France Has Changed. Here’s What You Need to Know.

0:00 If you are visiting Paris this year, the friends that you're going to visit may not be the same that you have seen even if you were here 2 or 3 years ago. From the moment you land at the airport to the price that you'll pay at the Lou to whether you can even fill up your rental car, things have changed. Some of these changes are good. Some of them honestly are going to cost you more money. and one of them involves scammers that are already targeting American travelers. In this video, we're going to walk you through the five biggest changes happening in France right now in 2026, and more importantly, what you actually need to do about each one before your trip. We live between France and Florida, and this is the type of stuff that we tell our friends and family when they come to travel here. So, let's start with the one that catches firsttime visitors completely offg guard. As soon as you get off the plane or arrive in a train station like Gardinor is armed military personnel, sometimes there's four, six or eight of them. And that can be a little bit unsettling if you're not used to that.

1:10 And honestly, the first time I saw that, it scared me because coming from Florida, you know, it's like when you see armed military, I'm thinking that it's a problem. But the more time that I spend here and living here and everything, it actually brings me comfort to see them because I know that they're vigilant. >> Yeah, they're there as a deterrent. Now, the French government have deployed a program called Viji Pirat and it has been in place since 2023. It's just for an elevated sense of security, particularly since the Ukrainian war started. That's when it really showed up for me.

1:44 >> Yeah. Now, this program has deployed thousands of military personnel all over France, but especially around the hot points like the Eiffel Tower, the major airport, the major train stations. Now, the US State Department has raised the threat level to level two for France. And one of the ongoing questions that we get from Americans is it safe for me to go in Paris right now? Bear in mind that this is the same level as Spain, Germany, UK. And the answer is yeah. It just it's probably safer in Paris than it's in Chicago or New York City for that matter.

2:19 >> It's not any different in the day-to-day experience here. Now, Paris has just elected a new mayor called Emmanuel Gregoire, and he has pledged that he was going to add a lot of security in the city of Paris with additional police officers, additional cameras everywhere and 24/7 security around the major attractions in Paris. >> I'm pretty sure that that was done specific to the pickpocket kind of things. They don't like the reputation that they're getting for all the pickpockets. Now bear in mind that the country of France is welcoming 100 million tourists every year and the city of Paris is 50 million alone. But violent crimes are very rare in France.

3:01 So you're going to see a heightened sense of security that you may have not experienced the last time you were in Paris. But don't be alone. Carry yourself as you would in any big touristic city and you'll be just fine. Now, the second point is something that will hit your wallet directly, and it might surprise you. >> As of April 10th, 2026, like literally days ago, Europe rolled out its biggest change in border control ever. It's called the entry exit system or EES. And if you're flying to France this summer, you need to know how it works because it will change how you go through passport control. So, the EES system replaces the old passport system where you passed in front of a guard and he stamp your passport. Now, all this is going to be automated, which means that you're going to take your biometric passport, you're going to put it through the Laurel system, then it's going to take a picture of you and get you in the country. Now, one of the reasons they're doing this is that they're going to be able to log in when you got in the country, and they'll automatically know if you stayed more than 90 days.

4:08 >> And that's true for any of the countries in the Shenen area, too. >> That's correct. >> So, you're going to need to have a biometric passport. And if you don't know what that is, you need to look for a little rectangular symbol on the passport. Americans have been using this since 2007, so chances are you have it. But if your passport is older or you're coming from another place that doesn't have that, you got to check it out and make sure that you're compliant.

4:32 >> And another note, if your passport is going to expire within 6 months of you being in the country, they may pull you aside and ask you some questions and want to make sure that you have a return ticket and they want to know why you're here. Now, one of the things that we've starting to heard from people in our Facebook group is that they're seeing a lot longer lines to get in the country, and the French are known for a lot of things, but efficiency is not one of them. You're going to need to deploy a little bit of patience. That 30 minutes from the plane to the taxi like it used to be in the past, well, I don't think that that's going to happen uh this summer. Now, there is another thing that a lot of people are talking about is the ETS.

5:15 They're planning on rolling it out at the end of 2026, but right now it's a crapshoot because they keep on extending it in another six month and another six months. >> And to be clear, the EES system has to do with your passport and the ETS is a visa. They're two totally different things. >> And you want to be really careful of fake websites that are claiming for €20 or €50. they will process it for you and give you all the passes that you need.

