We just returned yesterday from Paris and let me reassure those who are nervous, as I was, about going. We were there a week and did not experience one incident of rude or biased behavior.Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. The only problem we had was an unannounced strike at the museums. All of them were closed for one day and a lot of disappointed people were left stranded. May I please offer some hints to make your stay a pleasant one?(1)Remember, YOU are the foreigner and the guest in their country. They may do things differently so if you want things the same as in the states STAY HOME! (2) Bonjour,Monsieur/Madame, Merci M/M, Au 'voir M/M to all waiters, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, etc. will often bring a polite reply in English. They appreciate the effort in French.(3) Don't be loud, a slob or unpleasant. I saw some of this and cringed when I realized many times it was an American. Paris is a beautiful city so Go! Relax! Enjoy!

Wags, I was there for the one day museum strike as well. Of course, there was also an airport strike that day [last tues. May 27 was our experience], and when we flew out the following day, they were explaining that they were a bit behind due to the previous day's strike. There was also an enormous strike rally and 'parade' on Sunday that went through the 4th and 5th arron. while we were there. It was an experience in itself, watching it. It was peaceful, colorful and there was singing. Still, I can't imagine how anything gets done. There are even bigger ones set for this week, and there are serious issues to be dealt with there [ie: no school for 9 days at the point we left, due to strikes, if I understood correctly]

I also had the same, friendly experiences with the people, some more than others, but no bad experiences. In fact, we had two excellent taxi experiences [my biggest concern before leaving] I also greeted people in French, and anyone able to, addressed us in return in English. Since I have a daughter living over there for another year, I know I'll be back, and next time, without all the apprehension.

Thank you for posting the positive report. We have been concerned but felt the negative information was being generated by the press looking for something to get people upset about.
Does it look like the strikes will be continuing for an extended time?
Thank you,
Anna

LoisL: I guess we were there at the same time. I hadn't heard anything about an airport strike but they were talking about the big transit strike coming up. It's best to plan your day when you wake up in the morning. If the Metro is running hit the distant sights. If not, walk to the nearer ones. We enjoyed just sitting in the parks and watching the people.

Wags, We must have been there at the same time. I confess, my most enjoyable memories are not of the museums or tourist sights, but of strolls along the Seine with my husband and daughters, grabbing a snack and eating it on a bridge [Pont Neuff I believe] while watching the world around us. My favorite stroll was circling Notre Dame. We started in Saint Germain des Pres, headed to the Louvre, walked through to the Jardins de Palais Royale, on to the Pompadou, around the far side of Notre Dame, and then strolled along the Seine, at water level, before heading up to street level to browse through some artists work. No strike will interfere with experiencing the city, as long as you remain flexible in your plans. My favorite part of the city was St. Germain and I couldn't get over all lthe people walking in the streets, and just how narrow most the streets are. Also got a kick out of how late dinner is there. And of course, dinner can go on for hours!

Well, I must have been the third person there during this time. I flew home the day after the strike and they did seem to hold us on the tarmac. The pilot did say things were still slow due to the strike.

As for the strikes, they seem to be going on for quite a while. The issues are fairly complicated and I don't think there will be a quick end.

I did meet one Frenchman who tried to explain the issues to me. He said that some teachers were teaching, but they wore buttons indicating they were "on strike". No clue what that means!

LoisL: You are so right! Paris is a city for walking. We did basically the same things you did. We walked from the Arch de Triomphe down the Champs-Elysee to the Place de la Concorde, thru the Tuileries, along the Seine, thru the Latin Quarter, etc. The Metro strikes are a nuisance but if you can walk there are so many interesting ways to spend the time. Because it stays light until 10PM you can cram a lot of things into one day.

>CaroILA
It means that some teachers are officialy on strike (they are not paid) but they teach at least their most important classes.
But in the suburbs of paris/lyon/marseille and many others, colleges and lycees are closed because the government wants to reduce the number of supervisors, whereas they are already too few to keep the safety inside the colleges/lycees.

>LoisL
And yes we eat late, but just look at the spanish schedule....

Well, I must have been the fourth person having been there at the same time!

Arrived last Wednesday and left yesterday evening. We were lucky not to run into any strike at all.
I was most concerned about even getting to Paris. Took the TGV from Zurich.

The only thing that was a bit difficult over these days, was the extremely hot and sticky weather. A bit unusual for late May and especially for so long. Oh well, we just stopped very often to relax and have a citron presse in a nice cafe. We tried to avoid the large crowds of tourists and visited mainly small museums and art exhibits, except for the Chagall and Magritte ones. Magritte was no problem at all, but the Grand Palais (Chagall) was packed. No lines outside, but they let too many people in at the same time.

As for the strikes, I am not sure, but everybody was talking about Tuesday which will be tomorrow.
Just walk and discover your neighbourhood.

And, above all, relax, enjoy an take your time, mais oui!

All these comments make me want to book a return trip as soon as possible! [with or without the strikes]. There are quite a few issues that don't seem likely to be easily resolved, so I'd expect the strike problem to be around. For us, the biggest impact was, due to the additional traffic, the taxi fare to and from the airport was significanly higher than expected.

I was grateful for all the information on this site regarding the different arron., because I would have felt it necessary to stay closer to the 'touristy' things to do, instead of staying the whole time in the 6th. I loved that area so much, and actually didn't care for the brief time we spent along the Champs Elysee. I'll be keeping my eye out for reasonable airfare, so that we can return!