Just got back from a trip to France with my chipped Venture card. Worked everywhere I tried it (Restaurants, shops, the toll roads up to Normandy etc) - even a vendor at a random street market who had a credit machine. I never once got denied (well once on a toll road but we figured out it the company that owned this particular toll road was Amex only).

Did not try it at the 24/7 unmanned gas stations or the Paris Metro terminals - my girlfriend was paying for those portions and she has the Arrival+, which is chip and pin.