5:45 You do not need that. >> So many scamming people. They're trying to get your passport information, your credit card information, and charge you way too much. Don't fall for that. >> So, we're going to put the official link in the description below. So, you can click on that. That's the official link that will give you all the information. Check that first before you do any step. But again, you're not going to need that until maybe late in 2026. So, if you're coming in the summer of 2026, you don't have to worry about anything. Now, if you're the kind of person that wants to go really deep in trip planning and you want to know the stuff before you go, not after, we've built something for you.

6:26 >> Yeah, we just launched a new Patreon account, and that's where we put all the stuff that doesn't really fit in a YouTube video. >> There's going to be some real time updates when something changed, like the scam we just told you the other day when it happened. There's going to be live Ask Le Frenchies every two weeks where you can bring your specific Paris questions, your dates, your hotel, your dinner plans, and we answer them >> live and in person.

6:52 >> Exclusive content that never goes on YouTube, and every guide we've ever made, organized by topic, all in one place. >> And there are two paid tiers. The insider is $7 a month, and the VIP level is $25 a month. And the VIP has everything from the insider version. You get to vote on what video we make next. You can request topics and you get priority in our Paris meetups. >> And we also have a free tier with no commitment. So you can come and look inside and see what it's all about before you decide if it's a good fit for you.

7:25 >> And I'm going to be in there, too. >> And if you decide to go with one of the paid versions, use the code Frenchies before June 6th and you'll get 20% off. And we're not going anywhere. Patreon is not replacing YouTube. We actually love the community on YouTube, but the Patreon community is for people that want to have a little bit more. >> So, scan the QR code or click on the link in the description below. Now, let's get back to the video.

7:53 >> Now, the next thing we're going to talk about is another thing that is going to hit your wallet, and it has to do with museum pricing. Starting in January of this year, 2026, France has started to do something they've never done before, and that is using tiered pricing for entry to museums. So, they'll be charging non-European residents more per ticket than they're charging for European residents. >> Yeah, we're talking about a 45% increase for some of the museums. So, this something you need to know. So for instance, tickets for the Louv went from €22 per ticket to €32 per ticket for non-residents.

8:32 >> For Versail, for example, now it's 25 in low season, 35 in high season for non-European residents and the Europeans are getting a €3 discount on each tier. So there's a little bit of a difference with Versail, but not that significant. San Chappelle now is €22 for non-European residents >> and 16 for Europeans. >> Yeah. Now more sides like the Opera Garnier, Mona Michelle, the Concierie, the Chat Shambo are considering to adopt the same type of pricing for non-EU residents. So you're going to start seeing increased pricing across multiple museums in France. Now let me put that in real term for typical sightseeing.

9:15 Lulu is 32, Versailles is 35, San Chappelle is 22. That's 89 euro per person. A year ago, the same thing would have cost you €60. That's nearly a 50% increase. So, let's talk about why. Well, first of all, Lulu is going through a $1.1 billion renovation. This is a very old building with leaks everywhere with plumbing that was not at all adapted for that many visitors every day. And the breakin in October of 2025 has exposed a huge gap in the security that a museum like that should have because of all those expenses. Well, you know, everybody has to pitch in. And I think honestly it's fair to have the tourists pay for that because in a lot of ways it's a function of over tourism that's causing the problems.

10:07 >> Now there's an important exceptions. People 18 and under still don't have to pay anything. And that is a beautiful thing especially if you have kids. >> So here's something that you can do to help save money when it comes to visiting museums. And that's the museum pass. The museum pass is €85 for a two-day pass and €105 for a 4-day pass. So, that offers even better value for non-EU residents. Now, the thing with the museum pass, and we did a video on that subject, it becomes a good value if you're going to be visiting at least a couple of museums per day to take full advantage of what it offers. So, if all you want to do is one thing a day, eh, the value is really not there. Yeah, but if you want to go to a whole bunch of stuff, the value is definitely there and you'll still have a time slot assigned for a lot of the different things in there. You just book that time in with your passcode and then you'll have it just like any other spot. But for a lot of places around Paris, you'll just go in and flash your pass and walk right in with nothing else, just walking in.

