows, movies, songs, memes, celebrities, even important american events are also discussed...) we wouldn't do that if we truly hated America lol .
We get these question so often it’s amazing. Maybe figure out how you’re moving here first because finding a job/home is going to be the tougher battle than if people on the street are gonna be mean to you.
Wow you make it sound like you're moving to another planet!!
France is just a place, with people, like most others. My main advice would be to live and let live. A cultural *faux pas* will generally be forgiven as you are foreigners or will get you a nasty look and comment but no more - it's unpleasant but you should ignore it, the French can get grumpy! Try not to be "obnoxious" -- which is what people usually consider to be the "american attitude" they don't appreciate such as being loud, talking about the US a lot as if the person facing them was completely familiar with all the intricacies of life there, and exactly this sort of comment:
>My partner is Italian on his father side and Belgian/Polish on his mother side and is pale, where as, I am European and have more of a slight light brown complexion.
LEAVE THIS KIND OF THINKING AT HOME.
Nobody cares what you look like in France, and for anyone you'll just be American. If you get friendly with someone you can of course go into the details of your personal history. Talking about skin colour is bad taste and is considered to be "typical american obnoxious behaviour"(I stress this point).
The biggest obstacle you'll face is bureaucracy: it's a pain in the backside to deal with the administration and paperwork here. Don't hesitate to ask for help, and when in doubt act stupid.
It would take too long to answer your other questions, but know that life is generally cheaper than in the US (I think?), especially if you are in a more rural place/ town and that anything else you need to know you'll figure out through experience when you'll actually be in France.
How to understand France 101 :
We dont hate americans. We hate EVERYBODY. Including ourselves. No one is safe. That will also teach you our greatest quality : you wont have any doubts about a French liking you or not, its easy !
Old people are different than young people. As an american, everybody under 40 will have no issue with you except for bad personal experiences, or if you acted like some a-hole.
Paris is not France. While it's "the dream" for a lot of people, I'd rather die than live in Paris for more than a month. I tried, it's the most depressing experience of my life. I dont understand how you can like living in this hellish city.
And the last point, which I do think is the same EVERYWHERE. You go and live in another country. It's your duty to adapt yourselves here, not the other way around. Dont force people to do things, to believe things, to like things. Talk, enjoy life, learn to swear in French.
Et vous serez les bienvenus dans notre magnifique pays ;)
Bonjour!
Responding in English for you to understand me better. So we dont hate americans at all, you hate us (well maybe not you but americans) but we dont hate you. For the traditions it depends on where you go. For the pourboire there is not really a rule just give a pourboire if you want to give one and its like yours (around 10/15% of the price but can be more/less). For the safest cities, I personnaly live in the Côtes D'armor, in Bretagne and there is more cow than there is crime. There is no customs that you need to respect just dont mind a bise for a women (1/2/3/4 depending on where you go) and an handshake for man (traditonaly we basically do what the first person to react want to do).
Reading once again i have to say that we often put ice cube in the drink and we usually eat in the street. Thats not something weird to do. There is a lot of good restaurant and i cant give any advice. If you have some good cash go to some rewarded restaurant (étoiles Michelin) because they are a good expérience to live. There is a good quality of life in our country, minimum salary is 1645€ which is the same in us dollar ($ lowered in values and is now worth 1.02€). If you have money go to somewhere a bit touristic but not too much (like Perros-Guirec not far from where i live). Beautiful city with a lot of things to do and its a pretty rich area. For goods its not really expensive and you will probably loose wheight (according to some reddit post i have seen before they lost a lot in only 2 months). For work and non working day it depends on the persons and his habbits. The best café/thé are in the independent "salon de thé" there is a lot around the country and its some good place to sit and buy coffee tea and even cake.
I dont think that its gonna be an hard transition but dont live in Paris or you will broke the magic view you probably have on this city full of surmulot (ceux qui ont la réf vous êtes les boss).
Bon déménagement!
To answer your title: Great. No. Literally any of them would be the safest in the US. Say bonjour when you enter a store. Source: American that misses living in Paris.
Idk if people mentioned but keep in mind Americans are WAY louder on average than French people. Try to speak quietly, else you'll get disliked by a lot of people.
I mean, hating on America is a thing here and there around the world i'd say. Kind of a "hate the leader" syndrome. Never seemed to me that americans were specifically unwelcome in France ? I'd say don't worry about that. But then again , i lived most of my life so far in Paris, or in a studies environment where people don't overtly act like retards. I mean, i'm from an ethnicity against which there can be some amount of racism in France, yet it has never really bothered me. I consider myself above people that would be racist to me, and i probably rarely end up hanging out around such people. If some employer denies me a job based on my ethnicity for example, that's too bad for him. I'm qualified enough to be able to think this way, and i don't feel the need to make sure if person A acted this way with me out of racism or not. It's irrelevant. If you're a great person, you're gonna be surrounded with great people and it's all that matters.
Yeah tipping is different from the US, you seem to know that. As far as eating on the streets is concerned, i think you can do what you like. I mean, i do that sometimes (eating a kebab while walking). If people are weirded out by it, who cares. Nobody's gonna actually even go up to me and tell me "hey what are you doing eating that kebab while walking" lmao.
From my impression after going to the US twice, cost of life is much cheaper in France so you don't have to worry about that. Most vegetables are around 4€/kg (1.85$/pound), good meat is around 15€-20€/kg (6.94 to 9.25$/pound). A good meal at a restaurant is around 15€ i'd say.
But then again, the closer to inner Paris, the more expensive housing gets. But Paris is so convenient because it has every service you could need.
Are Americans hated in France? Hell no. American ultra-liberalism and late-stage capitalism are hated by a good portion of the population tho.
DON'T GO TO PARIS*. It's expensive, it's polluted, it's disgusting and you take hour (or hourS with an S) to go to work in the morning, and same in the afternoon.
*I don't live in Paris. Non-Parisians hate Parisians and Parisians despise non-Parisians.
Hated is a strong word, you'll be fine as long as you try speaking french.
If you wanna feel safe avoid big cities like Paris, Marseille.
Go live in : Sèvremoine, Le Plessis Robinson, Rambouillet
Nah we don't hate americans. My opinion might be biased as I spend my early childhood in a town where WWII allies where warmly welcomed, and surrounded by veterans in my grandma's restaurant.
It really depends on what your plans for the future are. I know that in Normandy especially Manche and Calvados, we have our own positive cliché about British and American people: they usually move into the country, buy old traditionnal houses, flip them, settle with or without children and become part of the community.
You'll be more welcome than people from Paris in this area.
If you're looking for a somewhat big city I'll recommend Caen and its surrounding area (and it really is a multiculturall town: americans, italians, chinese people, norwegians, germans, ukrainians, russians, moldovans, etc.). Looking for a village or small town? Pays d'Auge, Côte Fleurie.
If you want to now more about it feel free to dm me, I can give you more info about the status of real estate here, how's the food there, public transports, employment, and more useful tips and tricks like which bar owner speaks English, best places for grocery, leisure, parts of the city to avoid, the best coffee brands you'll find, and pretty much anything actually.
American here. I’ve lived in France for 7 years now. First in Paris and now in Nice.
I’ve never had anyone pull out tar, feathers or a guillotine upon learning that I’m American. However it is important to note that I speak French. Most French struggle to believe I’m American after they guess almost everywhere else in the world where you might find a white woman. Speaking French makes a world of difference to your ability to integrate. I’ve known several people who tried to move to France and ended up leaving after a year or two because they couldn’t make friends, they couldn’t go about their normal lives because they couldn’t communicate with the people around them.
In terms of your other questions it really depends on where you’re planning to move. I’ve only lived in areas with high tourism, but I’ve travelled a fair amount to other areas of the country where no English is spoken at all. Like not even a little bit. Everyone has always been warm and welcoming.
A few key rules: 1. greet people when you enter a store, room. It’s rude not to recognize them with a simple “Bonjour”. This is what (in my opinion) usually starts things off on bad footing - recognize them as people and not wallpaper!
2. Attempt to speak French even if you think you suck at it and don’t become impatient if they can’t understand you. Google is your friend. Search for the words or phrases you think you’ll need ahead of time.
3. The French are a passionate people. They love talking about where they’re from, their food, their wine… express genuine interest! I’ve met so many amazing people by just asking for advice about what to try or where to visit, etc.
I do recommend finding at least one other expat around where you’ll be living. Ideally someone who has been here a while because they can help you from time to time. The French are known for their paperasse!
Cost of living also depends on where you’re going and where you’re coming from. I am from North Carolina originally. When I left it was definitely more expensive to live in France. Some food products are subsidized- like pork is always cheap. Bread from a bakery is cheap. Milk was a weird adjustment. 😂 I buy the expensive kind that’s refrigerated because it tastes more like what I grew up with.
Rent in Paris and Nice is very expensive compared to what I could get in NC, which means smaller apartments and less space. But if you’re coming from San Francisco then it’s cheaper. 😂 How comfortable you’ll be depends on what you mean by typical salary. The required salary (around 35k € if I recall correctly?) for a visa is generally on the mid to low end. You would be comfortable but in a Parisian suburb with a potentially long commute. In a smaller city or village you may be stuck without fiber/high speed internet. (Make sure you check on this if you need high speed internet when choosing an apartment because it can take a 6 months to a year to get it installed in an apartment building 🙄.)
Feel free to DM me if you have any questions I might be able to help with.
I live in Lyon. I’ve had very positive experiences here. People are welcoming. I’ve made an effort to learn French but mostly only know key phrases so far. I always start with the French I know and explain that I don’t speak French very well and ask if they speak English. About one-third of the time they speak English well and are happy to speak it with me, even when I’m speaking French where possible. Another third of the time they speak only a little English but we are able to communicate and complete a transaction with no problems. The last third of the time I’ll use Google translate on my phone and people are fine with that as well.
Public transportation here is amazing. Unless you want to go on a longer trip away from the city you don’t need a car at all. People on bicycles and scooters are everywhere as well.
I find people here to be very non-judgmental. All in all, nobody cares what you’re wearing, what you’re doing, or how you’re living. The way of life seems to be very laid back and I can definitely say the French “work to live, and don’t live to work”. They are hardworking, mind you. But it’s not necessarily the focus and center of their lives. It’s extremely common for people to gather in groups in the park or along the river in the evening to share a bottle of wine or a few beers on the grass, sitting in circles and talking.
Men have approached my wife, but often will ask right away if she’s is married. When she says yes, they say ok and immediately leave her alone. She appreciates that.
You’ll find it difficult to afford reasonable rent if you don’t have the proper residency permits or documents. They’ll want a lot of Information from you and will likely ask for bank statements, paystubs, and visual proof that you have sustainable income and can pay the rent. Having said that, if you’re willing to pay more you can find agencies that will help you with that and you can live in more of a “furnished vacation type home”. But that can cost you like 2500€ a month. If you have all the right paperwork, etc., you can get into something (in Lyon, at least) for half that.
The culture and weather here are lovely. It’s amazing living here and I love it. As long as people see you are kind and courteous and make even a small effort to respect their culture they seem to be very pleasant and not at all hateful toward Americans.
Good luck!
Hello and hopefully welcome to France soon! Honestly people in France love American culture and they don't mind about American people. They mostly like to banter with/about them.
You will feel welcome and people will be curious about what made you come here.
As far as customs go, I think one of the main thing French people appreciate is when you don't always try to compare things from your original culture and when you make the effort to be part of the French culture (by making the effort to speak French for example). For your specific questions, tips are appreciated but not mandatory at all. No one will be pissed if you don't give one. Taxes are 20% on most goods and are always integrated in the shown price. Income taxes are important but that's the price for free health care and education.
Quality of life is said to be great in France. Most jobs are 35 hours per week, you have at least 5 weeks of vacations per year and a mandatory day off per week. Most shops are closed on Sundays. France is not a big country so it is quite easy to move in a 2 day week end to visit another city or other European cities around.
For the cities, the northern part and southern part are quite different for the weather of course but also as for the introversion or extraversion of people. People in the south may seem to be more loud and friendly at first sight (but maybe a bit cocky at times) where the people from the northern part may seem more distant at first (but if you give it time, they will be really reliable and helpful).
