Paris anyone?

itiswhatitis · ‎05-27-2016

Anyone (American) been to Paris? Please share your experiences here. I'd love to go. I've seen all kinds of you tube videos and read all kinds of travel info about going.

Is French speaking a must? I'd need to brush up! Weather, etc. I keep reading that Parisians don't care for Americans. I can't believe this to be true on a grand scale.

Anything of interest would be greatly appreciated.

*Call Tyrone*

Englishrose · ‎07-14-2013

I LOVE Paris!!!! I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I went last August. I was a little afraid that the weather would be hot, but it was perfect. A couple of days, we had a little drizzle, but nothing to worry about..we were comfortable in walking-around weather. In general, almost everyone speaks English..especially at any tourist area and I found Parisians to be friendly and courteous. I had heard they didn't care for Americans as well......I saw absolutely no indication of that. I would hop on a plane tomorrow and go back. I hope you have a lovely time and if you enjoy Paris ..even half as much as I did....you will fall in love with a beautiful city.

Janey2 · ‎06-07-2010

Agree with Englishrose. I loved Paris. No problem with the French. Beautiful city with so much to do.

willomenia · ‎07-31-2011

No!!! Filthy city, rude people! I would never go back

Alter Ego · ‎03-12-2010

I would agree with the other posters. Have only been there once and wouldn't hesitate to go back.

But, as a courtesy, please use a little bit of French. My little old mother, who never spoke a word of Italian in Italy (when she's Italian!) knew her merci's and bon jours. I'm sure we've all heard stories of the horrible American tourists that expect everyone to speak English - even though they can doesn't mean they will if you aren't being polite (not that you wouldn't be!)

I can't recall where I heard this...I was told that there is a general difference in the way French and American's enter a shop. Americans keep to themselves whereas the French will smile and say hello to the shopkeeper. So, you can see why there may be a misunderstanding when that shopkeeper isn't warm and welcoming. Whether or not true, I don't know - I had a limited time in Paris and really only went to one of the larger department stores. But I did try to remember and be more open in greeting people I met.

I did, however, get the tip scam. Tips are generally included. But, everyone knows Americans are tip crazy. I was told the tip line was for something else and pointed to where I could leave another amount. I didn't care - I'm not going to argue about a few dollars. So, there is that.

I would, however, have a couple ideas of what to do each day. France has scheduled strikes; when I was there, the museums were closed for a day.

(This is going back 5-6 years.)

ZoetheCat · ‎11-30-2014

@itiswhatitis wrote:
Anyone (American) been to Paris? Please share your experiences here. I'd love to go. I've seen all kinds of you tube videos and read all kinds of travel info about going.

Is French speaking a must? I'd need to brush up! Weather, etc. I keep reading that Parisians don't care for Americans. I can't believe this to be true on a grand scale.

Anything of interest would be greatly appreciated.

I have been to Paris several times, and it is my favorite city in the world. I've been fortunate to travel a great deal to Europe and, although I love just about the entire continent, Paris is, hands down, my favorite. There is something about the architecture, the ambience, the whole package. It's a great walking city with many diverse neighborhoods. And when you get too tired to walk, the Metro is great and easy to use. My favorite thing to do is sit at an outdoor cafe enjoying an omelette with a glass of wine. Heaven!

It is not necessary to speak French as most everyone speaks at least a little English. Although we did have trouble in rural parts of Franch (and other parts of Europe) where English is not as widely spoken, it was never an issue in Paris.

The weather is very much like the seasons we experience in New England (with less snow, I'm guessing). Most of our trips to Paris have been in September (which is our anniversary month) and the weather has been pretty much like here at home. Summer is waning but the weather is still quite nice for any outdoor activities.

As to Parisians disliking Americans, as a rule I have not found that to be the case. Of course we have run into rude people in Paris, but then again, I run into plenty of rude people right here at home. And, conversely, one of the nicest people I've come across in the course of my travels was a French agent at a car rental place in central Paris. The very young couple in front of my husband and I were picking up their rental car and were terrified of driving through the traffic at the Arc de Triomphe (not for the faint of heart!). The young woman was almost in tears. This was many years ago, but I still remember how kind the agent was and how he calmed her down. My experience has always been that people are pretty much the same everywhere - some are nice and some are not, regardless of geography.

Redboots · ‎10-11-2016

We visited and had a lot to do. We are all English speaking and communication was not an issue. There is some snobbiness towards Amercans. I use a Guerlain perfume and really wasn't welcomed at their store. We had an issue at a restaurant- there were 6 of us and one meal, the lobster ravioli was off tasting. We believed it to be spoiled. They did nothing. When we asked to speak to the manager, he couldn't be bothered to come to the table. We had the best fun and great food at a little Italian restaurant we found. I must say I was surprised at how dirty the city is. Lots of smokers so butts all over. And they don't pick up after their dogs, so dog poop on the sidewalks and gutters. Smoking is acceptable and allowed at the outside tables. I'm not anti smoking, just used to the way it is here.

Redboots · ‎10-11-2016

Just an addition to my comments, we went in September and the weather was warm. I've not been to all of Europe, but I liked Ireland, Northern Italy and Budapest better.

ZoetheCat · ‎11-30-2014

I have to confess that I'm a little mystified by the talk of Paris being "dirty." I honestly never found Paris to be any dirtier than any large American city. In particular, I'm thinking of New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I guess I never assume any large metroplis is going to be pristine. I know we all have levels of comfort in terms of cleanliness, and I certainly am not intending to go anywhere that is truly filthy, but I just don't see that as a problem in Paris. This is just my opinion, but the breathtaking beauty of Paris is not sullied by a few cigarette butts. As far as the dog "droppings?" Sure, that can be a nuisance at times, but, then again, I am confronted with the same issue on my daily walk down the beautiful walking trail in my very small town.