How to make friends in France as a foreigner

If you’re thinking of moving to France, congratulations! You’re about to embark on an amazing adventure. But as you start packing your bags, you may be wondering how you’re going to make friends in a new country.

Don’t worry – it’s not as difficult as it sounds. With a little effort and a positive attitude, you’ll soon be meeting new people and making friends all over France.

In August 2019, I quit my job in America and packed my bags to move 5,550 miles away to Paris, France – without knowing a single soul here. Now almost 3 years later, I have more friends than I ever could have imagined, from all over the world.

So, how did I do it? Here are my top tips for making friends in Paris as a foreigner.

Social media is your best friend 

Social media is an amazing tool when it comes to making friends abroad, and is probably the main resource I used to make most of the friends I have here now.

A couple of my favorite ways to make friends via socials includes:

Facebook groups

There are literally hundreds of Facebook groups for meeting people in France, like: Americans in Paris, Expats in France, English speakers on the Riviera, Au-pairs in Paris, International students in Paris, etc. This is one of the best ways to meet people!

Everyone in these groups is also a foreigner or international student, and likely don’t know many people either. The people in these groups are eager to make friends and do fun things together.

I joined a bunch of Facebook groups when I first arrived in France, and attended various events like wine tastings, hikes, picnics, language exchanges and more. It was through these events that I made some great friends, so definitely try it out!

Instagram hashtags

If you’re not on Facebook, or just prefer using Instagram, you can also use hashtags to find people in your area. For example, if you search the hashtag “#expatparis”, you’ll find tons of people living in Paris who are looking to make friends.

You can also search related hashtags like #americaninparis or #aupairinparis and just scroll through the accounts and see if there’s anybody in there that you think could be interesting to be friends with.

Once you’ve found a few hashtags that interest you, start following the people who post using them. Then, slide in the DMs! Send them a nice message and see what happens. Chances are, they’ll be more than happy to meet up for coffee, a drink or even just chat by message.

Bumble BFF 

Believe it or not, Bumble is not just for dating – it’s actually a great way to meet people and make friends in a new city. Most of you guys know Bumble as the dating app, but there’s also a “BFF” feature on Bumble which allows you to meet other people who are looking for friends.

This is how I met my now close friend Sabrina who I spent most of my time with when I lived in Nice. Once we became friends, she introduced me to her friends, who introduced her friends, who introduced me to their friends… and so on.

It’s super easy to use and a great way to meet friends, especially if you’re moving to a new city where you don’t know anyone.

Youtube

There are so many YouTubers and content creators that are living in France (especially in Paris) and are documenting their lives online. This is a great way to get an inside look into French culture and see what it’s like to live here.

Plus, a lot of these content creators make videos about meeting people and making friends in France, so you can get some tips from them directly. Some of my favorite channels are: Purple Palace, Damon Dominique, Tiffanie Davis, and of course – my own YouTube channel!

If you happen to see a content creator on there that also lives in France and you think they would be cool to hang out with some time, why not send them a message and start a conversation? Chances are they’d be more than willing to give you some advice on living in the city, and may even be willing to meet up and hang out.

I’ve met a few people in France this way who have seen my videos and sent me messages on Instagram or Twitter. It’s a really cool way to connect with like-minded people whose content and personality you are already interested in.

Make the first move!

This next tip might scare some of you away.

When it comes to making friends as a foreigner in France, sometimes you have to make the first move. And by the first move, I mean actually reaching out to someone and asking them to be friends.

It can be really nerve-wracking, but it’s definitely worth a shot.

I know a lot of people who are too scared to do this, and as a result, they stay lonely and don’t make any new friends. Don’t be one of those people!

If you see someone that you think could be a potential friend, go up to them and introduce yourself. Start a conversation, ask them questions about themselves, and let them know that you’re interested in getting to know them better.

It’s okay if you get rejected – it happens to everyone. But if you never try, you’ll never know what could have happened.

Talking to people you know of or have met before but don’t know each other well

This one is a bit easier, but can still be nerve-wracking.

If you have somebody in mind that you’ve met before or know of but don’t really know well, invite them to hang out with you and see what happens.

You can invite them to grab coffee, lunch, dinner, drinks, or even just go for a walk in the park. If you’re an au pair in France or a nanny, invite them to set up a playdate with your kids and their kids at a park!

The key here is to make it low-pressure and not seem like you’re trying to ask them on a date (even though you kind of are).

If they say no, that’s okay! You can try again another time or move on to someone else.

But if they say yes, then you’re one step closer to making a new friend!

For people you don’t know at all or complete strangers:

This is probably the hardest one, but it can also be the most rewarding.

