France - The Don'ts of Visiting France
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- čas přidán 15. 05. 2024
- The Do's and Don'ts of Visiting France, so you know how to get the most out of your French vacation. It doesn't matter if you are visiting Paris, Avignon, the French Riviera, the Normandy Beaches, or trying the food in Strasbourg or Bordeaux, there are a lot of things travelers and tourists to France should know before they go. These are some of our definite no - no's when it comes to visiting France.
Tourist information on visiting France
Filmed in Bordeaux, France
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Here's another don't: Don't speak loudly on the Metro or the TGV. I'll never forget, I was on the Metro in Paris talking with my travel partner who is from Canada. I was excited to be in Paris so I was speaking rather loudly. I looked around and saw that everyone else was silent. OMG, I was being that "Loud American". I quickly shut up and then started talking in whispers to my friend.
Agreed. My own son shushed me more than once on the metro while visiting him in Sweden. And I was talking normal volume. I swear😂
that's anywhere in the world lol not only in France
Yes, as a French I notice all strangers (germans, americans, anyone) speak loudly in TGV. x) We are supposed to be silent because some people want to work or sleep during the travel. Anyway it's okay if you are stranger, you couldn't know that.
@@ouient Have you ever been to the US? People are loud on public transportation all over the country.
@@BillGreenAZ I think they meant anywhere except for the US.
The French are lovely, warm, kind, patient. I am Irish and my French is really poor , though I always try, despite visiting France many times. They have given the world so much, great food, wine, cognac, calvados etc. Additionally, great artists, composers the list is endless.
We made reservations for dinner in Paris once and it was confirmed, but when we arrived the maitre d' unhappily told us the restaurant was full and we had missed his email to that effect. We talked about their booking app and how it didn't talk directly to his restaurant seating app and I commiserated a bit. He offered us the only seat in the house by the rather windy door and we took it, and I said in my insufficient French "You are so kind!". Then the free champagne arrived! And 5 mins later he moved us to a nice table that had opened up. The French are a truly lovely people.
Et oui cela peut arriver téléphoner directement est beaucoup plus sûr c est ce que je fais.
France is a wonderful country. Recently visited and had a great time. A little politeness goes a long way in anyone’s country. 🇦🇺🇫🇷
The French are so accommodating. In 1997 I was on my way to Charles De Gaulle Airport late at night when the metro closed down for the evening. A stranger gave me and my girlfriend a ride across town to make our flight home.
I was on a group tour in Greece during covid. My face mask broke and a French woman in the group went up to her room and brought me a new mask.
That was refreshingly nice and a very good gesture.
Don't forget to say "Bonjour" upon entering shops or before asking someone a question. It's just polite and French custom. As far as clothing, I agree: no need to look like you're part of Fashion Week, but wearing comfortable shoes is a must. We saw women wearing tennis shoes or other comfy shoes with everything as cobblestones are not nice with high heels.
So true, my wife and I went to a small museum and said Bonjour when we walked in, and then with our very limited French asked if it was free. The lady gave us a 5 min run down of the museum in French. Then we finally said we don’t speak Fench. She huffed and said- in English, why didn’t you stop me? and then told us everything in English. Nicest lady as where most French people
Don't think France is just Paris. Amen! Best words ever spoken!!! So many wonderful places to visit in France!! One of the prettiest town I went to was Josselin. Normandy is lovely and the butter can't be beat! I'd pick a region as you said!
❤ this is 100% correct...I love France and the French were wonderful to me.
I’m from the U.S. and I just got back from Paris. I have to say the French people were some of the nicest people I have met in Europe though I have pretty much had nothing, but good interactions with Europeans everywhere I have gone. In fact my creepiest experience was with an older American guy on a tour while I was traveling alone.I have found that the English fluency in Paris was the highest of where I have traveled in Europe so far ( Spain, Italy, Switzerland). I was surprised it was easier to communicate in English in Paris than in certain parts of Switzerland. Food was truly amazing no matter where we went. Thankfully we were careful and not bothered by pickpockets. The city was pretty clean most places we went. I would definitely go back. My tip is to make sure you plan how to get to Versailles and have a backup plan. We were trying to take an Uber because with construction on the metro it was going to take 1.5 hours each way on the train. We scheduled an Uber ahead of time and it took an hour to get a pickup. The hotel kept trying to call a taxi and they kept cancelling because they didn’t want to go out there. We luckily left plenty of time before our timed ticket, but we just made it for our ticket time window.
