I live and work in France, and the part about 9 to 7 is real in Paris (I currently do 7 to 5 because I like to leave early). Elsewhere in France it would be closer to 8 to 6 I think.
I rarely take a long break during the working day, lunch is 30min at most. But, I like to leave a bit earlier to spend time with my daughter.
Once she's in bed at night, I'll usually work for a few more hours though. So, I may not be a good example.