, 4 = 
, 7 = 
.This list includes selected festivals in Paris, plus national holidays observed throughout France. Many sights close on national holidays—keep this in mind when planning your itinerary. Paris is lively with festivals and events throughout the summer and fall. Before planning a trip around a festival, verify the dates with the festival website, the Paris tourist office, or my “Upcoming Holidays and Festivals in France” web page at RickSteves.com/europe/france/festivals.
In Paris, hotels get booked up Easter weekend (note that Easter Monday is a holiday, and the weeks before and after are also busy), Labor Day, V-E Day, Ascension weekend, Pentecost weekend, Bastille Day and the week during which it falls, and the winter holidays (last half of December). Avoid leaving Paris at the beginning of one of these holiday weekends or returning at the end—you’ll be competing with Parisians for seats on planes and trains, or fighting them in traffic on the roadways.
If you’re in Paris during Christmas, see the Paris in Winter chapter for information on things to do. (Christmas week is generally quieter than the week of New Year’s.)
Here are some major holidays and festivals in 2025 and 2026:
| Jan 1 | New Year’s Day |
| Late March | Daylight Saving begins: March 30, 2025; March 29, 2026 |
| April | Easter weekend (Good Friday-Easter Monday): April 19-21, 2025; April 4-6, 2026 |
| May 1 | Labor Day |
| May 8 | V-E (Victory in Europe) Day |
| May | Ascension: May 29, 2025; May 14, 2026 |
| May/June | Pentecost and Whit Monday: June 8-9, 2025; May 24-25, 2026 |
| May (last Sunday) | Mother’s Day in France |
| Late May-early June | French Open tennis tournament |
| May-June | St. Denis Festival (classical concerts by international artists; www.festival-saint-denis.com) |
| June (third Sunday) | Father’s Day in France |
| June 21 | Fête de la Musique (concerts and dancing in the streets; http://fetedelamusique.culturecommunication.gouv.fr) |
| July | Tour de France (national bicycle race culminating in Paris; www.letour.fr) |
| July 14 | Bastille Day (fireworks, dancing, and revelry) |
| Mid-July-mid-Aug | Paris Neighborhoods Festival (theater, dance, and concerts around the city) |
| Mid-July-mid Aug | Paris Plages (ersatz beach along the Seine) |
| Aug 15 | Assumption of Mary |
| Late Aug- mid-Sept | La Villette Jazz Festival (outdoor concerts; www.jazzalavillette.com) |
| Sept | Festival of Autumn (theater, dance, film, and opera performances; www.festival-automne.com) |
| Early Oct | Fête des Vendanges (grape harvest festival and parades in Montmartre; www.fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com) |
| Late Oct | Daylight Saving ends: Oct 27, 2024; Oct 26, 2025; Oct 25, 2026 |
| Nov 1 | All Saints’ Day |
| Nov 11 | Armistice Day |
| Dec 25 | Christmas Day |
| Dec 31 | New Year’s Eve |
To learn more about France past and present, and specifically Paris, check out a few of these books or films. For kids’ recommendations, see the Paris with Children chapter. To learn what’s making news in France, you’ll find France 24 News online at France24.com/en. To experience expat life in Paris from home, a fun website is SecretsOfParis.com.
A to Z of French Food, a French to English Dictionary of Culinary Terms (G. de Temmerman, 1995). This is the most complete (and priciest) menu reader around—and it’s beloved by foodies. You can find it cheaper in France (try FNAC department stores) or by downloading the app.
A Waiter in Paris (Edward Chisholm, 2022). This is a fun ride into the Paris restaurant underworld, written by a young Englishman who wanted to become a waiter while speaking almost no French.
Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris (Sarah Turnbull, 2003). Turnbull takes an amusing look at adopting a famously frosty city.
Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation (Charles Glass, 2009). Using stories from American expatriates, Glass transports readers back to Nazi-occupied Paris in the early 1940s.
The Art Lover’s Guide to Paris (Ruby Boukabou, 2019). Pick up this guide for terrific, up-to-date information for enjoying Paris’ art scene. It also lists dates of important art and photography festivals in Paris.
The Cambridge Illustrated History of France (Colin Jones, 1995). The political, social, and cultural history of France is explored in detail, accompanied by coffee-table-book pictures and illustrations.
A Corner in the Marais (Alex Karmel, 1998). After buying a flat in the Marais, the author digs into the history of the building—and the evolution of one of Paris’ great neighborhoods.
