Bad Advice for Travelers Visiting France in the Summer

There is a lot of weird advice out there about visiting Europe in the summer months. When you look at France specifically, it’s especially bad. 

We’ve lived in France for a while now, and while summer presents some challenges, it can also be a great deal of fun. No, really. The al fresco dining scene is stellar, there’s bountiful sun, and the local folks are in a pretty good mood.

They’re not happy because you’re there, by the way. They just like taking multi-week vacations in the summertime, too, which often means hitting the sea.

Anyway, I’ve put together a list of the bad advice we’ve come across during our stay here and online. Quick note: If you’re taking advice from someone who hasn’t been to France since the 1990s, it’s time to update that approach!

Skip Paris.

Telling travelers to avoid Paris because you have some perception that it’s unsafe, overcrowded, or overrated is lazy. It’s as if it’s cool to shit on this city. As someone from Chicago, I get it, haters. You’re jealous.

If you’ve never been to France, you have to see Paris. Repeat visits reveal a more intimate side of the city, away from the tourists, but with just a few days here, you really should see the biggies.

I still smile to myself whenever I think about my mom seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Everything she’d read online about Paris disappeared, and she became aware of how thankful she was to see it in person. 

Skipping Paris entirely means missing out on some of the best museums in the world, especially for art enthusiasts, stunning architecture, and an unmatched food scene. 

Summer may require more planning on your part as far as reservations are concerned, but you’d need those year-round anyway. Even in the dead of August, Paris is magical. 

Everything will be open. It’s high season.

It may be high season as far as the tourism industry is concerned, but that’s not something the French care about. 

They care more about maintaining that ideal balance of work and play. It’s not unheard of to see signage on doors telling folks they’re shut down for the month of July, August, or both. (It gets especially precarious around Bastille Day on July 14.)

It may be annoying to come across a pair of shuttered doors if you had your heart set on something Google says is open, but it’ll teach you a valuable lesson. Sometimes Google lies. 

If your trip is focused on Paris, you’ll still find plenty to do. The main tourist attractions will all remain open to visitors, and there will always be something to eat.

If you have your heart set on a particular restaurant or shop, though, call ahead to make sure they’re open during your visit.

You don’t need reservations. 

Let’s start with restaurants. Summer is an excellent time to indulge in France’s al fresco dining scene, but it’s also the best time to be met with restaurant closures. Restaurateurs in this country care less about the dollar than they do about their me time. I’m here for it.

If you fell in love with an eatery on Chef’s Table or finally want to see what all the fuss is about with your Aunt Janet’s favorite restaurant in the world, book ahead.

Many popular restaurants are bookable online these days, but some may require a phone call. 

While most attractions remain open to tourists all summer long, reservations to the biggies are essential. You can’t just drop by places like the Louvre and expect to get in to see the Mona Lisa. 

Give yourself at least a week in advance, likely more in the summer, for tickets to the country’s most popular museums. I know that messes with spontaneity, but the sacrifice is worth it when you’re doing the things you set out to do vs. sitting in a cafe all day.

READ MORE: Versailles is one of those places that require tickets to be booked in advance. Steal my guide for planning your visit.

Summer is for sitting in cafés. 

France is known for its café culture. If you’re not careful, though, you could spend the majority of your trip nursing overpriced coffees in touristy squares that prey on your desire for the perfect café pics. 

The French love a café, and they love a good bistro. They also love to walk. They can walk all day long. That’s a big reason why they can eat all that bread and cheese. They’re often in motion.

Fun fact: Walk a French city with a local and you’ll understand what I mean. It’s intense.

The difference is that when they take a break, their heads aren’t generally in their phones. (Youths are the exception.) They’re in a park reading a book, or they’re in that café sipping on a fizzy water and munching on a sweet treat. 

That’s more noticeable than staring at someone doomscrolling for hours, so they get this reputation of constantly being in a state of lounging. It’s just not the case. 

Summer is when the country is most alive, in many ways. People are out hiking in the French Alps or along the Atlantic Coast, enjoying festivals, swimming, or tucking into some air conditioning in an art museum.

You can handle the heat. 

I don’t care where you’re coming from, especially when your summer looks like moving from an air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned home and back again. The heat hits differently when you can’t escape it. 

Some of the beach destinations and big cities now offer air conditioning in hotels and apartment-style accommodations, but it’s not a given everywhere. It’s certainly not a given at restaurants and shops.

The French dislike air conditioning for a variety of reasons. Some see it as unnatural and potentially unhealthy. Others will die on the hill of open windows and fresh air, no matter the swass. Energy consciousness and historical building designs also play a role.

It gets hot in France. We’ve experienced full summers here now, and when it’s really bad, it’s a delicate balance of sitting in the dark with shades drawn and letting some air in each morning. You’ll want to mentally prepare for that.