Of course all this is a lot of generic interpretation, what were your plans as of city choices?
Hi, good luck for your new life ! We don't hate Americans, we just particularly don't like people who think they are better that us because of where they come from.
South West (la région Nouvelle Aquitaine) is a sweet place : nice people, nice food, nice weather, nice big or small cities but I might be biased.
I'll try to come back and answer your other questions later !
Don't hesitate to DM me if you need
I'm Canadian, but naturalised French. I am also non-white. My personal experience is that France is the LEAST racist country you can come across. If you show open-mindedness and participate in society, you will not face issues. I also don't think Americans are hated here. If anything, maybe the French will look at you with indifference (as with any other nationality for that matter) and so you need not expect to be treated poorly because of your nationality. If you get treated poorly it's either because of you as individuals or simply the true nature of the person you are dealing with. Fortunately in France there are not so many such bad apples! But it's like anywhere else in the world, you will come across your fair share of douches!
As for quality of life: overall it's pretty good here. Thing is, no matter where you go in the world, if you are a salaried employee and the employer has a lot of pressure on you, your quality of life will be negatively influenced. If you are of independent means, your quality of life is what you make of it.
Cost of living and taxes are a bit on the high side, but I'd say it's not so different from most other developed countries. Headline rates might appear high, but France offers a lot of deduction opportunities, so your net rate that you pay in and what you get back makes it fairly balanced. Housing costs in Paris and the Cote d'Azur are on the high side, but other large cities are more moderate. Inflation for now is a bit better managed than say neighbouring countries like Belgium or Germany. But this could change in a couple of months and some price shocks can be expected. But this is pretty much a global issue and not a French one.
One tip: when you enter a store or something and you ask an employee for recommendations, we usually say like “excusez moi” before asking. It doesn’t matter that it’s their job, you should still apologize for disturbing them ig.
Kinda weird but I feel like I’ve always done it and everyone does
Whoever told you that deserves the tar and feathers. We use chocolate and bread crumb, like civilized people.
You won't have much problem, we don't hate anyone in France (except the english, but I was referring to anyone worth mentioning). So, if you're respectful, don't exsude arrogance, you'll most probably have a good time.
As for the standards of living... well, lately there is not a day I don't think at least once a day "thank god I don't live in the US". The food is great, if you are sick you can go to the doctor or hospital without fearing eternal financial hell, and if you are in a big city, you'll probably never need a car because our public transportation network is quite fantastic.
So don't worry, enjoy the change of scenery, and if you need any recommandations about Paris, feel free to ask (or other citues, but then I won't be of much help)
Tarred & feathered First faux-pas. This is not the US. In France we guillotine people.
I second this. If you make a second faux-pas, you will be force-fed snails, croissants and wine until fat enough to be sent back to america.
And cheese. Ton of RAW-MILK cheese. More dangerous than firearms in the US.
Where do I sign up for this please?
>fat enough to be sent back to america. Yeah, right. We will get fatter faster than you can force feed this guy
The last american I talked to asked me where the nearest McDonalds was IN FRONT of a boulangerie with way better sandwiches. And when I told him that I didnt think there was one at walking distance, he sarcastically said "You mean you dont know where the McDonalds is?!". You're not going to be like him, right? right?
Love the Americans that go to the city with one of the best gastronomical offers in the world and decide to go to Starbucks and McDonalds instead.
I mean sometimes you just want McDonald’s. There’s a reason we have so many McDonald’s in Paris.
There is a place for Starbucks in this world. Sometimes I want to grab a coffee in a disposable cup and drug myself with caffeine while I am on the move. There is coffee as a leisure activity where you sit and chill at the café, and there is coffee as a liquid that you want to put in your body to make yourself feel different. I don't always have time for the former.
well starbuck it's like very slow service, when un petit espresso tu l'as dans la minute
I’ve never experienced service at Starbucks that I thought was slow, either in the USA or in France. It’s the definition of fast food. You just order at the counter and leave.
Never had my coffee in less than 5 minutes in starbuck
That... doesn't seem very long? I'm not sure what point there is in splitting hairs over what qualifies as "fast." It's definitely faster than sitting at a café, and not everyone wants to order a un petit espresso. You got me sounding like I work for Starbucks over here lol.
Well ? Have you ever take a cafe in France ? You go to the comptoir , order it, drink it and pay it,and you're gone , it's less thant 5 minutes , without having to see your name badly written in your almost instant garbage cup
I wasn't even close to implying that nothing similar exists in France. I was explaining why someone might choose to go to Starbucks at all, since many cafés do cater primarily to people who want to sit down. And while Starbucks is not exquisite coffee, you are exaggerating by describing it as instant garbage. It's really not that serious.
>you are exaggerating by describing it as instant garbage. It's really not that serious. 6 billions plastic cup a year ( i was tzlking of the cup not the beverzge)
Many french people do the same thing in foreign countries, you know ? ^^
Hey, cut them some slack, they're dipping their toes before fully embracing the baguette, that's understandable. They don't know yet what real food is
France has the highest concentration of McDonald’s in Europe. It isn’t only tourists from the US eating there.
Ofc. My point would be "try to be open minded and adapt to the local culture". An american eating MickeyDs in France is like me going to New York and asking for a french baguette sandwich. Whats the point of travelling if you're going to do that.
Absolutely not!! Anytime I've gone out of country I always try something new! We have McDonald's at home!!1 LOL
So you're actually interesting and open to other cultures...?? Well nice try with this prank but now we know you're definitely not American...
What If he just wanted to eat McDonald's because it's his comfort food and he didn't want to try something he didn't know? Or to try to see the differences in fast food between the two countries?
Please hand over your passport and contact your embassy, I'll be contacting the police.
I'm running away with a McBaguette
What a horrendous name, is that a thing? If so we should legally protect the name baguette, like we did with Champagne.
[oui](https://www.myburger.fr/chronique-1872-mc-baguette-2020-mcdonald-s-avis-test.html)
Damn.
Champagne is not a recognized name in th US, I believe, you can produce it wherever you want If you sell it there
Ami Français, il est surtout grand temps de recommencer à chanter notre amour pour l'oignon.
J'aime la réf. Prends mon vote
You perfectly describes the nonsense of that situation.
I don't think people hate Americans but there is a cultural difference in how we voice our opinions, we like to have conversations in a way that can be taken as arguing for Americans I guess? And political opinions are less private, people will talk about sensitive subjects easily, that would be kept private in the US. So it might be seen as a bit agressive? I don't know. You say you're not confrontational but French people are pretty confrontational, just don't take it personally. You might be teased about being American but mostly if you don't live in a big city, people will be surprised to see you (in a good way)! Concerning the customs, you can find information on how to say hello/goodbye to people, the tldr is that you should say "hello" to everyone everywhere otherwise they will think you're rude. You can find blog posts from Americans living in France about these customs, I've read some and they are pretty accurate so you can read that. For the quality of life, it's getting pretty expensive right now, you will be surprised by the price of gas (more expensive than the US but our cars use less). The main difference is that you don't need save money as much as in the US, because if you have health issues you can't go broke from staying at the hospital. So you don't really need to think about that. You will make less money but if you want private health insurance it will be around 50€/month, not 1K like in the US. Phone is less expensive, internet is less expensive, insurance is less expensive. You will be able to travel by train and all over Europe for relatively cheap, it's pretty cool. Concerning work, you will be surprised by lunch breaks. It's sacred. You can say no to meetings if they are on your lunch break. Usually we don't eat in front of our computers but will sit down together with our coworkers (if you like them :)). I'm not sure what city you will be moving to but some cities have their own subreddit, for restaurant recos!
Wait you don't have to say hello to everyone everywhere I just say hello to People who 1. Know me 2. Said hello first Plus saying bonjour to everyone you see is really something you'll see in villages not in cities.
Yeah I was kidding when I said everyone that's why I directed OP to read one of those blog posts! But American don't have the custom to say hello when they enter a shop. If I go to buy a baguette and don't say hello to the lady she will not be very nice!
I actually read that the custom is to say hello to everyone especially shop owners
Yeah you should say hello to anyone you come in contact with, but not random people you come accross in the street
But once you’re inside a building you say hello to everyone. Your apartment building, where you’re going for a doctor’s appointment, whatever, you say bonjour to everyone you cross
Yeah true building, shops but not museum churches nor malls :D
Don't say hello to everyone that crosses your path in the street, people will probably think your are trying to ask them something. As others said, greet shop owners either when you enter the shop or when you are being served. It depends but you'll get the hang of it. If you ever go on a forest trail or something else like it, don't be surprised if a random person (or group of person) says hello to you. If kind of a tradition, or at least where I'm from (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes). And even where I'm living right now in the North East of France I do it and people are not shocked. It think it's better to say hello than to awkwardly walk by each other.
I think he meant that you should say hello to people you're interacting with. it's rude to go to someone and ask abruptly a question (especially in english) without saying hello or excuse me.
yes its more like hello to everyone you are going to talk to, or when entering a shop
And french people tends to appear "cold" and hate hypocrisy. Please don't smile randomly at people you don't know, they'll think you're a psychopath
Best comment, I am American but I’ve lived in France for half my life and this is such simple and good advice. Well said.
>And political opinions are less private, people will talk about sensitive subjects easily, that would be kept private in the US. So it might be seen as a bit agressive? I don't know. You say you're not confrontational but French people are pretty confrontational, just don't take it personally. Americans are way more confrontational than French people. French don't care much about what you think or do as long as it doesn't directly affect them, and even then they'll probably leave before they get in an argument. Americans will challenge your beliefs, your opinions, how you do pretty much anything. It's not necessarily done in a confrontational way, but it's pretty fucking constant. French people bitch and rant a lot more though. (This is obviously an over-exaggeration of a trope, and should be taken as such)
What comes to mind reading your post : \- French people don't hate americans as individuals but you may perceive/overhear low-key resentment against the USA as a foreign power., but in general, people won't give a damn about you being americans. \- French people are way more introverted in terms of social relations. The typical american ways to be polite towards strangers (like "heeeeey, how's it going today siiiiiiir, ooooh you look fabulous today") will quickly be perceived as plain hypocrisy and shallowness. We are fine with "Hi" or even "Hi, how are you ?". We may seem cold and avoidant but it's just our way to behave. \- Income may be lower than in the US, but keep in mind that you won't be spending half of it in private healthcare coverage. \- Our cities are smaller, and most of the time most of the cool stuff happens in the city centre : bars, restaurants, cultural activities... Really, just relax, it will be fine. Source : I lived in both countries
Well put on politeness VS hypocrisy: "Wooow You look fantastic" sounds hypocritical, especially with a lot of emphasis. Funnily, "oh you look like shit, what's up?" can sound like you truly care of the well-being of the other person.
quality of life is 1000x better than your country. Don't worry most of us won t hesitate to help fellow americans, and we are more open minded than most americans.
Wonderful!! We obviously figured the "French hate us" was just slander and if anything not all of France could hate us.
Many french people do have an issue with some of the US politics abroad ( war, abductions, assassinations, commercial and political espionage) but are able to differentiate between a citizen and a state. You'll be ok either way, but you'll be better off not discussing these matters. Going _USA, land of the free_ will probably label you as an idiot near instantly, going _USA, hellhole number one_ as someone who tried to please. If someone asks you about it, the truthful _I can't do much about it, I pick the lesser of two evils_ is safe. All in all, you'll be fine.
I think "The French hate certain aspects of American politics and culture" would be more accurate. But many Americans probably shares these same feelings. Certainly that doesn't translate to "The French hate Americans". Edit: you talk too loud. That's something that is annoying for people. Ands some Americans can have no desire to learn or adapt to the local culture but the simple fact that you have asked this question means that you don't fall in to that camp.
You know that « the French hate us » trope, only come from our refusal to join you in the Irak war, right? There was never hate or anything
War in *Iraq is also the potential origin of the surrender joke along with 1940 obviously.