If you come back , i'll advise you to visit other cities , as he said in this video , Paris is not France ... you'll discover a lot of other places with really nice landscapes and terroirs cooking.... and ... different people really warmer than Parisians
We loved France and planned to go back. I found everyone dressed just normal. Everyone was dressed in Jean, sweaters, puffer coats. Yes there were some dressed to the 9s but in general most are dressed normally, just no sport hoodies, or university sweatshirts or hats. I think this push for dressing up was overstated. These ppl were the locals.
We were in Paris during COVID, when the only tourists were other French. Lots of hoodies, athleisure wear, blue jeans, and sneakers. We fit right in!
Spent a wonderful 2 weeks in france, first half of May. I concur. We packed so as not to look like US tourists, but saw white sneakers, ballcaps, shorts, etc...EVERYWHERE. And no, those were not tourists. Packing a ballcap next time, and leaving my hipster doofus hat at home! Only 2 typical rude waiters. We just laughed. Lots of folks do wear scarves, even when not weather appropriate. THEY looked goofy to me. Not wearing a scarf unless frigid.
As a french, I would say I found that the statement about clothing was the only one overstated. The others are true, but except in some places known for being related to fashion (Le marais in Paris for example), we are dressing normally.
Great advice for visiting anyplace. But I found the French to be really warm and friendly. We can’t wait to return.
We went to france on our honeymoon in dec/Jan. It was so great! We went to Nimes, carcassone, Lourdes, tours, Normandy, and Paris. We were there for 12 days and although some places we were only there for a day and we drove everywhere it was phenomenal and we got to see all of the country side! I wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else for our first trip together
Wow such a short time ):
Also...French waiters are not giving 'bad service"...the USA just treats wait staff like servants and compares all service to this. French wait staff are purposely slow to be respectful and not rush customers. They do not 'check in' throughout the meal because that is intrusive. I think The USA just tries to hold the rest of the world to their own peculiar standards and then are surprised when circumstances are different.
Yeah no. It can be annoying to have American waiters coming to check on you every 5 minutes in order to get a good tip because they are underpaid. However, wait staff in the US smile at you and generally make you feel welcome because they recognize you are patronizing their establishment rather than the hundred others on the street. Many European establishments could care less and are not welcoming or even downright grumpy.
@@vmoses1979 I do not expect waitstaff to perfomatively smile for me to get a welcoming feeling. Paying for that performance is uncomfortable all around. Unless it is dinner theatre, I expect nothing more than the food I orderd to be brought to my table. The food should speak for itself.
@@missydemeanors1760 Smiling at people and welcoming them is performative and uncomfortable??? This attitude clearly elucidates Europeans' very real issues with service.
@@vmoses1979you may want to compare wait salaries in the US before tips to other countries. Search by country not comparisons because it can get too political. Other countries are just paid way less than people in the US but Americans pay more for everything so I guess it balances out. Not trying to argue but I think it’s quite over done that the US tipping system is to make up for the loss. There are other countries where tipping is expected.
Yup. I majority care about the food. I actually understand if they will not check in on me "every 5 min" . I want to enjoy my food in peace. I don't expect food to come out fast especially on a restaurant.
Mark just would like to thank you for your videos and tips for both London and Paris. Our time in paris was absolutely wonderful! We thought the people were so friendly and kind. 100% agree with your points I just knew some basic lines in French and felt that got such a long way with the vendors and wait staff. One day We had lunch at le procope and the hostess asked us if we didn’t mind moving to a different table so a family of 3 with a baby could sit together we didn’t mind at all. We ended up getting a complimentary glass of champagne with dessert, so nice! We also wore very plain clothes and we even had both visitors and staff start speaking to us in French at first LOL! also took your advice in a different video and we got ourselves a piece of art from a local artist at an art gallery to remember our trip. Thanks again!
Check out the vanishing roller blader at 8:32.
Agree with this. Just back from Paris and the people were great! X
As a French, I wanted to add that some stores and other services like banks also closed on mondays, not all of them but some of them.
Other than that, thank you so much for your videos, I binged them so many times and you helped me so much Mark :D
I'm French too and would like to add a little precision to your comment: stores, banks, etc. that are closed on Mondays are those that are open on Saturdays and, sometimes, Sundays.
