I thought it would be wise of me to check back in after reading many of the posts, except for the totally stupid ones. <BR> <BR>It was not my intent to say all Parisians were rude. My intent was to let all of the American tourists out there who wish to travel to Paris to just beware. Do the studying that many of you talked about. Also, do more studying of the Metro maps than I did, and I assure you I looked at them more than once. <BR> <BR>But if you cannot speak French (other than bonjour, etc.) it doesn't matter what you do the person on the other side of the glass selling you the ticket won't know what you're wanting to do. Greeting in French would have done us no good at all. They did not speak nor understand English. That made it impossible for us to communicate. Just because your nice doesn't mean you're going to get the desired result, although that helps. <BR> <BR>Thank you to the few Parisians who were nice to us and got us on the right train or bus. <BR> <BR>I guess it was a bit of culture shock coming from a small town. One of these days we might go back. Even though I will do more in the way of preparation, I still think there should be instructions in English and people who understand and speak English in RER stations and information booths. After all, if a small town in Germany could do it, certainly tourist-heavy Paris could afford to do it, too.

Gee, Jerry, I'd say it's your own fault you didn't enjoy Paris. Too bad for you. People in information booths and ticket offices DO speak English, but they are much more comfortable conversing with you in English if you greet them with a few pleasantries in French (with the benefit of a good phrase book with phonetic pronunciations) than if you expect them to speak flawless English because you haven't bothered to learn a single word of French. "Public Transportation Maps" are readily available at www.ratp.fr. Printed maps, for free, are available at nearly every metro station. The buses on the tourist routes have digital displays. What's your problem? Too bad you weren't willing to expend any effort in having a more fulfilling experience in Paris.

I am positively amazed you even managed to "find Paris"!

Are you people always so nasty when someone doesn't agree with you?

To Cat: Nope. No excuse for lack of research, planning and a bit of effort for enhancing one's own experiences during their travels.

Jerry: I'm wondering: How useful would you be to a French tourist in your home town to a person visiting from France who spoke only French and no English?

This is a little joke to illustrate how badly a person who doesn't speak well the local language can feel. <BR> <BR>I don't intend to harm or offend any one, Jeff himself, or Italians in general. I just thought it would be appropriate to light up this thread atmosphere: <BR> <BR> Italian <BR> <BR> <BR>(Must be read with and Italian accent) <BR> <BR>One day ima gonna Malta to bigga hotel. Ina morning I go down to eat breakfast. I tella waitress I wanna two pissis toast. She brings me only one piss. I tella her I want two piss. She say go to the toilet. I say you no understand, I wanna piss onna my plate. She say you better no piss onna plate, you sonna ma <BR>bitch. I don't even know the lady and she call me sonna ma bitch. Later I go to eat at the bigga restaurant. The waitress brings me a spoon and knife but no fock. I tella her I wanna fock. She tell me everyone wanna fock. I tell her you no understand. I wanna fock on the table. She say you better not fock on the table, you sonna ma bitch. So I go back to my <BR>room inna hotel and there is no shits onna my bed. Call the manager and tella him I wanna shit. He tell me to go to toilet. I say you no understand. I wanna shit on my bed. He say you better not shit onna bed, you sonna ma bitch. I go to the checkout and the man at the desk say: <BR>"Peace on you". I say piss on you too, you sonna ma bitch, I gonna back to Italy. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

The example of people coming to America and expecting everyone else to speak Chinese, Norwegian, etc, is not quite valid, since in the world of international travel, probably the majority of "English" conversations take place between people for neither of whom English is the native language. When I was in the Czech Republic I met a Turkish person and a Mongolian who carried English phrase books and dictionaries because there is no such thing apparently as a Czech-Turkish or Czech-Mongolian dictionary. French obviously is not an obscure or minor language in any way, however since it seems to be mainly Americans who complain of not finding any English speakers at Paris train stations and as I'm quite certain most modern day international travellers speak comparatively little French I have to think that some Parisians take a certain delight in snubbing Americans in this regard. Also since I have heard complaints of people who actually want to speak French being immediately cut off and responded to in English there seems to be a rather annoying game going on here. Personally I have been to Paris twice and I speak French relatively OK (though I still have trouble understanding it when spoken back to me) having studied it for many years so I guess have not encountered any memorable unpleasantness from the Parisians. Unfortunately I am still wary of it and expect some kind of problem/humiliating encounter every time I have to talk to someone.

I guess there are reason why different people plan different types of trips. <BR>If I could speak no French at all, was not accustomed to large city traffic, public transportation, etc., I might have planned my first trip differently. Possibly a tour. <BR>However, that was not the case. I did my homework and came prepared on that first trip to Paris(1979). When I first emerged at the Opera Metro station, I knew exactly in which direction I was pointing and which way to walk to the hotel. When we walked toward the Louvre the next morning I knew exactly in which direction to walk. I guess you get the idea. <BR>It's a shame to write of a world class city like Paris because of a little unpreparedness. While people are part of a visit, the sights are not rude. <BR>When going on an independent trip, one has to expect odd things to happen.

Jerry, you missed an important point. You said that "Greeting in French would have done us no good at all". The French will look upon you as rude if you don't greet in French, the opening with 'Boniour xxxxx' is VERY IMPORTANT. Most of the time you will not get an answer if they feel you are being rude.

