HELP! I want to go visit the Canadian war memorials in Europe (Vimy, Ypres, etc.)but I've never really travelled out of the country and speak French horribly! To add to this, I've heard from friends that the French are AWFUL to visitors. Any words of wisdom and/or encouragment to a young would-be world-traveller? What are France and Belgium really like?

I've only been to Paris, but I had heard that Parisians were the ones to worry about being rude. I do speak some French but had never used it except in a classroom nearly 10 years ago so I certainly wasn't good at it. The French people went out of their way to help us get around. I suggest you practice your French - know how to say "Excuse me, I think I'm lost." I think the trick is to try to speak their language first, then if you can't communicate any further, ask if he/she speaks English and go from there.

The farther one goes from Paris the friendlier and more helpful the French people are. You need only to learn the very basics as in "Pardon me, I don't speak French, do you speak English?" Thank you and please. The area you are talking about is used to tourists. Don't worry. <BR>

Andrea, <BR>You should have no problems in Belgium. After all, it's a nation of three official languages, Flemish (a Dutch derivitive, German and Walloon (a French derivitive). Without benefit of any of the languages, I've found the Belgians to be delightful people. Do try to learn some basic French words of courtesy, "Please", "Thank you", "Good Morning",etc., as well as "Where is the..? They'll carry you far.

<BR>Have never had a problem with rudeness in either country. We too were concerned the first time we went to Paris, and were amazed at the friendliness and helpfulness. Twice when we must have appeared "lost" in the Paris Metro, locals were very helpful without us even asking. And waiters were cordial and helpful whenever I would try in mangled French to explain I was a vegetarian. I do hope when you go to Belgium, you will visit Brugges. You'll love it.

Andrea: I second Cheryl's postinh wholeheartedly! Specially friendly ar ethe people in that region of Normandy. Is fun to notice how English is spoken everywhere in the area of the Landing Beaches. <BR>My husband & I rented a car and drove from Paris. The Canadian War Memorials are very beautiful and well kept. Another option is a bus tour from Paris, which we saw plenty of.

Don't worry about rudeness in France. It's just like everywhere else...most people are wonderful with a few jerks thrown in for good measure. The important thing is for you to be polite and you will be treated politely. I strongly advise learning a few phrases, such as please, thank-you, excuse me, hello, etc... to break the ice. Most french people speak better english than we speak french, but I felt they appreciated the effort to try. If you have never traveled out of your home country, I suggest you check out this website for travel tips or check out Rick Steve's site at www.ricksteves.com. <BR>(Hope fodor's doesnt get mad about that!) He has lots of good info about general travel. Good Luck and have fun. <BR>Deena <BR>Austin, TEXAS <BR>

Hi Andrea, or should I say Bonjour! <BR>I am French, born and raised there! As with all the rest of my ancestors! My parents lived in Vimy. E-mail me back your questions and I'll try my best to answer them. <BR>By the way, I must comment on how pleased I was to read all these wonderfull comments on my home country. I have to agree that French people's attitude is different in the big Cities i.e Paris and in the countryside, just as I have experienced it in the various countries where I have lived in. My e-mail address is [email protected]

The french people are very friendly if you know how to treat them. Try some french words at first: E.g.: "Bonjour Madame, parlez vous Anglais?" or "Excusez mois, Monsieur, je ne parle pas Francais bon". I do not speak french well at all, but I always try some french expressions/polite questions at first. And it never fails: The frenchmen "unfreeze", smile and do their best to help you. The clue is to show respect, be polite and look a little "helpless": Then people all over the world get motivated to help you. Nils <BR>

Andrea, there's a great website you should access that will give you English to French translations. (or any language) We used it when we went to Scandinavia this summer instead of lugging around dictionaries. The e-dress is www.travlang.com. They give you basic words and phrases that are broken down into categories like, Basic Words, Shopping/Dining, Travel, Time, Dates and Places. They even let you listen to the words and give you a real basic course on what sounds letter groups/blends make. We even took along a French version so we could teach our kids some French when we were on all the trains and ferries we took. It's a helpful and fun website. Knock yourself out! <BR>As for the French, I agree with all those who have written above. I had the hardest time with men who either refused to speak with us unless I pronounced everything exactly right or just gave us wrong directions for the heck of it. Most people were very helpful, especially the ladies in the stores who all wanted to try out their English on us. The moral of this story is to make sure you do your research well. My friend and I were pretty gullible and that put us in a very dangerous situation. You'll have an easier time if you know what you are doing. (That's true no matter what city you visit.) Always try to speak French first...they'll figure out pretty quickly that you can't speak their language and change to English for you! Most of all, enjoy your trip.

Hi Andrea: We just came back from Paris a couple of weeks ago, and I must say the French people were very, very polite to us. I agree with Nil that the best thing is to know a few phrases in French and smile and be polite, and you won't have any trouble. One couple even payed our way on the train out of Versailles because we didn't have the correct change and the ticket booth was closed. I'll never forget the polite way the waiters and the hotel people greeted us. I'll always remember their politeness. We found the French people to be very polite to each other and to visitors. <BR>

I just got back from a 3 week trip to France. We drove 3500 kms around this beautiful country and we found the people to be quite courteous and helpful. I speak some French and my husband none, so we weren't exactly fluent, however we found the French people to be gracious. Aside from some rude cabdrivers and waiters in Paris (typical), we can't say we encountered too much rudeness. Happy travelling; you're going to LOVE France.