@@micade2518 purée ! je savais pas cette petite particularité ! Merci de la précision :) Ceci explique cela par rapport à certains de mes commerces locaux !
They are closed, BUT important note to not freak out our fellow toursts : ATMs are still accessible 24/7
I went to Paris 8 or 9 years ago and everyone was so nice and helpful.
I love Provence region of the France
Rugby heartland of France
Especially Toulouse and Perpignan
We were there from July 8-11, 2023 & we only have good things to say. The few people we asked for directions are very helpful and went out of their way to help us! ❤France
The French are very very nice I have had many help me and have went above and beyond for me .I always smile 😄
When you smile, the whole world smile with you 😉
Thank you for the helpful tips!
Very interesting. You're a great guide!!
Bonjour. I love your videos and your super friendly disposition. Have a blessed day!!!!😊
Thank you for addressing the stereotypes FIRST!
As of French ancestry where relatives were forced to leave or fie , the second ship after the Mayflower. Indeed.
Merci beaucoup!
As well as my other side of my fathers family.
Thank you for this really great video! I'm a taxi driver in a small city called Amboise (witch you have visited if I see it correctly in your video) and it's good to see someone telling good things about all of the countries he knows. I totally agree with you for my country but also for Italy and Germany. You really know what you're talking about and it's a pleasure to watch your videos. All in the most positive way. Thanks again for your work sir.
I love your smile, you're such a happy person I really like to watch your videos just because you make me feel happier :D Thanks!
Thank you so much! I'm going to France in a couple of months and your content is so good and helpful!
Love your vids, almost at 1 million subs!
I had nothing but good experiences in Paris. Smile and speak a little French. Presentation and manners mean more than money in France.
Yep, my father’s first cousins are French, and they really go all out for you when you just try to speak their language… I became fluent, but even when I was just a babe in French, they continually help and encourage you
Excellent tip regarding American tourists learning a few basic words and phrases in the local language. I believe and practice that advice 100% and it always has positive results wherever I have traveled: Quebec, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. The locals appreciate that you are interested and attempting to communicate in their language. They do not expect visitors to be fluent speakers. Do not be afraid of foreign languages, Americans. Just give it a try.
Country of love ❤
On saura toujours acceuillir les touristes qui aime la France 🇫🇷🇫🇷
Exactement. Un sourire, un bonjour, et le tour est joué, il font parti de la famille.
Good point about not wanting to do it all. Must take several trips- plan for the future. Thanks!
Toulon is beautiful ❤
Our 1st trip we did Paris & Normandy; 2nd trip was Paris & the Dordogne; 3rd trip was Paris & the Loire Valley; 4th trip was Alsace; our planned next trip will be Paris, Provence, and possibly Burgundy.
trust me try occitanie .rocamadour, figeac , saint cirq la popie, albi, corde sur ciel,carcasonne...
You've traveled around France quite a lot!
I have only been in France itself once. The small town next to Mont Blanc mountain. Had a lovely time there. This is why when I travel I try to avoid major cities
I'm French and I approve this video!
I'm going to Paris for the first time in a few weeks, and this and all your videos have been very helpful. I only have a tour to versailles and the rest of the time, I will just explore at my leisure.
Have a wonderful vacation ❤
@@deboraaparisi9999 You will love it. The French are beautiful people.
I used to work in a French company and my boss was pretty okay. He was nice to me. ❤
Mr Wolters, we just returned from France and had a wonderful time. The Navigo cards worked just as you stated earlier this year. Once we figured out how and whee to use them we were all over the Left Bank visiting the famous sites. We used the cabs there and I think we may have been scammed. We left one day from our hotel to the CDG. 70 Euros later, that is what was on the meter, we proceeded to our next destination. We stayed at a hotel close to the CDG and the person on duty called for a cab to take us to a hotel on the Left Bank. He also told us the cost should be around 70 Euros. The cab did not have one of the TAXI things on the top of the cab nor did he have a meter. Sure enough, 100 Euros was the price of the ride. I am guessing there re a number of people in cahoots to take advantage of tourists.
Avoid taxis if at all possible. Use public transit to/from an airport.