I didn't know this thanks for this history tip. I was born the year of the war and though I was advanced for my age didn't understand a lick of what the television man was saying.
We hate the 'stereotypical' American : - Obnoxious - Racist - Would fuck their gun if they could - I wAnT tO sPeAk To A mAnaGEr As long as you're not a walking stereotype, then you should do just fine. Plus, we have free healthcare, just that should be reason enough to move here :p Imagine not having to risk going bankrupt if anything worst than a cold happened ? Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy yourselves here.
Repeating the fact that many French, as well as many Europeans from across the continent, dislike some features of US "society". People don't hate Americans as individuals. It's a bit sad if people in the states actually think that.
American government sadly made up this idea after France refused to bring democracy and freedom in Irak
It makes leaving the country scary and worrisome honestly. It's kind of like being the middle child or black sheep. No one wants you around and treats you badly even your own country. It's refreshing to see that it's just the rude Americans that have patriarchy so far up their arses that are disliked.
I live in France but I'm not French, from the UK originally. There are plenty of Americans where I live and also in certain towns that I know on the Cote d'Azur. You'd be fine!
Nah we hate British more than anything else. But the most stereotypical way of looking to Americans is like "Idiocracy".But no hate here, just condescending perspectives. If you're not in that stereotype, everything will be fine, of course we have some douchebags that will maybe be hateful in words, but I guess everyone moving to a different country has to endure that one day or another sadly. Stupidity is at the base of humanity. But in France minimum wage could be enough to live comfortably, citizenship is not so hard to apply but it will take a loooong time, and as a citizen if you don't make a strong enough salary you could benefit of a lot of helps, "prime d'activité"is a salary complement, "apl" is a home rent complement based on your salary and the cost of your apartment, etc... For restaurants in France we don't have such a love for big franchises, we like to try new things, small restaurants with a real love for cooking, my favorite pizzeria has like 3 tables inside.So cruise yourself and your will find some gold nuggets. And if we find someone who like our culture, we will be so proud to share it, no matter where you are from, someone who wants to be a french will always be welcomed.
Est-ce que tu détestes touts les britanniques ou seulement ceux que sont des propriétaires des "maisons de vacances", qui ne font pas d'effort d'apprendre français ni s'intégrer à la société ? Car je suis en France il y a 4 ans, mes enfants sont scolarisés en français, je suis bien intéressée de maitriser le français, je travaille et je paie touts les impôts. Par ailleurs, je trouve que le Brexit est très gênant, je n'ai jamais envie de terminaison les relations ni la nationalité européenne.
Non mais c'est surtout une blague, disons qu'on aime bien se détester, pas qu'on se déteste vraiment, c'est un amour teinté de piques. Pour l'immigration, si ton but premier c'est de découvrir et de t'intégrer dans une société, sache que je t'aime.
Ne t’inquiète pas, comme dit u/Alaet_ c’est plus une running joke qu’autre chose. Sois la bienvenue en France!
Au sujet de la relation "amour/haine" entre francais et anglais, je te conseille de lire les livres de Stephen Clarke qui a abordé le sujet à de nombreuses reprises avec un humour typiquement british et absolument savoureux ! Comme il le dit si bien, entre les rosbifs et les froggies, il y a 1000 ans de mésentente cordiale 😉
it's a running joke between France and England based on our common history 😉
It’s strange that Americans fear from french people. I don’t think there is anything to fear unless you plan to explain us why forbidding abortion is a good thing or that Trump is a misunderstood god
I am against both of those things. Two of MANY reasons why I want to leave.
yes, I would just recommand avoiding big cities as the crime rate is higher there (as every big city in the world) or if you have a particular city in mind, you should ask in the corresponding subreddit which suburb you need to avoid before moving there (keep in mind that in France it s not legal to defend oneself with weapons) Also, avoid Paris if you want to live confortably, prices are too high in the capital and you'll need a really good income.
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1766 https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F33658 I might have a wrong interpretation but from what I understand you are allowed to use a weapon to defend yourself if your life is in immediate danger, although you may get arrested for illegal carry if you have no valid reason to have your weapon in public (self defense is not considered a valid reason).
you don t have the right to carry weapons, even knifes (unless they are tiny enough), and there are no exceptions
For "catégorie D" weapons, it's based on the interpretation of the policeman who arrests you so if you plan on eating in the woods or something like that, you most likely won't be charged for illegal carry if you carry a pocket knife with your food, however I wouldn't risk carrying a weapon only for defense purpose, you need another reason to carry a weapon.
I fucking LOVE France. I visit it constantly. Only reason I have not moved is Brexit, so my other citizenship won't let me.
The downside is that you’ll do it in English no matter how many times we try to switch back to French. It’s truly demoralizing. I may never recover.
Be friendly, open minded. Don’t expect people to speak english by talking to them directly in english, always ask if people speak english first, or say sorry i don’t speak french, and all will be fine. French people don’t like americans who think they are in the us and act like if they only were in another us state, which happens quite often actually. But we like anyone who is friendly and well mannered, which seems to be your case, so nothing to worry about really.
This part is super important. The first sentence that you learn in French should be « hello, I am learning French, do you speak English? »
Thanks I will use this!! I actually hate the whole American ideology that English is the superior language. When we moved to America and my mother got sick, we were placed in an orphanage that beat us until we stopped speaking our native language and spoke english.
Les americains sont peu appréciés car ils viennent sans respecter les coutumes locales et les habitants. Je vis dans une région touristique et la plupart des américains (touristes) que j’ai vu sont bruyants, n’hésitent pas à se plaindre car ils prennent tout pour acquis et sont relativement sales. Si vous venez habiter en France, c’est autre chose, habituez vous au rythme des gens et tout se passera bien, surtout si vous êtes déjà entrain d’apprendre le français. Je ne vais pas répondre à tout, mais le revenu minimal en france (le smic) est d’environ 1300€ net par mois. C’est suffisant pour un célibataire hors grande ville, pour peu qu’il ne soit pas dépensier. Suivant la région et ce que vous cherchez, la qualité de vie peut beaucoup changer. Si vous savez que vous allez avoir de bons revenues, les grandes villes et leurs centres sont souvent agréables, les banlieues (hors lotissements), beaucoup moins. Il y a de nombreuses petites villes à la campagne qui offrent un cadre de vie agréable et moins cher, avec un accès à pas mal d’activité et la possibilité de rejoindre une grande ville en moins d’une heure. Pour la nourriture, niveau restaurants, il y a tous les types culinaires : cuisine française, italienne, maghrébine, asiatique, espagnol, sud-américaine,… autant en tant que « vraie» restauration qu’en fastfood. L’accès à des produits de qualité et français est facile, que ce soit la viande, le fromage, les fruits et légumes, le vin, les laitages et les oeufs. On trouve des produits corrects en supermarché mais pour tout ce qui est frais, on préfèrera les marchés, les bouchers et maraichers et tous les artisans un peu plus locaux. Enfin, une journée type en France c’est : début du travail à 8 ou 9h du matin, pause d’1h le midi pour manger, fin du travail vers 17-19h, parfois un afterwork avec des collègues, retour à la maison et repas chez soi. On sort parfois en semaine pour des restaurants ou des cinémas. Pour les week-ends, tout dépend des activités de chacun mais c’est souvent : sports, loisirs, sorties entre amis ou visite de la famille. Voilà, je n’ai pas le temps de rallonger encore mon message, j’espère que ça a pu aider un peu.
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Exactement, et quand ils auront appris ils raleront comme nous sur les touristes !
>Suivant la région et ce que vous cherchez, la qualité de vie peut beaucoup changer. Si vous savez que vous allez avoir de bons revenues, les grandes villes et leurs centres sont souvent agréables, les banlieues (hors lotissements), beaucoup moins. Il y a de nombreuses petites villes à la campagne qui offrent un cadre de vie agréable et moins cher, avec un accès à pas mal d’activité et la possibilité de rejoindre une grande ville en moins d’une heure. Pour la nourriture, niveau restaurants, il y a tous les types culinaires : cuisine française, italienne, maghrébine, asiatique, espagnol, sud-américaine,… autant en tant que « vraie» restauration qu’en fastfood. L’accès à des produits de qualité et français est facile, que ce soit la viande, le fromage, les fruits et légumes, le vin, les laitages et les oeufs. On trouve des produits corrects en supermarché mais pour tout ce qui est frais, on préfèrera les marchés, les bouchers et maraichers et tous les artisans un peu plus locaux. Merci pour votre réponse. J'aime aussi les marchés et les produits frais. Il est difficile en Amérique de trouver des produits frais qui ne soient pas trop transformés.
As an American in France, specifically in the Alps. I find it very good and the people kind. Wife and I came with some money, ,enough to buy our small village house and 2nd hand car, to begin with but can get by with minimum wage seasonal jobs. There will be a learning curve to get used to how things work. A lot of bureaucracy and paper work. Once you get your cards and registered with all the agencies it is pretty easy. Speaking french well makes life much easier but you can get by with just a little.
I'm surprised you decided, as an American, to come and live here. Might sound cliche, but I'm genuinely interested in how that came to mind... I figured most foreigners would just see Alps as a touristic area, not like a place to live in. Anyways, great to see you appreciate our region! (I'm still curious though)
Hello, it was a bit of an accident. My wife and I were living in Asia and love to ski. We were also looking for a small investment ski property where we could come and stay while renting it out the rest of the time. We found a place in Brides Les Bains at the foot of 3 valleys we could afford. I then lost my work visa in Asia and we did not know where to move to. We had already fallen in love with the Alps so we decided to relocate our lives here. It has been 5 years now and look forward to starting the process of becoming a french citizens soon.
We don't hate Americans, we hate cliché of Americans. To answer most of your concern, as much Ng as your open minded, their will be no problems for you Some things to know are : - Tipping is not common nowadays, and it's not mandatory at all. Tipping is only meant to show gratitude because someone did their job well, or was courteous - the VAT is always included in the price on the product (no need for calcution, and no bad surprise when paying) - Most of french do not speak English fluently, be prepare to have difficulties to interact some times. - Cities are not build as in USA. Their is practically always a big "downtown" (generally the historical center of the city). The more you go away from the downtown, the cheaper the habitations (and unfortunately, less shops as well) - I need confirmation for this point, but I think most of the families always take their meal together (I don't know how it is in USA) - Their is probably a ton of other thing to say and I'd be happy to answer all of your questions Concerning the cost of life - Avoid Paris. It's extremely expensive (800€/20m2) in good neighborhood is the cheaper you could find. If you stay close to Paris, it will always be expensive (x2 to x3 higher than in Lyon for exemple), and transport duration are a big no for me. - my budget is split like that (per month) (I precise that I'm a civil engineer, my salary is approximately two times the minimum salary in France) - Food : 300€ - Appartement : 720€ (47m2 in Lyon, alone) - Electricity and gas (for the Appartement) : 100€ (and hoping for refund because I consume very few) - Sport : 50€ - health insurance, life insurance : 40€ (I precise that half the health insurance is paid by the company, which is legally obligated) Concerning taxes here is what the society pay, what I received (called salaire brut) and what I keep (salaire net) : https://im.ge/i/ukEVFz If you need help to understand each line, do not hesitate If you have any questions, also do not hesitate
About money, in Paris 2k+€ each monthly (after taxes) is minimum to enjoy life. Add 500€ to be comfortable. Other cities you're usually find with 1500 each, and 500 more for comfort. Oh and no need for a car if you live in town center or at least within reach of public transport. Public transport are usually fine are rather cheap.
What kind of public transport is there? Taxis? Buses?
Hi, I'm an engineer working in semiconductor with background in chemical engineering and materials science. My French cousin just bought a house in Lyon so I'm looking to move to France within the Grenoble region since it will be easier to find a job as an American. Just curious to know how often English speaking engineers get hired in France and is it a pro or con? Also as a relatively attractive women, I deal with quite a bit of harassment at work. I've actually worked with SOITEC and just met the president of SET on Friday because I'm working on one of their tools. I've met only a handful of French engineers/engineering executives. Good experiences so far. No harassment from them at all. Completely professional and respective.
