Destinations › France › Paris › Rules
Paris, France
3 laws, restrictions, and customs in Paris that travellers often break without knowing — and the fines or consequences that follow.
The Eiffel Tower's daytime appearance is in the public domain, but the nightly light display is a copyrighted artistic work. Sharing commercial photographs of it lit up at night without a licence is technically a copyright infringement under French law.
In France, greeting someone with 'Bonjour' (or 'Bonsoir' in the evening) before making any request — in a shop, restaurant, or when asking directions — is considered basic politeness. Skipping the greeting and making a direct request is considered rude.
Flying drones over Paris and other French cities is heavily restricted. The airspace around landmarks, airports, and cities requires prior authorisation from the DGAC. Unauthorised flying results in on-the-spot fines.
