Paris Newbie
 

Hi all! I am planning a surprise gals trip to Paris in early October for my mother and I, (she has wanted to go there as long as I can remember.) I have a couple of newbie questions for those who have been before.

How much French should I be able to speak? I bought one of those "French for Traveler" CD's, and am trying to remember my high school French class, but it has been 15 years! Do most places speak English?

I am planning on staying in the Latin Quarter, at the Hotel Familia. Any Pros / Cons to that?

Is there any cultural etiquette that I should be aware of? I really don't want to fit the "Ugly American" stereotype.

Finally, what are some MUST DO's, for the girls? I know the big monuments and museums, have read lots of posts...I am looking for more off-the-beaten-path, not so touristy type of things. Thanks in advance!

You can easily get around Paris without speaking too much French.
I believe things are a little more formal there so we always start out in French with Bonjour, madame, Bonjour monsier etc. and obvioulsy know s'il vous plait, merci etc. The same pleasantries as we have here but in their language.
If you want to speak in English I think it is polite to ask them in their language if they will speak yours.
"Parlez vous anglaise?
Usually they will say a little and on you go.
We made the mistake of asking something of a guard (in the vatican in english) and he took our head off, basically saying we were rude to assume he would speak english to us.
We learned our lesson and in France we were treated very well.
I would suggest you have a little book that translates food as the menus were harder to decipher in french.
I hear that the Orangerie has re-opened and is suppose to be lovely. I was disappointed that we didnt have time to do that on our last trip.
Hope you enjoy Paris with your mother!

You've got 2 posts on same topic:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35029762

Hi, Tiffany,

I took my first trip to Paris with my wife back in April. Please check out my trip report for all my observations that address your questions. Just click the link below, then click the link to my trip report...it should be the first of my threads listed.

Enjoy your trip!
Dave

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34996043

Why did you choose your hotel in the Latin Quarter? I always think of that area as more student-oriented, but I could be wrong. We enjoyed the 7th, for its more genteel and quiet atmosphere. Not much open late at night in the 7th, though, which suited us fine. I'd chosen our hotel for its full on view of the Eiffel Tower.
:)>-

I recently took my mom to paris for a week although I have many french friends I do not speak french. However I was able to get around by what I call polite french. The french people I met who did not speak english were just as happy to try english with me as I was with trying french with them. We had a wonderful time. It was my third time and mu moms first. we stayed in between I believe the 7 th and 13th. arrd. or maybe it was the 6th and 13th, can't remember. It was a non toristy area which I love so we could stop at the markets for bread, cheese and wine and take them back to our room to enjoy. We met many mothers and daughters traveling togther while we were in Paris. Enjoy!!! One tip my french friends passed to me...always say hello and good by when leaving a store. Very polite county....not sure why people think french are rude???

Basic courtesies apply in France just as at home. Please, thank you, excuse me, hello, goodbye and please are phrases you absolutely want to learn.

Yes, always say hello and goodbye as entering and leaving shops. It is considered very rude to ignore this courtesy.

Speak quietly when sitting in cafes. You will find that the noise level in public places is much lower than in the US and you will stand out like a sore thumb, or an ugly American, if you speak loudly.

Most people will speak English if you ask politely before speaking. Even if they don't they will join you in a little pantomime that will get the job done.

Parisians are extremely friendly and I believe you will join many other fodorites in your love affair with this beautiful city. Enjoy.

I was in Paris in April this year aswell, and found the most important thing when introducing yourself to a stranger was to speak in French. Its a bit like a French person in Times Square asking an English speaking person if they speak French, but asking the Question in the French language,instead of saying "excuse me, do you speak French?
Using just a few phrases like "Parlez vous anglaise?" as suggested will grab the attention and interest of a person alot more than saying " excuse me do you speak English".
I carried around with me one of lonely planets books,as my french is terrible(website below if your interested)
http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/Primary.../Fast_Talk.jsp

Obviously most attendants at hotels speak some english , but it is always a little better if you can speak the native language.
Hope this helps

High school French should be fine - most people in contact with tourists speak at lest some english.

