Paris eating out

Frankly, separate checks are a pain in the rear for servers no matter where in the world you are...with all of the extra work involved. Why not just tell everyone to bring cash and you be the responsible adult and put the meal on your credit card. Then YOU can collect cash from all of your extended family for their parts. That solves the problem straight away and also you'll learn what a pain it is for servers to do that.

We’ve seen tables in France ask for two separate checks and that seems to be OK. Any more than that you’ll likely get pushback. Interestingly in Rome this summer we saw on several menus a notice that said “no more than two checks per table”, in English of course.

Thank you Alan for your response that is helpful info.

I've done this when traveling with a friend in Paris. We usually ask the waiter ahead of time and if it's not OK we figure out the money between us. I'd not do more than 2 checks either.

Let me clarify because when I said extended family it seemed some may have assumed a big group. No - it would be my family and then another married couple. 6 people. Not a big deal. I am well aware it’s a pain in the neck for servers. However, having never traveled to Paris before I didn’t know if it was a faux pas to ask ahead of time for 2 separate checks let alone a inconvenience.

Two checks is no issue, really. Broke students like I once was do it all the time. Especially if you do the math yourselves instead of having the waiter do it. Just be aware of some credit card payment thresholds (10€ in many places) when you're just having coffee

Glad to read this, because I hadn't thought of it but I will be in the same boat! (Traveling with my daughter and another mom/daughter pair).
So would the process be to say " separes l'addition, sil vous plait," while ordering, and gesture to my daughter and myself?

Or, just put two cards down at the end of the meal (I don't know how much the other pair will be eating or drinking, but if we are about the same, I would just do this).
Merci!

No need to do it while ordering. Just say so (in whatever language you are comfortable in) when you get the bill. Then tell the person the amount each one wants to pay, or say "la moitié, s'il vous plaît" if you just split in halves.

We dine out with another couple often in Paris; when the bill comes we ask them to split it between the two cards and it is not a problem to do so. With 6 people you could probably split it on two cards 33/66 without problem -- perhaps do the math first yourself and ask for XEuros on this card and Y Euros on this one.

Perfect! Thanks for the suggestions everyone.