My husband and I are going to Paris for the first time in November. Neither of us speak French..............any recommendations for side trips out of Paris?And how long to stay in Paris? We will be there for 10 days, he will have business for two. I will be on my own %26amp; wish to explore. My friend just returned and said she would never go back because the people were so rude!
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Is your friend accustomed to life in a big, bustling city? That%26#39;s Paris (and New York, etc.), and people can be brusque if they%26#39;re in a hurry. We%26#39;ve always found the French, even most Parisians, to be polite and helpful. It helps if you understand the customs, such as saying hello when you enter a shop and goodbye when you leave. If you need to ask someone a question, begin with %26quot;Pardon me.%26quot;
If you have time for some reading before you go, I%26#39;d recommend Polly Platt%26#39;s excellent %26quot;French or Foe,%26quot; which gives you a lot of information on French cultural issues. A Paris guidebook would also be very useful.; I like the Michelin Green Guide, but the Eyewitness is also good.
As for side trips out of Paris, what kinds of things interest you?
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Is your friend accustomed to life in a big, bustling city? That%26#39;s Paris (and New York, etc.), and people can be brusque if they%26#39;re in a hurry. We%26#39;ve always found the French, even most Parisians, to be polite and helpful. It helps if you understand the customs, such as saying hello when you enter a shop and goodbye when you leave. If you need to ask someone a question, begin with %26quot;Pardon me.%26quot;
If you have time for some reading before you go, I%26#39;d recommend Polly Platt%26#39;s excellent %26quot;French or Foe,%26quot; which gives you a lot of information on French cultural issues. A Paris guidebook would also be very useful.; I like the Michelin Green Guide, but the Eyewitness is also good.
As for side trips out of Paris, what kinds of things interest you?
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There%26#39;s enough in Paris to keep you occupied for far more than 10 days, so unless you have something specific in mind, I would stay in the city for the entire time. (We have been travelling to Paris most years for the last 25 and always find new things to do).
Please don%26#39;t be put off by your friend%26#39;s findings: maybe she experienced people who were in a hurry going about their daily routine - work, school, shopping etc who just didn%26#39;t have time, rather than rudeness. Paris is a beautiful city and I have always found people to be very helpful: sure, a bit of French will help you a lot. You have a few weeks to master a few basic phrases and you will be respected for trying to use them. No-one will expect you to be perfect.
I hope you have a great trip.
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Catullus is right. Just knowing the small common courtesy rules of France will get you a long, long way. Using a greeting as you walk into any place of business is very important, especially when you are going to address someone directly. For example, here in the states you would not say %26quot;hello%26#39;%26quot; first when you go in to pay for your gas, but even in casual situations in France you would say %26quot;%26quot;Bonjour%26quot; first. As you can probably already see, the French as a general rule have good manners. After being in Paris a couple times I really saw what was causing many misunderstandings of the French attitude and it was that they often found Americans rude as funny as that may seem!! Often it is unintentional on the tourist;s part, for example laughing loudly in many public places seems to be a brow raiser ! .Just be sensitive to their culture and use a few words of French %26quot;Merci%26quot;, %26quot; Bonjour%26quot;, %26quot;Au Revoir%26quot;, etc. and you will find that they appreciate your efforts, and that you will probably come in contact with far fewer rude people than you would in a American metropole.
Regarding your other questions. I could spend a lifetime in Paris alone. So, I often think it is a good idea to spend enough time in Paris to not only see the main tourist sights, but take in the city from a leisurely pace by walking the small neighborhoods, browsing on a market street and sitting in a park. You should be able to do this in 7 days. Therefore, I think two one day excursions from Paris would be the maximum that I would take. Many love to go to Versailles for example. Then you could choose one other small town such as Chartres, although I am only giving examples. You can do a search for each subject that interests you here on TA by typing in %26quot;day trips from paris%26quot; or %26quot; excursions from paris%26quot; in the subject field.
Finally, I will have to say you have definately taken one step in the right direction to having a wonderful trip by coming to this board. I have been to Paris many times (going to spend the month of October there), but I learn something new just about everytime I come on here !!
