I first traveled to France after I was 19—on a visit with my mother and father. I didn’t plan it myself, however I soaked up each second. We relied on paper maps, traveller’s cheques, and a journey agent to type out the small print. I carried francs in a cash belt (as you probably did again then), and positively nobody had a smartphone of their pocket. I had a useful Kodak Instamatic 110 digicam. It ONLY took pictures.
That was practically 47 years in the past. Since then, I’ve returned to France 40 instances—and in that point, the nation has modified in methods each small and vital. A few of these adjustments have made travelling in France a lot simpler. Others caught me unexpectedly. And some issues? They haven’t modified a bit—and I’m glad they haven’t.
How France Has Modified: 40 Journeys in 47 Years
On this publish, I’m sharing what I’ve seen shift through the years: some sensible, some quirky, and a few that also make me smile.
1. Canine Poop Isn’t The Hazard It Used To Be
I used to see canine poop on the sidewalks on a regular basis. Nowadays, most cities have clean-up legal guidelines and even bag dispensers.
2. Higher Air In Eating places
Again within the day, you’d eat your steak frites by way of a haze of Gauloises. Since 2008, you’ll be able to breathe—and style your meals as a result of smoking was banned inside eating places (in addition to in nightclubs, shops, workplaces, and public transport ). You may smoke on outdoors terraces so long as they aren’t lined or enclosed. You’ll additionally see shoppers smoking their cigarettes on the sidewalk in entrance of the restaurant.
On July 1, 2025, France prolonged the smoking ban in public locations the place there youngsters could be uncovered (ie. parks, seashores, in entrance of colleges).
3. Eating places May Provide You A Blanket when You’re Sitting Exterior
In 2020, France banned using heaters on outside café terraces. I beloved it however the transfer was to cut back carbon emissions and vitality consumption.
4. The Paris Metro Is Now Classless
From 1900 to 1991, the Paris Metro had two separate first and second-class automobiles (and fares), though you can board the first-class automobiles throughout peak hours. At present, no differentiation between automobiles exists.
5. Simply A Faucet On The Paris Metro
The flooring, stairways, and entrances within the Metro was once suffering from paper tickets. in 2025 the transfer to contactless cost started. Paper tickets will solely be accepted till December 31, 2025. You may’t even purchase a “carnet” or booklet of 10 paper tickets anymore.
It was the norm to make use of Traveller’s Cheques and money when visiting France. It probably wasn’t till the Nineteen Nineties that using bank cards took off and at the moment, one doesn’t even have to drag out a card. You are able to do a contactless cost together with your smartphone or smartwatch.
7. Cell Telephones To Make Calls
Must make a name? Simply use your smartphone as a result of it’s more durable to discover a pay telephone in France. For those who do discover a telephone, it gained’t be coin-operated and can probably solely accepts bank cards.
8. Google Maps
Bear in mind unfolding that giant, unwieldy paper Michelin map? Now you’ll be able to simply get your route utilizing Google Maps or Apple Maps. Paper maps are nonetheless bought and lots of are plasticized so no extra ripped maps!
9. There’s A QR Code For That
Due to COVID, extra eating places had been offering QR codes to entry their menus. There are nonetheless many eating places (particularly the upper priced ones) who give you a paper menu.
Even when taking a tour of a museum, there’s an app or QR code that may present me with all the knowledge I want. Not is a pamphlet wanted (though, to be trustworthy, I just like the arduous copies).
10. E-book Your Lodging Or Restaurant Reservation On Your Cellphone
Due to the web and apps (like The Fork), you’ll be able to guide something and all the things on-line, from resort stays and museum tickets to dinner reservations. No extra strain to make a telephone name requiring you to talk French.
11. Franc vs. Euro
On January 1, 2002, France ended using the franc and began utilizing the Euro. Earlier than then, it was all the time really easy to calculate the trade price: 4 francs = $1.00 Canadian. Granted, you may need a meal costing 240 francs, in order that was a little bit of a ache. I do favor the € now….though 1 € = $1.60 Canadian!
12. Taxis Plus Uber, Bolt, Rideshares
I favor utilizing taxis like G7 when I’m in Paris, however now there’s way more alternative with ride-sharing apps like Uber, Bolt, and FreeNow.
13. Know-how #1: Free Wifi
Gone are the times if you needed to pay for Wifi or go to the resort foyer to make use of their laptop. At present, most locations (accommodations, shops, museums, and, and so on) supply Wifi free….even the free navettes (shuttle buses) in Menton!
14. Know-how #2: Video And Audio Calling Providers To Keep In Contact
Within the outdated days, I might make a telephone name from the resort room or telephone sales space to a beloved one. At present, there’s FaceTime, Messenger, Zoom and lots of different video conferencing platforms that can assist you keep up a correspondence.
