not drinking in France

Nothing wrong with ordering soda or water. You can try with the bills but the grace period may have expired. Sell the coins on ebay.

Nothing wrong with it - just kind of boring. I'm hoping to discover something new.

we all love orangina it's an orange soda kind of drink but by far not as sweet as what's commonly sold in Northamerica.

The banks stopped trading francs and centimes many years ago, even the central bank. They will be good collector's items soon. Now, about drinks, for a lemonlime soda, try Gini. For a non-alcoholic licorice soda try Regles (reg lees).

My favorite drink at a cafe in France is "Citron Presse" (with an accent over the last e - pronounced "ay")...it's fresh squeezed lemon juice. They bring it in a glass (usually with ice but I always ask for ice with it in case they don't) with a carafe of water and sugar which you add yourself. It's your own home-made lemonade and it's so good. Sometimes I also order a Perrier with it and add Perrier instead of regular water so it's fizzy. I love this drink!!

We are in France right now and I have found many people are drinking Perrier water. It is really good with a slice of lemon. Refreshing drink to enjoy while people watching.

Orangina might be the most refreshing non-alcoholic drink ever invented.

I used to mix Orangina and Perrier. Not as sweet or filling as Orangina straight. I found it very refreshing and spritzy. maybe you can find an absinthe substitute and be very French

Molly, you should absolutely not drink in France if you don't choose to and I don't believe anyone will put pressure on you to do otherwise. Congratulations on your sobriety. Just want to share a story. We were in Cassis at a seafood restaurants right on the water, and my non-drinking friend ordered a Diet Coke with her dinner. The waiter/owner lectured her that she should have wine or water with her fresh fish, that Coke would not be a harmonious accompaniment. He did bring the Coke but it shows how opinionated and passionate he is about the food he offers. Guess he should take Coke off the menu if he doesn't want to serve it. Have a great trip!

I've spent years in France, and go often...I don't drink...it makes me sick...I have never had anyone, including a waitperson ever act as though they cared that I don't order wine/alcohol...no one cares if you drink or don't drink...It's really a non-issue imo.

Judging from the awfully toxic hangover that absinthe gave me, I think the non-alcoholic equivalent would be a glass of kerosene.

No one has mentioned coffee in its many forms. We usually take a break and I get coffee Americano, and my wife gets expresso. We also order, at times, a bottle of plain water (which comes chilled and is free).

A first trip to France would be a good time to start drinking. Drink wine at dinner. It will make the French so happy, it might even make you happy.

Hot chocolate, so much better than what you can get here. If you're in Paris stop at Angelina's on the Rue de Rivoli and order their hot chocolate, heaven in a cup.

Molly, We spent a month in France last year and didn't have a problem not drinking. Every place we stopped (and granted, we didn't spend any time in "classy" restaurants - how could we with three children in tow and still afford to eat) had several non-alcoholic choices and no one gasped or acted offended. Coca Cola & Coca Cola Lite is everywhere, as are other fizzy drinks and fruit juice. Of course, you will pay an insane price for all of those choices. We often just asked for tap water. As a non-drinker familiar with the reputation of France, I was a little leery before we went, too. But we found it easy. And by all means, don't take Kent's hopefully tongue-in-cheek advice. Be yourself. There is nothing wrong with that. Have a great trip!

You will find a wider range of juices over here than what is usually available in the US, so give some of them a try. Not sure about France, but in Germany, many people drink juices mixed with bubble water. While dining, you can of course ask for a free carafe of cold tap water.... Can't say I enjoyed the coffee in France, they just don't make that good of a cup of coffee like they do in Italy or Germany..... There may be different kinds of soda on offer too. So, perhaps give them a try..... Believe it or not, not everyone in France drinks alcohol. For one, there is a large Moslem population that restaurants are also catering to. So, you may just find mint tea on the menu.

As a wine lover, I personally can't imagine not drinking in France. "Un jour sans vin c'est un jour sans soleil." But, I do understand that some people choose not to drink alcohol for various reasons, and I respect that choice. However, if your reason for not drinking wine is simply that you have never tried it and don't think you would like it, I would encourage you to give it a try. Wine in France is an integral part of the culture.

As Tyler has said, wine in France is an integral part of the culture, and part of the French idea of the good life. If you have no religious or medical problem with alcohol, then I really meant it when I said a trip to France would be a good time to try wine. Just to see what it's all about.

I second the hot chocolate at Angelina's!

Probably too much personal information but ... In my 20's, I spent a year in France. I drank... A LOT.. But hey, I was single, having a good time... living the bohemian, hippie lifestyle in rural SW France! I imported an ex-husband – cousin of one of the premier wine growers in the SW region. Drinking didn't stop....bohemian lifestyle morphed into alcoholism.. left husband... Quit drinking.. 30's turned into 40's.. and on August 25th I celebrated 10 years of sobriety. I haven't been to France since 1996 and just can't really remember what choices I might have while enjoying a Non-alcoholic refreshment at a local café or bar- why would I really? I don't fault anyone who wants to drink, especially to sample the local specialties when traveling. To top it off, I'll be traveling in Normandy and missing out on Calvados which I remember very fondly. But I won't be drinking. And Randy, thank you for your comments. Even though I didn't post it here, I was a bit worried about handling the social delicacies of not drinking – but I am who I am and people will just have to deal with it. So thank you for alleviating some worries. Kent and Tyler – I understand your love of wine, but cheese, bread, sausage and other yummies will have to do for my daily sunshine! And to everyone else, thanks for your tips and advice, definitely will be adding hot chocolate – one of my favorites – to my list for Paris!!! Merci!

Molly - you go Girl! I'm proud of you! Well done!!, and bonus points for having the courage both to ask and to clarify. ....

Molly, you are very welcome. Congratulations for overcoming and moving on. In my own case, I have have neither medical nor religious reasons for not drinking - simply a principled lifestyle choice. I certainly wouldn't welcome anyone's suggestion that I was missing out on anything of irreplacable value by not drinking while enjoying another country or culture. It doesn't take much imagination to come up with numerous cultural quirks from around the world that one ought to feel free not to adopt.

Grier, I do expect an attentive waiter to suggest a good drink choice to go with my food. Usually that would be wine. And in the case you are describing the waiter didn't insist on wine but also suggested water as a tasty alternative. Cola might be a good choice to complement other items on the menu but I cannot imagine many fish dishes that would taste better with cola than with water.

Thanks to everyone for your replies - I appreciate them. Normally I don't even think twice about 'not drinking' anymore, but I imagine that with my first post- divorce, post-sober trip to France, I'm going to have some interesting (emotional) things come up - and at least in the respect of 'what to drink,' I just wanted to be prepared with some ideas of how to spend my time in the cafes. Beatrix and Grier - as I remember, the French have a pretty strict protocol for drinking and eating all the way from the aperitif to the digestif and only water or wine are acceptable drinks during dinner. The only time I ever saw different were when my three nephews got to have coca-cola with their Christmas dinners one year. I'm not worried about dinner, i can have water. I was worried and wondering about those in-between times hanging out in the cafes that normally I would have ordered 'un demi.' Thanks again to everyone for all your well wishes and replies!