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I%26#39;m sorry that your friend did not enjoy the French. I have found them to be reserved, but courteous.
The small courtesies that the other posters have mentioned are the normal ones of my youth so I don%26#39;t find them difficult to adhere to - the one thing that many Americans do that will result in a frigid response is not waiting for one%26#39;s turn - the %26quot;I only have one question%26quot; behaviour, which of course says to all and sundry, %26quot;You%26#39;re completely without value because I%26#39;m here%26quot;. That isn%26#39;t a message that business people like their clients to receive.
I can%26#39;t imagine why your friend did not have a better reception in France. Although I speak French, it usually takes me a week or so to get my chops back, and in the interim I%26#39;m often relegated to the very basics- bonjour, s%26#39;il vous plait, merci, etc., and I have never found the French to be impolite no matter how limited my vocabulary might be.
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We could not have had a better time in Paris. We found the French to be very pleasant and helpful. Many speak English, esp in hotels, cafes, and stores. But watch your manners; the French are not casual with strangers or with etiquette, and consider speaking loudly, placing elbows on tables, etc. is rude and crude, and they can glare at you. For the most part, they are reserved and don%26#39;t treat strangers like their new best friend. Waiters will not introduce themselves, etc. I would not hesitate to travel to Paris by myself.
There is a lot to see/do, and you should also allow time just to sit in a park, by the Seine, and enjoy the moment! I would suggest a minimum of 5-6 days in Paris.
When left alone, just go tourist. You can spend hours and hours, and the larger, more popular museums are centrally located near the Tuileries. The Metro is safe (if you watch your purse), but if not comfortable alone, taxis are everywhere. A trip to Versailles on the RER C train is a convenient direct 30 minute commute, safe, and costs approx 6 Euro (21 Euros for a combo train and Versailles passport); very good trip even if you%26#39;re alone. Chantilly, Fontainebleu, Chartres, are also easy day trips with/without husband; Loire Valley is a bit further; Normandy, and Mont St Michel are best overnight, could be done with a day trip but I would recommend a tour bus for the day that will return after dark.
You probably already know more French words than you realize....
Hello: Bonjour ----Good evening: Bonsoir ----Good bye: Au revoir----
Do you speak English?: Parlez-vous anglais?----Thank-you: Merci----Excuse me: Pardon ----How much?: combein----1st course: entree----main course: plat----bottled water: eau minerale----
carbonated/still water: eau gas(or gazeusez)/non gas
specialty of the day/house: plat du jour/de la maison---
I%26#39;d like... : Je voudrais ....----tip (not) included: service (non) compris
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Hi,http://www.secretsofparis.com/with-parisians/
Here%26#39;s a guide to dealing with the French - sometimes the perception of the others being rude (and I am sure the French think the same the other way round) - is a matter of not understanding foreign etiquette.
Search for %26quot;rude%26quot; in this forum and you will see that this topic has been discussed at length numerous times.
But generally I agree that when in Paris you have to put on a little more of that %26quot;always-smiling-stewardess%26quot;-attitude. It is not by accident that it is common to end a French business letter with.
%26quot;Je vous prie, Messieurs, d%26#39;agréer l%26#39;expression de mes sentiments les plus distingués%26quot;
meaning:
%26quot;Yours truly%26quot;
:o)
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http://www.secretsofparis.com/with-parisians/
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I always wonder about travelers who can spend a week or so in a particular place and come back saying, %26quot;the people are so....%26quot; How can an entire people be rude, friendly, slow, or otherwise?
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hi travelynnfool,
We returned from our trip to Paris and Edinburgh yesterday, it had been hectic and yet a most wonderful experience. we are from india and do not speak french but had managed to learn a few french words. we stayed for 5 days and i can tell you french people are not rude, they may be in a hurry at times but they are definitely not rude.
i would tend to agree with tricia27.
When ever we required help, people were more than eager to help us be it on the street, the metro station or in the shops; though at times the persons whom you ask may not know a word of english but he/she will definitely help you out with some sort of sign language.
my advice is do not rattle of stright any in english start with %26quot;bonjour%26quot; and then try in french or english we tried speaking in french and it helped.
we had a great time
enjoy
