What a First-Time France Visitor Learned While On a Seine River Cruise

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:45 PM ET, Wed April 10, 2024

Image: The Eiffel Tower above the River Seine in Paris, France. (Photo Credit: Lacey Pfalz)

Visiting a different country for the first time can be an anxious and exciting experience, but it can also be one full of learning experiences. I had the opportunity to experience this first-hand on a Viking River Cruises press trip, which took me and just over 100 other guests on a journey of a lifetime along the Seine from Paris to Normandy and back again.?

What I Learned About Visiting France in the Spring

I’d tried to prepare myself as best as I could. I read blogs about what kind of weather to expect in France in late March -it turns out, the weather was similar to my home state of Wisconsin, just with less chance of snow. So I made sure to pack some coats, an umbrella and my favorite waterproof boots, which definitely came in handy.?

Yet I didn’t know that spring would be in full swing: colorful tulips bobbed in garden beds everywhere I went, and fruit trees were flowering. Many softwood trees had already pushed out leaves the week before I arrived, and the grass was greener than any I’d seen before. Seeing spring come to full bloom was a gift I hadn’t expected.

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I knew to expect occasional rain showers, but I didn’t realize until I arrived how occasional they would be. It would rain or mist for thirty minutes, then there would be peace for an hour or two, and then more rain. It was largely unpredictable, so better to wear a raincoat at all times.?

Heading north to Normandy, our guides and the staff onboard told us to expect strange weather, and I learned this on one of the last days of our cruise. We’d enjoyed random bouts of sunshine, the wind coming from the Atlantic coast whipping away dark clouds, but when we visited the small town of Les Andelys, we experienced two very different weather patterns in the span of a day: sunny spring and torrential hailstorm.?

With that being said, I adored France in the spring, and as long as you’re someone who can prepare for that weather and not be hampered by it, I’d say you won’t be disappointed by visiting during France’s off-season.?

What I Learned About French People, and French Toilets

Viking River Cruises only hires local guides for its excursions, and a good number of the staff on board were French, too. They did a wonderful job educating us on proper courtesy.?

Here are some helpful tips on French propriety: You should always say “Bonjour!” every time you walk into a shop or restaurant (or try to talk to anyone, period). I did this a lot and found shopkeepers were happy to read my Google Translate sentences to communicate.?

Only eat bakery items at bakeries that call themselves boulangeries. Why? The title means they’ve reached the highest baking standard in France, and they make their goodies in-house each day. Other bakeries don’t, and trust me, there’s a difference.?

With that being said, I was shocked at how cheap the baked goods were at a boulangerie. I paid 1.30 euros at a boulangerie in Les Andelys for a pain au chocolat and a chouquette, which is a small choux pastry dessert sprinkled with large sugar crystals. Upon further reflection, I should’ve ordered more pastries.?

You should also always ask to sit at a particular table at a cafe or eatery where there are waiters, and expect a slower dining experience: it’s considered rude in France for the waiter to give you the menu immediately as you sit down.?

They will also never give you the check, because if they do, it would mean they’re rushing you out of the restaurant. You have to ask for it yourself. This is all strange to American ears, but it’s all about taking time to enjoy the experience and the people you’re dining with instead of rushing to make more money off more diners.

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The French are also very aware of the past, and its importance on the present. They will joke about it, they will glorify it, they will build memorials and monuments to it. The city of Rouen, for example, is famous as the place where Joan of Arc was killed, while Auvers-Sur-Oise’s main tourism driver is being the place where Van Gogh painted his last 70-odd paintings, then died.?

I loved this about them.?

Perhaps this isn’t just the French, but I enjoyed their perspective all the same. We went to Omaha Beach, the Normandy American Cemetery and the Caen Memorial Museum, and each of these places struck me with how the French honored and respected the past, and those who lost their lives defending freedom, their most sacred right.?

Now...French toilets.?

We’re talking about public toilets. They’re weird to Americans who visit for the first time, as the best ones require payment of 2 euros. But with that being said, public toilets that are free do exist, but not all are alike.

My tip? The best free public toilets are in places like large shopping centers or Charles de Gaulle Airport, but if you’re out and about, pay the 2 euros. Even if it’s a timed bathroom (and trust me, those exist, too), it’s worth it.?

I only used a public toilet once, in a small town, and while the stall was private, the toilet had no toilet seat (I dubbed it a “squatty potty”) and no toilet paper. Yet a few of my fellow cruisers had an even worse experience with the free public toilets in another town: this time, with homeless men occupying three of the four women’s restroom stalls.?

So, I believe I got lucky with the squatty potty situation.?

What I Learned About the Seine and Normandy

Now onto the cruise portion of my trip. Cruising the River Seine was so much easier than any ocean cruise I’ve ever been on. I was expecting to enjoy looking at the scenery as we sailed, since many ocean cruises only ever offer glimpses of far-off places, until reaching a port.

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I was right that I’d enjoy the river cruise experience. I loved seeing the small towns and bigger cities go by, the scenic limestone cliffs rise above the river’s edge, and the smoothness of the cruising experience. There are no harsh waves, no strong current creating a rocking boat. Several guests who I spoke with mentioned they got seasick easily, and that river cruising was the only cruising they felt truly comfortable doing.?

We also went through several locks, which was a new and exciting experience for me. I hadn’t anticipated this, and it was neat feeling the boat lower or rise as we went through them.?

I didn’t know what to expect visiting Normandy, but I loved seeing the half-timbered buildings and getting acquainted with the region’s famed foods: apples and milk seem the basis for many of its specialties, including Calvados, an apple brandy, Camembert cheese and apple cider.?

Key Takeaways

I am so glad that my first experience visiting a European country went as wonderfully as it did. I credit Viking’s knowledgeable staff and guides for helping me understand the nuances of French culture and daily life, and I know that should I ever return to France, I will be well prepared to enjoy my trip.?

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Lacey Pfalz

Associate Editor

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at TravelPulse. She's a passionate advocate of responsible travel and believes the best travel experiences happen outside of a planned itinerary. Lacey currently lives in rural Wisconsin. She can be reached at lpfalz@ntmllc.com.