I have never been to Paris before except to that horrible airport CDG that has made me miss more flight connections than I care to remember. (:
In June, I plan to visit Paris and would like to know where to stay. I would like to be near tourist sites for easy access, a Metro station, near a hand ful of cafes, and a main shopping area. Hotel recommendations are welcome, but I am looking for an idea of the area I should be staying in.
Any help would be much appreciated. Of course, I have another question that my boyfrind keeps asking me...Are the Parisians really rude to Americans? We have been to Italy, Prague, and Vienna, and never had a problem.
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Parisians and French people are not rude to friendly visitors. For shopping, cafes and metro stations pick a hotel near metro Madeleine on the edge of 8th arrondissement.
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Parisians are wonderful, warm people. They are just a bit more formal than we are. If you learn and use a few cultural courtesies before you go, you%26#39;ll come away wondering where that silly rumor originated, I promise.
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If it is any consolation, rude Parisians are rude to other Parisians too. It is nothing personal against Americans!
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I%26#39;ve been to Paris many times and always met pleasant, courtesous people. That rudeness thing is a myth. You%26#39;ll find more rude Americans in Paris than rude French.
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%26lt;%26lt;If it is any consolation, rude Parisians are rude to other Parisians too. It is nothing personal against Americans!%26gt;%26gt;
Cram 2.2 million Parisians plus another 2+ million visitors and commuters daily into a space smaller than the Bronx in NY and you%26#39;ll likely run across a couple of cranky people at some point.
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I vote for staying in the Latin Quarter in the 5th. arrondissement as you will be within walking distance of many of the main tourist attractions. The area also has a good choice of restaurants, cafes, shopping etc..
In my experience, I have always found Parisians to be friendly and helpful - certainly no less polite than people from any other large city. I am not American but my sense is that tourists will be treated with politeness and respect as long as they themselves behave in a polite and respectful manner.
French culture tends to expect politeness in day to day life - bonjour, s%26#39;il vous plaît, merci, au revoir - are expected in every interaction. If tourists follow these customs then I am sure they will be treated with respect.
Bon voyage!
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Dear Buffalo66
I also vote for the latin quarter, 5h or 6th arrondisement anywhere river side of Rue Mouffetard and the Sourbonne, OR any where near the Palais Royale and the Louvre in the first arrondisement, as that is bang in the middle of the map and from the metro you can go in every direction. The 5th is a little cheaper for day to day things, but the Louvre is more central. there are plenty of cafes and shops around both areas.
As to Parisiens being rude, I have never found them so, any more than any other people in any other city. I am English ( and sometimes I am embarrassed by my countrymen) I usually find Americans to be very polite. Of course there are always exceptions.
As has been said before ALWAYS say bonjour madame or monsieur to every waiter, shop assistant, receptionist etc, everyone. Always say sil-vous-plait with every request, Always say merci. and always say Au revior and smile. I%26#39;t basic politeness but every French person does it.
Try to learn a bit if basic French and get a phrase book, although most young people speak English I think they appreciate if you attempt to speak some French and don%26#39;t just expect them to understand you.
Bon chance.
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Hi --
I keep telling folks this - The French are not rude so much as they are reserved. You%26#39;ll never have a restaurant server or shop employee call you %26quot;Hon%26quot;, and they will be highly insulted if you say it to them.
The French are formal. if you%26#39;re going to speak French, be sure to use the formal address, Vous, rather than Tu, which I have heard American teachers of French say is absolutely fine wherever you go. In my experience, it%26#39;s not fine except when speaking to a small child.
When you enter a shop or business, it%26#39;s courteous to say bonjour- monsieur, madame, or madamoiselle., just as it%26#39;s courteous to say Merci, au revoir when you leave.
Since everyone tosses around the old adage %26quot;When in Rome...%26quot;, it%26#39;s a good idea to prepared yourselves for Paris by learning just what the courteous customs are in order to fulfill those instructions to %26quot;do as the Romans do%26quot;.
Bon voyage.
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I hear we (Americans) are loud! So there must be something to our tone of voice; Parisiennes would never speak in an elevated tone in public, so maybe watch your tone in eateries, the metro, the streets, and with the usual polite greetings, they should respond in a polite manner.
Do some research on districts on this forum. I%26#39;ve heard Americans prefer the Left Bank, Europeans the Right. We are staying on the Right this summer, near the Louvre, for no other reason that we stayed there our first visit many years ago and liked it.
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What is rudeness? It%26#39;s difficult to define and we all have different interpretation of what the definition is.
To me rudeness is when I am wearing the wrong outfit and people are laughing at me or calling me 4 eyes if I am wearing glasses. That%26#39;s rude.
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