Is france the posh, pretty place like in the movies?

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Rillifane

First I want to agree with most of what has been said in the other responses, especially Wise Owls, but, by way of balance, provide a few other observations.

I too find France to be, generally speaking, a very pretty place but there is also the reality of vast suburban tracts of government built public housing for the poor which is as ugly and squalid as public housing anywhere. Rural settings are very picturesque but, at least in some areas, can mask fairly meager living conditions.

The visitor will be impressed by the rich array of monumental public buildings, the vast array of restaurants and cafes, the vibrant nightlife and the accumulated treasure of art in the great museums but the French, on average, live in spaces that most Americans would find oppressively small and lacking in amenities.

France is, indeed, quite expensive and this is true without regard to how expensive it might be for Americans because of exchange rate fluctuations. The French earn less than Americans to begin with (even the currently advantageous Euro exchange rates does not change this) and are amongst the most heavily taxed people in the industrialized world. As a result they have a much smaller disposable income.

That explains both the smaller living quarters and fewer material goods owned by most people in France. One is struck by the absence of the "walk in closet" in France until you realize that most of the French wouldn't need one.

French food is excellent and French cuisine is one of the wonders of the world. Yet, oddly, they are increasingly patronizing such abominations as McDonald's and Starbucks and traditional French restaurants and cafes are going broke and closing at an alarming rate. When I first started visiting France, some 35 years ago, I would have said that you couldn't find a bad meal in Paris if you looked for it. Today you need look no further than to something like the Indiana Cafe chain which serves horrifyingly bad fake Tex Mex food and is packed with credulous Parisians who seem to think its just fine.

The French are certainly not unfriendly but they are not friendly in the American sense. They are more reserved, more formal, less outgoing, and value their privacy more than Americans. Many Americans will therefore find them "cold" or perceive them to be standoffish.

WISE OWL

France is a beautiful country. Wherever you go there are wonderful things to see, stunning countryside, amazing buildings and art, breathtaking castles and a fantastic cultural Heritage. The old towns are as pictureque as in the films. Modern architecture is quite daring and striking. Central Paris is dazzlingly beautiful with open spaces, splendid monuments, and broad avenues radiating from the Arc de Triomphe. Streets are clean and there is very little litter.

The food is delicious, and cuisine is part of the culture, varied and imaginative. It offers a large choice to suit every taste and ingredients are of excellent quality. If you like American style fast food, there are McDonalds in most large towns.

The French at first seem a little reserved , but when they start to know you they are warm and welcoming. They are very family orientated, but they enjoy eating with friends, and those dinners are very congenial. The stuck-up or rude ones tend to be in Paris, but they are like that towards everybody, including other French people. Otherwise there is a long tradition of hospitality in France. Most French women do dress with a certain flair, but not everyone is "posh", and in fact it often is the simple straightforward people who are the most welcoming.
Some things are very expensive, particularly luxury goods and brand names, and some are reasonable depending on what you are buying and where you go. French markets are astounding and the food and vegetables that you buy there are ultra fresh and very tasty. Cakes and pastries are expensive but to die for, freshly made with first class ingredients and miles better and more varied than those sold in the UK. French butchers would not dare to sell poor quality meat because they would be lynched by their co-citizens. Often you are offered a taste of things like cheese or sausages and even fruit before you buy.
Clothes are usually well made and in better quality than in the UK. They can be costly but supermarkets often offer most things, including clothes, more cheaply. Goods are displayed with flair and even an underwear shop will have really attractive window displays.
Touristy areas are dearer than remote spots, but there can be a dozen or more restaurants side by side and you can compare prices and find some in all price brackets. By law service and tips are included in the prices, so what you see on the price list is what you are charged for. There also are places where students buy baguettes and filled croissants to take away that are modestly priced near secondary schools and in university towns.

Honestly it is a wonderful place and once you have been you will want to go again and again because there is such variety and there will be more things you want to see, and other regions that you will want to explore.

Angie's Husband

Everywhere in France I have been, and I now live here, I have found the French to be really nice, friendly but not over the top and helpful.

It is a big country and you will find a large diversity of people, culture, food and climate.

