"Check Your Receipt"... France Charges Tourists 50% More Than Locals

French Media Conducts Undercover Experiment on Tourists
No Free Water Provided to Tourists
10% Tip Entered, Secretly Changed to 15%
Cheap Wine Swapped for Expensive Orders

An experiment conducted by the French media outlet Le Parisien showed that the bill differed for locals (left) and tourists (right) despite ordering the same menu. Le Parisien YouTube

A French media outlet conducted an experiment on price gouging in Paris and found that tourists pay about 50% more than locals. The investigation also uncovered practices such as serving a cheaper wine than the one ordered, and secretly increasing the tip amount after canceling the one entered by the customer.

On July 23 (local time), the French daily Le Parisien reported that, after receiving numerous complaints from tourists about excessive pricing in Paris, it decided to conduct its own experiment. A reporter disguised himself as an American tourist by wearing a shirt with the Eiffel Tower printed on it, a baseball cap, and speaking with an American accent. He visited a cafe near the Eiffel Tower with a real Parisian citizen.

The two sat at separate tables and ordered lasagna and drinks, filming the process covertly. As a result, the Parisian received a 6.5-euro (about 10,473 won) can of cola along with free water, while the reporter, posing as an American, was told, "Small-sized cola is not available," and had to order a 9.5-euro (about 15,308 won) cola.

Additionally, the reporter was not given free water and had to order bottled water for 6 euros (about 9,688 won). In fact, American tourists interviewed by Le Parisien in central Paris said, "I thought you always had to pay for water at restaurants," and "Even when I asked for water, they always brought a paid bottle of water."

They then moved to another restaurant to compare tipping policies. The French citizen was charged an amount that included the mandatory 10% service fee, but the fake American was told that the service was not included and was asked whether to add a tip. When he entered a 10% tip during card payment, he later discovered that the waiter had secretly changed this to 15%.

Last month, Le Parisien also revealed through a similar experiment that some Paris restaurants deceive foreign tourists by selling cheap wine at expensive prices. A sommelier, disguised as a foreign tourist, ordered a 9-euro (about 14,502 won) Chablis, but was actually served the cheapest 5-euro (about 8,056 won) Sauvignon Blanc from the menu. The bill, however, was for 9 euros.

Franck Trouet, spokesperson for the French Hotel and Restaurant Association (GHR), said, "This is an insult to the industry," emphasizing, "In France, (tap) water and bread are free, bottled water can be refused, and tipping is entirely voluntary and never mandatory, only given if the service is satisfactory."