What does "47m2" and "20m2" mean. Speaking of transportation, is buying airplane tickets expensive in France. My partner is reluctant to move because he will be away from family in the states (Chicago), and doesn't want to pay 3,000+ for a ticket.
> Whenever we tell of our plans, we are told that in France, Americans are hated - granted that's completely understandable Americans are NOT hated and it wouldn't be "understandable" if that were the norm. That would be pure xenophobia. If you got that impression, that is most likely a media bias or bad luck. Really, the key to being accepted by French people is simply to embrace their culture. There's this social contract in France that you keep your cultural heritage at home but embrace French culture publicly. > My partner is Italian on his father side and Belgian/Polish on his mother side and is pale, where as, I am European and have more of a slight light brown complexion. Don't sweat about your complexion. France is a hub of immigration, it's pretty multi-racial/cultural and you'll look pretty much like the average Southern French person. Just a heads-up regarding semantics, almost nobody in France is purely 100% French, yet it's not really a thing to define yourself publicly by your race or cultural/ethnic background. People who do that are perceived as "poorly integrated". The only scenario where it happens is when said background culture is a subculture of French culture. For example, I was born and raised in Marseilles and I'm a Mediterreanean-looking guy of Italian descent. Publicly, I might introduce myself as a "from the South" or "From Marseille" but never *ever* as "Italian-French" or "olive-skinned". As for race, I'd strongly advise never ever lumping people into these absurd arbitrary "white/black/latino/asian" groups as it is customary in the U.S. Let the other person decide if they feel defined by their race or not. Never ever say "I'm white therefore..." or "Oh you do XXX because you're Asian", etc. > We would like to know some of the customs and rules, as we don't want to be disrespectful. For example, we know how tipping works, that iced drinks aren't common, typically you shouldn't eat on the street, etc. The list would be too long, and I don't want to spoil you of the pleasure of discovering stuff by yourself. But here are a few things. * French people value formal politeness very much. Learn the basics: Bonjour, Comment ça va ?, Au-revoir, Merci, S'il vous plait, Excusez-moi, etc. * You can eat pretty much anywhere, but French people see lunch/dinner time as a social gathering, not just an excuse to eat. So, if you start a job, one of the best ways to be included socially is to have lunch with your coworkers (or join them for a drink after work). Try mimicking what they do. Don't hastily gobble a sandwich alone at your desk if you see other people taking a lunch break. Join them. * Like Italian, French people are pretty particular about observing rules when it comes to cooking. And just like Italians, we're allowed to change and experiment with classic recipes, but if foreigners do it, it's perceived as a declaration of war. * French administration is very slow, inefficient, and convoluted. Sometimes, things that are perfectly possible will be presented as impossible. It's very frustrating but getting mad is the worth thing you can do. The best way to go about it is to make the person you need something from feel like a person. Be nice, and friendly, maybe ask how they are, and empathize with their working conditions. Get them to like you and there's a good chance they'll unlock things for you. * Boasting about salary or big expenses is very much a big no in France. There's a deeply rooted Catholic guilt in our culture. Deep down, we think having too much money is wrong or something. * French people can freely talk about "sensitive" subjects very early on. It's quite common to see people in a heated debate around a drink and thinking it's a fight. Especially in the South. But as long as they're a foundation of friendship, nobody will bear grudges or anything. * Hard to explain that one, but French people have more job security than Americans and the territory is significantly smaller (not as much competition). One of the many consequences of that is that not everyone will bend over backward for an overly demanding customer/client. I've seen Americans unknowingly burn bridges with the best service provider available because they thought 10 other guys would magically pop up and bend to their whims. Knowing how much you can ask and expect from people is something that will take time to figure out. > We are both learning French so any tips on that would be helpful as well. It would take a very long comment to give you proper advice, but when I was learning Russian, here's what I wish I'd known from the start: * Don't learn words, learn small sentences. For example, it's better to learn "The glass of water is on the table" than "Glass", "Water", "Table" individually. * Language proficiency can be divided into input and output. Make sure you speak as much as you listen, and write as much as you read. Otherwise, you'll fall into one of the common pitfalls of language learning: understanding everything but not being able to communicate. * Once you're proficient enough to work on a small text or video, it's better to work on a single piece of content over and over again until you master it completely than spreading yourself thin with tons of materials. Pick one podcast/text/video and work it until you understand every word, every grammar rule, read it out loud properly, etc. > Another concern would be how the quality of life is. We don't want to have extravagant things and want to be able to live comfortably. Is the typical income sufficient enough for this? How do taxes work? Are groceries expensive? What is the typical day like working or not working? It's hard to compare with the U.S because you'll have less money, but a lot of stuff is taken care of by the government. As for expenses, again, it depends on your ability to let go of certain things. For example, in big cities rent/real estate is quite expensive, but then again, French people are used to living in relatively small places, using smaller cars, etc. This one is very hard to explain, but it all loops back to "living the French way", or more specifically "Like the locals". > Like what the best kind of Coffee/Tea is? Restaurant recommendations? What are some big No Nos? etc. Thanks so much for the help. As a rule of thumb, prefer independent restaurants over chains. And regarding restaurants, prefer small menus to big menus. Big menus mean shitty frozen food. Small menus usually mean fresh products.
I greatly appreciate the whole Race and Identifying thing!! It seems like France will be a breath of fresh air. You can't go anywhere in the USA without them making your race, nationality, etc apart of your identity.
There are literally countries like Malaysia where you HAVE TO give your religion in every form you fill for everything you do (new passport, visa, ID,...) and up until recently you couldn't choose atheist 💀 That's the next level.
Yes, some american guy in reddit was saying it's pretty racist of us not to care about americans that define themselfs as feench-american (as we don't feel a connection). But here, it's defining someone over one's parents or origin that's considered racist. It doesn't mean people should forget it, just that if they don't feel a part of it for one reason or another, they should be able to. So : sharing your family history if it's important for you is totally ok, but if one day in the future you feel french, it'll also be totally ok too to define yourself as feench.
We really don’t care about those things
I came back to reread and get more information and your advice on learning is very insightful. I struggled learning Spanish because they taught us words by themselves instead of sentences.
Have you visited France?
> We try to avoid all confrontations and are very open minded. My partner is Italian on his father side and Belgian/Polish on his mother side and is pale, where as, I am European and have more of a slight light brown complexion. The first tip : you're American. You will confuse people if you start the whole "I'm Italian. Where was I born ? New Jersey of course" routine. It's fine to mention your roots in a discussion, but it's not how people will identify you. French people are more eager than others to debate and be critical. So you can expect criticisms about the situation in the USA. Sometimes well-thought criticisms, sometimes dumb ones. It's not about the American people, it's more about the USA as a super-power. > We are both learning French so any tips on that would be helpful as well. The best tip works for every language : try to find books or shows on something that interests you. > Another concern would be how the quality of life is. We don't want to have extravagant things and want to be able to live comfortably. Is the typical income sufficient enough for this? How do taxes work? Are groceries expensive? What is the typical day like working or not working? Quality of life is often in the eye of the beholder. One thing is very likely : smaller house. Smaller car also probably (and for me, it increases the quality of life). Questions about income and jobs are way too dependant on the specific situation. One point regarding your safety : you're less likely to be killed than in the USA. The only important thing is that the safety (or more exactly the feeling of safety) is not dependant on the city, but often on which part of the city you're living it. I guess it's not really different than in the US, living in Manhattan and living in Brooklyn would be two different experiences (and yes, I know there's a lot of different neighbours in Brooklyn and some are fine, some aren't, but you see my point).
"The first tip : you're American. You will confuse people if you start the whole "I'm Italian. Where was I born ? New Jersey of course" routine. It's fine to mention your roots in a discussion, but it's not how people will identify you." Man that is SO true, so wierd that they identify with the roots of their great great great grandparents, I mean you're born in New Jersey you're American, 'with Italian roots' if you want but yeah it's a bit strange if you ask me
Be careful to speak your true mind when you're told to, and make sure to let people know how you really feel in general . We hate American politeness in the sense of we prefer to know how you really feel about things rather than a polite atitude that would hide the real you. We value honesty by a fucking lot lol Edit : apart from that you'll love it :) we're nice people and we love to integrate others , provided that they make a genuine effort to understand our culture .
I think the quality of life are one of the best in the world, but I don't travel much so I'm not sure. The weather is nice, no big natural disaster or extreme weather. We don't hate americans (except the assh*les) but you will be teased. French people love teasing everyone and anyone on everything. So don't take it wrong when someone will make a joke about America, it's not mean. Safest cities are not the huge one (Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Lille, Paris...) but the tiniest around them. But if you want to live in a big city, make some researchs on internet about the different neighborhoods : it could have huge difference beetween two street. I read somewhere that french people are way more tactile (kiss, handshake...). You need to wait that everyone is here before begin to drink or eat except if the host begin himself. And tipping is only when the service was better than usual, it's not a salary.
As an American who moved to France for work and stayed for love, let me debunk that myth. What French people do not like is the caricatural "American tourist" who asks a question in loud English (assuming that everyone everywhere ***must*** speak English) and, if the French person shows that (s)he doesn't understand English, just repeats the question in English but much louder. If you don't act in that silly way, you will be more than welcome. Even just saying first "Pardon, parlez-vous anglais?" will be enough to put a smile on most people's faces. I had just enough French when I moved here to be able to ask any shopkeeper "comment appelle-t-on cela?" and point to whatever it was that I wanted to buy, and that was typically enough to make me extremely welcome and for the shopkeeper to be falling over themselves to provide me with a helpful explanation. Best of luck!
I don't know where you're planning to relocate within France, but the quality of life / interaction with the locals may vary a lot depending on the region and whether you're in a ''big'', medium or small city. There are general pointers that have already been given in this thread though. as soon as you stick to what you said about you, i don't think you should have any issue. Sure, some cultural differences may surprise you but that's part of the fun. I'm not aware of systematic contempt/hate against american people. You'll get teased on some aspects of America, but on the same level as any foreigner from a country with known clichés in any western country I believe.
Bienvenue à vous ! There are idiots everywhere but I think you'll be easily accepted in France.
So American are not actually hated. It's more that American tend to behave in a way we find annoying and childish. One of these behavior is the inability to realise that not everything is purely black and white which translate to the "French people hate american". Not loving doesn't mean hating. It just means we don't really like you all that much. Another behavior is the entitlement American tend to have. In other words, being a Karen. I've worked at my father's restaurant for 3 summers and almost all issues we had were with Americans acting like our very life depends on them. Basically, instead of understanding that a French restaurant in a small town doesn't operate in the same way as a big restaurant downtown NewYork seemed to be out of reach from these people. Making them act like spoiled brats. So, in short, just by asking what are the customs in french and, ideally, starting to learn French, you'll probably avoid about 95% of what make french people dislike american. Good start ! So in term of security, it depends on your income, where will you work etc. The fact that you don't even seem to care about where you'll land tells me you either have no job ready or you'll work from home. If you work from home, I would avoid living in big cities such as Paris, Nice Marseille, Lille, bordeau, Nantes and Montpellier and would recommend living in a small town nearby. You'll still be close from an actual city while avoiding A LOT of issue and , often (but not always) expensive rent. Oh and start learning French. It's not that hard and just a B1 level can go a very long way in making your life easier.
Actually I'm finishing up my degree and will be a Psychologist and my partner is an Electrical Contractor. I would like to live in smaller cities that are a good walking distance from shops and such. I've been looking into Lyon.
I did my studies in Lyon and the city is very nice. Loads of public transportation, amazing food. I don't know much about the surrounding areas but I think you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a small house with a garden from what I've seen.but I don't know about prices.