Check out a few websites describing the place and see what you think, but if you have a chance to visit then you need to take that chance and find out for yourself.

xakilegnasp

I have not found the people in France unfriendly at all. They are very polite and helpful, but extremely private. The food here in France is very good, because it is very important to the French people. As far as the prices are concerned, well Europe as a whole is more expensive if you compare the prices to the US, but compared to the cost of living it's about the same. I have found that the UK is much more expensive to live than France. France has everything, mountains, ocean, farmland, you name it, just like the US, depending on which region you are

rugratshd

Posh, no, pretty - extremely. There is a wonderful selection of beautiful countryside and wonderful buildings. There are also slums, and of course the none too clean port areas.+

Michelle

Depends on where you go. It's somewhat stereotyped (then again, what isn't? The U.S isn't exactly the same as movies make it out to be, right?) I suppose but it's not too far off.
I'm living in France for the year in a rural area and even here people are REALLY nice. When I visited Paris everyone was willing to help given you ask of course. Almost everyone that goes to Paris or lives there knows enough English so if you don't know a lot of French you can ask them to explain in English and they'll help. Usually they're kinder when you attempt French (it's kind of understandable if you think about it), but either way they're helpful and nice.
The food is pretty good. Cafes are pretty expensive though (in Paris it's more expensive because that's what they do, cafes. That's how money is made, bumping up prices). The crepes (pancakes)... to die for! They have at least 2 stands a street right on the sidewalk and you can watch them get made fresh... they LOVE Nutella here and it's REALLY good in crepes. Sugar and nutella or just plain... mmm...
Generally France is known for great food. But the restaraunts are pretty pricey so you shouldn't go out TOO much unless you're rich.

As for the cost of things... the Euro is a strong dollar so things typically are almost doubled the price. Not exactly, just below (in comparison to the Canadian and American dollar that is), but it's more expensive here.

Wally Z

The people are quite friendly. While wandering thru Paris (I actually like doing this) when I didnt know where I was going there was always someone around that knew English that was willing to help. The government employees are the ones that are unfriendly and downright rude.
The food can be great or it can be the same as you are familiar with, like hotdogs (often with melted cheese), french frys (they often use mayonase instead of ketchup), etc. Most restaurants have English and other language menues. Be aware that they often automatically include a tip in the check.
Everything is quite expensive but it is mostly because the value of the US dollar is down about 40% in the last year.
BTW, be sure to see the french version of the Statue of Liberty located along the Sine.

Grinedel

nope. Definitely not like in the movies. Some people are unfriendly but most will help you if you need. The food can be very good or very depends. Everything is not expensive.

spanner

France is a real place full of real people. It is attractive, especially the natural scenery. However, it does not quite look like the glossy photographs in tourism brochures. Paris is quite dirty except in the parts that are heavily by tourists. Because the buildings tend to be older than the ones in North America, they are more crumbly.

The people are quite friendly towards Canadians, and generally towards anyone who makes what appears to be a reasonable effort to speak their language. They seem to want to encourage the use of French and keep the amount of English in usage to a minimum. They do not take to boasting on the part of tourists. Some Americans have complained that they are rude towards them.

The food, I guess, is varied. I think you would have to pay quite a bit for an elegant meal in a restaurant. If you do not pay a lot of money, it can be mediocre. A lot of food to eat on the go is available. On the south coast you can buy bread stuffed with Salade NiÃ§oise. it is called Pan Bagnat. Not only is it affordable; it is healthy as well.

France, like any other area that experiences a high level of tourism and international business, can be expensive. However, it is not as expensive as some other countries such as Switzerland and Luxembourg.

The real people of France do not tend to dress like the people in fashion magazines advertizing "haute couture". You might not be able to tell them aprt from North Americans by their clothing. Many of the women wear house dresses.

The Mediterranean coast is very beautiful. The unique bluish green hue of the CÃ´te d'Azure makes the origin of the name of this stretch of coast line self-explanatory. However, a lot of tourists just seem to go to Paris and they miss out on some of the beautiful varied secenery.

qriste

In the movies you mainly see Paris, and the poshest places, and it's like another country in the country (life is not like in "AmÃ©lie Poulain") ; the rest of France is like Italy and Spain, they're just as nice. And as far as food is concerned, I live in Lyon a gastronomic capital, but as most people in France I eat very basic things, I can't afford to buy all the "great food" that people talk about, let's be realistic, it's all a matter of purchase power.

LesGrossman

nowadays its peace is ruined by drunken Brits and muslim immigrants

eptyr12

I spent a whole month traveling around France and found that the French people are not rude or mean, they are reserved, private, and generally just busy people. They do their thing and don't really go out of their way to welcome, or condemn anyone. Paris is not really the romantic paradise of the movies, it is dirty and loud like most European cities and watch for pickpockets in the Montmarte area, but if you take general precautions, they won't bother you. Never get lured by the cabarets there either, most are just fronts for whorehouses.

My absolutely most favorite place in all of France was the Brest, Normandy areas. So many little fishing and sailing towns around there that are quiet and can be really romantic, far more so than Paris or the resorts to the south.

Zoe G

NOT AT ALL!! I thought so too and when I go here was quite disappointed. It is really dirty in some places; I had never seen dog crap in the streets like here before. The people aren't that friendly either. I mean there are some really nice helpful people, but from my experience, they don't really like it when you speak English. They kinda get angry. But hey, that's my experience.

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