I just returned from a 1-week visit to Belgium. (Previously, I worked/lived in Belgium for many years.) Apple Pay worked perfectly with my Citi Premier and C1 Venture card in many businesses. I did have trouble using my Amex Platinum with Apple Pay for some reason, but didn’t troubleshoot the matter, as the other cards worked perfectly.

None of my USA cards worked, however, at an automated fuel station and at an underground parking garage. (Fortunately, a family member just used their Belgian debit card to save the day.)

Though I’d had trouble using USA cards with unattended gas and parking situations on previous visits to Belgium, I’d read that PIN priority credit cards were no longer required. Sadly, this did not prove to be the case. The gas station was a large one near the Brussels Airport, the parking lot was a municipal one near the city center. I don’t know if you will encounter the same issues in France, but but it sounds like I need to obtain a PIN priority card for future visits!