As French. Don't use the Cab all the time where you go around our Motherland France. Take the Public Transit, you'll save for next days
Hey Mark, awesome video and France is a cool country.
Thanks Tobi
We are going going to London and paris in 2 weeks I'm so excited!! I've been watching your since Sept last year when we started making the plans to go. Thank you for all the great information you've given! Your videos are very entertaining and I love watching them!❤
I absolutely love your videos.
Thanks for video, because I'm going to Paris this summer 🇱🇹❤️🇨🇵😊
Hope you enjoyed your trip !
From France 🇫🇷
Your next stop should 100 percent be the region of the château de la loire ! For me it's culturally the best country of France and I'm not saying that because I'm from there(or am I😂? idk I may be biased haha) Plus it's amazing for kids, I remember loving going on tour with my grand-parents during summer and visiting all the castles (there is the castle that inspired Tintin too it's a must to see)
Bah ça dépends vraiment des gens ... moi les visites de châteaux et de musées ça me gonfle grave et je préfère 100x aller à la plage que de visiter un foutu château
Mais bon ... Je suppose que les touristes adorent ça, en effet ^^
I love France and I got family in Paris France and I'm very blessed to be a Frenchman for I'm as kind as any person can be meci beaucoup❤🎉😊
You forgot to talk about tipping at restaurants… and I hope you do a video on their thrift stores. I like to shop for old purses 👜
You are the nicest man on CZcams!! I would love to see you somewhere. Have you been to the north of Spain?? I bet you would love it. Cantabria is becoming extremely popular in recent years. Love your videos. A Spanish follower 🇪🇸
By the way, I have been to France many times and we love it. In fact we are going back there this summer again!!
A video with Bordeaux, Paris and Strasbourg. The 3 cities I've lived in before moving to Canada.
I always wanted to see the cathedrals.
Excellent video - some of the typical stuff but you added some nice nuance as well. France's tourism board should pay you ha ha.
And many restaurants and museums are closed on MONDAYS!
Yep. And the louvre on tuesday :)
National museums are closed on Tuesday, not Mondays. But most of all, do you consider a day off as a problem ? 🙂
Hi Erin G. , Was The Louve closed? Damn... let's take a trip!
What fun!
We could get reacquainted and enjoy a trip!
JOCO was a nightmare from hell!😆💯🤗👍🏼🌅
I love France and can’t wait to explore more of it. So far, I have been to Paris and Nice several times each. ❤
As an American, I think we are generally a bit more outgoing than the French people I have met, so even though our friendliness may come across as insincere, I think most times it is genuine. That being said, I think French people are also very kind and friendly-just not so gregarious and loud.
When it comes to service at a restaurant, I prefer the French way. They let you have your space to enjoy your meal and time with friends. In the US, they come to ask you how your meal is before you even have a chance to take a bite. I find it pretty invasive.
I LOVE France
Merci.
I feel a lot of people hear the stereotype about French people & then project that back. I went to Paris years ago with someone who already made their mind up about France & they had a terrible time because they were actually being rude to people first
Love Bordeaux ! (I live there)
You are so lucky!!!!
Mark, your videos are always great. Thanks for putting out the good stuff! I agree, the French get a bad rap from the Americans. We've been several times and have never encountered snobby French people. A little French-speaking goes a LONG WAY in having them help you. They're delightful and want to help as long as you're not an obnoxious American.
I think that the perception may be more of suburbanites in a big city, than US citizens vs French. France and Paris are the most visited places in the world, so Parisians have to deal with fools 365. I cut them slack for that, and try not to be a source of a headache. NYC for this Ohioan was similar to my Paris experiences.
Capital cities are never a good representation of the whole country!
It would be like judging the whole of the US on New York or LA. As a Southerner, I would be appalled😂😂
This is so true for Ireland. Dublin & the rest of Ireland are night & day
@@sams3015 I hope to see all of your beautiful island one day!
Especially in Vatican or Singapore.
Agreed. Touristy
People in France were great! The smoking was insane.
France is a very safe country for tourists. Apart from a few tourist spots in Paris, you will have more chance to lose your wallet than to get it stolen. And if something happens, then go to the next police station. Police in France is something serious.
The Thinking David
Do a video about Lyon.
Since the 'Richard Kalergi Plan' is in full effect in France how is the safety there?
