France has emerged as a popular destination for expats thanks to its relaxed lifestyle and good living costs.
The nation does many things differently from its neighbours; however, this sometimes takes newcomers by surprise.
In a recent clip posted on the YouTube channel Baguette Bound, a pair of expats broke down three unexpected rules they faced while settling into their new home.
Jason and Reina, from Texas and Colorado, relocated to the European hotspot to get a feel of life outside the US.
Several rules in France may surprise newcomers
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Mowing the lawn
Unlike most countries in Europe, there are rules for cutting lawns in France. Reina told followers: “You can’t mow the lawn at any time that is convenient for you.”
“Monday through Friday there’s no mowing from 12 pm until 2pm, and there is nothing allowed after 7pm,” Reina told followers.
Jason continued: “On Saturdays, the midday break is a little bit longer, from 12pm until 3pm, and on Sundays, you’ve only got two hours in the morning to get everything done, 10am to 12pm.
“It protects the peace and quiet during times that usually everyone is taking a break because these times are sacred stuff in France.”
Ban on swim trunks
Another rule that surprised the newcomers on arrival was the prohibition of swim trunks at public pools.
Men attending public swimming spaces must wear swimwear that clings to the skin for hygiene purposes, they explained.
“It is the law, if you’re a dude and you want to go swimming in a public pool, by law, you cannot wear what Americans would think of as regular swim trunks.
“This law, which also requires a swim cap, dates back to 1903, and there have been multiple attempts to repeal it.”
Sales in France
In France, retail sales are broken down into two main periods lasting a maximum of four weeks each.
“Can you imagine if every store in the US coordinated their clearance sales all at the same time and you could then plan for that through the year? Well in France, by law, this is exactly how it works,” Reina said.
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Sales in France tend to happen twice in a year
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“The way it works, twice a year, once in January and again in July, this is the only time in France sellers are allowed to mark an item for less than they paid for it – selling it at a loss.
“The purpose of coordinating all sales in this way is to protect smaller businesses throughout the year from having to compete with larger retailers who just may have enough resources to attract customers by selling things at a loss regularly.”
“France levels the playing field by limiting these specific types of sales to defined times,” Reina added.
“They last for four weeks and with each week that passes, the discounts get deeper.”
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