The Course of French History (Pierre Goubert, 1988). Goubert provides a readable summary of French history.
Culture Shock! France (Sally Adamson Taylor, 2012). Demystify French culture—and the French people—with this good introduction.
Do Not Go Gentle, Go to Paris (Gail Thorell Schilling, 2019). This is an autobiographical and uplifting story of a woman in her 60s who wants to escape her life in the US and start a new one in Paris.
Don’t Be a Tourist In Paris (Vanessa Grall, 2017). This book, by the creator of a well-known blog called Messy Nessy Chic (https://book.messynessychic.com), offers tips for finding lesser-known experiences in Paris.
The Flâneur (Edmund White, 2001). Reading this book is like wandering the streets of Paris with the author, who lived here for 16 years.
French or Foe? (Polly Platt, 1994). This best seller, along with its follow-up, Savoir-Flair!, is helpful (if somewhat dated) for interacting with the French and navigating the intricacies of their culture.
From Here, You Can’t See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant (Michael S. Sanders, 2002). Foodies may enjoy this book about a small-town restaurant where foie gras is always on the menu.
Half an Hour from Paris (Annabel Simms, 2018). Living in Paris since 1991, Simms offers insights for exploring the Paris countryside by train and discovering little-known travel gems.
How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City (Joan DeJean, 2014). DeJean describes how Paris emerged from the Dark Ages to become the world’s grandest city.
I’ll Always Have Paris (Art Buchwald, 1996). The American humorist recounts life as a Paris correspondent during the 1940s and 1950s.
Into a Paris Quartier: Reine Margot’s Chapel and Other Haunts of St. Germain (Diane Johnson, 2005). The author acquaints readers with the sixth arrondissement by recounting her strolls through this iconic neighborhood.
Is Paris Burning? (Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, 1964). Set in the last days of the Nazi occupation, this is the story of the French Resistance and how a German general disobeyed Hitler’s order to destroy Paris.
La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life (Elaine Sciolino, 2011). Sciolino, former Paris bureau chief of the New York Times, gives travelers a fun, insightful, and tantalizing peek into how seduction is used in all aspects of French life—from small villages to the halls of national government.
A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway, 1964). Paris in the 1920s as recalled by Hemingway.
My Life in France (Julia Child, 1996). The inimitably zesty chef recounts her early days in Paris.
The New Paris (Lindsey Tramuta, 2017). A writer based in Paris takes a fresh, personal look at the city, revealing new trends in food, drink, fashion, and design with eye-catching photos.
The New Parisienne (Lindsey Tramuta, 2020). This time (see above), Tramuta focuses her attention on contemporary women in Paris who are changing the city’s culture and future.
Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light (Tyler Stovall, 1996). Stovall explains why African Americans found Paris so freeing in the first half of the 20th century.
Paris to the Moon (Adam Gopnik, 2000). This collection of essays and journal entries explores the idiosyncrasies of life in France from a New Yorker’s point of view. His literary anthology, Americans in Paris, is also recommended.
A Place in the World Called Paris (Steven Barclay, 1994). This anthology includes essays by literary greats from Truman Capote to Franz Kafka.
Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong (Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow, 2003). This is a must-read for anyone serious about understanding French culture, contemporary politics, and what makes the French tick.
The Sweet Life in Paris (David Lebovitz, 2009). Funny and articulate, pastry chef and cookbook author Lebovitz delivers oodles of food suggestions for travelers.
Travelers’ Tales: Paris and Travelers’ Tales: France (edited by James O’Reilly, Larry Habegger, and Sean O’Reilly, 2002). Notable writers explore Parisian and French culture.
City of Darkness, City of Light (Marge Piercy, 1996). Three French women play pivotal roles behind the scenes during the French Revolution.
The Hotel Majestic (Georges Simenon, 1942). Ernest Hemingway was a fan of Simenon, a Belgian writer who often set his Inspector Maigret detective books, including this one, in Paris.
Le Divorce (Diane Johnson, 1997). An American woman visits her stepsister and husband in Paris during a time of marital crisis (also a 2003 movie with Kate Hudson).
Murder in the Marais (Cara Black, 1999). Set in Vichy-era Paris, private investigator Aimée Leduc finds herself at the center of a murder mystery.
Night Soldiers (Alan Furst, 1988). The first of Furst’s gripping WWII espionage novels puts you right into the action in Paris.