8:58 lol 😂
The countryside is really nice(including the people), the city's, not so much, especially Paris. If you want to visit Paris, go, visit what you want and get out.
Couldn't agree more. As French been living in a suburb town of Paris for almost 3 decades.
There's so much to see it throughout our Motherland France like the Countryside
His enthusiasm is overwhelming ! The French do not like loud. I lived there. They like fluent French and most are very arrogant and that is nice if you respect that. It is perhaps the greatest country in the world, but you have to know a lot about the history before you go there. It is also extremely expensive and the days are gone when you could stay in a cheap hotel, have good cheap food etc, and if you want the best you really have to gig into your pocket. And also be able to read in French. This man shows too much enthusiasm; French realism is entrenched and they are not the romantic stereotypes you see in films.
Is there any reason I don’t find anything on Australia on your channel or website? Do you know any travel bloggers who you can recommend who have done Australia travel?
All good info. Be kind and patient and... when in France, do as they do. When learning a little bit of a foreign language, learn manners first. BTW... didn't man buns go out of style in the 90's?
I love taking pictures (with an actual camera) when I travel. Do you have any tips on not making yourself a target when you do that?
My don'ts of France (outside Paris). If you are going to drive don't do drive without reading about car rentals in France and French traffic laws, rules and signage especially driving in roundabouts and the 'priorité à droite' (priority to the right) rule for some intersections. If in Normandy, don't just see D-Day sites, make some time for Bayeux and the Bayeux Tapestry or Caen and the Caen Memorial Museum which is excellent. You really need a couple days in Normandy to see all there.
Honfleur as well!
Learning about local traffic laws (at least some of the common differences between where you live and where you want to go) is something you should always do when you plan on driving somewhere.
Jerks are just anywhere. No exceptions. Even here in the Philippines where the people are known to be hospitable and warm as the weather. But in here there might be a remote chance that one might find the rudest shop keeper in the world
Οne of the most important things you said was the restaurant opening hours.
we didn't know that and I can say we didn't like it at all.
after breakfast at the hotel, you CANNOT go to eat again at 12:00 noon to catch up with the restaurant kitchen.
in the tourist areas there must be opening hours.
What are the titles of the dyptichs at 13:25 and 13:38 minutes? They look very interesting.
I have been to France at least 6 times, I may have lost count. That should be proof that I love France very much. But let me mention a few negatives. Firstly, in heavily touristed places, tourist fatigue can set in to the staff, and they may patronizingly address you as tu/toi if they think you don't know any French. Try to forgive, it's tiring to deal with many hundreds of tourists all day.
I think it’s more of an old style waiter fashion than patronizing foreigners. Some waiters will also address me, a French, with the ´tu’ (which I also am not very comfortable with, but don’t feel it is targeted to me specifically).
I found the French people to be very nice and helpful. Don’t believe the stereotype! The Customs people at Charles de Gaulle airport were awful, but they don’t represent the whole country. I agree, the French love it when you attempt to speak the language. It really gives them a chance to practice English if you chose not to use your rusty high school French. I cannot wait to visit other cities in France, but my love is Paris!! Dress nice, but comfortable for walking and the Metro. Crossbody purses work better than backpacks but you can always wear the backpack in the front when on the train. Beware of pickpockets. Buy museum tickets in advance and be prompt for your entrance time. Travel light, trust me… you will want to shop and you’ll need space to bring your goodies home. This is a great vlog!!!! 👍🏾
👍👍👍
Is that an Atlanta United jersey at the 11:06 mark?
I adore France and outside Paris, Ive only ever found wonderful people. But, I’ve had many experiences when Parisians seem to ‘deliberately’ refuse to understand a sentence, if you get the gender of a noun wrong, while the rest of the sentence is fine!i I studied French from 11-16, and have basic French, but the Le or La can be confusing if you’re not fluent in that word. But, it only really amused me. In Paris, if you meet 1st or 2nd Generation French, they seem to me to be more understanding. I appreciate the French people’s desire to protect their beautiful language. Surely all big world cities can have some characters! Vive le France! (That was meant to be a dad joke! Even I understand ‘La France’).
Mark you mentioned B&B-- farm houses?? Do you have a link or two that sounds wonderful??
Look up "Gites" yourube doesnt let me put links in comments
@@woltersworld Thank you Sir. Oh my word this is fantastic ... just looked some up. Now you need a video on tips for staying at Gites. Thank you for being here for us all.