Paris is a large cosmopolitan city and can be somewhat intimidating. However, the effort to get acquainted with it and its people is worth the effort. I don't know why English speaking people expect the rest of the world to speak their language. Paris has a huge and wonderful Tourist Info Center that should have been your first destination. The American Express office also has valuable information. After many years of travel, we have found that taking a 1 Day or 1/2 Day city tour helps give a good overall view of the city. I can't imagine being in one of the most famous cities in the world and not giving it a chance. If you don't feel you want to tackle the city on your own, maybe a three day guided tour would have been a better way to go. A pleasant greeting and sincere smile, along with a few key phrases are some of the best travels tools! Preparation is key!

And let us not forget that spending a fair amount of time lost and confused is often a central element of international travel. I spent 2 months in China in '81 and went weeks without finding an English speaker (and my attempts at Chinese were futile). Nevertheless it is precisely in those situations that one's resoursefulness is called upon and that you may have new, unexpected and amazing experiences precisely because your usual means of interacting with the world are no longer available to you. Robert Hunter said, "Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at things right!"

<BR>..."I have to think that some Parisians take a certain delight in snubbing Americans in this regard. Also since I have heard complaints of people who actually want to speak French being immediately cut off and responded to in English there seems to be a rather annoying game going on here." <BR>....Right on, Elsegaard. This happens more than people here care to admit. So, just let them eat cake. But for heaven's sake stop bashing jerry for writing about his experience. <BR>

Other than I have to believe that some of you aren't telling the complete truth about your first visit, some of the responses have been informative. <BR> <BR>Let me give you just one example of what happened. This one will be more to the point. <BR> <BR>When we decided to leave the City of Lights, the person at the front desk of our motel (who did speak English) couldn't tell us exactly how we had to go on the Metro to get to Disneyland, where our car was parked. However, she did tell us where the nearest Metro station was- which was good. <BR> <BR>When I got to that Metro station, the man behind the glass gestured that he didn't understand my request, even though I said quite clearly "Disneyland." On my second attempt, I got a ticket to take me to the next stop. <BR> <BR>When we got to that stop, we got off the train and had to locate another ticket booth. When we did find the booth, again the lady behind the glass had no idea what we had requested, even after my wife had greeted her with "Bonjour." And even though I quite clearly said "Disneyland." <BR> <BR>There was a nice man in the train station that told us that we must go across the river to the other RER station and get the train to Disneyland that way. When we got across the river and finally found the train station (to which there are no signs), we bought our tickets that we thought would take us to Disneyland. There was slight hitch. <BR> <BR>I looked above the doors and there was a map you guys have been talking about. But which train were we on? We didn't know and there were no markings telling us. Luckily, at the end of the line before that train split and went another way, I asked a lady on the train if we needed to get off of this train? After a hesitation and me speaking slowly again, she said "Change." <BR> <BR>We got off of that train and wandered around the dock for a few moments. Luckily, again for us, there was a nice gentleman who spoke English and was getting on the train to Disneyland and helped us get on the right train. <BR> <BR>There is absolutely no way anybody on here can tell me that they never made a mistake with the public transportation system, which is totally whacked IMHO, in Paris on their first visit without any help. That's a complete lie. <BR> <BR>If the truth be known, you walked around for hours and finally fell upon the correct way to go. There's no need in lying to me. I know. I've been there. <BR> <BR>Just be aware Americans (especially those who've never used a public-transportation system before), it is confusing and hard to navigate. Don't let some of the messages on here fool you. Most of these people are glamorizing a trip that maybe wasn't all that glamorous.

Jerry! <BR> <BR>Did you to Paris/France to go to the Disneyland????????????? <BR>In a first trip to Paris??????? <BR>You must be a troll, or insane, or both!

Jerry, <BR>Do you expect me to believe your last posting? You went all the way to France to visit Disneyland? <BR> <BR>And, have not you heard about maps, travel books, and guides that tell you and help find your way around the Metro in English? <BR> <BR>Please, there is information and maps everywhere in the metro! Come on, you just got to a train station and hopped into the first train wihtout making sure you were on the right train, give me a break! <BR> <BR>No I have never wondered around FOR HOURS trying to find my way around the public transportation system anywhere in the world. I have a brain! I usually research months ahead before I leave, I buy maps and guides, and know where to go. Even in places like Japan, I just memorized the symbols and the maps. Maybe I got confused for a couple of minutes, but then I just think things over and I just found my way,NEVER HOURS. <BR> <BR>I have Never just stood there, or sit there expecting that somebody would approach me in English and hold my hand all the way to my destination. <BR> <BR>YOU MUST BE A TROLL!

Thanks a lot for the previous two idiotic postings. Where in my most recent post did I say I went to Disneyland? Can you people read? <BR> <BR>I said that is where my car was parked. <BR> <BR>If you can't read and comprehend, don't bother responding. <BR>

Smart Jerry! <BR> <BR>If you let your car parked on Disneyland, how you went to Paris? By metro, by taxi, by foot? <BR>At least you must be able to do the path back, for Christ sake's!

Jerry's either a troll or really stupid.

Every Paris tour guide I've ever seen has a metro/RER map in it along with instructions on how to use it. The direction you take is the last stop on that line and when you transfer the direction you take is toward the last stop on that line. We've been to Paris many, many time, speak only a few phrases of French, and have never ever had to ask anyone for help in using the metro or RER, or the buses either for that matter. Every metro car, RER train and bus has a HUGE (if not three or four) MAP of the route within. I can't imagine why you keep coming back to explain how deliberately unhelpful you were to yourself, but I've been laughing for days picturing an American fellow wandering all over "saying quite clearly "Disneyland'". Hilarious!