I’m not going to lie, it can be really tough to make friends with complete strangers. But if you want to make friends in France, sometimes you have to put yourself out there and talk to people you don’t know.

Here are a few ideas:

– Smile at people when you make eye contact with them

– Strike up a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store, coffee shop, or post office

– Go to a meetup or join a club or sports team related to something you’re interested in

– Attend cultural events or festivals and strike up conversations with people there

– Volunteer for a cause you care about and meet people with similar hobbies

This method can be tricky and generally it’s not super easy to talk to strangers here, but I think it can defintely be easier if it’s another foreigner or English speaker.

For example, if you hear someone else speaking English around you, this could be an opportunity ask the person where they’re from and start a conversation 

Or if you see someone with a cute outfit or pretty jewelry, give them a compliment and use this to start a conversation! My friend Tylah did this with a girl that she saw here in Paris last year, and they ended up becoming friends and hanging out during the year that she lived here in Paris.

You’d be surprised at how appreciative people will be of a simple compliment and people love to talk about themselves.

So, just hype them up a bit and why wouldn’t they want to be your friend?

Try to learn the language 

This is the next piece of advice I have for making friends here in France, especially if you want to meet actual French friends and not just other expats.

I know, I know, French is hard. But if you want to make an effort to learn the language and get to know people on a more personal level, it will definitely pay off in the end.

Plus, it’s always nice to be able to converse in the native language of the country that you’re living in!

Read more: My best practices for learning French fast

Some tips I’d recommend for learning French quickly:

Find language partners 

Check Facebook groups for other people in your city that are learning French and looking for language partners to study with. There are usually a lot of people looking for partners, and it can be a great way to make friends and learn the language at the same time.

Use an app like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone

Both of these apps are really effective in teaching you a new language, and they’re both pretty fun to use too.

Enroll in a language class

Consider enrolling in a formal course in a language school here or online. There are tons of language schools here in Paris, and in many of the other big cities in France, so you should have no trouble finding one. If you’d prefer an online French course, there are plenty of good options for those as well.

Do a language exchange 

Sometimes you can find French people who are looking to do a language exchange with someone. With a language exchange, you get the opportunity to practice French while they get to practice their English (or whatever other language you speak).

Language exchanges are one of my favorite options for learning because they are free and you get to meet a local at the same time!

Learn the cultural rules/etiquette

One of the biggest things that I think holds people back when it comes to making friends in a new country is not knowing the cultural rules and etiquette.

For example, in France it can be considered impolite to ask someone their age or salary, so if you don’t know these things, you could end up offending someone.

Learn what to do and what not to do, and what’s taboo or not acceptable to talk about in France. This way, you won’t make any social faux pas and you’ll be able to fit in a lot better.

Check out French Culture Shocks video for some more ideas of some of the cultural differences I noticed when I first arrived in France!

Generally the French are a little more closed off and not so open and friendly as other groups, but this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to make friends with them.

Just remember to go about it in the right way, make an effort to learn the language and culture, and be patient.

Get involved in local activities or groups

One of the best ways to make friends in France is to get involved in local activities or groups. This way, you’ll be meeting people who are interested in the same things that you are, and it will be a lot easier to make connections with them.

There are usually a lot of options for activities and groups, no matter what your interests are. Some ideas include: 

-Sports teams or clubs

-Art classes

-Wine tasting groups

-Cooking classes

-Hiking groups

-Language exchange groups

-Expats groups

You can usually find information about these kinds of activities and groups online, through Facebook groups, or by asking around locally.

Embrace your differences

Lastly, one of the best things you can do to make friends as a foreigner in France is to embrace your differences.

When you’re living in a foreign country, it can be easy to feel like you’re on the outside looking in. But instead of seeing your differences as a negative thing, see them as a positive. As much as you feel like an outsider, people will be interested to learn about you and where you’re from.

Teach people about you – show them your culture and what it’s like to be from where you’re from. It’s a great way to connect with people, and you might even end up making some lifelong friends in the process.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make tons of friends right away, it’s normal to feel a little shy and apprehensive when meeting new people, especially if they’re from a different culture. Just be yourself, take things slow, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Making friends as a foreigner in France can be hard, but it’s definitely not impossible. These are just a few tips that have worked for me, and I’m sure they’ll work for you too. The most important thing is to just be yourself and try to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, get uncomfortable and put yourself out there to get what you want.

You really do have to make an effort when trying to make friends as an adult in a new place but I’m telling you those efforts will pay off and you’ll be glad in the end.

Just be patient, stay positive, and don’t be afraid to take the first step. 

Who knows, you might just make some friends for life.