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Just returned from 10 days in Paris and had prepared myself to experience some of that French rudeness I kept hearing about. Well, I'm happy to report....it's all just a big myth (maybe started by francophiles by me who want to keep too many tourists from overrunning the country!).
I know very little french....but smiled, was polite, said bon jour and merci. The few times I tried to order food in french, the waiters, kindly laughed and repeated it in English...or one fellow just said, "What?" and we both laughed. Everyone was kind, helpful, and friendly.
In fact the only person who was rude to me (an American in Paris), was a woman on the subway who hated America and criticized me for visiting France and not knowing the language better (she tried having a conversation with me). And, as it turns out, she wasn't even french, but from Peru.
Anyways...any of you Americans out there feeling a little worried about how you'll be received in Paris, don't worry. The french and the americans have a long history of friendship.....and from what I saw, it's still going strong!

I can't agree more. I found absolutely everyone I spoke with or even attempted to ask directions from to be very polite, helpfull and considerate.
London however is an entirely different story. It took me two entire days to find someone for whom English was their first language. Had I spoken Farsi, well I'd have had no trouble.

jolio wrote:Just returned from 10 days in Paris and had prepared myself to experience some of that French rudeness I kept hearing about. Well, I'm happy to report....it's all just a big myth (maybe started by francophiles by me who want to keep too many tourists from overrunning the country!).

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I'm half-French Canadien. And my maternal language is French.

I'm not necessarily trying to slam the true French. There is some absolutley wonderful people in France. I love many aspects of this country and Paris.

But I live in Paris and please trust me when I say...

It is alive and well!!!

An urban myth it is not.

All you need is one run-in with a supermarket bouncer. And you will completely understand what I'm talking about. But I'm sure if you stick to high-end tourist areas you won't have a single problem.

Yes I must totally agree with the previous writer. The Parisians CAN be wonderful and helpful but usually are NOT. The other fellow's remark about not finding anyone to speak English in London is ridiculous and an uncalled for display of his own racism.

French waiters are indeed rude enough. By the way "America and french a long history of friendship"?

They are rude, because there are too many tourists coming to see the Eifel tour, they are sick of tourists.

they are tired of tourists? French is not the place where a lot of tourist come. What about places like Greece, where tourists come yearly?

Greece is good only for summer vacations. But the Eifel Tour is opened to tourists all around the year.