I love Paris and I am able to "disregard" the government and some its policies there as easily as I disregared the government and some of its policies here...neither one have a lot to do with my own travel enjoyment anyway.

Paris has inevitably changed as has the rest of the world.

What surprises me a little is that YOU are in any way "surprised" by negative comments about a place (and I disagree that those comments are from people who "don't know how to travel&quot. It makes me wonder, sometimes, if the overall mood in THIS country is moving toward a condemnation of anything and anyone who doesn't agree with the so-called "majority."

If everyone loved Paris as much as you and I do they would all BE THERE, all the time and then I think even you might get a little "negative" about the crowds.

Enjoy your trip.

Second what Nikki said. A trip report is a narrative about a particular trip by a particular party. It isn't intended to be taken on its own but read in conjunction with other reports about the same place. I find it interesting to hear what stands out for different people about travel, the good and the bad, so I wouldn't like to discourage negative observations.

I think all postings should be taken with a grain of salt. Its true that some posters have been here so frequently that one feels capable of evaluating their veracity and experience, but for most posters we don't have enough experience with them to really rely on what they say. I have to confess that when I see a negative posting, particularly one that contradicts many other postings on the same subject, my inclination is to wonder what lead to the negative posting. Is the poster perhaps a person who has difficulty everywhere, or one who has an axe to grind with some part of his visit, or even one who feels he can prove his own superiority by highlighting faults in something that everyone else praises. I recall one series of postings where the poster gripped and gripped about excretory experiences and smells in Paris; that contradicts my own experiences, but I am sure that if you are interested enough in that subject, you can find a turd or two anywhere. Fortunately in this forum we have the capability to respond to such postings, so I think a new reader who reads the whole thread is unlikely to be mislead.

clevelandbrown--I've had similar experiences with restaurants everywhere I've traveled, including the USA. It's all in how you approach people.

But the fact is that a certain percentage of people will have some very bad experiences on their travels--including in Paris. So they won't like Paris or wherever the very bad experiences occur. It's a shame, but it happens.

I just got back from a week-long honeymoon in Paris. It was my second time in Paris, and my husband's first. We had a wonderful time, plenty of romantic moments, lovely strolls in the streets, delicious pastries, afternoons at sunny cafes, etc. etc.

However.....

I think we would have enjoyed our time a bit more if there hadn't been dog mess all over the sidewalk while we strolled along the Seine, along the romantic streets of Montmartre, etc. We would have enjoyed our time more if restaurants offered some kind of low-smoke alternative section so we could enjoy our fabulous French food. We would have enjoyed our time more if service at several restaurants and shops hadn't been downright rude (and yes, I was speaking French).

As a side note, we live in New York City, so city noise and bustle and mess doesn't usually phase us one bit.

Don't get me wrong, we still had a wonderful time, but I get tired of hearing "it's a cultural thing; you just don't understand" when, in fact, dog mess and cigarette mess is rude and disgusting in any culture.

My husband and I honestly did not notice that much "poo" while we were in Paris! Are we just used to it b/c we have a dog and we come in contact with it on a daily basis? Oh, what people do for their dogs!

I absolutley loved the city and would go back in a heartbeat!

Worry about all the negative comments...
Are they not relatively few comments compared to the positive ones???
I'd live there part of the time if I could...and live here in the US...part of the time...thank you! If only, huh? Anyway, I hope to get there again this November...
Paris is a multi-cultural big city...that just happens to be aged...and beautiful.