Suite Française (Irène Némirovsky, 2004). Némirovsky, a Russian Jew who was living in France and died at Auschwitz in 1942, plunges readers into the chaotic WWII evacuation of Paris, as well as daily life in a small rural town during the ensuing German occupation.
A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens, 1859). Dickens’ gripping tale shows the pathos and horror of the French Revolution.
A Year in the Merde (Stephen Clarke, 2004). Englishman Paul West takes on life as a faux Parisian in this lighthearted novel that relies on some stereotypes.
A French Village (2009). This multiseason series effectively portrays life in the pro-Nazi rump state of Vichy France during World War II, from collaboration to resistance to liberation.
Amélie (2001). A charming waitress searches for love in Paris.
Before Sunset (2004). Nine years after meeting on a train to Vienna, Jesse and Celine (played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) are reunited in Paris.
Breathless (1960). A Parisian petty thief (Jean-Paul Belmondo) persuades an American student (Jean Seberg) to run away with him in this classic of French New Wave cinema.
Children of Paradise (1945). This melancholy romance was filmed during the Nazi occupation of Paris.
Dangerous Liaisons (1988). This inside look at sex, intrigue, and revenge takes place in the last days of the French aristocracy in pre-Revolutionary Paris.
The Intouchables (2011). A quadriplegic Parisian aristocrat hires a personal caregiver from the projects, and an unusual and touching friendship ensues.
Jules and Jim (1962). François Truffaut, the master of the French New Wave, explores a decades-long love triangle in this classic.
La Vie en Rose (2007). Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress Oscar for this film about the glamorous and turbulent life of singer Edith Piaf, who famously regretted nothing (many scenes were shot in Paris).
Les Misérables (2012). A Frenchman trying to escape his criminal past becomes wrapped up in Revolutionary intrigues (based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel).
Lost in Paris (2017). This funny, quirky film follows a young Canadian librarian who flies to Paris on a fluke and finds love while searching for her missing aunt.
Loving Vincent (2017). The first fully painted animated feature film, this movie follows an investigation into Vincent van Gogh’s final days before his death in Auvers-sur-Oise.
Marie Antoinette (2006). Kirsten Dunst stars as the infamous and misunderstood French queen (with a Californian accent) at Versailles in this delicate little bonbon of a film.
Midnight in Paris (2011). Woody Allen’s sharp comedy shifts between today’s Paris and the 1920s mecca of Picasso, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald.
Moulin Rouge! (2001). Baz Luhrmann’s fanciful musical is set in the legendary Montmartre nightclub.
Ridicule (1996). A nobleman navigates the opulent court of Louis XVI on his wits alone.
Ronin (1998). Robert De Niro stars in this crime caper, which includes a car chase through Paris and scenes filmed in Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and Arles.
Three Colors trilogy (1990s). Krzysztof Kieślowski’s stylish trilogy (Blue, White, and Red) is based on France’s national motto—“Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.” Each features a famous French actress as the lead (Blue, with Juliette Binoche, is the best).
The Triplets of Belleville (2003). This surreal-yet-heartwarming animated film begins in a very Parisian fictional city.
• Europeans write a few of their numbers differently than we do: 1 = , 4 = , 7 = .
• In Europe, dates appear as day/month, so Christmas is 25/12.
• Commas are decimal points and decimals are commas. A dollar and a half is $1,50, one thousand is 1.000, and there are 5.280 feet in a mile.
• When counting with fingers, start with your thumb. If you hold up your first finger to request one item, you’ll probably get two.
• What Americans call the second floor of a building is the first floor in Europe.
• On escalators and moving sidewalks, Europeans keep the left “lane” open for passing. Keep to the right.
A kilogram equals 1,000 grams (about 2.2 pounds). One hundred grams (a common unit at markets) is about a quarter-pound. One liter is about a quart, or almost four to a gallon.
A kilometer is six-tenths of a mile. To convert kilometers to miles, cut the kilometers in half and add back 10 percent of the original (120 km: 60 + 12 = 72 miles). One meter is 39 inches—just over a yard.
| 1 foot = 0.3 meter | 1 square yard = 0.8 square meter |
| 1 yard = 0.9 meter | 1 square mile = 2.6 square kilometers |
| 1 mile = 1.6 kilometers | 1 ounce = 28 grams |
| 1 centimeter = 0.4 inch | 1 quart = 0.95 liter |
| 1 meter = 39.4 inches | 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds |
| 1 kilometer = 0.62 mile | 32°F = 0°C |
When shopping for clothing, use these US-to-European comparisons as general guidelines (but note that no conversion is perfect).