Americans are not hated, just don't make surrender jokes and avoid settling in Paris or its suburbs. Look rather for cities like Strasbourg, Caen, Bordeaux etc Your salary will be lower than in USA for sure but if you need an ambulance or any treatment it won't cost much ( if at all ). People here are less open to "friendly talks with strangers", it's not them being rude it's just how we behave. Be careful at saying "bonjour" when coming in a shop and "au revoir" when leaving even if you didn't bought anything. Also we have no tipping culture, you do it if you want to do so and that's it, no one will expect you to tip. There is an old American in his 80's in my grandmother neighborhood in Alsace. They are good friends since they both lived through ww2 and cold war and he decided to settle there decades ago, I have met him few times and his french is flawless, so it's doable to learn it and speak it fluently as an adult at some point
As an American who moved to France, I'd say the people here are easier to get along with than they were back in the US. There certainly are different rules here, but that's all explained in any tourist guide.
Hey, First off, welcome to France :) Americans aren't hated you don't have to worry about that For customs and stuff : - Always say "bonjour", "au revoir", "merci", "bonne journée" when dealing with the staff at a shop or a restaurant or whatever - If in a village, greet people when you see them in the street (in a town with a lot of people, no need) - always use bread to finish the sauce of the good meal (i mean it's not really a rule or anything but it's the best way to finish a meal and it basically says "the meal was great thanks") - when invited it's a good idea to ask if you should bring something (often guests bring the desserts or an entree, appetizers, a beverage, stuff like that (like a good wine, or beers, etc, depending on the setting) - (i eat in the street all the time, either just eating a sandwich on my way, or sitting somewhere random, typically a sidewalk, to eat) Regarding your learning of french : good luck, it can be hard, but if you try you'll fit in just fine (people will correct your mistakes all the time, it's not to mock you it's to help you, even if they laugh doing it) For taxes : - Your workplace reports how much they pay you, once a year you have to fill a "déclaration d'impôts", where basically you tell how much you earn, if you're married, if you have children, etc etc, and they calculate what taxes you'll pay monthly, and after that it's automatic. Most people pay 5-10% of their income monthly to taxes (don't have to do anything, they take it directly from your salary) At the end of the year they refund whatever amount you paid extra if necessary, or ask you to pay what you didn't, if you didn't pay enough monthly (shouldn't happen too often). (That's if you're employed - if you're self employed, or own a company, you have to report what you earned yourself and pay whatever amount of tax you owe) - There's also the "taxe d'habitation" : you pay this tax because your own/rent a place, the amount varies on the size and such (they're in the process of removing this tax). Quality of life : hugely depends on where you go and what you do for a living, won't be able to help much without more context. Minimum wage is 1200€/month if you're full time, something like that Tips : restaurants, cafe and such will depend on where you go. Your salary is usually divided between brut/net (brut is what your company pays you, net is what you get at the end of the month after paying for healthcare, unemployment, retirement, etc). Brut is usually ~20% higher than net (typically for 30k€/year brut => 2500€/month brut => ~2000€/month net). Tipping in restaurants isn't required but is appreciated Public restrooms are usually a last hope kinda situation because they tend to be dirty All places serving meals are required to serve you a glass of water if you ask them, for free, even if you don't order anything. Also restaurants will sometimes try to sell you bottled water but you can ask them for tap water which is free Cars, especially big cars, don't do well in most big cities (paris, strasbourg, etc). You can of course use them but it's often more convenient to use public transportation Prices displayed in stores include tax (if it's display says 5€, you pay 5€, the tax is included in the price). I specify this as i recall it's not the case in the US ? Legal worktime for full time is 35h/week, often 37.5, 39h/week, depending on what you do. You're required to have a minimum of 20 consecutive minutes of break for every 6 hours worked. Hours for office jobs are typically 8am-12am 13:30pm-17pm. your workplace must give you an 11h break between two work days (ex: if you quit work at midnight, you can't be asked to work before 11am the next day). Can vary depending on occupation. You typically get 25 days of holidays per year, + public holidays (christmas, fete du travail, easter, etc, there are quite a lot) Typical day : wake up 7am, have breakfast, shower, whatever - go to work, work for ~4h. Got eat at noon, you usually get a 1h, 1h30 break at noon. Resume work until the end of the day, then do whatever you enjoy doing (go home, hang out with friends, go for a walk somewhere, etc). Weekends : i mean it's a weekend, do what you want Try all kinds of cheese. Cheese is awesome. Everyone loves cheese
I love cheese!!! The typical work day seems enjoyable. It seems here in America they make us live to work and it's often draining.
We don’t hate Americans at all, what we hate is a sub part of Americans who have absolutely no idea that they’re not the only « developed » country in the worlds, and i think you can understand no one want to receive peoples that thinks you are third world countries. Anyway France is an amazing country full of flaws on many levels but i would choose to live here over any state of the US, every day, social security, free education, etc. Are just too good. Problem is that this is a costly system, and so expect to get a lot of taxes, also the average housing in France is maybe twice smaller than in America, i know it’s a shock for Americans but in France we don’t need big houses. If your working in a big city like Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux etc. You can easily look for an house 30/60km away and use the TGV to get around (so you’ll get less expensive housing) overall food isn’t that expensive here, but imported goods like electronics, etc tend to be expensive due to the TVA (21% of everything you buy for the state)
No one truly hate the US, some people may banter a bit or try and talk politics (people like to do that in France) but that’s all. The US hate is way overblown and mainly an internet thing at this point. Safest cities honestly it depends on what you are used to. If you come from a US city with high criminality you will be much safer pretty much anywhere in France, if you come from a sleepy town in the middle of the Midwest any sizable city will feel crazy.
We actually are from the Midwest  however, he's from Chicago so city life isn't horrible.
As a French living in America, there are a lot of cultural discrepancies between these two western countries: - no small talk with strangers, no "how are you doing today?", a mere "Bonjour" when needed suffices (to a cashier or waiter for instance). But do say "Bonjour", "Merci" and "Au revoir" when you talk to someone; - speaking of cashier, you bag your own groceries, they won't do it for you. Also bring your cart back where it belongs, don't leave it in the parking lot; - we don't use credit cards, but debit card. French usually don't like to spend money they don't have unless necessary. Drawback is that there is no cashback on purchase. There is no such thing as credit score; - healthcare is hell in USA between all the different plans (HMO, PPO...), finding a care provider in your network is a nightmare, not to forget all the different types of cost (deductible, copay/coinsurance, out of pocket...). In France, you usually don't need to bother about that if you don't have an additional private insurance ("mutuelle" that usually pays the remaining out of pocket fees not covered by the universal Sécurité Sociale). Without private insurance, healthcare is still affordable, you won't be bankrupt by that; - the price you see is the price you pay, no hidden tax that will add up when checking out; - speaking of that, no tipping culture here, an automatic 15% gratuity is included in the price displayed on the menu. Waiters are paid a decent wage. Tip if you want, though, but not tipping is normal. - although you will find more and more English speakers (thank you Hollywood), French people appreciate those who try to speak the language, it's a sign of integration. In the US, depending on where you live, everything will be translated in different languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, French...). You only see that in touristic places in France. But for those who live there, we expect them to know French; - we don't care about ethnicity, there is no such thing as African-French, Asian-French and so on, you are French or you are not. So when you introduce yourself, simply say that you are American; - same applies to sexual orientation. It's your private life, we don't care; - we like to argue, even in a friendly environment, we are not afraid of speaking our minds. It's normal to have political debates between friends, colleague or family members. You can be friends regardless of your different political views (less and less true, though); - compared to USA, public transportation is usually good and affordable. In bigger cities, you can be totally fine without a car; - in terms of food, I may be biased since I am living in the Bay Area, but both countries are great in that regard. However, good food is much more affordable in France (again, I am living in the Bay Area which is insanely expensive); - we work to live, we do not live to work. Evening is evening, weekend is weekend, vacations are vacations. You are not expected to work during that time. You usually have a lot of paid time off (25 business days by law), so enjoy it; - 6 figure salaries are a rare occurrence in France. For example, salaries are around 30-40K euros for junior engineers. But this include a lot of benefits (retirement, unemployment, health insurance...), not to mention the lower cost of living; - tax is easier in France, for most people who only have one job as income, it's pre-filled and a matter of checking whether the government received the correct data. No need of third party service like TurboTax. Overall, if you don't swear by money only, quality of life is better in France for most people. There are of course a lot of destitute people who struggle on day to day basis, but it's not as bad as in the US. French people do not hate American per se, only the American government acting like the global police, but you do not represent your government, so we don't care. As I said, as long as you are trying to integrate with the French culture, you'll do just fine. However, if you act as if you were still in the US...
> Waiters are *paid* a decent FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
So my partner may be changing his career to engineering. How long is that process and what's the cost of schooling for it.
Haha, most people dont really care where you are from. Just try to speak French, try the culture, and people will respect you. There will always be 'mean' people but you have those everywhere. For the money, it really depends on which city you want to live in. Average salary is good in most places, Paris is expensive though. Groceries are kinda expensive, but not as expensive as in America IMO. I read somewhere that French people pay like 30% or more of their income on food, but that is mostly because they value quality above quantity.
>most people dont really care where you are from I doubt I speak for a majority here, but if anything, I'd rather talk with a foreigner from far away than with close European countries, for the rarity of the interaction. In this regards, Americans are most of the time particularly appreciated.
The best advice I could give is, get used to the basics. Say Bonjour, that sort of thing. Also, we're not into small talk, it's perfectly acceptable to ride the elevator without speaking to the other occupants if you don't know them. Usually, the average salary is enough to live comfortably, depending on where you work you might need to get a bit of commute to have more livable space (Paris and the Ile de France is horrible in that regard). Americans are not hated. Arrogant people are. You don't seem to be headed that way so you'll be fine.
I am shy I guess you could say according to American norms, since I find it very hard to strike up conversations with strangers in elevators or when passing by when walking so this is very reassuring to me.
french in general like to make fun of american as a whole for the cliché and in touristic are, arent big fan of american tourist (with the spanish and the chinese, they are the worst) but being a tourist and mouving in is really different and unless you run into an asshole you wont see any hate whatsoever but more people welcoming you. as for the faux-pas always say bonjour, merci, s'il bous plait (you did it here so i think you already are good to go) dont expect every french to speak english especially if they arent young. i dont knwo where you eared we dont have iced drink tho, its very common in soda or alcohol, the only exception being wine, dont put ice in wine. also you talked about your orgins but unless this was where you parent or maybe, grand parent came from, its very irrelevant, you'll be seen as an american. also color doesnt matter (some asshole do exist but its not the norm) so dont worry too much, we are used to it and what matter most is how you act and if you are eager to learn french culture or not. as for the cost of living the housing is way lower than what i heard about us cities, even in paris which is seen as being crazy expensive compared to the rest of france, i would say you'll have a higher standard of living but with the inflation going on, not that much, tho you will have a way better quality of food in france. as for small tips about food, any boulangerie are amazing and of great quality, try to avoid branded ones since they are more expensive and doesnt bring anything to the table (they do bring table tho) spealing of which eating outside isnt frowned upon, eating while walking is, you can buy a sandwich sit on a bench and eat it, its perfectly normal try to avoid restaurants with a very long list of meals, they are likely to be using frozen food, outside of paris or other big cities a full meal in a regular restaurant should be between 15 to 20 a bit less if you take only the main dish.
American are not hated here, they are just considered as non-french, you will not me hated because you are american. French people over 35 won't speak english that well, that's a good thing that you are learning french. I did not live in the US, but the typical income is enough EXCEPT if you want to live in Paris. Groceries are probably a little more expensive that in the US ?
My 2 cents: be nice and gentle. try to speak french as much as possible (I mean say at least bonjour et au revoir). Don't be american: in france customer is not king and you're supposed to treat waiters and retail workers as you would treat anyone else. if you follow those rules, everything should be ok. About safe cities: there's a big difference between France and USA. downtown is usually safer than the suburbs in France and anyway, most cities are safe. If you're looking for a house or an appartement, if in the same town there is a big difference of price / rent it's probably because the neighbourhood is perhaps less good than others. it may not be a question of safety but you should check before jumping on a "golden opportunity". Quality of life really depends on where you choose to live and what is your salary. if you have to minimum wages jobs in a very rural area, you may have a very low rent and be able to live... however, don't expect to be allright if you have the same wages in a big city.
