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Why do so many British people seem to dislike Paris / France / French people on here?

183 replies

ShoeSearch · 07/09/2023 12:18

For the sake of clarity, I am not British and I am not French. I love Paris and visit France frequently, I think it is a fabulous city.

Yet I see time and time again Paris being cited as the worst place people have ever been etc. And I wondered why there's such an animosity towards it. Is it historical? A sort of general 'not getting on with the neighbours' type of thing.

Because I honestly don't recognise some of the descriptions of Paris that I read here - 'filthy, unsafe, smells of wee, full of rude people, etc'

It's baffling and I'm curious about it.

I've lived in Paris and absolutely loved it and I visit frequently and always have a good time there.

OP posts:
Oriunda · 11/05/2025 09:00

RedRosie · 09/05/2025 20:50

I absolutely love France, Paris, the South, the North, the middle. Such a vast and beautiful country. Lovely impossible language.

There are cultural differences and I think that might be the root of the problem? It probably works both ways. When in France - even with my awful French - I find greetings (especially in shops and restaurants, but everywhere really) are so important. I think if you don't start off this way with every single interaction, it's perceived as rude. It's just not the British way, so we take their response (to that perception of rudeness) to heart. We (usually) didn't mean to be rude.

I was in Paris for a few days recently and it was wonderful. Like all cities it has its dark side and I'm no stranger to that as a Londoner. But mindful greeting and an effort at the language seems to make a difference even there.

Agree. When I first arrived, I asked a supermarket assistant for help, starting the conversation very politely (imho) with ‘Excusez-moi’. I got totally schooled by her as I’d not started off with ‘Bonjour’. It’s second nature now.

Jen579 · 11/05/2025 09:18

Paris is a lot like London to me, a wonderful, wonderful city to visit as a tourist with loads of great sights and museums to visit. But I wouldn't want to live in either for any amount of money because they are also expensive, dirty, crowded and the people are so unfriendly. I did live in London for a year or two for work and couldn't wait to leave.

dreamingbohemian · 11/05/2025 09:34

I think some observations on this thread are outdated. Paris and especially Gare du Nord had a big glow up for the Olympics, lots more pedestrianised areas and personally I find people way more tolerant of poor French skills than when I first started visiting 20 years ago.

That said its still my least favourite place to go in France.

My DH is French and we used to live there, it's been really rare for me to hear a non Parisian love Paris. For all the reasons listed here!

Theunamedcat · 11/05/2025 09:38

ShoeSearch · 07/09/2023 12:18

For the sake of clarity, I am not British and I am not French. I love Paris and visit France frequently, I think it is a fabulous city.

Yet I see time and time again Paris being cited as the worst place people have ever been etc. And I wondered why there's such an animosity towards it. Is it historical? A sort of general 'not getting on with the neighbours' type of thing.

Because I honestly don't recognise some of the descriptions of Paris that I read here - 'filthy, unsafe, smells of wee, full of rude people, etc'

It's baffling and I'm curious about it.

I've lived in Paris and absolutely loved it and I visit frequently and always have a good time there.

I've been to Paris it is dirty it's beautiful but it's not clean it has beggers in it like other countries it is just like other countries and people are people wherever you go good and bad

I'm saying I don't care enough to dislike French people or anyone really I'm not sure where this nonsense comes from saying the British are against the French and the French are against the British it's nonsense

PinkChaires · 11/05/2025 10:19

Paris is the one place ive been to where they are the least accepting of disabled people. People looked at me like i was absolute scum for taking out my disabled son. The metro is completely unaccessible as well for disabled people. London in contrast is far more accommodating- most people dont glance in our way!

SirRaymondClench · 11/05/2025 10:52

PinkChaires · 11/05/2025 10:19

Paris is the one place ive been to where they are the least accepting of disabled people. People looked at me like i was absolute scum for taking out my disabled son. The metro is completely unaccessible as well for disabled people. London in contrast is far more accommodating- most people dont glance in our way!

Interesting you say that because when my Dad had dementia I found people in France were MUCH kinder and more understanding than in the UK. We lived in the UK at the time and I palpably felt the difference.
I'm not talking about Paris though because as with any major capital city the inhabitants are a vastly different demographic to the rest of the country.

It makes me laugh on this thread that posters will proudly write off an entire nation of people and hate them because they judge them on the inhabitants of Paris that they went to once and found the people rude 😂 Imagine judging everyone in the UK based on the inhabitants of London? (which is also grimy, rude, impatient and overpopulated just like Paris)

If one said those things about other groups of people or nations it would be deemed racist but Brits love to hate on nations like that. While priding themselves on the fact they expect everyone else to learn another language because they can't be arsed to 😂

Titasaducksarse · 11/05/2025 11:07

I love France and have had many great holidays there. Also had a lot of real kindness shown us when we camped in our temperamental 28 year old van.

I've never been to Paris though.

localnotail · 11/05/2025 11:24

I dont particularly hate it, but I have visited many times and I dislike it because:

  1. Parisians are fucking rude (and seem to revel in it) - even French people know that. Asking for direction or trying to speak French is a hoot, you end up feeling like a complete idiot.
  2. Its incredibly dirty, lots of people living on the street but not in tents like in London - literally have all their crap, furniture etc, on the street, including piles of rubbish - I only seen something similar in NY- its gross. Hordes of beggars, some are creepy - the ones that are lying face down down on the street with their arses in the air and hands outstretched, wtf is that? Area near Eiffel Tower is horrible - is it hard to get rid of all the dodgy junk sellers and clean it up? Metro smells of piss.
  3. This is my personal thing, but I dislike Hausmann remodelling of Paris, I hate the uniformity and similarity of the "new" streets, its very sterile. When you travel around France you can see beautiful medieval buildings and streets, its so charming, what a shame Paris lost all that. Now its like never-ending Regent Street but not as nice. They also tend to wash all the dirt off the stone facades so everything looks new and boring. Add the fact that there are no contemporary buildings (and no tall buildings) and, to me, it looks like fucking Disneyland version of "Europe". I also dislike French style parks, the formal layouts and white dirt paths - find them really depressing. Much prefer English type parks with grass and natural look.

I love France and I travelled a lot there, and would go again. And I dont dislike French people in general.

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