The French (and most other europeans) are considerably more formal than americans. You are expected to greet people with good morning or good evening when entering a shop or restaurant - rather than just launching into what you want. Also- throw in lots of pleses and thank yous.

In stores don;t pull merchandise off shelves - ask for help (I know that wouldn't work here since there is no help).

And just don;t launch into first names. I know it sounds strange to us to call someone Mr or Ms (unless they are very elderly, or in some specia position - a priest or minister) - but in europe people don;t automatically go by first names when they meet. (Although it's spreading more among young people.)

I used to work with a physician from Germany and he said when he first got to New York he was amazed that all his co-workers, including his admin, immediately started calling him by his first name. (He said in a German business environment he would have been Herr Doktor or Doktor X - unless he invited otherwise.)

>in europe people don;t automatically go by first names when they meet. (Although it's spreading more among young people.)<

Another example of (a) Cultural Imperialism and (b) the general lessening of standards.

((I))

Lots of people stay in the Latin Quarter of all kinds, and that's a regular family-oriented hotel. I like the Latin Quarter, although I don't stay in that part, but it's fine. The Latin Quarter is one of the oldest, most historic and important parts of Paris, as well as being very convenient. I know a lot of people have liked the Familia hotel.

A few polite phrases are all you need. Most places around where you will be will speak English, I'll bet. "parlez-vous anglaise" as suggested twice above is wrong, so I wouldn't say that as it sounds weird. It is "anglais" which is pronounced differently, but if you had French 15 years ago, maybe you can remember that.

Good advice here from all. As for what to do, you've got plenty of time to research here and in guidebooks and figure out what appeals to you. There is a wealth of things to do in Paris, enough to keep you busy for a lifetime, so it really depends on whether you want to focus on art, architecture, food, shopping, café life, performing arts, whatever..

(And it's parlez-vous anglais, not anglaise)

Latin Quarter will be fine. You will be walking distance to sites, many restaurants. good airport access,etc..

Restaurants will post their menus outside (with prices), so you can check before going in

As others have stated, Paris is a bit more 'formal', when I go I up my politeness factor a few notches. I always say hello (bonjour monsieur/madame) and goodbye (bonsoir/aurevoir) whenever go into restaurant or shop. You will aks for your bill, it won't be brought automatically. I usually plan on eating around 7:30-8PM for dinner. I also like to catch the waiter's attention before taking an outdoor table, as compared to just walking up and sitting down (others here have had different experiences...).

I've also found that you should not pick your own fruit from a fruitstand :)

If you make an effort at speaking french, wether you speak it or not will become less important. I also begin a question with Pardon/Pardonner-moi before I ask my question...and a merci for everything.

Michel, your observation about the fruit stands is interesting. The couple of times we stopped to get some fruit I first let the merchant know what I wanted and then he motioned for me to pick the ones I liked. Again, as everyone else has indicated, it's about being civilized and observing the pleasantries. "Hello," "May I," "please," "thank you," etc., in French (even bad French), if possible. My wife and I enjoyed it...we agreed it made us feel a little more "connected" to the people we were meeting. And, since I returned to the states I do it here, too...most people seem to really appreciate it.

Tiffany~ My sister and brother-in-law and I stayed at the Familia in 2002. The hotel is a wonderful little gem.

However, a downside I found was coming back to the hotel at night after dinner was kind of a dark walk along somewhat deserted streets. Even though with a male, I think really all of us were a little uncomfortable and walked a little faster than we normally would. I'm sure the neighborhood is very safe, but was a little off the beaten path for me. We, too, were there in early October and the sun sets late afternoon/early evening.

If you could find a hotel to your liking in the 6th around St. Germain/rue de Seine/rue Jacob/etc., the streets in that area are hopping with people into the late hours, very lit up, and much more safe feeling to me walking back to a hotel after dinner or strolling.

Someone more familiar with the 5th may have a different feel for that area and may encourage you more.

In any event,

Enjoy!

joy/luvparee