About France, do you know something...?

Question

...else than Paris ?

Almost all questions here are always about Paris. It seems like you think that France is Paris ! But France is a country and Paris a city ! There are other places !

Answer 1

hello lilou ....

houlà !! A quoi tu penses en écrivant cela ??!!!

laisse les bus de touristes dans paris, laisse les parisiens à Paris ...

j'ai pas vraiment envie de voir nombre de touristes envahir notre belle et propre province ....

Answer 2

Ca serait bien aussi de rappeler ce détail aux Parisiens! A les écouter, y'a que Paris qui existe...

Answer 3

As has been said, this is primarily an American portal and these questions are being asked, for the most part, by people planning a vacation.

It is hardly surprising that a tourist will go to the biggest and most well known place in an destination country.

By the same standard, I noticed very few French people coming to the American Midwest when I lived there nor do I see any French tourists coming to East Texas where I currently live.

None of this is surprising. Tourists are on vacation and want to enjoy themselves rather than taking a course in cultural anthropology. They couldn't care less if they see the "real" France (or America) as that was not their purpose in traveling.

Other cities in France are interesting and I have visited several.  However, why should the average tourist, who will probably visit France only once in his lifetime and then only for a week or two take time from discovering Paris?

There is, I think, a sort of reverse elitism, inherent in the issue raised by the question. It supposes that people are making their choice concerning destination because they are ignorant or stupid rather than making an informed decision to use their vacation time and money in the way that they think most appropriate to their own desires.

Answer 4

Provence, Carcasonne, Giverny, Normandy, Rennes, Mont St. Michel.  All on the itinerary for my next big trip.  Hoping to do it in April/May 2009!!!

Answer 5

oh yes! I understand you!

heureusement que la France ne se réduit pas à Paris!! Il y  a tellement de beaux coins en France...

bisous ailés

Answer 6

I hate "parisiannisme" as much as you do but you are on the American Yahoo portal and for Americans it is difficult to get around France outside major cities. Because of the language barrier but mostly because they cannot drive in France because different regulations are confusing (the "code de la route" is so different and far more extensive in France, they do not know the pictograms shown on the roads). So they stick to destinations they can reach through major public transportation and end up missing the best of France, I agree, and I would say, "real" France.

You'll find many other Europeans driving through France but you cannot drive there from the US. So when Americans travel they usually think of destinations that are cities, usually major cities or capitals.

When I lived in France (outside Paris) I always thought Paris was a beautiful city but at the same time secretly hated it like most non-Parisians just because I hate "parisiannisme" and many Parisians feel they are the center of the world and know nothing outside the boundaries of their city (if even their city, they usually know their "quartier' and that's it) and would have never wanted to live there even if you paid me. Now that I live in the US I realize how attractive and unique Paris is, I have a different perspective now than that of a French person.

But Lifo-folle du roi is right, Americans who have been to Paris  only still don't know France. Americans, try to go outside Paris, Loire Valley and the Riviera. You haven't seen the best of France yet!

EDIT: yes, you're right, the French public transportation system is so developped that you can go to a lot of places (not everywhere still!) without a car but 1) Americans are not used to using public transportation the way the French are; 2) they usually have short vacation which means that relying on local train and bus schedules can be too time-consuming; 3) there is still the language barrier: outside touristic areas, it is not so easy to have access to information in English. I have noticed that on the English version of the SNCF website there are fewer options than on the French version. I agree it's not an excuse and that it just requires a little more preparation and a sense of adventure, but I think these are SOME of the reasons why (there are others: there is very little information available here about foreign countries in general, no documentaries on TV about foreign cultures like we have in France, no geography classes in American schools, etc).

2nd EDIT about Rillifane's comment: Wow! I didn't know the millions of British, Dutch, German, Scandinavian, Swiss, Italian and French tourists that spend their vacation every year in the South West, Brittany, French Alps, etc were on an anthropology study, I always thought they were going there to have fun. At least they always seem to be having fun but maybe they are just masochists to return every year to areas where according to you they wouldn't enjoy themselves... I mean there is a reason why these regions are HIGHLY touristic. What they have to offer in terms of landscapes, fun vacation activities, food, history and culture does not even compare with the American Midwest (otherwise Europeans would go there by the millions as they do when they vacation in France). European tourists do drive across the US (to sites of touristic appeal!), they do not only go to cities. Your answer shows that not just Parisans can be "parisiannistes".

Answer 7

That's a good point. Never hear anything about any other location in France - except Normandy maybe.

Answer 8

Oui. Je ne passe pratiquement pas de temps à Paris quand je viens en France. En général, je sors de l'avion et je monte dans le train en direction de... n'importe ou plutôt que Paris.

Il y a longtemps que je n'ai pas vécu dans une grande ville et la puanteur (pollution surtout, je crois) de Paris me fait fuire. J'y reste quelque fois un jour ou deux pour faire les libraires et disquaires mais c'est à peu près tout.

D'ailleurs, mes amis de Paris se plaignent de ne pas me voir beaucoup...

Answer 9

yes you're rignt! Paris is a famous city but there is a lot of others beautiful places in france, like Lyon!!!!

coucou lifo!