Women: For pants and dresses, add 32 in France (US 10 = French 42). For blouses and sweaters, add 8 for most of Europe (US 32 = European 40). For shoes, add 30-31 (US 7 = European 37/38).
Men: For shirts, multiply by 2 and add about 8 (US 15 = European 38). For jackets and suits, add 10. For shoes, add 32-34.
Children: Clothing is sized by height—in centimeters (2.5 cm = 1 inch), so a US size 8 roughly equates to 132-140. For shoes up to size 13, add 16-18, and for sizes 1 and up, add 30-32.
First line, average daily high; second line, average daily low; third line, average days without rain. For more detailed weather statistics for destinations in this book (as well as the rest of the world), check Wunderground.com.
Europe takes its temperature using the Celsius scale, while we opt for Fahrenheit. For a rough conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit, double the number and add 30. For weather, remember that 28°C is 82°F—perfect. For health, 37°C is just right. At a launderette, 30°C is cold, 40°C is warm (usually the default setting), 60°C is hot, and 95°C is boiling. Your air-conditioner should be set at about 20°C.
Whether you’re traveling for five days or five weeks, you won’t need more than this. Pack light to enjoy the sweet freedom of true mobility.
5 shirts: long- & short-sleeve
2 pairs pants (or skirts/capris)
1 pair shorts
5 pairs underwear & socks
1 pair walking shoes
Sweater or warm layer
Rainproof jacket with hood
Tie, scarf, belt, and/or hat
Swimsuit
Sleepwear/loungewear
Debit card(s)
Credit card(s)
Hard cash (US $100-200)
Money belt
Passport
Other required ID: Vaccine card, entry visa, etc.
Driver’s license, student ID, hostel card, etc.
Tickets & confirmations: flights, hotels, trains, rail pass, car rental, sight entries
Photocopies of important documents
Insurance details
Guidebooks & maps
Mobile phone
Camera & related gear
Tablet/ebook reader/laptop
Headphones/earbuds
Chargers & batteries
Phone car charger & mount (or GPS device)
Plug adapters
Basics: soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, sunscreen, brush/comb, etc.
Medicines & vitamins
First-aid kit
Glasses/contacts/sunglasses
Face masks & hand sanitizer
Sewing kit
Packet of tissues (for WC)
Earplugs
Day pack
Sealable plastic baggies
Laundry supplies: soap, laundry bag, clothesline, spot remover
Small umbrella
Travel alarm/watch
Notepad & pen
Journal
Second pair of shoes (flip-flops, sandals, tennis shoes, boots)
Travel hairdryer
Picnic supplies
Disinfecting wipes
Water bottle
Fold-up tote bag
Small flashlight
Mini binoculars
Small towel or washcloth
Inflatable pillow/neck rest
Tiny lock
Address list (to mail postcards)
Extra passport photos
When using the phonetics: Try to nasalize the n sound (let the sound come through your nose). Note that the “ahn” combination uses the “ah” sound in “father,” but the “an” combination uses the “a” sound in “sack.” Pronounce the “ī” as the long “i” in “light.” If your best attempt at pronunciation meets with a puzzled look, just point to the place name on the list.