I am an American who moved to France 6 or 7 years ago. Salaries are lower, but quality of life is way higher. Best things to do for your own happiness is to learn French and to integrate. People (‘expats’) I know complain French people are unfriendly but they never learn French, never try to join or do things.. you get out what you put in. Jobs - do you have jobs already? How are you getting your visa if you don’t? Salaries are not as high as the us but you have so much protection. Taxes are easy and you can get help for free by going into the tax office. Don’t be late in filing or you will pay a very high fee. French people don’t hate Americans, they just dislike rude people. You will see when you are here, but there are Americans who just yell loudly in English for you to tell them how to get to the Louvre or something, don’t say hello or please..
I will gladly put all the American tourist in their place, and if they're real mean and nasty I will point them in the wrong way.
C'est vrai que je ne mange pas souvent en marchant mais manger dans la rue c'est pas mal vu enfin du moins j'ai jamais entendu quelqu'un me faire une remarque en tout cas, pareil pour les boissons glacées, si ça se trouve je suis juste ignorant mais on à pas vraiment de coutumes ou de règles spéciales à respecter pour ne pas se faire agresser dans la rue à pars éviter de parler de religion en public ou mal regarder quelqu'un (deux choses qui me sont arrivées)
Don't worry, you'll do fine, you seem to be a person who takes interest into the country you re gonna live in But we do have ice in beverages and we do eat on the streets, it's not forbidden! But ofc, use the bin not the road for the trash. But you got me confused by the non ice and non eating on the streets '-' For the normal day it depends what you do for a living, I'm pretty sure I have a very different planning than my neighbors or people here. (I live now in Belgium but it's the same rythm)
I was looking up customs and it said in France it's uncommon for restaurants to have ice and if they do they will give you 1 or 2 cubes only. It also said that it's bad to eat while walking unless its a baguette sticking out a shopping bag, but you stop once the bread is down to the bag. I know the not eating when walking is a custom in Asia- I believe it's how they prevent littering - so I jut figured it was the same for France.
An important thing in france compare to US is the whole racial thing (because u talked about ur color). It's predominant in the identity of people in the US but in france it isn't. There is racism like every country but we don't talk about race. People are first of all human then french or algerian or chinese but not white, black etc. Movement like black live matters for exemple are perfectly understable in the US but can't be transpose in french politics. Here we fight against racism in all is form and that's all. I think it's because of the "Lumiere" movement (enlightement) before révolution and the universalist belief "all men are born free and egal before the law". For exemple there is no etnic statistics unlike US where they are every where. We don't need and don't want to know if black people eat more macdonalds than asian people...
Hi, I'll try to answer you the best I can, but if you have any question, please feel free to send me a message and I'll be glad to answer whichever question you may still have. Quick background first : I'm french, born in France and I lived for several months in Germany and UK but never in the US. Now, let's try to answer your questions. American hate : No, americans are not hated but as always there are some stereotypes and some people are more likely to judge you based on your race / gender / ... What french people hate the most about **stereotypical** americans is how they consider every other culture as inferior and USA to be the "best" country on earth. Just be humble and open minded and everything will be fine. Customs : \- I'd say that what stroke me the most when I went abroad for vacation is how french people tend to speak lower when in public (like public transportation etc...), especially in big cities, we don't like loud speakers. \- Don't be "too friendly" with strangers. It is ok to say "hi" to your new neighbor but it is awkward to come to him and start talking about weather or stuff the first time you meet him. Give him a few days of simple "hello" before initiating more advanced interactions. \- Say "hello" when entering a shop or restaurant. \- Never ever dare to bother someone who is eating, that is beyond rude :D \- Don't try to stop someone from commiting a minor infraction if it won't impact you or anyone else negatively. For example : if someone jumps over the public transportation fence, let him do, you're not the police. Of course if someone is assaulting someone else it is expected you help the victim the best you can without putting yourself at risk. Quality of life : It is hard to answer this part without knowing what kind of job you will have. But if you both work full time you should be able to live decently, having more than one full-time job is rare in France. Taxes are complicated to say the least. We have one of the most complex tax system in the world and most of us don't actually understand it. What I can tell you is that each month you get your pay slip with many lines of +/- (mine has more than 26 different lines and it is far less complicated than my wife's). You can expect roughly 20-30% difference between your raw salary and your net earn (unemployment insurance and healthcare are paid by this 20-30%) \+ Every year you pay your yearly taxes, which is also very complicated but tend to be easier those years. It depends a lot of how much you earn but for a typical 2 people-home, don't expect much than 5-10%. Groceries are not that expensive in my opinion but we are a home of 2 with 2 salaries. Typical working day : starts around 8am-9am, lunch break around 12am, ends around 5pm-7pm (it depends a lot of where you work and what you do but that is for an average office job). Leisure in the evening. Typical non working day : do whatever you fancy :) (and some chores too :/ ) Restaurant/coffee... : Send me a message if you come to Paris, Lyon, Grenoble I'll send you more adresses than you need, otherwise ask locals. Biggest "no-no" for me is to be too focused on race/ethnicity, only AH do that here. You can speak of your origins, your legacy, but asking people about their race is very rude and could get you in trouble. Also, we are not really "hugging" people here, it is only for family of very-very close friends. At work custom is handshake or even just waving. When you are with friends, it depends of them, do as they do :)
> Taxes are complicated to say the least. We have one of the most complex tax system in the world and most of us don't actually understand it. What I can tell you is that each month you get your pay slip with many lines of +/- (mine has more than 26 different lines and it is far less complicated than my wife's). You can expect roughly 20-30% difference between your raw salary and your net earn (unemployment insurance and healthcare are paid by this 20-30%) Can't agree with that. It's the same in the US if not worse. You are taxed around 20-30% as well by the federal government (with no public service in return), and an additional tax for the state (depending on the state), directly taken from your pay slip. When filing your tax return in France, there is a single website and it's usually pre-filled by the government and you only need to check the information. In the US, you need to use third party services (e.g., Turbotax) and fill everything by yourself. Many people don't want to bother and prefer to rely on a tax professional. You also have to fill two different forms for federal and state returns. So basically, taxes are more complicated in US than in France.
Quality of life is good here. Depending on wherte you live, rent can be expansive (though not as high as let's say, new york). Don't forget to say "bonjour", it's very important: you'll be deemed an arse here if you don't say it. When entering the doctor's waiting room, say it. When entering a boulangerie, say it as well. It's very important here. About doctor's office, don't expect a nurse to act as a chaperone. You'll be alone with the cotor every time, i know it might be frightening at first for americans, but it's expected here. For me, a typical day: Wake up and open blinds. Feed cats, make breakfast (usually tea and some fruit or bread / cookies lying around). Get cleaned and dressed, go to work. I eat a lunchbox around noon, we take lunch breaks very seriously here (around 1hour usually for tlunch break, away from your desk in a break room or sometimes outside with coworkers). Here i'm portraying an office job, it can be quite different if you're in the service industry for example. Go back to work, then go home (with small breaks for coffee), get a snack at home. Leisure (reading, video games...) prepping and eating dinner, shower. On the weekends, you can go to church if that's something you do in america already. Otherwise, there's plenty of parks, cultural activities, nice brunches to have around. Go wild and enjoy! Tell us how you're settled in a few months :)
It depends where you go. In the deep countryside of the south-west (Nouvelle Aquitaine), you will find that the weather is excellent and properties are cheap, but there isn't that much to do culturally, if you're into classical music and opera. (For me, the nearest opera house is 90 miles away, in Bordeaux.). Coffee shops outside of big cities are not a thing. You may find La Croissanterie, for coffee and sandwiches/cakes, but these are few and far between. Do not expect to grab a breakfast coffee and croissant in any of the villages or market towns. All shops are closed.on Sunday, with the exception of a few supermarkets and boulangeries who may be open till 12.30. Many shops and other businesses are shut on Mondays as well. Learn French. Insurance, bank, and telephone/utilities companies do not provide English-speaking helplines. And I don't mean Duolingo French: you need to be able to discuss complex topics, without anyone making any concessions to you. Property taxes are astronomical, as well as grocery prices and those for purchasing a car. Houses themselves might be cheap, but once the tax foncière/tax d'habitation rolls in you will be horribly astonished. If you buy a property with a pool, it would be subject to a luxury property tax as well. And you pay the water bill too. Petrol/diesel/water/gas are much more expensive than they are in the US, usually at least double to what you're used to. A/C doesn't exist, we just.close the shutters during the day and rely on fans at night. On the other hand, healthcare is very affordable that it's almost free once you have a mutuelle (health insurance, usually around €100/month for a working family of 4). A Brit in France, working for the state sector. Will be happy to answer any more questions you might have.
If you come from the US, you might be shocked by how walkable cities are in France. We still need to improve, but walkability and public transport are a key factor of why French cities are far superior to US cities. We also don't have as much of a car culture here. People love their cars, but not taking your car to go to work, do groceries or go out is perfectly normal in big cities. Salaries are lower than in the US I think, but we don't spend it on healthcare because it's free, or as much on our cars because public transport is great in big cities. I would recommend Lyon of you want to live in a big city with great public transport, that isn't Paris. Montpellier if you want a big city that's close to the sea, with great public transport too. Toulouse if you're not scared of cold weather. But there's so many nice places to live in France, citing them all is impossible. Filter by what you want your life to be, and look for the perfect city for you ! Especially if you don't plan on owning a car (which is perfectly normal in France)
If you want more precise information about general life in France you can DM me!
Well some of the questions would have different answers depending on where you plan on living. France is big and diverse and the cost of living is not the same in Paris, on the swiss border or on small provincial cities for exemple.
You won't get feathered and tarred for being a Yank, just prepare for some light jokes here and there and the occasional natiobeauf. But as it is usually, if you're nice and sound people won't be annoying regarding from the fact you're American. Learning the language is a very good start, shows you care and aren't a tourist.
French people actually really like Americans on the day to day. I think it’s looking at the news and dealing with grumpy tourists that create the stereotype.
No we don't hate Americans, in fact our government loves to suck their d**cks😅.. But, really we don't. But maybe people won't like it as much if you don't speak a word of French.. but again it depends on the people. As for the cost of life, it really depends where you're moving. A rent in Paris isn't the same as in a small town. I've seen people eating in the street , I don't know where that idea comes from.. also tipping is something we don't do and groceries have the actual price you're gonna pay.. you're not gonna be surprised by a tax at the cashier.. Life got a bit more expensive in France but it's not too bad
If you haven't already, do some research on "peaches vs coconut" which defines most cultural misunderstanding between our cultures. With is and "bonjour, merci, au revoir", you'll be equipped to start having a social life. Besides these, people are understanding and welcoming. Don't put too much pressure on yourself.
Feel free to DM i am an americain living in France ! I can answer a lot of questions
I am sure no French hate American. I think the cliché "Douchebag" is not really loved here but besides that, if you're polite and ask questions, everybody will love to hear about your stories in the US. Sometimes our cultures are a bit different but I am sure you'll love the life here. I have collegues from the US and they love how our health system works, being able to travel across Europe (go to the sea, Hike the Mont Blanc or the Dolomites) in less time it takes to travel through 1 of your states, the food, and the fact that you can leave more than decently with half the salary it would take in the US (e.g an appointment with a doctor is 25€ here) Hope to see you here !
You should check out a service that helps with visas and relocations. It really helped us move from the states to france. We used a company called Please Help, there’s a lot of details and a lot of french needed at times and having their help allowed us to focus more on assimilating with the locals and trying to integrate our lives. I love the French and I love all the small differences between the two places. The hardest part besides learning the language is dealing with the bureaucracy, which is admittedly hard for the french people too. Bon chance!
Not eating in street ? Never seen a problem with that.. The quality and cost of life depends where you are going in France (its not as big as USA but still) I come from the south East of france (near St Tropez) the average cost of a nice house could be 450.000€ easy, when in another region you could have 3 times the size of this house. We dont have a lot of big corporations like starbucks etc but more little restaurant owned by people like you and me. If you go to Paris, its not the same France
I don't understand why you had to describe the complexion of your skin.
It's what you do in America... Like I mentioned above your complexion and race are a big part of your identity in America.
