French Guiana: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive French Guiana feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 32 written places.
France on paper, Creole in rhythm; carnival season shapes half the calendar.
✓ Considered polite
- Say bonjour before anything else - mainland French shop etiquette applies fully here
- Go early to Cayenne's Saturday morning market - it is the week's main event
- Join the Sunday street parades if visiting between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday
- Plan a Sunday around the Hmong market in Cacao - noodle soup and produce worth the drive
✗ Better avoided
- Expect shops open through midday - long lunch closures are standard
- Expect much open on Sunday beyond bakeries and carnival
- Skip the bonjour and launch into requests - it reads as rude, exactly as in Paris
- Turn up in beachwear in town
Worth knowing
- This is France and the EU - euros, French plugs and EU roaming apply
- Prices run higher than mainland France - most goods arrive by ship
- Service is included in restaurant bills as in mainland France - extra tips are small change
- Carnival runs from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday with parades every Sunday - book accommodation early in that window
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.