 | Paris Stereotypes: Rude, or friendly? Reviews | 51 - 60 of 77 |  |
At the begining, I always felt agressed by French people even though I'm a french native speaker.
After being here for more than a year now, I've come to the conclusion that it's just their way of talking...I just had to get used to it.
I won't even mention the awful customer service you will get in most places... you just have to accept it.
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Before my trip I had read on this forum to be polite and speak as
much French as you can and the locals will respond in kind.
This was excellent advice. A simple "Excuse Moi" "merci" etc. goes
a long way. I did not find the French to be rude whatsoever and
believe me, I had to ask for help and directions many times. If I
asked politely they were happy to respond even if they did not
speak much English.
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Do not believe in the oft repeated myth about rude French people!! I had quite a few pleasant and friendly experiences in france..and no rudeness whatsoever (including from the much maligned french waiters). I speak a little bit of french and that helped..but even if your french is confined to Bonjour and Au revoir..you could get by very easily as most parisians speak english. Obviously..it's better if atleast the initial greetings are in French Leave a Comment
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Don't believe what they say that the French are rude. Just be accommodating. The French are very proud of their language and it is only respectful to at least attempt to speak it at the beginning of a conversation. Bonjour! Comment ca va? Parlez lentement s'il vous plait. Je ne parle pas bien le francais :) Leave a Comment
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Everything you've heard of the French being unfriendly is untrue. I found them friendly and helpful.
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For all of the negative stereotypes that I had heard about the French being rude, I found them to be extremely friendly, very nice people. I didn't encounter any of the rude treatment I have heard so much about, in fact, it was just the opposite. I think if you will just put forth a small amount of effort to respect their culture and their language you will have no problems at all. Leave a Comment
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French people are no worse than other people. But of course, if you expect to meet rude people, and interpret things negatively then you will have your expectations verified.
I read one revealing review here on VT. A british lady complained about a restaurant. The waiter had insulted her and her husband by telling his collegue that they were "amateurs de vin" - which the lady interpreted as "wine amatuers" and obviously not knowing much about wine. What he really meant was "wine lovers" - the word Amateur means Lover. This mistake made the couple upset and they showed it - and they got the lousy service that they had expected (and, I dare say, deserved).
Expect the best - and you get it. Leave a Comment
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I have heard about the french being unfriendly people and refused to respond to questions asked in English. It is not true that they are unfriendly people. And yes, they may not like it if you immediately asked them to their face "Hello, do you speak English?"
Come on, please people! You visit someone's country of different culture and language, and you expect them to speak your language? As tourists and visitors to France, we should at least make the effort to learn some of their language, at least the basic words like "Bonjour, Merci, Pardon," etc. There are many guidebooks that have basic french words. If we make the effort to be friendly to the French, then they will be friendly to us too.
"Do onto others as you want others to do onto you" - isn't this the golden rule?
For the times I've spent in Paris and other parts of France, I find the French people to be friendly and outgoing. They will help and sometimes go beyond the norm to help a lost visitor. Off course, there are the exceptions and I did come across a few rude french - but this happens all over the world. In every country, you meet nice people and the NOT so nice people. That's life.
So, I love Paris - the city, the food, the wine and the nice french people.
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If you are a lone female in Paris it can be quite unsafe at times. If you are walking a deserted street and see one man approaching my advice is to always cross to the other side of the street rather than witness what he is about to offer you. The Parisiens are also notorious snobs - in particular those with low paid jobs such as museum cloak room attendents and metro ticket sellers. Ignore their rudeness and, if you are fluent in French, answer them back in a way that will wipe the smug smile off their faces. Tap water in restaurants should be served free of charge if requested. If snooty waiters tell you the tap water in Paris is unsafe to drink and insist you drink bottled water, leave the place. They are trying to rip you off. Beware some of the toilets in small cafes and nightclubs may be Turkish style i.e. holes in the ground. Leave a Comment
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- Palais Bourbon
49 rue de Bourgogne, Paris, France - Normandy Hotel
7 Rue de L'Echelle, Paris, France - L'Hôtel
13 rue des Beaux Arts, Paris, France - Edouard 6 Hotel
61, boulevard du Montparnasse 06 Arr., Paris, France - VICTOR MASSE
32 rue Victor Masse 9th Arr., Paris, France - Le Marceau Bastille
2025 West Orangeburg Avenue (formerly "Quality Inn"), Paris, France - Hostel Richard
35 Rue Richard, Paris, France - Aston Hotel
12 Cite Bergere 9th Arr., Paris, France - Royal Parc De Seine
6 Rue Chevreul, Paris, France - Bw France Europe
112 Boulevard de Sebastopol 3rd Arr., Paris, France - Holdiay Inn Paris-Elysees
24 Rue de Mironmesnil 08 Arr., Paris, France - Mercure Grand Hotel Paris
20 Avenue Charles Lindbergh, Paris, France - Hotel Des Grands Hommes Panthéon
17 Place du Panthéon, Paris, France - Hotel De L Ocean
7 Rue Mayran 9th Arr., Paris, France - Park Plaza Orleans Palace Hotel (185-187 Boulevard Brune.)
185 - 187 Blvd Brune (formerly Park Plaza Orleans Palace Hotel), Paris, France
Destinations near Paris- Île de la Cité, 1.22 km / 0.76 miles
- Clichy, 4.44 km / 2.76 miles
- Neuilly-sur-Seine, 5.22 km / 3.24 miles
- Asnières, 6.65 km / 4.13 miles
- Boulogne-Billancourt, 7.13 km / 4.43 miles
- Courbevoie, 7.13 km / 4.43 miles
- Suresnes, 7.31 km / 4.54 miles
- Puteaux, 7.31 km / 4.54 miles
- Bois-Colombes, 7.39 km / 4.59 miles
- Issy-les-Moulineaux, 7.39 km / 4.60 miles
» See all locations nearby» Popular Île-de-France locations» Popular France locations
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