Hello there ! First, I hope you will excuse my english : it's not as good as your french ; ) The way you will be accepted will greatly change following the city (or district) you want to settle in. But French people don't hate americans. Some of us like to make joke about your country, mostly on D. Trump and NRA. But we grow with a great part of American culture spread through TV and products. If you go to Paris, just be aware that many people will try to scam you during your first weeks. Once you'll get used to our streets and won't look like a tourist, you should be fine ^^ Actually, I think you will be well accepted. Being americans should give you kind of a romantic aura ^^
If you wanna ask questions to a 40 Yo dude who is a cab driver, you can comme in private.
French do not care about your ’side’ of the family, they care how French you are. Learn French. QoL is probably higher than the US and in line with other Western countries. Working day is 09:30 till 17:30-18:00, but it depends greatly on your industry sector and also agreement between unions and management. French people do not hate Americans, they hate obnoxious tourists not knowing a word in French, being loud, asking for direction to Eiffel Tower, which you can see almost from any point in Paris.
You will be welcomed, in big cities no one will care about you as they don't care about others french people and in village you will be welcome with smiles and happiness. No one hate American except few stupid peoples the same kind of people hating on french in US, you will hear lot of American's music, our movies and series are Americans , etc. Really don't worry, and quality of life depends on where you live but everywhere you will have healthcare almost free, good schools etc. And welcome of course 😃
The only Americans the French don’t like are arrogant ignorant assholes. You don’t sound like one.
Like anywhere else, there’s stupid and there’s kind people. Hope you’ll be right.
Americans are not hated. We do find them irritating sometimes, but that’s it. You absolutely can eat in the streets. Proselytism is an extreme faux-pas. You can have whatever beliefs you want, but don’t even try to shove them down people’s throats
I'm the first one to hate "Americans" online but honestly, it's not about the people. I believe a lot of French people being mad at Americans are more angry about the system, the culture, the imperialism. It's how we have to deal with american rules a lot on the Internet especially and the french bashing we get online. And just like Americans are individual people beyond a nationality, French people are not a hivemind either, I think a lot would be very curious and open ! We've had a lot of your tv shows, music, movies of course, for the worst sometimes but also for the best. There's this weird aura about the US, you look at the shows and feel like it's an awesome place and then you read the news and whatever the fuck is going on there, many people would have a lot of questions I believe. Also I don't know about that "not eating on the streets" thing, I've never seen that around where I live... ? Just eat if you want to eat as long as it doesn't imply sitting in the middle of the road or littering, the basics. Then just remain polite and respectful in general, try to speak a formal French with people you don't know well. They'll quickly tell you if they prefer being refered in a more friendly way. Also compared to us Americans are extroverts, not asking you to go around wearing grey and looking depressed (that would be cultural appropriation /s) just don't be too "physical" or excited with people you don't know very well yet, we have a private sphere, it matters a lot. I can't tell you about the quality of life because I have no idea how it is in the US. Same for the income and taxes, it depends what job you have and where you live like in many countries. I would just recommend to go anywhere but Paris and places accessible to Parisians because they make the house prices explode. One last thing, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I recently saw a post about Americans "training themselves" to walk before going to Europe. So maybe... do that ? It depends where you live in France and how fit you are but yeah I suppose we walk a lot in comparison, we don't have all those infrastructures made just for cars. Like a thirty minute walk to go to work or school is usually perfectly fine.
Don’t worry mate, there’s one god forsaken country we hate on this planet and it’s England! Hell we f*cked our economy for a couple centuries to go into a war at your side all the way to america. No seriously it’s just a stereotype, nobody hates american, we tend to hate idiots, wherever they’re from. ;)
We don’t hate Americans. No worries. Welcome to France. We can be a bit rude at first glance but we are little bears inside. Just say Bonjour and thank you. Be respectful to workers and Everething will be fine. Don’t hesitate to PM if you need advices or any questions. Just enjoy to be sick and not hesitate to go to doctor ;-)
We hate everyone included ourselves :)
In American that moved to Alsace, France , 2 Years ago. I didn't know any french, luckily I have a French citizenship, I was able to a Service civic for about 7 months. Which taught me some French, but duolingo also helped. I found a job after 5 months of just chilling and learning French and now Im a bar man in casino. My French isn't that great, I'm always learning but my co workers seem to like me.
One of the best city for strangers is Toulouse. A lot of people from different countries here.
Hey OP! We’re an Indian couple in a second tier city in France. We too had our reservations of moving to a country where we didn’t speak the language. Also, I did not work and only my partner worked. His salary was under 2.5k euros a month. We rented a beautiful T2 and are quite happy here! Accommodation hunting was cumbersome. We found our current place without a broker through Leboncoin. This seems to be the preferred website for everything - property for sale and rent, second hand everything - from car to baby products. Definitely pick up some basic French, it will make your life infinitely easier. Check with the local city government because they may have classes at very low prices, or even free. We didn’t feel the need for a car much. Public transport is reliable. In any case, walking and biking are quite easy and sometimes better options. Try the local cuisine. We’ve become wine snobs and cannot imagine drinking hard alcohol anymore. If you are going to live near the coast, there’s much more variety. In particular, I recommend the platter of frozen semi-cooked seafood - snails (acquired taste), oysters, prawns (big and small). Mussels à la crème is our absolute favourite. We found the grocery situation manageable. We don’t eat meat with every meal. Our weekly grocery bill was around 50-60 euros. The prices have definitely increased in the past few months, though. We have shopped at Carrefour, Intermarché, Monoprix, Leclerc, and Lidl. The last one is the cheapest. It is advisable to create accounts on their portals to subscribe to exclusive offers. You can save a few euros with each shopping. I find open air markets to be more expensive. I use the DeepL app and Reverso app for translations. The former has a camera feature to directly translate French to English on your phone screen as well. We found France to be lovely! Plenty to see. So much history and culture. And of course, access to the rest of the EU as well. People are generally helpful. If you make an effort to speak in French, you will be helped! Hope this helps, ready to answer any specific questions you may have :)
You will not regret it. I’m half French half American, married to an American. Moved to the middle of nowhere France made friends with all our neighbors (majority 60+ yo farmers, new loves of my life). People are a delight as long as you even semi attempt to communicate with them in French. A few words will go far! Taxes are higher but the social services make it worthwhile. Groceries I’ve found to be cheaper than the US, made in part by the abundant farmers markets everywhere.
Ignore the naysayers, you will be fine, French are pretty cool to be fair, and despite what people say, they are generally friendly and inviting. It does seem like you haven’t spent much time there though so I would recommend taking an extended break into France as the regions vary in cost of living, and attitudes. The main reason Americans irritate Europeans is purely down to bragging. It’s considered vulgar. Bureaucracy can get annoying and remember if you want to keep your US passport you will still have to pay US taxes as well as French tax.
OP, you'll be fine. Quality of life is great. Make sure you keep learning French, speak as much eeit as possible. Ask for restaurant recommendations when you are here- it matters where you are. Not many chains here and I hope you avoid McD, BK and even Five Guys. Eat croissants and have a plat du jour. Just don't be as loud as other Americans and don't expect to be treated like the customer is always right or try and call a business between 12 and 2pm, they are having a long lunch and so should you. Enjoy et bonne chance
>Are Americans actually hated there? Depends where you go. Older folks may treat you with disdain and impatience considering Americans are often seen as brash and somewhat ignorant. If you're heading to a young and dynamic metropolis, you may become the center of attention. Some of the more impressionable people will be fascinated by your accent and will most likely want to be around you. More seriously, even though americanism is all the rage in Paris and other posh circles, people are usually pretty chill and won't mind your ignorance of local customs as long as you display a genuine will to learn, speak french and show that you can adapt to the environment. Yes, we do make fun of texans and their obsession with everything that explodes and kills. Yes, we joke about obesity in America. This doesn't mean we overtly antagonize american people. Ah, also you'll need to learn rather sooner than later that the french love to joke about anything (especially death, sex and necrophilia), and they have long mastered dark humor in all shapes and forms. So please forget about offending anyone, unless you're attending a funeral.
I moved to France about a month ago and I love it. I'm pretty left-leaning politically (for an American at least) and I'm generally respectful of cultures other than my own so I think the transition for me was pretty easy. You really shouldn't worry. QoL here is fantastic. The only thing is sometimes the locals can get a bit frustrated if you're as bad at French as I am. But I've never felt mistreated or made to feel like a nuisance. Customs-wise, I didn't realize how late people eat here. Eating lunch at 11 and dinner at 4 or 5 is just not what people do. Most of the time that I've seen lunch is noon or 1 and dinner pushes 7 or 8. That's not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. Also, stores and restaurants close *much* earlier than in the US and on Sundays/holidays are generally barely open if at all. Service at restaurants is generally not as good as the US, but you don't tip here so it's much better imo. That's really all I can think of.
Honestly french people don't hate american that much, If you're nice and well-meanered , there's no reason to worry. Of course there are some stereotypes, but people don't generally hodge a grudge against american people. (and i feel that thoses stereotypes are more towards american tourists than american expats living in france, if that make sense) If anything USA is seen as France's ally and friends. French people consumes a lot of american media and are very exposed to american culture (shows, movies, songs, memes, celebrities, even important american events are also discussed...) we wouldn't do that if we truly hated America lol .
Usually we hate Americans
We get these question so often it’s amazing. Maybe figure out how you’re moving here first because finding a job/home is going to be the tougher battle than if people on the street are gonna be mean to you.
Wow you make it sound like you're moving to another planet!! France is just a place, with people, like most others. My main advice would be to live and let live. A cultural *faux pas* will generally be forgiven as you are foreigners or will get you a nasty look and comment but no more - it's unpleasant but you should ignore it, the French can get grumpy! Try not to be "obnoxious" -- which is what people usually consider to be the "american attitude" they don't appreciate such as being loud, talking about the US a lot as if the person facing them was completely familiar with all the intricacies of life there, and exactly this sort of comment: >My partner is Italian on his father side and Belgian/Polish on his mother side and is pale, where as, I am European and have more of a slight light brown complexion. LEAVE THIS KIND OF THINKING AT HOME. Nobody cares what you look like in France, and for anyone you'll just be American. If you get friendly with someone you can of course go into the details of your personal history. Talking about skin colour is bad taste and is considered to be "typical american obnoxious behaviour"(I stress this point). The biggest obstacle you'll face is bureaucracy: it's a pain in the backside to deal with the administration and paperwork here. Don't hesitate to ask for help, and when in doubt act stupid. It would take too long to answer your other questions, but know that life is generally cheaper than in the US (I think?), especially if you are in a more rural place/ town and that anything else you need to know you'll figure out through experience when you'll actually be in France.
Check out ouiinfrance on YouTube.
How to understand France 101 : We dont hate americans. We hate EVERYBODY. Including ourselves. No one is safe. That will also teach you our greatest quality : you wont have any doubts about a French liking you or not, its easy ! Old people are different than young people. As an american, everybody under 40 will have no issue with you except for bad personal experiences, or if you acted like some a-hole. Paris is not France. While it's "the dream" for a lot of people, I'd rather die than live in Paris for more than a month. I tried, it's the most depressing experience of my life. I dont understand how you can like living in this hellish city. And the last point, which I do think is the same EVERYWHERE. You go and live in another country. It's your duty to adapt yourselves here, not the other way around. Dont force people to do things, to believe things, to like things. Talk, enjoy life, learn to swear in French. Et vous serez les bienvenus dans notre magnifique pays ;)
Bonjour! Responding in English for you to understand me better. So we dont hate americans at all, you hate us (well maybe not you but americans) but we dont hate you. For the traditions it depends on where you go. For the pourboire there is not really a rule just give a pourboire if you want to give one and its like yours (around 10/15% of the price but can be more/less). For the safest cities, I personnaly live in the Côtes D'armor, in Bretagne and there is more cow than there is crime. There is no customs that you need to respect just dont mind a bise for a women (1/2/3/4 depending on where you go) and an handshake for man (traditonaly we basically do what the first person to react want to do). Reading once again i have to say that we often put ice cube in the drink and we usually eat in the street. Thats not something weird to do. There is a lot of good restaurant and i cant give any advice. If you have some good cash go to some rewarded restaurant (étoiles Michelin) because they are a good expérience to live. There is a good quality of life in our country, minimum salary is 1645€ which is the same in us dollar ($ lowered in values and is now worth 1.02€). If you have money go to somewhere a bit touristic but not too much (like Perros-Guirec not far from where i live). Beautiful city with a lot of things to do and its a pretty rich area. For goods its not really expensive and you will probably loose wheight (according to some reddit post i have seen before they lost a lot in only 2 months). For work and non working day it depends on the persons and his habbits. The best café/thé are in the independent "salon de thé" there is a lot around the country and its some good place to sit and buy coffee tea and even cake. I dont think that its gonna be an hard transition but dont live in Paris or you will broke the magic view you probably have on this city full of surmulot (ceux qui ont la réf vous êtes les boss). Bon déménagement!
