10 fun facts about France that you might not know

What makes France unique?

France is about more than just baguettes, the Mona Lisa, and the Eiffel Tower. The French also have croissants! But look past the tourist hotspots and pastry-related clichés and you’ll find a fascinating and diverse country with a rich culture and history.

We’re barely scratching the surface here, but let’s look at just a few of the things that make France unique.

Cuisine

If you’re like most people, the first thing you think of when someone mentions France is food and drink. From escargots de Bourgogne (snails cooked in artery-clogging quantities of garlic butter) to plant-based classics like ratatouille, you’ll struggle to find an area of French cuisine where the country isn’t on top form. Prefer seafood? Try moules marinières. Want something to cleanse the palate before dessert? Time to explore the more than 1,000 French cheese varieties, paired with some of the finest wines in the world.

When you first glance at a French menu, you might think a lot of it seems familiar, but that’s because France has defined our global conception of fine dining. The Parisian patisseries, Marseille’s seafood restaurants, the farm-to-table bistros of Provence — this is where the familiar trends you’ve seen in your own country probably originated.

Fashion

France, and Paris in particular, has shaped the global clothing industry over the last two centuries, especially across Western Europe. It’s no surprise that Paris Fashion Week is one of the biggest events in the calendar for stylists and fashionistas every year, and that Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton were all founded here. The city has earned its distinction as the world’s fashion capital.

French style, especially in the sartorial world, presents a unique balance between British structure and Italian fluidity. Parisian designers infuse the elegance and formality of English drape with Mediterranean sprezzatura, while also borrowing from France’s storied military history. You can still see the influence of Napoleonic uniforms on the streets of French cities today, giving fashion in the country an identity all of its own.

Art and culture

France has been one of Europe’s cultural powerhouses for centuries. The country has been home to the world’s most celebrated painters, writers, and filmmakers. For some, the pastoral beauty of Monet’s impressionism and the elegance of the Degas dancers make a day in the French museums an essential part of any trip. Prefer something more bold and stylistically challenging? The French see you and raise you Henri Matisse and Georges Braque, whose bold forays into new movements like Impressionism and Cubism reshaped the medium.

Of course, the French art scene is about more than just its painters. Writers like Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust, and Simone de Beauvoir ensured the country’s pedigree as a literary powerhouse, while French filmmakers contributed the first public movie screening in 1895, the entire avant garde movement, and the Cannes Film Festival. 

10 fun facts about France

You probably already know a few facts about France — that it’s in the European Union, for example, or that it's home to the world’s biggest cycling event, the Tour de France. Today, let’s get off the beaten cycle path and look at some interesting French facts that you might not already know. 

1. Paris has only one stop sign

France’s capital, Paris, has a population of around 2 million people and traffic in the city is notoriously chaotic (a chaos that is only compounded by the fact that French 14-year-olds can legally drive those tiny Ami cars without a full license). Strangely, though, you’ll only find one officially recognised stop sign in the whole city, located in the 16th arrondissement. The rest of Paris relies on traffic lights, roundabouts, right-of-way rules, and lots of yelling through rolled-down windows.

2. The French invented the hot air balloon

Well, two Frenchmen in particular — the hot air balloon was invented by brothers from the Ardèche region. Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier began experimenting with an innovative new form of travel in 1782. By lighting wool and damp straw, they created billowing waves of heat that could elevate pieces of fabric — the genesis of the hot air balloon. You’ll see these charmingly coloured oddities all over Europe and beyond, but remember, they first took flight in France!

3. The Louvre was originally a fortress

Today, the Louvre is where you wait in a long line to take a photo of a tiny portrait of the wife of a Florentine merchant (AKA the Mona Lisa) — humans are kind of odd, right? The museum wasn’t always dedicated to art, though. In the 12th century, King Philip II ordered the construction of a fortress to defend Paris from Viking raiders sailing up the Seine. Initially a functional military structure, it was then redeveloped by King Francis I to become the grand, palatial structure we know today. After the French Revolution, the Louvre was overhauled as a public museum in 1793.

4. Carcassonne is Europe’s largest walled city

Some historians argue that France invented the medieval Western castle, with Norman architects throwing up massive fortified structures across the country during the 11th century. In this era, towns were also built with new defensive walls, creating citadels that could withstand major sieges. Carcassonne is the largest surviving walled city in Europe, surrounded by 3 kilometres of ramparts and 52 towers. From outside, the city looks like something ripped directly from the pages of Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones — an incredible relic from France’s warlike past. 

5. The tallest French mountain changes height each year

While “moving mountains” may be an overused idiom, one real-world French mountain is kind enough to move itself. Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s tallest peak, changes its size slightly over time, despite having an officially recognized height of 4,807 metres. The change is due to snow accumulation and, more recently, melting. As a result of France’s warming climate, Mont Blanc’s peak is now more than two metres lower than it was in 2021.

6. The world’s first department store was in Paris

Before the age of giant online retailers, glamorous department stores offered the ultimate shopping experience. The first store of this kind opened in Paris in 1852 — Le Bon Marché (“The Good Market,” in English). It wasn’t just the scale and glitz of the place that made waves in French society, either. Le Bon Marché changed the game with fixed prices, seasonal sales, and (perhaps foreshadowing the future of retail) home delivery. They might not have been attaching Parisian hatboxes to drones, but they were ahead of the times.

7. Sunken D-Day relics can still be found off the coast of Normandy

If you’re a history buff, a must-visit location is the commune of Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy. Today, it’s a beautiful coastal town, perfect for catching the summer sun. It wasn’t always so peaceful, though. In 1944, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and set up Mulberry harbours — temporary floating jetties where troop carriers and supply ships could dock. You can still see these structures at Arromanches-les-Bains, and when the tide is low, rusted armored vehicles and other military equipment appear far out on the sand, an eerie reminder of the battles fought here during WW2.