Do you need to give a gratuity in a restaurants ? Thanks
Absolutely try to learn a bit of French, it will completely change your experience in the best way possible.
I have a lot of rare severe uncommon allergies, so part of my trip prep is learning enough of the language to talk with the wait staff or chef about a dish I'd like to order, but that also usually means I can get by with light conversation, and I feel like that supercharges my trips abroad because they often appreciate that I'm able to speak a bit of their language.
I speak pretty good German, and studied Spanish for 6 years, but because of my chronic wanderlust, I can speak a bit of French, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, and Catalan. My next challenges will be learning some Japanese or Korean to unlock more of the world's map as I near completion of visiting Europe
Stone beaches are amazing. No sand in every spot of your body or bags...
This is true
My friend and I are going to be in Strasbourg and Possibly Rennes within about 4 nights later this year, and we know ZERO French, so would those basics you mentioned get us around easily?
Also, we're thinking of using The Ouigo high speed trains between Paris and Rennes, so do you think they're a good option or have any others that aren't overly expensive? Thanks.
Hi! You should definitely learn the words that he mentioned!
The high speed train is great. We also have low cost bus companies like Flixbus and Ouibus. They are probably cheaper but it's gonna take forever for you to get to Rennes 😅
@@perthfanny3017 Thanks for the comment!
I've actually changed my destination and will mostly be just staying in Strasbourg now..
@@walking-talking you're welcome! Then you should make it to Colmar, a very beautiful fairytale like city. You should also try flammekueche!
When you visit France, be slow like the snail. "Flânez". That the spirit.
7:50
*expect
Don’t say you prefer Geneva! 🤣
Free drinks? Oui oui 😂
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Biases are normally based on some sort of truth. If French have a bad reputation, that probably means they do have too many 'don'ts' compared to most places. Don't get me wrong, I'm learning French and feel genuinely attracted to the French culture, but France is such a place where I need to be constantly on the lookout for all these don'ts that it the experience gets a little exhausting.
I've yet to ever encounter a rude French person, in France or outside it. I don't understand that reputation.
I have (not many, but some), but then again, every country has rude people and friendly people and every person has good and bad days.
To add something of my own experiences visiting Paris... if one buys one of their normal resident-type transit passes for their underground/subway, it requires the buyer/named-rider to affix their own photo to the stupid thing. Failure to do so is a pretty significant fine, and their transit cops are patroling to enforce this.
Help? Arriving in France this summer, will not be using our cell phones. I have purchased paper rail tickets. Can I order reservations online for reserved seats? Three of us will be going. Thanks for any assistance.
Hello there! I am french so I can help you. If you don’t want to use your cellphone the best you can do is to purchase your seat reservations online and print them. You will just have to show those papers to the attendants on the train (or in some stations to the boarding gates to access the platform where your train is departing from). All TGV tickets come with a seat number. Enjoy your stay!
By the way if you are travelling on local trains such as TER you don’t need any seat reservation.
@@quentin7241 merci!
@ 4:30 what is that cathedral?
The Strasbourg cathedral !
Currently in Paris on vacation and legit having a hard time bonding with locals. I learned a little bit of French for this trip and no one is responding back to me.
Why would they want to bond? You are there on vacation. This is not something we do in Europe.
I had rude french waiters in Northern France, but the other French people were lovely, maybe it is just the waiting stuff..
One was a real trip in Nice.
I will be cycle touring in France for three months. Riding mostly on their wonderful bike trails. As for attire, due to limited space in my two rather smallish panniers, I was planning to pack leggings, shorts, and both long and short sleeve shirts. How offended will the French be? I will take the time to visit the bigger cities, 7 days in Paris, and 4 days in others.Every city will include a bike and dessert tour. I'm using Duolingo to learn a little more French although my pronunciation is lacking. But traveling with nicer clothes will be impractical.
I think that if you are in obvious bicycle gear people will see you as what we call a ‘cyclotourist’ and will appreciate it (and might interested in engaging with you more actually).
Sports attire with a purpose (running gear, cycling…) is definitely acceptable. Though you might spare your clean shirts and trousers for Paris as it will obviously blend in less (except if it is during the arrival of Tour de France!).
I am sure you will enjoy this alternative traveling with ne will make the most of it !