The French are so rude to turists and get the higher number of tourists from any other destination - Ironic?

Question

I recently went to Paris and realised that French were rude and did not like it when people talked to them in English - I found it amazing that they still get so may tourists...! Ok, Paris is beautiful but...

Answer 1

Of course they were rude, you talked to them in ENGLISH!  When you do that, they'll assume you're just another ignorant American.  You need to learn of few phrases of the language BEFORE you visit any country.

Answer 2

I've been to Paris four times and never felt like anyone was rude to me.  As for the language, Paris is in France, and the language is French.  Why shouldn't they expect people to speak their language?  or at least attempt to speak it?

Answer 3

I went to Paris,spoke in French and still found them rude.Maybe the other posters can figure that one out.

Answer 4

I just returned too!  But found the French quite nice to Americans. They have a custom in France. Make some EFFORT in speaking their language.

Just a few words.  Especially a simple greeting.

Say "Bonjour" when you greet someone. They realize that you are an American and they understand you too! It's just their custom to greet people.  This holds true for Europe in general.  

Remember, we use to GREET people in America. Just because we are too busy now and have forgotten this tradition - don't expect Europeans to have forgottent this too!

Just show some common courtesy towards the French, I promise they will be nice to you.

Answer 5

I really don't understand all these people saying that tourists should make an effort to talk in French when they are in Paris..! For God's sake, the English language was set as the international language of this planet so that people around the world would communicate by using it. My native language is not English but since I travel I learned this language to be able to communicate with the world. If the French expect everyone to learn some basic French before they go to Paris, then this is their problem and yes it is rude to have such expectations.

Do the Greeks expect you to say 'kalimera' when you are in Greece? NO

Do the Italians expect you to say "Buon giorno" when you are in Italy? NO

Do the Spanish expect you to say "Buenos dias" when you are in Spain? NO

It is good to hear a foreigner say something in you language but it is another thing to expect it and get angry if foreigners talk to you in English..

Answer 6

Hi there,

I love travelling to foreign places, don't you?

I love to go to a new destination, to see how the locals live, to listen to them speaking the language of their country and to learn about life in that place.

The truth is there are rude people in every country, but as travellers it is up to us to enjoy what we can when we are the visitors in someone else's country.  

I wrote some time ago about Tips on French Culture - things which I'd learnt over many years of visiting and living in Paris.

You might enjoy reading it - I won't include the whole webpage here, just the link to make it easier:

http://www.a-night-in-paris.com/tips-abo...

Basically I think it's a great idea to learn a bit about a culture before you go somewhere new, and that way you can enjoy every day.

I wish you happy travels for the future, and hope that my tips might help you to understand the French a bit better.

Answer 7

OMG i compltely agree about how rude they are.....or like when you try and use ur french they just respond in english with an attitude. i mean i see where they are coming from like why should they use their english just for us when french is their main language but still....be a little more welcoming :-(

Answer 8

First we do not hate anybody not even English or Americans...

We just think in our country it is us who decide what language is spoken... at least if you don't speak French be polite enough to ask people whether they do speak English!

That is not a question of beeing rude or not that is a question of respecting one another.

To me it is much ruder if an English or American starts talking to me in English without thinking one minute in which country we are.

Answer 9

The problem is what I call "subtlties of culture."  They are acting rude from your cultural point of view.  I'll bet if you asked a close French friend, he or she would say that the French think everyone else acts rudely.

I formulated this idea when I worked for a German company.  If we were working jointly on a project, the Germans would never tell the Americans when they discovered a problem -- they would wait until we were together to tell us.  We thought it was rude because they didn't allow us any time to fix the problem.

After this happened on two different teams, I asked a close friend about it and she enlightened me -- Germans would never email someone that he made a mistake because that would be (you guessed it) rude!  You wait until you see someone so you can tell him or her face-to-face (especially if you are alone and no one else can hear).  This way, the person in the wrong saves face.

As far as speaking a "foreign language" around them, think about the last time you went to a restaurant and you only heard Spanish -- you probably felt a little uncomfortable.

Next time you are in Paris, start any conversation with Bonjour Monsier/Madam.  Je ne parle pas bien francais.  Parlez-vous anglais?

See if it helps (I'm going for my first time in 2 weeks, I'll let you know).

Answer 10

You're so right !!! Paris is amazing, but its people dont deserve it ! They are so rude, and cold. I'm living there right now and I am kind of finding it hard to get along with them !!! And most of all, they hate foreigners. It's disgusting how they act with them.

No offence but they should show some respect for others!

Answer 11

Well for starters, try an opening  of "bonjour, or sil vous plait" and then ask if they speak English. If they do, they will be happy to speak it. A bit of courtesy goes a long way!

Answer 12

are u english? that could be it

Answer 13

I'm agree with misterchiplote....

c'est net si tu parle direct en anglais à un français. sans te soucier de savoir si il comprends ... il va t'envoyer chier !!!!

quand je vais à londres et si demande ma direction en français, on ne me répond jamais en français, ils sont idiots ou quoi là bas ???? lol !!!!

if I go in london, and I ask someone in spanish (or french) for my direction. What will he say ???? What would I think ? english people are very rude ....and they don't like french people....

Don't forget that french people are France Native, with their own langage, their own culture.... like you ....

Answer 14

I think there are rude people in every country.  I live near Canterbury and there are times when I feel like shouting p*ss off home to the tourists.  Its not personal but when I'm in a hurry and can't get down the main street without being attacked by a backpack so big its owner is walking about 10ft in front of it or a group of foreign school kids are being very objectionable it is hard to be friendly!

Add to that, that the shops the locals need are all out of town to make way for tourist shops and are having to pay higher prices because it is a tourist hot spot and it is easy to see why they are considered a pain in the neck when we are trying to go about our normal lives!

In this respect I have some sympathy with the people of Paris.  It could just be that they are too busy and have things to do rather than be bothered by tourists.

Answer 15

I've never had any problems anywhere in France, but there-again I've always attempted to speak French.

If it's any consolation, Parisians haven't been well thought of by the locals in the various bits of France I've visited over the years, as they are rude and arrogant - a bit like Londoners/SE Englanders are in the rest of the UK, particularly up here.

Answer 16

I haven't travelled much recently - but I have never found the French to be rude!

Those in Paris have the same level of disdain as people in all main cities have of "non locals" whether they are from the same country or not!

I don't think you can condemn a whole country for the reactions of the few you met!

Answer 17

what we can no stand in france is someone coming to us and DIRECTLY speak to us in english, without asking before if we speak english.

this is very rude.

Answer 18

I'm sorry man, I guess it's because you didn't meet me: I'm french, but not parisian. Last summer in Paris, I (tried to) speak english and spanish to help tourists (and my help was useful).

A little story: I was about to leave a metro station and a woman asked me in english to help her.

She gave me her card to buy metro tickets to the machine (It was late: the desk was closed and she diidn't know how to switch the machine in english)

The machine couldn't read the card, she gave me another one. It failed again. I told her that I have some tickets on me. She wanted 3 tickets, and I said: you can give me 3€: it 's enough (the regular price is 1.5€).

She gave me a 20€ bill: I said it's too much! She gave me a 10€ bill, and i was about to give her the change then she told me to keep the change! Fine!

ps: sorry for my english...