8. The narrowest street in France is just 180 cm wide

The French are known for driving some very small cars, but even they might struggle to drive the length of Rue du Chat-qui-Pêche, France’s narrowest street. Located in the capital’s 5th arrondissement, the 180 cm aperture between two buildings looks more like a lane or back alley, despite holding official street status. Worried about fitting through? Well, you can always ditch the car and embrace the real Parisian experience — riding a moped!

9. There’s a French town famous for sending cats to sea

Returning to the northern coast of France, the town of Dunkirk is steeped in history. You’ve probably already heard about its role in WW2 (if not, Christopher Nolan can fill you in) but a lesser-known fact is the town’s connection to cats. Dunkirk sailors in the 1700s and 1800s used to ceremoniously bring a cat aboard each ship, with the animals often being found in and carried off from the local fish market. The feline shipmates helped to keep down vermin on the ships, but were also thought to bring good luck — more cats means less rats, and less rats usually leads to fewer dangerous diseases circulating. 

10. A Paris patisserie is older than the US

Established in 1730, Stohrer is a French institution. The patisserie was founded in Paris by Nicolas Stohrer, the personal pastry chef of King Louis XV, and it still stands in Paris’s rue Montorgueil. Every pastry, savory and sweet, is prepared in-house, and to this day the business still sells delicacies invented by Nicolas Stohrer himself — rum babas and vol-au-vents, for example. Stohrer is only 46 years older than the US, but that was all the time France needed to get ahead in the pastry game. 

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Essential travel tips for exploring France 

Hopefully, some of these fun facts have got you planning a few unusual stops on your French adventure. To help you make the most of your trip, remember these useful travel tips!

• Learn key local phrases. In rural areas, a few words of French will give you an edge. The stereotype that the French don’t like it when foreigners try to speak their language is pretty inaccurate and is based largely on the anecdotal experience of tourists in Paris. Even in the cities, where English is widely spoken, knowing the names of key public transport elements, like the French railway network (referred to as the SNCF), can really help. Plus, people appreciate the effort!

• Remember regional customs. France has its own customs and traditions, distinct from other European nations. Many things you might expect to be polite are actually the opposite in France — guests don’t bring wine to parties or dinners (in case their offering clashes with the tastes of the host) and it’s expected that you’ll arrive at least ten minutes late. Read up on French etiquette to help you blend in and avoid stepping on any French toes.

• Plan for shop closures. Many businesses, especially in small towns, close between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. In summer, this is particularly prevalent because across southern France (in places like the French Riviera) the heat can become very intense. Try to use these moments of stillness as opportunities to enjoy a nap yourself, or to explore areas of the towns and cities you’re in that would otherwise be overly busy.

• Use public transport passes. Instead of buying individual tickets, the most cost effective option on French public transport is to buy a pass that covers unlimited journeys in multiple areas. In Paris, for example, you should consider buying a Paris Visite pass. Covering the metro, RER, bus, tram, and Montmartre funicular, the pass can be purchased for one, two, three, or five days at a time. You can also choose whether to get a pass for zones 1-3 (central Paris and inner suburbs) or zones 1-5 (including airports and further destinations).

• Stay connected with an eSIM. You’re going to want an internet connection while you’re in France, and there are a few solutions available for this. You could get pocket Wi-Fi, but these devices are cumbersome and expensive. Some travelers just use data roaming — one of the most expensive options available. A much better way to go is the eSIM, an affordable solution for internet data that connects you to local mobile providers across France.

The benefits of using an eSIM while traveling to France

An eSIM app like Saily can get you connected to local data providers without the hassle of visiting a physical store or dealing with pricey roaming fees. Let’s discuss the benefits of an eSIM.

• Immediate activation when you land. Set up your data plan in advance and it will activate as soon as you arrive in France.

• Reliable internet access. When you’re worrying about maps, museum bookings, and translation apps, patchy coverage can be a nightmare. An eSIM like Saily has the capacity to connect you to multiple mobile providers, so if you go somewhere that isn’t covered by one company, you’ll automatically switch to another network if a better one is available. 

• No physical SIM swapping. Every time you insert or remove a physical SIM card, you run the risk of damaging or even losing it. If you’re buying a SIM at the airport, you’ll have to line up at one of those SIM card kiosks, skim-read complex terms and conditions on the spot, and potentially deal with language barriers while trying to get set up. Your eSIM is all online, and can be ready to activate before you even start traveling.

• Extra security features. The Saily eSIM app comes with useful cybersecurity tools to keep you and your personal data safe. The service includes ad blocking, which protects you from malicious adverts and helps to save your data. You’ll also be shielded from trackers and have the option to change your virtual location. Getting online is great — doing it safely is even better. 

Of course, you can go to France without an internet connection, but you’re playing on hard mode if you do. When you’re in a crowded street trying to find the Paris Gare du Nord, being able to just pull out your phone and check Google Maps makes life a lot easier.

If you want an eSIM for France, Saily’s plans start at just US$3.99, but with a range of packages available, you’re sure to find one that suits your specific needs.

It only takes a few seconds to download an eSIM and get set up!

France awaits!

When your bags are packed, the eSIM is ready to activate, and you’ve learned how to say “Where can I get a croissant?” (“Où puis-je trouver un croissant” — thank us later), you’re ready to go. Before you lie France’s impractically narrow streets, indecisive mountains, and ancient royal patisseries.   

Wherever you’re going, getting secure, reliable internet should always be on your international travel checklist. From ski resorts in the French Alps to the sunny streets of Nice, Saily’s data plans make internet access easy.