Here is what it’s really like during a French heat wave:

You can use Paris as a day trip hub for everything else.

If you’re lucky enough to have a week or two to play with on a trip to France, you may think you can just base yourself in Paris and bop around from there. 

While there’s certainly quite a bit to be said about the best Paris day trips, the country is well-connected enough that planning to stay in different areas is an even better idea.

France is regionally diverse, too, and summer is the perfect time to hop regions, soak in the landscape, and not rush back to Paris every night.

Driving in France is too scary. Skip it.

Some of our favorite memories during our time in France have involved hitting the road and exploring the country by car. It allows us to bring our dog, Kimmy, which is always a plus. But it’s also the best way to see the country’s charming villages.

Many travelers assume driving in France is too intimidating and opt to skip it, especially in the busy summer months. We put together a guide to driving in France as a tourist to dispel some of those rumors.

While I’m generally the passenger princess for reasons I’ll get into next, the drivers here aren’t nearly as wild as neighboring Italy.

France has excellent highways and clear signage on main roads, but avoid the tollways, and you’ll be in for a bonus of winding roads straight out of a fairytale. Renting a car opens up the countryside and gives you the freedom to travel at your own pace.

READ MORE: Driving through the Loire Valley is a must if you’re here for castles!

They’ll always have an automatic.

If you don’t know how to drive a stick shift car, you need to make sure that you request an automatic when you’re renting a car for your summertime road trip in France. Do so early, too, as demand is higher during those months.

Don’t assume that loads of availability for cars online during your travel time means everything will work out at the counter. Even though automatics often cost more to rent, they sell out faster because manual transmission cars dominate the market.

Double-check that booking before your departure, too, especially if you’re not renting from a major city.

Don’t bother learning French.

Assuming everyone speaks English comes off as disrespectful anywhere you go, but it’s particularly bad in France. This is a country where following cultural norms will take you far, and that includes a simple “bonjour” upon entry into any establishment.  

Fun fact: Throw in a “Merci, au revoir,” as you leave, and you’re already doing better than most tourists.

Making no effort to learn a few basic French greetings or pleasantries can lead to cold receptions, and not in a good way. This is especially true in the summer months when the French are dealing with an influx of tourists.

I’m OK with some attitude if you’re acting like a dunce. It’s lazy. Not everyone in France speaks English, first of all, and you’re a visitor here. Act like it.

The entitlement of travelers who visit this country is one of my biggest gripes online.

Americans, that bit about how you’re the friendliest doesn’t track, by the way. We’ve experienced more kindness in this country than when we were traveling the 50 states before our move here. It got downright sketchy in some of those rural towns.

You can’t wear shorts.

You can wear pretty much whatever you want in France these days, even in Paris. While there is a certain subset of French folks who like to look more polished, come summertime, even the fashion-forward relax quite a bit.

It’s hot. If you’re unlucky enough to visit during a heatwave, you’ll see everything you’d expect as far as summer fashion, including shorts and sandals.

Young people in our town even hit the parks in bikini tops, although that’s a level of confidence you don’t need to exhibit as a tourist. 

Don’t let your anxiety over what they’ll think of you keep you from dressing comfortably when it’s hot as hell outside. They’ll know you’re a tourist anyway, honestly.

The Riviera is just for beaches.

Assuming the French Riviera is just about its sandy beaches sells it short. I don’t even love the beach, and I’ve enjoyed all of our trips there, even in the warmer months. 

If all you do is sit at the beach, you’ll miss the art and tasty food scene of Nice or the stunning views from medieval hilltop villages like Èze.

The French Riviera is also known for its summer cultural festivals, like the Nice Jazz Festival. This region knows how to party.

The coastline down here is stunning, but it’s also fun to explore inland. You may lose some of the tourists, too, and everyone needs a break from sunbathing once in a while.

French food is overrated.

You may have heard this from someone else who visited France during its summer months. Saying French food is overrated suggests that they stuck to tourist traps or expected constant fine dining at diner prices. 

In reality, French cuisine is best when you explore its variety, quality, and attention to detail, even in casual settings.

We’ve had some delightful meals involving a simple baguette with ham and cheese or a warm goat cheese salad at a corner bistro. A cart crêpe is never a bad idea.

Regional specialties are fun to explore, too. If you’re visiting Provence, everything tastes a little sun-kissed. Expect tapenades and savory tarts and herbaceous veggies playing off those lavender fields, paired with fresh fish and Provençal rosé wine. 

If you’re in Paris and claim you can’t find a good meal, you aren’t traveling correctly. I’m sorry. That’s just not possible unless you’re trying to be a contrarian. This city has something for everyone, even for those who inexplicably hate French food. 

