Grocery store question

No, it's a good honest question! and perfectly understandable.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen it very much. Sometimes you will see a sign on a Nicolas (wine chain store) store noting that they have ice cubes, and sometimes in Picard stores (where they sell all frozen products) -- but not in every Picard store, for example, not in the one in my neighborhood.

You will need to ask for a sachet des glaçons.

Avez-vous des sachets des glaçons?

If all else fails there is always McDonalds. I'm sure they would sell a few large cups of ice - just bring some big ziploc bags along.

Je voudrais trois grandes tasses de glaçons s'il vous plaît

Try going into a bar. They all have ice for drinks.

You might not see bags of ice in supermarkets, wine stores, or Picard - but you just have to ask for them.
If you're going on a road trip, you'll find ice in the large gas stations on the highway - you might have to ask someone to get it for you.
You can also buy drinks in the refrigerated section of any supermarket or gas station.

I don't know anyone who has gotten free ice from McDo's or other fast-food places, restaurants or bars.

Note - I did say sell - not free.

I've never seen anyone pay for just ice at McDo's either. I wonder if it costs the same as a soda?

I have done it before - I will get ice to make Sangria with in our room. Depends on the location - some have charged, some have not - I have always asked if I could purchase it fully expecting to pay - at most I have been charged the price of the beverage that would have been in the cup.

For me it is easier as we generally stay near the train station so a short walk there where I can usually find some place that has it. That saves trying to find a store that will have it.

chexbres, when I worked at a McD's in my youth, we did indeed charge as much for a cup of ice as a drink. Its the cup you are paying for, not the drink. We counted the cups (and everything else) every day to know how much money should have been taken in for drinks. Cost accounting.

stan - I know this is usually standard practice in fast-food places in the US - just never knew of anyone who attempted to do this in Paris. Whatever works, I guess.

Carolyn,
We went to the Monoprix here in Annecy yesterday & I was surprised to see a small freezer with bags of ice cubes.
I wasn't looking for ice, but we just happened to walk right past it.

This may not be helpful to you, but if anyone plans to travel to beautiful Annecy, they can certainly find bags of ice cubes!

Where will you be traveling in France?

Hi Carolyn,
We went back to the Monoprix grocery store again today & I took a photo of the ice cube bags. The bag reads; "Glaçons purs en sachets" ( just as Kim wrote in her post)