I am American I want to visit France what can I do to make to most out of my trip?

Question

note to Santa C: I did not ask this question in order to attack how the forigners may upset you. I asked this question because some day I want to see where my ancesters came from and get the most out of my trip. Since this site is world wide I thought it may be helpful in obtaining the information that will help me to make the most of a once in a life time trip.

Answer 1

I want to go to France...

If I were you, I'd definatly visit Paris & the eiffel tower.

I'm going to enclose some links of some museums & stuff...

http://en.parisinfo.com

http://en.parisinfo.com/museum_monuments...

http://en.parisinfo.com/museum_monuments...

http://en.parisinfo.com/museum_monuments...

Answer 2

I think you will appreciate the USA more when you get back.

Answer 3

It will help if you can speak at least some French.  If you speak English with French ppl, be sure to speak very slowly and try not to use contractions (e.g. can't, won't, etc.) or American slang which might not be taught much in French classrooms.  Though it is important to be polite, I have come across many foreigners who move to America and refuse to speak English, refuse to eat American food, etc. so the term "ugly American" seems really dated.  Ppl from other countries can be even worse-- they come here not to visit, but to live and work yet they still refuse to learn English.  OK, I digress.  Boulangeries sell mostly bread, but there is nothing wrong with buying some pastries there.  Patisseries specialize in pastries, but you can also find chocolate candy there.  You can even get good bread and pastries in supermarches (supermarkets).  One thing to keep in mind is that France is a western country so many things will be familiar to you.  OTOH, it is still a foreign culture which can be both good and bad.  Be sure to get enough rest and plan just enough activities during the day to get your fill (but at the same time avoid feeling rushed).  How much nightlife you want to take in is up to you, but IMHO, the evenings are great for watching French tv (or CNN) in your hotel, writing some postcards and looking at your guide book for ideas about the next day's activities.  I like Arthur Frommer's guide books bc they have a lot of practical advice and are for the budget minded traveler (not the business exec with the corporate expense acct).  Most of all, have fun!

Answer 4

I often tell people that being a "good tourist" is hard work.

If you really want to make the most of a visit to a foreign country you need to prepare.  That means reading everything you can get your hands on about the place.

Read guidebooks, not just one but several and cover several perspectives. i.e Lonely Planet and the Guide Michelin.

For someplace like France with a vast literature by visitors read a selection. For Paris read Hemingway and George Orwell, Art Buchwald and Julia Child.

Roam the Internet forums and travel websites. Make lists of everything you might want to see. Read restaurant reviews and get recommendations from others. Plan out itineraries.

Become familar with the currency. Get some Euro notes and small change. Get used to the look and feel of bills and coins.

Acquire at least the basic tourist vocabulary. Study menus written in French and become familiar with French culinary terms.

Study maps of the city or cities you intend to visit and become familair with bus or Metro routes.

The simple truth is that the more you know the better your visit will be.

Get yourself into the right mindset.

Traveling can be either educational or an excuse for complaining. Resolve that every encounter with something that is unfamiliar or not the way you'd do it is an opportunity to understand a foreign culture. Make "keep an open mind" your motto.

Be fearless. Speak to strangers. Try that dish on the menu that you're not quite sure about. Join in the singing. Get up and dance.

Take your time. Sit and watch how other people live. See fewer things but understand each one better. Don't worry if you don't see everything this time. You'll be back.

Answer 5

Do not act like an "ugly American."  Make an effort to learn a few basic French phrases.  Make an efort to read French menus.  Most truly French rest.  don't have an English menu.  Be open-minded about trying new food.  Do not be too loud, and forget you ever had a car.  Venture out on the metro.  The system is marvelous.  You can get everywhere between the metro and walking.  Enjoy fresh bread like you can only get at artisanal bakeries here in the States.  Have wine for lunch and dinner.  You will have the best hot chocolate!  Set out to discover small, out of the way restaurants.  The night life is livelier in the Northern African quarters.

Answer 6

First of all, if you have to travel around, use the train system. It's the best way. Here are some links for the company

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/leisure/fr/l...

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/dynamic/_SvH...

And depending of what you like to do on vacations, you have Paris for the history, Provence for the sun and the smell of lowers and herbs, nothing much to do in north of France or Alsace, we have the Alps, very beautiful in summer as in winter.

One thing you have to do though, stuff yourself with pastries, you'll never eat others like this gain :-) But buy them in "patisserie" not "boulangerie" (bakery)

If you're curious and like to eat, there is a company that organizes the "Gastronomic Tour de France". The only things you do is travel by bus to go all over France to find the best restaurants and wine cellars in the country.

Also, I would advise to learn a few basics sentences. The mistake is to assume, that everybody speaks english. French people are shy, and if they don't dominate the language, they won't speak it. It's not rudeness, is what pride, maybe.

Anyway, have a great vacation, I hope you like it there. At least you're curious, not like a lot of people who think they know it all without having left home to discover other sites, other cultures. It opens the mind you know ?

Mouchie