I found Paris.......
 

We were scheduled to stay three nights in Paris recently, but we were totally frustrated after the second day that we left. <BR>People in Paris (for the most part, except for a couple of very kind people on the street) were extremely rude and not very helpful. <BR> <BR>I read all of the wonderful things on here about Paris and thought we would have a wonderful time. But it just didn't happen. <BR> <BR>None of the people in ticket booths or information places spoke English. I found that extremely difficult to understand since Paris is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and English is spoken worldwide. <BR> <BR>We would try to explain to the person in the booth what we wanted to do and they gave us a dumbfounded look. <BR> <BR>Be aware people. If you or someone in your party doesn't speak some French, you could have problems. <BR> <BR>And I found the public transportation system to be extremely confusing, and again the people in the train stations and bus drivers couldn't help because I couldn't convey my message to them in terms they understood. <BR> <BR>Overall, Paris was a big disappointment. If you are planning to go, please try to get a public transportation map and study it. You will need to know exactly what to do, unless, of course, you speak French. <BR> <BR>People on here can go ahead and paint a beautiful picture of Paris, but it wasn't all that. What we saw was SUPER. But how we had to get there was unbelievable. <BR> <BR>

Obviously, you did little preparation for your trip and I feel sorry for you. Those who prepare, reap what they sow. I hope that you will do better at your next destination. (Disney World?)

Jerry, <BR>Sorry you didn't enjoy Paris. I don't speak more than a few words of French and I've never had a problem in the 3 separate trips I've made there in the last 2 years. <BR> <BR>I'm curious if you are use to "city" life. I think many people that run into problems in Paris are simply not use to life in a major city. I was actually surprised at how NICE the Parisians were the first time I went. <BR> <BR>I live in NYC and perhaps I just felt more comfortable in a city environment. <BR> <BR>Sorry you didn't find it enjoyable, it really is a great city.

Ahh Troll...people in Paris speaking FRENCH??? Can you believe that??? Oh my gosh! Wow, the U.S is a top tourist destination.. does that mean I have to learn Korean???? <BR>Of course you are a troll.... I guess you learned your lesson... Vegas is on the same continent as you...is oohhh soo much cheaper... little trolly wolly's shouldn't run out in the world spreading their stupidity for all to see....

Tell us honestly, Jerry, did you even have a map of Paris that you studied for more than 5 minutes? I don't speak French beyond bon jour and sil vous plais. But I am yet to get lost in Paris, or get on a wrong bus or Metro train. Sounds to me like you were unprepared. Don't expect much sympathy on this forum!!

<BR>Having traveled the world, I would say Paris is one of the easier cities to get around. With my very little French I rec'd helpful and friendly info to my questions (did you study the language at all?). As with other subway systems just a little time spent going over a map will save lots of time and trouble. I am forever amazed at how many (4 to 6) languages the Europeans can speak and wonder how many you can speak. Being prepared and friendly go a long way towards having a wonderful trip. If going to Western Europe was difficult or unpleasant I would highly recommend you stay close to home, maybe Canada.

What is wrong with some of you people. <BR> <BR>The guy didn't enjoy Paris.BFD. What is so wrong with your own lives that you feel the need to belittle people? Didn't any of you ever make a mistake or misjudge a situation? If not, it must be nice to be the only perfect person on the planet! <BR> <BR>Honestly, if don't enjoy provide people advice, why do you even use this site?

<BR>Just curious, where else did you go on this trip. England?

Phil, <BR>Only one thing is wrong: ignorance. <BR>This is not about enjoying it: I don't enjoy London too much, but I don't criticize them for not speaking Chineese (the most used language in the world).

I didn't know it was lost!!! <BR>

You are calling a person ignorant because it was DIFFERENT than his expectations? The man said he read about the city before he left. Sometimes situations are different than expectations. <BR> <BR>Cut him some slack and grow up. <BR> <BR>

The only comment I will make is what my mother always tells me-the French are very sensitive to what they consider 'rude' Americans. We enter their stores or restaurants and we do not greet them with a Bon Jour. We found that everywhere we were polite and greeted the owners/employees first with a Bon Jour we were treated well. My mother tells stories of French pretending not to speak English because they felt that the Americans were 'rude'. It is their country and their customs which make the travel so interesting and why we put up with long flights and bad airlines.

