Shopping and Dining in France

Banks and currency

Changing, withdrawing and using cash

Invest time in familiarising yourself with euro paper currency and coins; at the very least it may save you from being short-changed. The euro is worth roughly one US dollar.

Bank opening hours

Monday to Friday 09.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00 or 16.30.
Many open either on Saturdays or Mondays. Closed at noon on the eve of a bank holiday.

Cashpoints

You can draw cash (liquide or espèces) from cash dispensers across France on your credit or bank cards - look for your card's logo on the machine. Many now offer language options.

Changing money

You can change cash or traveller's cheques in banks, bureaux de change (currency exchange offices), post offices and at many hotels. NB: shops do not usually change traveller's cheques. Small change, needed for vending machines etc, is referred to as monnaie.

Eurocheques

These are NOT accepted by most French banks (but may be cashed by some post offices).

Credit and debit cards

UK and US credit cards are widely accepted, but check before making your purchase.

Lost & stolen cards

A few cards provide central helpline numbers to report lost cards, but it is important to keep your card provider's 24-hour helpline number handy in case you need assistance.

Debit cards

Switch and other UK debit cards are widely accepted, but check before making a purchase.

Opening times of large and small stores and other information

Opening hours
Generally, French shops keep the following hours:

Superstores
Open later (9 or 10pm), but may close on Sundays and Monday mornings. If you are going to a superstore, make sure you carry a 10F coin as a deposit on a trolley.

Food stores
7-9am - 7.30pm
Bakeries (and some other food shops) open on Sunday mornings.

Non-food stores
9am -7.30pm

Most stores outside major cities close between 12 noon (or 1pm) and 2pm. Many shut half- or all-day Monday.

Typical high street shops

Bakery	Boulangerie
Butcher	Boucherie
Grocer	Épicerie
Shopping centre	Centre commercial
Fishmonger	Poissonnerie
Cake shop/Pastry shop	Pâtisserie
Chemist	Pharmacie
News agent/tobacconist	Tabac
Superstore	Supermarché

If you have a complaint

Traditionally, French stores have taken a hard line about returns and refunds. This is steadily changing, but our best advice is to ask in the store if you can return goods at the time of purchase.

Complaint	Réclamation
To exchange	Échanger
Refund	Remboursement

Clothes and shoe sizes

Conversion tables for common UK and US sizes

Women's dresses and suits

Tipping: who to tip, and how much

Restaurants include a service charge in the bill, so tipping is not strictly necessary. It is, however, customary to leave a tip as a mark of appreciation for good service. In bars (and cafés where service is not charged) it is normal to leave a tip of 10% of your bill.

Taxi drivers and hairdressers are usually tipped; 10% of the fare or bill is generally expected.

Hotels include a service charge, but it is usual to offer a small tip to the doorman or porter and the chambermaid.

Lavatory attendants should be tipped (or a tip left in a saucer).

Others who might expect a tip include airport and station porters, tour guides and cinema/theatre ushers.

Eating out: etiquette and opening hours of restaurants

Eating out in France can be a real experience; there are almost too many fine restaurants to choose from. Prices range from the very reasonable (set menus, with wine included, are popular and economical) to the extremely expensive. Priced menus are usually displayed in a window or on the door.

It often surprises foreigners who have a particularly romantic notion of French cuisine that, in the less expensive eating places, chips (frites) appear with almost everything. Indeed, steak and chips (steak-frites) appears on almost every menu you see!

• If you are invited to dine at a French person's house, chocolates or flowers (NOT chrysanthemums, which are reserved for funerals) are welcome gifts, as are spirits and champagne. Don't bring wine, however. Wine is selected to accompany each course, so without knowing the menu, you can't select correctly... and there is always the danger that bringing your own bottle may be taken as an effront to your host's taste in wine!

• Bread is eaten with almost all savoury courses. Break it with your fingers; there may not be a side plate, so don't worry about crumbs.

• If you buy frites from a takeaway, you will be offered mayonnaise not ketchup.

• If you are invited to dinner in a French home, don't take wine as a gift.

• If cheese is served, it is before and not after dessert.

Mealtimes
Breakfast (petit déjeuner) is usually available between 7 and 9am.

Lunch (déjeuner), the day's main meal, is served between 12 noon and 2pm.

Dinner (dîner) is usually served between 7.30 and 9pm.

Supper (souper) to cater for the theatre, opera etc some restaurants serve until 2am.