Arc de Triomphe ark duh tree-ohnf
arrondissement ah-rohn-dees-mohn
Art Nouveau ar noo-voh
Auvers-sur-Oise oh-vehr-sewr-wahz
Bateaux Mouches bah-toh moosh
Bon Marché bohn mar-shay
boulangerie boo-lahn-zheh-ree
Carnavalet kar-nah-val-eh
Champ de Mars shahn duh mar
Champs-Elysées shahn-zay-lee-zay
Chantilly shahn-tee-yee
charcuterie shar-kew-tuh-ree
Chartres shar-truh
château(x) shah-toh
Cité see-tay
Cité des Sciences see-tay day see-ahns
Conciergerie kon-see-ehr-zhuh-ree
Contrescarpe kohn-truh-scarp
droguerie droh-guh-ree
Ecole Militaire ay-kohl mee-lee-tair
Egouts ay-goo
Fauchon foh-shohn
Fontainebleau fohn-tehn-bloh
fromagerie froh-mah-zhuh-ree
Galeries Lafayette gah-luh-ree lah-fay-yet
gare gar
Gare d’Austerlitz gar doh-stehr-leets
Gare de l’Est gar duh lehst
Gare de Lyon gar duh lee-ohn
Gare du Nord gar dew nor
Gare St. Lazare gar san lah-zahr
Giverny zhee-vayr-nee
Grand Palais grahn pah-lay
Grande Arche de la Défense grahnd arsh duh lah day-fahns
Hôtel de Sully oh-tehl duh soo-lee
Ile de la Cité eel duh lah see-tay
Ile St. Louis eel san loo-ee
Jacquemart-André zhahk-mar-ahn-dray
jardin zhar-dan
Jardin des Plantes zhar-dan day plahnt
Jeu de Paume juh duh pohm
La Coulée Verte lah koo-lay vehrt
La Madeleine lah mah-duh-lehn
Le Hameau luh ah-moh
Les Halles lay zahl
Les Invalides lay-zan-vah-leed
Loire lwahr
L’Orangerie loh-rahn-zhuh-ree
Louvre loov-ruh
Marais mah-ray
Marché aux Puces mar-shay oh pews
Marmottan mar-moh-tahn
Métro may-troh
Monge mohnzh
Montmartre mohn-mart
Montparnasse mohn-par-nas
Moulin Rouge moo-lan roozh
musée mew-zay
Musée de l’Armée mew-zay duh lar-may
Musée d’Orsay mew-zay dor-say
Opéra Garnier oh-pay-rah gar-nee-ay
Orangerie oh-rahn-zhuh-ree
Orsay or-say
palais pah-lay
Palais de Justice pah-lay duh zhew-stees
Palais Royal pah-lay roh-yahl
Parc de la Villette park duh lah vee-leht
Parc Monceau park mohn-soh
Père Lachaise pehr lah-shehz
Petit Palais puh-tee pah-lay
Pigalle pee-gahl
place plahs
Place Dauphine plahs doh-feen
Place de la Bastille plahs duh lah bah-steel
Place de la Concorde plahs duh lah kohn-kord
Place de la République plahs duh lah ray-pew-bleek
Place des Vosges plahs day vohzh
Place du Tertre plahs dew tehr-truh
Place St. André-des-Arts plahs san tahn-dray-day-zart
Place Vendôme plahs vahn-dohm
Pompidou pohn-pee-doo
pont pohn
Pont Alexandre III pohn ah-lehks-ahn-druh trwah
Pont Neuf pohn nuhf
quai kay
Rive Droite reev drwaht
Rive Gauche reev gohsh
Rodin roh-dan
rue rew
Rue Cler rew klehr
Rue Daguerre rew dah-gehr
Rue des Rosiers rew day roz-ee-ay
Rue Montorgueil rew mohn-tor-goy
Rue Mouffetard rew moof-tar
Rue de Rivoli rew duh ree-voh-lee
Sacré-Cœur sah-kray-kur
Sainte-Chapelle sant-shah-pehl
Seine sehn
Sèvres-Babylone seh-vruh-bah-bee-lohn
Sorbonne sor-buhn
St. Germain-des-Prés san zhehr-man-day-pray
St. Julien-le-Pauvre san zhew-lee-an-luh-poh-vruh
St. Séverin san say-vuh-ran
St. Sulpice san sool-pees
Tour Eiffel toor ee-fehl
Trianon tree-ahn-ohn
Trocadéro troh-kah-day-roh
Tuileries twee-lay-ree
Vaux-le-Vicomte voh-luh-vee-komt
Venus de Milo veh-news duh mee-loh
Versailles vehr-sī
When using the phonetics, try to nasalize the n sound.
