Travelling in France without speaking French is possible.
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Not speaking French will not get you into any MAJOR problem.Â
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In case of emergency there will always be someone to help you.
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You can relax now. Breathe.
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But let’s get a few things straight: you’re missing out.
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Bref, here’s what kind of struggles and problem you’ll encounter if you travel to France without speaking French.Â
Potential deception when it comes to the locals.
No, not that kind…
Most French people will not speak English to you, even when they work in the tourism industry.
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Do French people speak English? Sort of. But it’s always going to be expected of you to start your conversation in French.
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Even if it’s just a few words.
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That’s one of the basics of French politeness. In fact, there’s a few rules like this you need to know if you want to have the best experience in France.
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Bref, not speaking French in France at all is going to make your experience of France bittersweet.
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Locals will give you the cold shoulder because they will consider your systematic use of English as a sign that you do not really want to interact with them.
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However twisted, or wrong, this might sound to you, I can assure you some will.
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While in France, you need to play by the French rules 😉Â
Misunderstandings / Incomprehensions
That happens a lot more than you think
That might be what you are most afraid of if you are reading this article.
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What if people do not understand me?
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When it comes to emergencies and major problem, don’t worry. There will always be some way to make yourself understood.
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Although, I recommend if you have any medical condition, allergies,… to carry a list of the French words with you.
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But yeah, if you do not speak French, the chances of not understanding something are obviously very high.
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And, it can be frustrating to be somewhere and not understanding what’s happening around you, and not having any way to ask the locals because you can’t communicate with them.
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I imagine that if you are travelling in France, it means you want to know more about it right?Â
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Being able to ask a few questions should resolve that problem very easily.
No real interactions
Remember this from Ghost? It kind of feels like that.
That’s another major one.Â
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When two people are speaking two different languages and that they don’t understand each others, the communication, however not impossible, is not going to be mind blowing either.
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You’ll end up frustrated because you can’t get your point across, and you can’t either understand what people are trying to tell you.
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Sometimes it doesn’t matter. But still, do you want to end your French experience on a frustrating note?
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I did not think so 😉Â
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Having real, authentic interactions is one of the great benefits of speaking French in France.
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And I talk about it more in this articleÂ
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But again, you don’t have to speak French like a pro to be able to get that sort of exchange.
Only getting the tourist package
You know what annoy me the most when I travel?
When I visit touristic attractions made especially for tourists, without a hint of authenticity, I feel cheated.
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It’s exactly what I felt like when I visited the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. And God knows I love Dublin.
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It’s like someone else had decided that the experience should be stripped of its essence, and packaged like in a factory.
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But in this instance more like a Disney factory.
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When I travel I’m looking for REAL experiences: authentic, messy, as it is,…
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Experience that I got from other places in Ireland: The Storehouse Restaurant in Temple Bar, the Tullamore Brewery, the Cliffs of Moher,….
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Not speaking the language makes you way more likely to feel cheated like this. Because you cannot really interact with French culture without speaking French.
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Plus, it’s much easier for you to fall into those touristic traps.
But truly, speaking a bit of French is NOT impossible
Speaking French in France is awesome, but you don’t have to speak fluent French to be able to enjoy life in France as local.
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In fact, I know a few British expats in France that don’t have a good French and they still manage to live there without any problem.
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Ok, this might also come from the fact that they live in a town where half the population is foreign. But still!
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So when I say ‘speaking French’, I don’t expect of you to know all about the French tenses and to have the vocabulary of a philosopher.Â
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A few things goes a long way.
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In fact, I’d recommend you learn sentences and ditch the grammar if you only goal is a to speak French while travelling in France.
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If you want to avoid the struggles I’m going to describe, I suggest you read this article – French for Travellers.
So, NO, not speaking French isn’t the end of the world. You CAN travel in France and not speak French.
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But it’d be a shame, because you’d miss out on all the best of what France has to offer.
1 thought on “Traveling in France without speaking French 🇫🇷”
I’ve studied French for years and while I’m not fluent I speak it well enough to get by. Yet I’ve often encountered les Françaises – it is always the women – who “pretend” not to understand me. My favorite example is the time I said to a server, “Bonsoir madame, on voudrait deux vins chauds, s’il vous plaît” in a bar where this speciality was clearly posted on a chalkboard not ten feet away. La serveuse refused to understand me – “Comment?” I repeated “deux vins chauds” and she sniffed, “je comprends pas.” I repeated and mimed “DEUX (two fingers) VINS (a drinking motion) CHAUDS (waving my hand as in hot)” She finally grudgingly acknowledged that she understood – “vous voulez deux vins chauds?” OUI !!