We head into Paris to eat Asian food, for example, as our town doesn’t have many options. If you want a cheeseburger at some point, you’ll find that, too. It’ll just be smaller than you may be used to, which I’m sure some complain about, too. 

You can stick to your low-carb diet.

I’m not saying you’re a fake celiac. If you truly can’t eat bread, that sucks. If you don’t eat bread because you think it’s bad for you, you’re robbing yourself of one of the country’s greatest joys: fresh baguettes.

The stereotype of French people walking about with baguettes sticking out of their handbags or tucked under their arms is completely true. A fresh, crusty baguette is part of daily life here, and it’s nothing like the “baguette” you get at home. 

I don’t care which hipster artisanal baker you buy your stuff from in your hometown. It’s not the same. It also doesn’t cost a dollar. That’s what you can get a baguette for across much of France. 

Note: I know this is true because I’ve spent exorbitant amounts of money on what is considered the “best” bread across the U.S. It’s fine.

The carbs here are also about buttery croissants, flaky tarts, and handmade pasta. Yep. The French love pasta, too!

Embrace the balance while you’re here. Try the local specialties and let yourself enjoy the flavors of France. You’ll be walking more anyway.

You won’t need cash.

It’s rare, but you’ll still run into vendors at farmers’ markets and some small businesses that only take cash.

There may also be credit card limits at some bakeries that otherwise take plastic. We always have between €20-40 on us, especially when we hit the countryside. 

It’s nice to carry around a few coins for tips, too. While certainly not obligatory, throwing a few euros down for service at a place you visited three times in a week, for example, is a nice gesture. 

You can wing it with the trains.

That’s a risky move, especially in the summer. Popular routes book up quickly, and last-minute fares can be expensive or unavailable. Some smaller stations in the countryside may have limited service, so I’d never assume I can just show up and hop on board.

Planning ahead allows you to choose direct routes and secure seats, and it’s easy to book online.

That all said, it’s not a bad idea to leave a little room in the itinerary for delays or potential strikes. Minor delays are common, major delays and strikes less so, but they do happen. 

I wouldn’t make a Michelin meal reservation within a few hours of my arrival in a new city by train, for example. 

Plan EVERYTHING.

Assuming you can just wing it in the summer is a mistake. You already know that. But you should still leave time for some wandering. If you’re as Type A as I am, I’d go so far as to block off time in your schedule for a little spontaneity.

I get that it sounds less romantic that way, but then you’re not overscheduling yourself with back-to-back attraction-hopping. You’ll want to be kind to yourself in the warmer months, too. I know I always have less energy in the tank when it’s super hot.

There’s no free water anywhere. 

I had to school someone on this the other day. While it’s true that some countries, like Germany, charge you for water, that’s not the case here.

In France, it’s mandatory that eating and drinking establishments provide you with water at no extra charge if you ask for it. 

That’s if you ask for it. The gal I schooled assumed it would just appear at her table from the water fairy, so she made a second assumption that she’d need to pay for water. 

Throw this out if you want free tap water with your meal: “Une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plaît.” If you chug it down, just ask for more. It’s not a big deal. Servers don’t come around and bother you 15 times during your meal, either. Stay as long as you want. I love it.

If you’re walking about and feeling parched, there are also free, potable water fountains all over the city. Paris even has free sparkling water fountains. You can search for them on your preferred map app. You won’t die of thirst here.

You don’t need to bring anything home.

Our visitors always leave with packed suitcases. One of the more obvious summer travel tips is to travel light, but assume you’ll return home with some goodies, if only because you fell in love with chicken-flavored chips.

Note: Chips (or crisps) are something I tend to leave room for no matter where I am, by the way. It’s a real problem I refuse to address.

I know of something else you’ll likely bring home from your summer trip to France: MEMORIES.

Sometimes things get sentimental here, and you probably already have an idea of my love for this country and France travel overall. What’s not to love about a place that has welcomed us so wholeheartedly? 

With a little extra effort and patience, your summer in France can be a delight…and feel free to reach out for extra tips if you do make it here!

Ready to visit France? Start with these guides:

• Considering Spring? Don’t Miss Giverny
• A Nice Guide When Bad Weather Hits
• It’s Worth Planning a Stop in Montpellier
• Repeat a Trip in Winter for Strasbourg
• How to Plan Fun Activities in Avignon

I’m not done yet! Here are a few more guides for France:

• Plan Ahead for Colmar’s Christmas Markets
• Planning a Busy Day in Cannes From Nice
• How to Spend Your Day in Montpellier
• A Real Golfer’s Guide to Le Golf National
• Visit My Favorite Alternative to Versailles

Want to see more?