15. Elevated Safety And Crowds (Ie. Eiffel Tower, Louvre)
Do you keep in mind the open, clear house beneath the Eiffel Tower? It was a stupendous sight earlier than the safety obstacles surrounded the long-lasting construction in Paris. With added safety (with steel detectors) in any respect the monuments and museums, the road ups are longer and the crowds are larger. No surprise the employees on the Louvre have gone on strike a couple of instances. They’re simply so bored with the overcrowding.
16. Nonetheless See Again Packers, However No Extra “Paris on $20 a day”
Bear in mind the books “Paris on $15 a day” within the Seventies? An entire sequence of guidebooks giving recommendations on solely spending a small sum of money every day for meals and lodging existed. Not surprisingly, each decade the quantity went up. At present, the each day price may probably be about 250€.
17. Stroll throughout Pont du Gard
As I wrote on this publish, 5 Actions At Pont du Gard You Can Do (And 1 You Can’t) within the early Nineteen Nineties, I used to be in a position to stroll throughout Pont du Gard, however they stopped that for security causes, in fact!
18. Mistral Practice lunch
In 1978 my father booked the household on Le Mistral, an categorical SNCF prepare that took us from Paris to Avignon. It was named after the Mistral, the robust wind that lows from the north of France to the Mediterranean. Our journey was further particular as a result of they’d a really upscale restaurant on the prepare. All I keep in mind was the white linen service and my father not realizing that the dish he had eaten was simply the primary course. There have been many extra to observe. Sadly, this service and prepare was discontinued in 1982.
19. Extra Informal Gown (Virtually)
Put on no matter you need in Paris. You’ll appear like a vacationer it doesn’t matter what. There’s much less dressing up when eating. It’s extra “sensible informal”. Neglect concerning the guidelines about not sporting shorts. Have you ever been in Paris in the summertime? Attempt sporting denims when the temperature has been 38° C and inform me you’re tremendous!!! There may be one exception about what you put on and this is applicable to spiritual establishments. Normally it’s no hats and no naked shoulders).
20. Much less Want For A Journey Agent
Within the early days I used a journey agent to guide my flight, resort, prepare, and automotive. At present, due to variety of guides, apps, and the web, I can do all of the planning and bookings on my own. This isn’t to say I might by no means use a journey agent. If I had been doing one thing actually distinctive (ie. mountaineering Mont Blanc from hut to hut), I’d use one to assist me with the logistics.
21. Radar And Dashing Tickets Are Extra Widespread
I’ve been a recipient of a parking ticket and some rushing tickets due to picture radar. Yearly extra are added, so getting a ticket is changing into extra widespread. Many readers have contacted me to specific their shock that they had been caught “on digicam”. [Post: How To Deal With French Speeding Fines And Parking Tickets].
22. No Extra Locks On Pont des Arts
For years {couples} desirous to declare their love for each other would connect a lock to the railing on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris. Nevertheless, in 2014, the load of the hundreds of thousands of locks—roughly 45 tonnes—precipitated a part of the railing to break down. Involved about additional injury and security, on June 1, 2015, the town of Paris started to take away the locks and changed the railings with clear glass panels in an effort to cease individuals from fastening extra locks.
23. Plus ça change plus c’est la même
The extra issues change, the extra they continue to be the identical. Or, because the French say, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même selected.”
Issues That Haven’t Modified
Right here’s what nonetheless feels splendidly acquainted in France, journey after journey:
- nonetheless say “Bonjour”
- line ups on the Eiffel Tower and Louvre
- crowds to see the Mona Lisa
- McDonalds (aka “McDo”) in Paris—whereas the primary McDonald’s in France opened in 1972, a franchisee, Raymond Dayan, had opened 14 eating places within the larger Paris space by 1978. At present there are over 1500 McDonald’s eating places all through France.
- Strikes
- Baguettes are nonetheless sacred—and sure, individuals carry them underneath their arms; rip off the tip (referred to as a “quignon”) to eat.
- And there was a scratch and sniff stamp honouring the baguette in 2024 and speculated to scent like a recent baguette or bakery. Did it? Only a bit. Solely 600,000 had been printed within the preliminary run simply earlier than the Paris Olympics, so it’s probably you gained’t discover one at the moment.
- Lunch continues to be a drawn-out ritual, not a rushed errand
- Sunday closures are alive and effectively (plan forward!)
- Paperwork continues to be…forms
- Nonetheless use adapters for Europe
- Banks are nonetheless closed on Mondays
Are there any issues you can add to this checklist of how France has modified because you first visited? Please share!
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