When do the gypsies leave Paris to travel to warmer climates? My last visits to the beautiful Parisian monuments have been less than pleasant trying to manuver my way through the begging children and their coaching parents, street peddlers, etc. Paris would be do well to take some lessons from London.

Troll Troll troll,,, a troll, apparently who has been to an entirely different version of Paris then myself, or anyone I know.... <BR>Fly back to Lonely Planet troll

Why when anyone has something negative (even though some find it to be true) to say about Paris Fodorites go beserk? <BR>Those that have not been there want to hear the truth, the whole truth about Paris before they go-better to be informed then go unprepared. Just as trying to learn the language and know some of the customs, etc. before we go. <BR>I look forward to my trip there but as in all things I want to be prepared. <BR>I have heard from many people things about Paris that are not great (and much more that IS great) so I feel a bit educated about it. But, I will still make my own opinions. But, no place is perfect. Especially where I live right now (106 degrees!) <BR>Patti

I've been to Paris in February, May, August, September, October, and November and have yet to see the alleged swarms of gypsy children at or around Parisian monuments, so I suspect those must be the months during which they leave Paris for travel to warmer climates.

And in addition I have been in March, June, July and December and never saw swarms of "gypsies," either, so it looks as though January is the best month. <BR> <BR>The only place in Paris I have ever seen more than one lone "gypsy" woman is right outside the American Express Office at l'Opéra, where I have on occasion seen three or four at a time. <BR> <BR>I wish I could remember the name of the fascinating TV series I saw last year on the Rom people - it was an utterly gripping account of the history of this group of people that shed a great deal of light on their way of life, their beliefs, and their traditions, as well as the way they are perceived throughout the world. <BR> <BR>

Sitting on a bench outside a lovely baby shop on the Champs Elysee--early October two or three years ago. I was chatting with a French woman (okay, she was trying to talk to me, I was gesturing madly) and a Gypsy boy of about 13 got close to my face, waving the preverbial cardboard at me. As I'm waving him away, the French woman starts screaming at him then walks away. He laughs and ignores both of us. I stood up to lunge at him as I yelled to back off and a girl a little younger (his sister?) made circles around me. YES, I felt her dip into the pockets of my trenchcoat, but I wasn't concerned because they were empty; everything I had was in my moneybelt, under my clothes. My lunging made them run off, laughing. This was the ONLY experience I had in France, but it attests to the fact that yes, they do exist. <BR>By the way, next stop was Rome and they were EVERYWHERE around the forum and Colliseum.

We were in Paris in March for one week, went to every monument and museum imaginable, and never saw a "gypsy". When I was in Rome 15 years ago they were everywhere, so I know what the concern is. In Paris we carried our valuables in a moneybelt anyway - just because of pickpockets, gypsy or not.

Interestingly, we were in Rome two months ago and saw nary a gypsy around the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. <BR> <BR>I'm beginning to think my girlfriend & I must have some mysterious genetic GRF (Gypsy Repellent Factor.) :~)

We visited Paris in June several years ago and there were literally 'swarms' of gypsies at all the popular sites. Our next trip was in October, and there was hardly one to be seen.

Sorry if I seem self-appointed on this topic; but how did you know they were gypsies? <BR> <BR>Call thieves thieves; don't categorise racial groups in this way

Sheila: Even though a hundred years ago "gypsy" was coined to represent Romanians who traveled in caravans to sell their wares, when I speak of gypsies, I don't give a thought to their ethnicity--I haven't a clue where they're from. I only know this (about the kids who confronted me): they were dressed in colorful, gauzy, ragged clothes, lots of gold jewelry, lots of gold teeth (very sad--as young as they were). The books and tour directors that explain how to handle these kids called them "gypsies," so I think it's become part of the vernacular. On reflection, you're absolutely right.

Interestingly, while few people (who are considerate, that is) will say "he tried to jew me down" anymore, it's not uncommon to hear "he tried to gyp me". The pejorative word <I>gyp</I> is generally considered to be derived from gypsy.

Okay Capo -- this is it. Our secret romance is over unless you tell me how to do the italics!

Oh, I see...is that how you secretly romance a guy, Sally...with threats? :~) <BR> <BR>Someone else asked that same question in another thread, and I forgot to respond. <BR> <BR>For italics you must bracket the word/phrase/etc. between two html italics "tags", like so: italicsword. (The "/" in the second bracket denotes the end tag.) I used the "[" and "]" brackets just to demonstrate. When <I>you</I> do it, replace the "[" bracket with a "&lt;" and the "]" bracket with a "&gt;". <BR> <BR>Since the html italics tags work I assumed that html bold tags would also work, but I tried that once before and, for some reason, it didn't seem to work. (Bold would be a similar format, but using a "b" instead of an "i", like so: boldword. <BR> <BR>I'll try it again, just out of curiousity... &lt;b&gt;boldword</B>. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Nope, bold doesn't work. Why italics works and bold doesn't is a mystery to me. <BR> <BR>Perhaps someone else might know...if you threaten them. :~)

When we traveled to Paris in May of 1999, there were heavily armed French soldiers and police officers at every monument and tourist attraction. We snapped photos of them with machine guns chained to their bodies! Our hotel manager said they were positioned there to deter terrorists, specifically Algerian terrorists, but they also had the happy effect of deterring gypsies as well. Never saw a single gypsy in Paris.

I stand corrected Sheila, the point I was making though was the fact that the time of year seemed to having some bearing on their presence.

As far as i know, these people are actually gypsies from central europe/balkans, who immigrated due to the fairly bad conditions in their countries. At least part of those who roam around touristic areas belong to organized gangs. The childrens aren't always their owns and are sometimes "bought", brought from their countries of origin and trained. <BR> <BR> Usually you'll see one or perhaps two women with a child begging near major monuments. In the metro, quite often, you'll see a couple of children begging in the cars. "Swarms" in Paris? Don't think so. I can't swear it never happens, but if it does, it's at least fairly uncommon. <BR> <BR>By the way, yesterday, two of them (teen agers) tried to steal from my mother's purse in a street (she noticed their attempt in time). It's the first time someone I know is victimized (I live in Paris). <BR> <BR>Most of the french gypsies are still nomads and live in trailers. They are to be found in the countryside, usually in camps near little towns. The chances you meet them in Paris are very slim. Actually the chances you meet them *anywhere* are very slim. They don't belong, AFAIK to the same "nations" (or whatever it is called) than the ones who are so often refered to on the travel boards. <BR> <BR>The annual gypsie pilgrimage at Les-Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer (Provence) is quite famous (never saw the pilgrimage, though).

Also, please take what I wrote with a pinch (or even a handful) of salt. I'm not really aknowledgeable concerning gypsies.

I've done this before and I'm not trying to make a crusade of it. But many of the people to whom you refer have nothing to do with gypsies, whether such groups nowadays are ethnic or cultural in origin. <BR> <BR>But, certainly here in the UK, we recognise Gypsies and to call a group of organised criminals gypsies would be an ethnic slur (at least among the politically correct