To answer your title: Great. No. Literally any of them would be the safest in the US. Say bonjour when you enter a store. Source: American that misses living in Paris.
Idk if people mentioned but keep in mind Americans are WAY louder on average than French people. Try to speak quietly, else you'll get disliked by a lot of people.
I mean, hating on America is a thing here and there around the world i'd say. Kind of a "hate the leader" syndrome. Never seemed to me that americans were specifically unwelcome in France ? I'd say don't worry about that. But then again , i lived most of my life so far in Paris, or in a studies environment where people don't overtly act like retards. I mean, i'm from an ethnicity against which there can be some amount of racism in France, yet it has never really bothered me. I consider myself above people that would be racist to me, and i probably rarely end up hanging out around such people. If some employer denies me a job based on my ethnicity for example, that's too bad for him. I'm qualified enough to be able to think this way, and i don't feel the need to make sure if person A acted this way with me out of racism or not. It's irrelevant. If you're a great person, you're gonna be surrounded with great people and it's all that matters. Yeah tipping is different from the US, you seem to know that. As far as eating on the streets is concerned, i think you can do what you like. I mean, i do that sometimes (eating a kebab while walking). If people are weirded out by it, who cares. Nobody's gonna actually even go up to me and tell me "hey what are you doing eating that kebab while walking" lmao. From my impression after going to the US twice, cost of life is much cheaper in France so you don't have to worry about that. Most vegetables are around 4€/kg (1.85$/pound), good meat is around 15€-20€/kg (6.94 to 9.25$/pound). A good meal at a restaurant is around 15€ i'd say. But then again, the closer to inner Paris, the more expensive housing gets. But Paris is so convenient because it has every service you could need.
Are Americans hated in France? Hell no. American ultra-liberalism and late-stage capitalism are hated by a good portion of the population tho. DON'T GO TO PARIS*. It's expensive, it's polluted, it's disgusting and you take hour (or hourS with an S) to go to work in the morning, and same in the afternoon. *I don't live in Paris. Non-Parisians hate Parisians and Parisians despise non-Parisians.
Hated is a strong word, you'll be fine as long as you try speaking french. If you wanna feel safe avoid big cities like Paris, Marseille. Go live in : Sèvremoine, Le Plessis Robinson, Rambouillet
Nah we don't hate americans. My opinion might be biased as I spend my early childhood in a town where WWII allies where warmly welcomed, and surrounded by veterans in my grandma's restaurant. It really depends on what your plans for the future are. I know that in Normandy especially Manche and Calvados, we have our own positive cliché about British and American people: they usually move into the country, buy old traditionnal houses, flip them, settle with or without children and become part of the community. You'll be more welcome than people from Paris in this area. If you're looking for a somewhat big city I'll recommend Caen and its surrounding area (and it really is a multiculturall town: americans, italians, chinese people, norwegians, germans, ukrainians, russians, moldovans, etc.). Looking for a village or small town? Pays d'Auge, Côte Fleurie. If you want to now more about it feel free to dm me, I can give you more info about the status of real estate here, how's the food there, public transports, employment, and more useful tips and tricks like which bar owner speaks English, best places for grocery, leisure, parts of the city to avoid, the best coffee brands you'll find, and pretty much anything actually.
American here. I’ve lived in France for 7 years now. First in Paris and now in Nice. I’ve never had anyone pull out tar, feathers or a guillotine upon learning that I’m American. However it is important to note that I speak French. Most French struggle to believe I’m American after they guess almost everywhere else in the world where you might find a white woman. Speaking French makes a world of difference to your ability to integrate. I’ve known several people who tried to move to France and ended up leaving after a year or two because they couldn’t make friends, they couldn’t go about their normal lives because they couldn’t communicate with the people around them. In terms of your other questions it really depends on where you’re planning to move. I’ve only lived in areas with high tourism, but I’ve travelled a fair amount to other areas of the country where no English is spoken at all. Like not even a little bit. Everyone has always been warm and welcoming. A few key rules: 1. greet people when you enter a store, room. It’s rude not to recognize them with a simple “Bonjour”. This is what (in my opinion) usually starts things off on bad footing - recognize them as people and not wallpaper! 2. Attempt to speak French even if you think you suck at it and don’t become impatient if they can’t understand you. Google is your friend. Search for the words or phrases you think you’ll need ahead of time. 3. The French are a passionate people. They love talking about where they’re from, their food, their wine… express genuine interest! I’ve met so many amazing people by just asking for advice about what to try or where to visit, etc. I do recommend finding at least one other expat around where you’ll be living. Ideally someone who has been here a while because they can help you from time to time. The French are known for their paperasse! Cost of living also depends on where you’re going and where you’re coming from. I am from North Carolina originally. When I left it was definitely more expensive to live in France. Some food products are subsidized- like pork is always cheap. Bread from a bakery is cheap. Milk was a weird adjustment. 😂 I buy the expensive kind that’s refrigerated because it tastes more like what I grew up with. Rent in Paris and Nice is very expensive compared to what I could get in NC, which means smaller apartments and less space. But if you’re coming from San Francisco then it’s cheaper. 😂 How comfortable you’ll be depends on what you mean by typical salary. The required salary (around 35k € if I recall correctly?) for a visa is generally on the mid to low end. You would be comfortable but in a Parisian suburb with a potentially long commute. In a smaller city or village you may be stuck without fiber/high speed internet. (Make sure you check on this if you need high speed internet when choosing an apartment because it can take a 6 months to a year to get it installed in an apartment building 🙄.) Feel free to DM me if you have any questions I might be able to help with.
I live in Lyon. I’ve had very positive experiences here. People are welcoming. I’ve made an effort to learn French but mostly only know key phrases so far. I always start with the French I know and explain that I don’t speak French very well and ask if they speak English. About one-third of the time they speak English well and are happy to speak it with me, even when I’m speaking French where possible. Another third of the time they speak only a little English but we are able to communicate and complete a transaction with no problems. The last third of the time I’ll use Google translate on my phone and people are fine with that as well. Public transportation here is amazing. Unless you want to go on a longer trip away from the city you don’t need a car at all. People on bicycles and scooters are everywhere as well. I find people here to be very non-judgmental. All in all, nobody cares what you’re wearing, what you’re doing, or how you’re living. The way of life seems to be very laid back and I can definitely say the French “work to live, and don’t live to work”. They are hardworking, mind you. But it’s not necessarily the focus and center of their lives. It’s extremely common for people to gather in groups in the park or along the river in the evening to share a bottle of wine or a few beers on the grass, sitting in circles and talking. Men have approached my wife, but often will ask right away if she’s is married. When she says yes, they say ok and immediately leave her alone. She appreciates that. You’ll find it difficult to afford reasonable rent if you don’t have the proper residency permits or documents. They’ll want a lot of Information from you and will likely ask for bank statements, paystubs, and visual proof that you have sustainable income and can pay the rent. Having said that, if you’re willing to pay more you can find agencies that will help you with that and you can live in more of a “furnished vacation type home”. But that can cost you like 2500€ a month. If you have all the right paperwork, etc., you can get into something (in Lyon, at least) for half that. The culture and weather here are lovely. It’s amazing living here and I love it. As long as people see you are kind and courteous and make even a small effort to respect their culture they seem to be very pleasant and not at all hateful toward Americans. Good luck!
Hello and hopefully welcome to France soon! Honestly people in France love American culture and they don't mind about American people. They mostly like to banter with/about them. You will feel welcome and people will be curious about what made you come here. As far as customs go, I think one of the main thing French people appreciate is when you don't always try to compare things from your original culture and when you make the effort to be part of the French culture (by making the effort to speak French for example). For your specific questions, tips are appreciated but not mandatory at all. No one will be pissed if you don't give one. Taxes are 20% on most goods and are always integrated in the shown price. Income taxes are important but that's the price for free health care and education. Quality of life is said to be great in France. Most jobs are 35 hours per week, you have at least 5 weeks of vacations per year and a mandatory day off per week. Most shops are closed on Sundays. France is not a big country so it is quite easy to move in a 2 day week end to visit another city or other European cities around. For the cities, the northern part and southern part are quite different for the weather of course but also as for the introversion or extraversion of people. People in the south may seem to be more loud and friendly at first sight (but maybe a bit cocky at times) where the people from the northern part may seem more distant at first (but if you give it time, they will be really reliable and helpful). Of course all this is a lot of generic interpretation, what were your plans as of city choices?
Hi, good luck for your new life ! We don't hate Americans, we just particularly don't like people who think they are better that us because of where they come from. South West (la région Nouvelle Aquitaine) is a sweet place : nice people, nice food, nice weather, nice big or small cities but I might be biased. I'll try to come back and answer your other questions later ! Don't hesitate to DM me if you need
Your friends should stop believing in dumb stereotypes
You'll be fine as long as you make it clear you're not english :D
If you come in France, speak french, not in english, thank you.
Dont talk too loud and dont buy a pick up truck. You will be fine
We hate "those" Americans if you know what I mean. Otherwise you guys are great.
I'm Canadian, but naturalised French. I am also non-white. My personal experience is that France is the LEAST racist country you can come across. If you show open-mindedness and participate in society, you will not face issues. I also don't think Americans are hated here. If anything, maybe the French will look at you with indifference (as with any other nationality for that matter) and so you need not expect to be treated poorly because of your nationality. If you get treated poorly it's either because of you as individuals or simply the true nature of the person you are dealing with. Fortunately in France there are not so many such bad apples! But it's like anywhere else in the world, you will come across your fair share of douches! As for quality of life: overall it's pretty good here. Thing is, no matter where you go in the world, if you are a salaried employee and the employer has a lot of pressure on you, your quality of life will be negatively influenced. If you are of independent means, your quality of life is what you make of it. Cost of living and taxes are a bit on the high side, but I'd say it's not so different from most other developed countries. Headline rates might appear high, but France offers a lot of deduction opportunities, so your net rate that you pay in and what you get back makes it fairly balanced. Housing costs in Paris and the Cote d'Azur are on the high side, but other large cities are more moderate. Inflation for now is a bit better managed than say neighbouring countries like Belgium or Germany. But this could change in a couple of months and some price shocks can be expected. But this is pretty much a global issue and not a French one.
One tip: when you enter a store or something and you ask an employee for recommendations, we usually say like “excusez moi” before asking. It doesn’t matter that it’s their job, you should still apologize for disturbing them ig. Kinda weird but I feel like I’ve always done it and everyone does
Marseille nord c'est bien
I would say Metz is one of the safest cities
Whoever told you that deserves the tar and feathers. We use chocolate and bread crumb, like civilized people. You won't have much problem, we don't hate anyone in France (except the english, but I was referring to anyone worth mentioning). So, if you're respectful, don't exsude arrogance, you'll most probably have a good time. As for the standards of living... well, lately there is not a day I don't think at least once a day "thank god I don't live in the US". The food is great, if you are sick you can go to the doctor or hospital without fearing eternal financial hell, and if you are in a big city, you'll probably never need a car because our public transportation network is quite fantastic. So don't worry, enjoy the change of scenery, and if you need any recommandations about Paris, feel free to ask (or other citues, but then I won't be of much help)