Dollars and euros
Prices in France always include tax (VAT), so what you see on the tag is what you pay. Card networks convert at close to this rate; avoid any offer to charge you in dollars at the register. See money and cards.
Temperature
Distance, speed and weight
More rules of the road are in driving in France.
Gas prices and fuel economy
French cars list fuel use as liters per 100 km, where lower is better. To convert to miles per gallon, divide 235 by the number: 5 L/100 km is about 47 mpg, 7 L/100 km about 34 mpg, and 9 L/100 km about 26 mpg. At the pump, gazole is diesel, and SP95, SP95-E10 and SP98 are unleaded gasoline. Putting gasoline in a diesel rental is a common and expensive mistake.
Clothing sizes
Sizes vary by brand, so treat these as starting points and try things on. French stores label children's clothing by age (2 ans, 4 ans) and often by height in centimeters.
| Women's US | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
|---|
| France | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 |
| Men's suits & jackets US | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 |
|---|
| France | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 |
| Men's shirt collar US | 14 | 14½ | 15 | 15½ | 16 | 16½ | 17 | 17½ |
|---|
| France (cm) | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 |
| Men's pants waist US | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 |
|---|
| France | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 |
| Bra band US | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
|---|
| France | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 105 |
Bra cup letters match through D; a US DD is usually a French E.
Shoe sizes
| Women's US | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|
| France | 35½ | 36½ | 37½ | 38½ | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Men's US | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|
| France | 40 | 41 | 42½ | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47½ |
| Kids' US | 6 T | 8 T | 10 | 12 | 13 | 1 Y | 3 Y |
|---|
| France | 22 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 34 |
Time zones and calling home
Watch out
Europe and the US change their clocks on different dates. For a week or two each spring and fall the gap shrinks by an hour: France ended daylight saving time on October 25, 2026, but the US doesn't until November 1, so Paris is 5 hours ahead of New York this week instead of 6. In 2027 the gap is one hour smaller from March 14 to March 28 and from October 31 to November 7. The clocks above already account for this.
| You'll see | It means |
|---|
| 07/04/2027 | April 7, 2027. The French write day, then month. |
| 20h30 | 8:30 pm. Schedules, tickets and shop hours use the 24-hour clock. |
| 2,50 € | €2.50. A comma marks decimals, and the € sign often goes after the number. |
| 1 250 € | €1,250. A space or period separates thousands. |
| RDC, RC or 0 | The ground floor (rez-de-chaussée), which Americans call the first floor. |
| 1er étage | The floor above the ground floor: the American second floor. |
| -1, -2 | Basement levels, usually parking. |
| Un demi | A small draft beer, 25 cl (about 8.5 oz), not a half-liter. |
| 75 cl | A standard wine bottle, about 25 oz. |
| Un pichet | A carafe of house wine, usually 25 or 50 cl. |
| 100 g | About 3.5 oz. Deli counters, cheese shops and markets price by the kilo. |