| Good day. | Bonjour. bohn-zhoor |
| Mrs. / Mr. | Madame / Monsieur mah-dahm / muhs-yuh |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? par-lay-voo ahn-glay |
| Yes. / No. | Oui. / Non. wee / nohn |
| I understand. | Je comprends. zhuh kohn-prahn |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. zhuh nuh kohn-prahn pah |
| Please. | S’il vous plaît. see voo play |
| Thank you. | Merci. mehr-see |
| I’m sorry. | Désolé. day-zoh-lay |
| Excuse me. | Pardon. par-dohn |
| No problem. | Pas de problème. pah duh proh-blehm |
| It’s good. | C’est bon. say bohn |
| Goodbye. | Au revoir. oh ruh-vwahr |
| one / two / three | un / deux / trois uhn / duh / trwah |
| four / five / six | quatre / cinq / six kah-truh / sank / sees |
| seven / eight | sept / huit seht / weet |
| nine / ten | neuf / dix nuhf / dees |
| How much is it? | C’est combien? say kohn-bee-an |
| Write it? | Ecrivez? ay-kree-vay |
| Is it free? | C’est gratuit? say grah-twee |
| Included? | Inclus? an-klew |
| Where can I buy / find…? | Où puis-je acheter / trouver…? oo pwee-zhuh ah-shuh-tay / troo-vay |
| I’d like / We’d like… | Je voudrais / Nous voudrions… zhuh voo-dray / noo voo-dree-ohn |
| …a room. | …une chambre. ewn shahn-bruh |
| …a ticket to ___. | …un billet pour ___. uhn bee-yay poor ___ |
| Is it possible? | C’est possible? say poh-see-bluh |
| Where is…? | Où est…? oo ay |
| …the train station | …la gare lah gar |
| …the bus station | …la gare routière lah gar root-yehr |
| …tourist information | …l’office du tourisme loh-fees dew too-reez-muh |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes? oo sohn lay twah-leht |
| men / women | hommes / dames ohm / dahm |
| left / right | à gauche / à droite ah gohsh / ah drwaht |
| straight | tout droit too drwah |
| pull / push | tirez / poussez tee-ray / poo-say |
| When does this open / close? | Ça ouvre / ferme à quelle heure? sah oo-vruh / fehrm ah kehl ur |
| At what time? | À quelle heure? ah kehl ur |
| Just a moment. | Un moment. uhn moh-mahn |
| now / soon / later | maintenant / bientôt / plus tard man-tuh-nahn / bee-an-toh / plew tar |
| today / tomorrow | aujourd’hui / demain oh-zhoor-dwee / duh-man |
| I’d like / We’d like… | Je voudrais / Nous voudrions… zhuh voo-dray / noo voo-dree-ohn |
| …to reserve… | …réserver… ray-zehr-vay |
| …a table for one / two. | …une table pour un / deux. ewn tah-bluh poor uhn / duh |
| Is this seat free? | C’est libre? say lee-bruh |
| The menu (in English), please. | La carte (en anglais), s’il vous plaît. lah kart (ahn ahn-glay) see voo play |
| service (not) included | service (non) compris sehr-vees (nohn) kohn-pree |
| to go | à emporter ah ahn-por-tay |
| with / without | avec / sans ah-vehk / sahn |
| and / or | et / ou ay / oo |
| breakfast / lunch / dinner | petit déjeuner / déjeuner / dîner puh-tee day-zhuh-nay / day-zhuh-nay / dee-nay |
| special of the day | plat du jour plah dew zhoor |
| specialty of the house | spécialité de la maison spay-see-ah-lee-tay duh lah may-zohn |
| appetizers | hors d’oeuvre or duh-vruh |
| first course (soup, salad) | entrée ahn-tray |
| main course (meat, fish) | plat principal plah pran-see-pahl |
| bread / cheese | pain / fromage pan / froh-mahzh |
| sandwich / soup | sandwich / soupe sahnd-weech / soop |
| salad | salade sah-lahd |
| meat / chicken | viande / poulet vee-ahnd / poo-lay |
| fish / seafood | poisson / fruits de mer pwah-sohn / frwee duh mehr |
| fruit / vegetables | fruit / légumes frwee / lay-gewm |
| dessert | dessert day-sehr |
| mineral water | eau minérale oh mee-nay-rahl |
| tap water | l’eau du robinet loh dew roh-bee-nay |
| (orange) juice | jus (d’orange) zhew (doh-rahnzh) |
| coffee / tea / milk | café / thé / lait kah-fay / tay / lay |
| wine / beer | vin / bière van / bee-ehr |
| red / white | rouge / blanc roozh / blahn |
| glass / bottle | verre / bouteille vehr / boo-tay |
| Cheers! | Santé! sahn-tay |
| More. / Another. | Plus. / Un autre. plew / uhn oh-truh |
| The same. | La même chose. lah mehm shohz |
| The bill, please. | L’addition, s’il vous plaît. lah-dee-see-ohn see voo play |
| Do you accept credit cards? | Vous prenez les cartes? voo pruh-nay lay kart |
| tip | pourboire poor-bwahr |
| Delicious! | Délicieux! day-lees-yuh |
For more user-friendly French phrases, check out Rick Steves French Phrase Book or Rick Steves French, Italian & German Phrase Book.