Ordering water.

'Tap water' in French is l'eau du robinet (low du robinay). Bottled water without bubbles is eau sans gaz (owe sahn gaz).

I wish you luck with the water with ice (eau avec des glaçons).

RS publishes a phrasebook with simple phrases like this. It's a good resource or you could find an offline phrasebook for your smartphone.

Thanks -
I get the reference about ice.

Un carafe d'eau, s'il vous plait. Should get you water (without bottle) Good luck getting it avec glace.

If you are buying bottled water, you can ask for it with ice. Lots of places do cocktails with ice and so might have it or be willing to provide it. But water is free and often cold; no point in paying for water. Some places will have chilled carafes of tap water, others it will be less cold. But it is free and it is the norm to order it. It would not be polite to ask for extra service like ice with free water.

I agree about asking for ice with free water - I wouldn't do it. However, if you are lucky enough to get ice, you will probably get at most 2 cubes. I remember watching a bartender making me a gin & tonic with ice - this was in London. I was so excited to get real ice, but they disappeared before my eyes as the the warm gin and tonic water were poured over the two wimpy ice cubes. Similarly, this has also happened in Paris with soda. Europeans just aren't into iced drinks as we are in the US.

Americans are world-renowned for having tin tonsils, so don't expect ice in Europe and be pleasantly surprised when you get some. You can buy bottled and canned drinks that have been in the fridge however.

I also have a feeling the word "water" is pretty well known.

Actually water tap water I mean .. is always free in France.. and if you order a meal you are absolutely entitled to it.. and the correct way is to ask for "un carafe d'eau".. eau de robinette does translate to tap water but it is not the normal way to refer to some drinking water for your table.

Ice. .. as said.. trickier. I have often had cold carafes given. but sometimes not.

Should add this.. if you go to a café and one of you gets a drink but no food, and you get no food either.. and you ask for tap water.. they make think you are being a cheapskate.

If I am out and about and in a cafe or slightly less formal place, I order a bottle of water (I like Carbonated water, but flat water would be the same) plus I usually have a bottle of water of my own as well. I also usually have beer or wine, but I doubt in most places they would object to supplementing their water with your own. In most places a bottle of water will only be a couple euro and is a nice compliment to the meal.

thanks for all the suggestions.

Nearly every restaurant we went to, we just asked for tap water in English (that is apparently a universal phrase in the restaurants) and you get a nice bottle of Paris water, sometimes refrigerated.