Flights to France from the US

Buy a SIM card immediately upon arrival at the airport from Orange, SFR, or Bouygues Telecom kiosks. Orange is most reliable with best coverage in rural areas. A 7-day plan with 50GB data costs €20-30; 30-day plans with 100GB cost €40-60. Your US phone will work (it's unlocked, right?); if not, don't panic—all three carriers sell prepaid phones for €30-80. Alternatively, buy at a supermarket (Carrefour, Monoprix, Leclerc) in the travel section. Activation takes 10 minutes, no passport required. Skip buying at your US phone carrier (they'll charge $200+ for international roaming and it's comically bad). Backup option: use free wifi everywhere (every café, hotel, museum, and McDonald's has it) and just buy the SIM for navigation.

France is NOT a tipping culture—tips are entirely optional, not expected, and honestly rare. In restaurants, rounding up the bill by €1-2 or leaving 5% is appreciated but not required; if service is truly exceptional (rare), 10% is generous. Automatic gratuity is never included and you'll never be pressured. Taxi drivers expect rounding up (€18 ride → €20) but don't expect percentage tips. Hotel porters expect €1-2 per bag if they actually help, but it's optional. Tour guides and wine tasting room staff appreciate €2-5 per person if they were genuinely helpful, but again, it's not expected. The key difference from America: tipping here is genuinely voluntary, not a wage subsidy system. Staff are paid a living wage, so don't feel guilty not tipping. The French consider big American tipping excessive and slightly rude (suggesting they're poor).

France is safe for tourists. Violent crime against tourists is extremely rare. Your real risks are petty theft in Paris tourist zones (Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, Metro) and pickpocketing on crowded trains. Don't be paranoid—millions of Americans visit annually without incident. Normal precautions: don't flash expensive cameras/jewelry, keep backpacks zipped on the Metro, avoid displaying large amounts of cash. Demonstrations (gilets jaunes, pension strikes) occasionally happen but are organized and rarely target tourists; just avoid closed-off streets and you're fine. Avoid the 18th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements of Paris after dark unless you're specifically going to a well-known venue. Nice has a slightly higher petty theft rate than Paris but it's still manageable with basic awareness. Regional France (Provence, Loire Valley, Alps) is genuinely safe even at night. Healthcare is excellent and hospitals accept international insurance. If you lose your passport, the US Embassy in Paris is helpful. Overall: France is statistically safer than most American cities.