Hey who here has been to France?

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nert

I live in a port town so can nip over whenever to Dieppe. The French are lovely, shame me by speaking perfect English (I try my best at French but usually get stuck). Go there.

ding diddy

Here is the best peice of advice ANY foreigner needs to know when in France;
Greet everyone you meet with "Bonjour".
Shopkeepers, waiters, hotel staff, taxi....everyone.
It's EXTREMELY RUDE not to. Tourists don't realise this, they start a conversation and unwittingly set the tone for a frosty encounter because the TOURIST was rude FIRST!
If you can follow "Bonjour" with at least a half decent attempt to speak some French then many doors will open for you and your stay will be a breeze.

Rillifane

France like all countries has its share of unpleasant people.

The French also have to deal with millions and millions of foreign tourists who are often seem to think that every resident is there to provide directions, explanations, and translation services.

While a Frenchmen is more likely to speak English than an American is to speak French, the fact is that not everyone speaks English or has any interest in learning how.

France is not the United States and social customs are different.

The French are more formal than Americans, What an American sees as being friendly and open is seen by a Frenchman as being crude and boorish. By the same token, Americans see the French as cold and aloof. Both are misunderstanding the cultural differences between the two countries.

I have traveled all over the world and found that keeping an open mind and paying attention to your surroundings, taking your cue on behavior from local people, and maintaining your sense of humor will get you thru almost anything.

P.S. And yes, France, especially Paris, is a VERY cool place to be.

minerva

i've been there many times and lived there twice. the french aren't rude to anyone in particular. american are treated with the same gallic disdain as everyone else lol. i have lot of french mates and don't find them rude at all. enjoy it.

Hugh Jenas

The French are rude to Americans you say, well they have just gone up in my estimations!

Bo V

I've been in Nice and going back early October. I found the French very hospitable but they speak very bad english

Nicolette

I am French married to an American. For a start is it not rude to say that the French are rude to Americans ? An american said to me, maybe it is the Yankee which are not making themselves likeable and polite....If they are nice the French are nice. If they are not nice the French are not nice. It's as simple as that.

I must add for myself, that I had some bad experience when I lived in Houston Texas, but of course I know that all Americans are not Texans. Salut.

HaveUmetTed

french people are not so rude to americans, frenchs don't like tourists and hate to speak english or any foriegn language (bcz they suck at it) but If you get to know some of them trey're ok. About the hygiene problem I only know clean people!
you should go bcz the country side is awesome and Paris is magic

hockeyhunny2

I haven't, but that's the one place I'd love to go.

disconipples

i agree with ding diddy and marin g. i spent 5 months there over last winter in Meribel and you could def tell the difference of when you tried to speak french and when you didnt. i cant speak french for s**t but make an effort and you'll get alot more respect

Martin G

If there is one thing that is likely to engender distain in the French, it is to go there and expect to speak English. Most people have been very friendly once an attempt to speak in French has at least been made. Approach someone and immediately speak in English, or ask if they speak English and they will pretend not to understand.

pretty g

yeah i have been 2 france i am a french american and i go there every summer and sometimes i bring my friends there there are rude people in paris but not really in lyon where my grandparents live

Justine

hey I am french, living in the UK. a few advices:

1- it is true we are considered rude, but only from a foreign point of view. I explain myself: i realised that when living in England, where most people are very polite, never saying or expressing what they really feel or think. that is not the case with French. we are blunt, i think that is the best way to describe our attitudes. we just don't hide what we truly think or feel... my English friends got used to it now, and apparently they enjoy it, as they can be sure that when i say i like something, i really like it and i am not just stupidly polite or hypocrite...
2- it is true we have a big problem with Bush, but we are not the only ones ;)
3-always try to speak French. like in every country, it is always better to try, make an effort to integrate. people will be grateful, and even if they smile, it isn't nasty, it is just their way of acknowledging your effort. better to have a smile than negative criticism!!!
4- love food. french people live to eat, and do not eat to live. once you have understood that, it will much easier to make friends... and understand how we work.
5-France is a very beautiful place. i wouldn't say the best, but the very nice thing in France is that we have everything: sea, mountains, hilly countryside as well as completely flat... you can do all sports from surfing to hiking in the snow...

hope this has been helpful. have a nice trip to france, it really worth it. and as someone has said, if you are not the first to be rude, why French would be?

Cru A

Don't be offended before you go there.... The French are rude to everyone and one another. I lived there for 20 yrs from the age of 13... and I can't imagine that I would EVER want to live there again. But, their country is stunning and offers the best (accessible) skiing in the world!!! The food however is HUGELY over-rated. Italian cuisine is far superior. However, their wine has no comparison.

The French also either stink of BO, or reek of perfume. Adieu!

Karen

I have. Never again!! They are also very rude to English!!

martin e

just this week come back from perpignan in the languedoc-roussillon region, beautiful area,fairly freindly people there.
i have also been to paris a few times and found a lot of parisiens to be particularly rude but none more so than some british tourists i have seen on my travels, but for me the best place to visit in france and for the friendliest people is normandy,unlike paris and seemingly the rest of france, they are grateful for what happened in 1944 and the reminders are all over normandy, particularly caen,st lo and along the coast near to sword/juno beaches

patchouli & paneer

I have. I was in Paris and the French country side to sing. This was about seven years ago.

Prickles McGee

I stayed in a little town in Brittany about a year ago, and everyone there was very nice to me. No problems.

Les

I once had a couple of jobs to do in Paris. Although I was there to help the people at this company they gave me absolutely no cooperation. I would never work there again.
I am English.
PS. It may be just the Parisians. I have noticed that people do tend to be ruder in large cities. London say, or New York.

vijay v

not me at least

I'm in France, nice place, it's not Americans they dislike but they have a problem with Bush. Also, being saved twice in the last 2 world wars by the Americans and the Brits makes them feel a tad inferior so they put up a front.

Mark R

Don't go it's full of french people who drive the worst cars also as it happens made in france

MissElection

yes i have been 7 times!!!! feckin twinning.....any way the part of france i was in brittanny, they hate english and americans, we had a few encounters a few times......in pubs and cafe's and all we had to say was irlande!!!!! and the next thing they were buying us drinks and hugging and kissing us.......so sorry to infor ya of this but every1 loves us irish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kthor

been to France once..never -wont be back - Woman dont shave armpits (yes they Smell - from a mile away), the men are a bunch of Patsy's..I think the men are the woman and the woman are the men in france

better head to Swtizerland - much better.

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