Assuming you're not trolling for bites, then like Phil said, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy Paris, Jerry. Also, like Phil, I speak only minimal French and have never encountered the problems you describe. <BR> <BR>When you asked questions or talked to people, did you even try to say a few words in French, like "Bonjour. Parlez-vous anglais, s'il vous plait?" or did you just expect them to speak English? I think that sometimes the expectation that they'll, of course, speak English, may rub some people the wrong way. <BR> <BR>I'm surprised you found the public transportation system to be confusing. IMO, the Metro especially, is very easy to understand.

&lt;&lt;None of the people in ticket booths or information places spoke English. I found that extremely difficult to understand since Paris is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and English is spoken worldwide. <BR>We would try to explain to the person in the booth what we wanted to do and they gave us a dumbfounded look.&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>And where you come from, I suppose, they all lapse automatically into Japanese, French, Russian, and Tagalog as soon as they confront a tourist? <BR> <BR>Obviously, your expectations were unrealistic and your preparations minimal. I have heard of people going to Paris and finding certain aspects of it difficult to negotiate, but I have never heard of anyone cutting short a trip out of frustration. That tells me it was you, not the Parisians, who were at fault. I see Americans in Paris all the time who don't speak English getting by with creative attempts at language and gestures. And I've never met a person at a ticket booth who didn't speak some English. They are required to. <BR> <BR>As for the public transportation system, it's a model for many around the world and a total breeze to navigate. You open any guide to Paris and read two paragraphs, and you've got it. Sure, you stand around in the metro station pushing the buttons on the map to make sure you've got it, but there's no way you're gonna convince me intelligent adults from any culture can't figure out the metros and buses of Paris. <BR> <BR>Bottom line: you spoiled your own vacation by not being prepared. In this day and age anyone can get on a plane and go anywhere, but whether or not you will enjoy visiting your destination depends in large part on what you have conributed to the endeavor. Some places just have no appeal - that's certainly not the case with Paris (or the Parisians, for that matter, who happen to speak their own language, not yours). If you found it unbearable I think you should rethink your approach to traveling. I can't imagine you in Rome or, god forbid, Athens, for example! In fact, you should cross off most of the world as travel-able territory. <BR> <BR>

Even if you say bon jour, they have a chip on their shoulder againt Americans. I'm getting tired of hearing everyone assume that it's the traveler's fault. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't win, even if you speak French. They'll happily take your money, though.

"you can't find beauty unless you bring it with you"-anom <BR> <BR>you can't be loved unless you're loveable-me

What do you mean "they'll happily take your money, though?" Are they supposed to give you what you ordered for free? I despise these sorts of axioms that don't apply to real life in the least. You ORDER something, you PAY for it, whether you can make yourself understood to the waiter or not! You think it should be free because you can't speak French???? Of COURSE they'll take your money - that's what you're there in Paris to do, non, spend money for things? That's what French businesses are there for too. Does anyone take your money for something you didn't want? HUH? HUH?

Jerry, were you in a bad mood while in Paris? that would color things. I and my friends who also don't speak french cannot imagine anyone not having a great time in Paris, so much to see, without spending a franc.

I tend to believe that this was Jerry's first trip outside America, to a non English speaking country. I gather that his experience was not dictated by one and only factor, meaning that the fact that he didn't find an English speaking person working in the ticket booths wouldn't, itself, ruin his trip. I believe that there were a couple of reasons here that together made his experience a bad one. Say that he was unprepared, but had also very defined ( and wrong) expectations, or that he was homesick, or felt insecure away from home. Jerry also referred to himself as 'we". This person that was with him, shall also has his/her own drawn back. Had his companion been a more experienced traveler, they could have worked out the difficulties and moved on. Unfortunately, they didn't. And although to most of us Paris is the most beautiful city, or one of the most, in the whole world, some might not like it, and we shall respect the fact that Jerry didn't, and not making fun of what shall have been a very unpleasant experience. <BR> <BR>Surlok

Just a question for those belittling me. <BR> <BR>How many of you went to Paris for the first time on your own (with your immediate family)? And how many of you went as part of a tour group? If you went with other couples or families or as part of a tour group on your first visit, you don't count. <BR> <BR>Also, how many of you live in big cities that use public transportation systems? For one that never has, it can be a nightmare, regardless of what you say. <BR> <BR>