11:15 >> So, now we've talked about a couple of things that may hit your pocketbook. And the next one is no exception to that, especially if you're planning on driving when you're in France. Now, if you're planning on renting a car when you're in France, whether you want to go to Normandy, the Lua Valley, or Champagne region, there is something that you need to know is that France is in the middle of a fuel crisis that is directly related to what's happening in the Middle East. Like everywhere else, >> of course, gasoline is up 10 to 15% just like it is in the United States or Canada or anywhere else in the world.

11:52 The gas is significantly more expensive. And if you want to get sticker shock, well, you're going to get it while you're here because on a good day, gas was already a lot more expensive in France. But now when you used to be able to fill your tank for €75 to €80, you're going to be talking about €110 to €120 for the exact same tank of gas. >> And in France, when you see the price at the gas station, they're talking about the price per liter, not the price per gallon.

12:18 >> So it may look like, well, it's the same price, and it says not really. Now one of the things that we've seen happen is there are some stations like in Kau or Lurlair that have committed to not increase the price of gas because of what's happening in the Middle East. So their pricing is significantly cheaper. But what it also means is that everybody in the region rushes to that gas station to get the cheap gas and when you get there it's out of gas. The problem is the truck delivery cannot keep up with the demand. This is why some of the stations show no gas. It's not like there's a shortage. It's because, well, everybody went there at the same time.

12:57 Now, one of the thing that could be really appealing is getting an electric car. Now, the good news is there's electric charging stations everywhere in France. Some that are up to 350 kilow on the highway, but in the cities, you'll see a lot of stations that can charge your car with a 50 kowatt per hour. So, what that means is that your car would be fully charged in about 2 to three hours as opposed to a half an hour.

13:24 >> And in the gas stations, as you're taking a road trip, you just pull up on the side of the road, take a pee break, get a coffee, do whatever you need to do, and you'll be charging your car the whole time you're in the station >> and you probably would not have to charge your car if you just went to Champagne because it's about like an hour, an hour and a half away from Paris. So, you could do that on one single charge.

13:46 >> Yeah. Not that we recommend driving in Paris, but in Paris, the parking is often free if you're driving an electric car. And they have charging stations and all of those spots, too. So, as a side note, that's available. >> The next thing that you need to know that change has to do where where you going to sleep when you're in Paris. Now, Paris has a new mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire. And one of the pledges that he did during his campaign was he was going to declare war to all the illegal vacation rentals that you have in a city and Airbnb is in the middle of that battle.

14:23 >> So if you're somebody who's used to booking an Airbnb when you come to stay here, that's definitely going to affect you. >> Now Paris is already one of the most regulated city in the world when it comes to Airbnb. And recently it went from a maximum of 120 days rental per year to 90 days. >> And now by May 20th, 2026, all short-term rental units in France must be registered on a new national system where they'll get a 13-digit code that they have to display when they put their property up for rent. So, one of the first clue to know if whether your Airbnb listing is legit or not is does it has that 13digit number that they have to show by law.

15:08 >> And they've recently started doubling the fines so that every time a person rents their unit without having all of the legitimate things or passing the 90 days, there is a fine of 100,000 each time. And this city estimates that there is about 25,000 illegal listing in the city of Paris alone. So I think that that is going to discourage a lot of people from doing illegal activities, but that also put your booking at risk. Now, the previous mayor said it plainly that a lot of people are buying properties in France and they're putting their unit completely illegally and the city wants to put a stop to that.

15:52 >> There is such a shortage of places for long-term rentals for the people who actually live and work in Paris that it's just not sustainable. We've heard of some apartment listing where 3 to 400 applications were submitted for a single apartment just to tell you how bad the situation is in Paris. Now, what does that mean for travelers coming to Paris? Well, first of all, there's going to be a lot less options for you when it comes to renting an Airbnb. And if you book an unregistered apartment, the risk for you is very high that they're going to cancel on you.

16:28 >> And you don't want to arrive in Paris only to find a locked apartment that you can't get into or to get a last minute cancellation in high season when you're scrambling to find a place to stay. >> Now, this isn't an anti-ourist move. This is an anti-illegal activity move. Now, Airbnb is not going away, but the Wild West era is over. you know, being able to just come in and at any time a week before and just pop in an Airbnb, those days are gone.

16:58 >> Yeah. >> And we did a whole entire video just on that subject. >> So, check that out if you want to rent an apartment in Paris cuz there's lots of information about what's going on with that. If you like this video with what's going on currently in Paris, next I would watch this video ranking all of the attractions around the area.