To love Paris and to think ‘Paris syndrome’ is a myth?

[BarbaraVineFan]

Currently coming to the end of a marvellous short break in Paris. I’ve been here lots of times and also lived here for a while when I was a child. In all this time (but especially this most recent holiday) I haven’t found any evidence of any of the accusations levelled against Paris. It’s not dirty- in fact, it seems notably cleaner than the last time I was here in approx 2009) and it isn’t enormously expensive, especially compared to London. What’s more, it’s often said that Parisians are rude, but the people I have met and interacted with have been without exception polite and courteous. Am i missing something? I would honestly live here again in a heartbeat. Does anyone else agree?

I love Paris and when I was there earlier this year I met three separate people who particularly went out of their way to help me and DC. They were so lovely and kind.

But it's like anywhere isn't it - some people have good experiences and others bad. I know someone who was stabbed in Barcelona and had their luggage nicked, and others who absolutely loved it. And people who hate Morocco because they were hassled too much, and others who have moved their permanently! Etc.

I like parts of Paris but the food standards have declined I think and the dog mess everywhere really is a nuisance.

I love Paris and think it's mostly as romantic as the stories say it is.

Stepping out of Gare du Nord is always a bit grim though! I imagine it's many people's first view of Paris - not the finest introduction...

I think they cleaned it up a lot last year for the Olympic - I saw a huge difference between 2023 and 2024. With cost of living increase everywhere I also think it doesn’t feel as expensive as before. I also found people much friendlier the last couple of times I visited .

The nicest parts of Paris are stunning of course, but to me the best food, people and landscapes are found in the rest of France.

It's a bit funny to chide foreigners for not liking Paris when the default attitude among most non-Parisian French people seems to be loathing Paris.

It's a city. Some love it, some hate it, many are largely indifferent - just like any other city.

So YANB to fall into any of those camps.

YABU to not understand that whichever camp you are in, other people can quite reasonably be in one of the others.

And YABVU to think that Paris Syndrome is simply 'not liking Paris' rather than a psychiatric breakdown triggered by a combination of physical and mental factors experienced by people coming from a hugely different culture when travel was a quite different experience, with far less ability to research what to expect. Paris may not differ that much from London, but to someone from Japan it is filthy and astoundingly rude - especially when the syndrome was originally described, when the city was far grubbier than it is now.

I agree OP.

Have been a few times now, the most recent time being in the summer. On the whole we found it to be clean, tidy and no more expensive than London (for example). Staff in restaurants etc were incredibly helpful.

The only area we saw lots of litter was at the raised seating area outside of Notre Dame. It stood out - I commented that it was strange that they don’t try to keep such a touristy area cleaner.

I loved spending time in Paris this summer and would go back tomorrow if I could.

Well, look at the default London loathing on here. (I’m a foreigner to the UK, and lived in London for a decade and loved it, too.)

I mean.. me.

perhaps I was unlucky it was pre olympics and during one of the trash strikes so it did stink

-Notre Dame was still covered in white sheeting and that’s what you saw on our expensive boat tour

-the whole area around the Eiffel Tower was being dug up and fenced off

-we stayed slightly further out of central Paris and our hotel was nice but in a pretty run down rough part of the city

-it took many hours to get through the airport

-it wasn’t as easy as London, Germany or Spain to get around on the metro (more confusing)

-the stupid tiny metro tickets kept stopping working and DD and I kept getting separated at barriers

-it was quite expensive to get into museums etc

-a lot of queues

-smoking absolutely everywhere

-the cafe food didn’t blow my mind, it was all the same and just didn’t find anything that was great… I have been to many Spanish/european food halls/markets and they are always brilliant but didn’t find one

-we went to Montmatre and the view was amazing but DD didn’t really like the surrounding areas and complained it felt unsafe

i had always wanted to go to Versailles it was my bucket list place but it was ok, I just don’t know if it was what I was expecting. I prefer Hampton court 😂

I love Paris and always have a lovely time there. But I also like London and cities in general.

I thought Paris syndrome was more something some people from certain Asian countries get because there is an extremely idealised and romanticised image of Paris in their culture. Like our romanticised image of it but turbo charged.

Paris Syndrome is an extreme form of culture shock experienced by people who feel that Paris doesn't live up to their expectations.

It's most common in Japan, due to Japanese media depictions of Paris (which is very heavily idealised). Compared to Japanese cities, Paris is indeed extremely dirty and unsafe.

It is categorically not a myth, and brief research will confirm this.

So no, YANBU to enjoy Paris, but YABU in the phrasing of your question.

I never understand the bad reputation Paris has!

We've been many times & have spent uo to 6 weeks there on occasion due to a project my dh was involved in.

We adore it & have plans to go back & stay longer.

Its one of my favourite places as a potential place to spend longer amounts of time. We could easily see thd possibility of building a life there & hope to do so

I dont think it's any dirtier than any other busy city and no more expensive than any other tourist city. However, yes Ive experienced a lot of rude people there.

I will counter that though. There are a lot of places where people are rude to tourists. For instance, Ive heard a lot of people say that some areas in Devon are quite rude. The rudest place I've ever been was a place in Wales. They were VERY anti-English. They would be happily speaking in English but then would switch to Welsh as soon as anyone not local was there.

I lived in Wales until I was 10 but dont have the accent anymore. I dont speak Welsh but could understand the odd word people were saying but not all of it and didnt have the confidence to challenge them in case I misunderstood what they had said.

I'm guessing yhat those of you who go often often or spend a long time there speak a least a bit of French? That will make a big difference to your experiences.

I can also see why having to deal with tourists all day gets annoying, particularly if they are being tourists with a capital T.

It's an international city. Some people don't like the reality of a city.

Personally I love it. I've not been lucky enough to live there but I've visited 12 times and would return at the drop of a hat.

I’ve been to Paris many times. I wouldn’t bother going back.

The main reason for me is the architecture. The thing I love about London, or Rome, or even Sofia or Athens say, is the quirky, the surprising, the juxtaposition of old and new In London you can see a medieval church between a modern skyscraper and a Georgian mansion. I’m afraid I think monsieur Haussmann made Paris into one big monolith. And that’s not really my thing.

I also agree with the PP who said that the average cafe bistrot fare is also very average. They all have identical menus - is it government sanctioned?

I can’t say I have found it especially dirty (though the dog shit thing is not a myth in my experience) or unfriendly. Just not my favourite place. And yes I speak reasonable French.

Some people just enjoy a good moan, OP, or are never really happy anywhere, because wherever they go, they have to take themselves along with them.

I thought it was OK, people were generally fine, some nice places to see, food was dire (which I did not expect but in fairness I was veggie and it was the late 90s). Beer was ridiculously expensive. Moulin Rouge was brilliant.

I wouldn’t bother going back, generally it was a bit meh.

Rome was fabulous though.

just to add. One thing I would go back for is to see the restoration of Notre Dame which looks magnificent!

I dont think it's any dirtier than any other busy city

Any other busy European city. The comparison, for Paris Syndrome, is Japanese cities (and the Paris of the 1980s was a lot dirtier than it is now).

Japan is very clean and orderly, I can see why Paris would be a shock to any Japanese people who have a romanticised view of Paris that is nothing like reality.

I have been to Paris lots of times and I really like it.
I also loved Venice and didn’t find it at all smelly (and I went in summer)

I bloody love Paris

Recent visits to Paris have made me appreciate it more. I speak French and have travelled in France all my life - from a young child. The one thing I have found is true, Parisians are not quite the same as the French. Parisians are distinct in behaviour and this can come across as ruder and less welcoming. Not all, but enough for me to notice a difference country wide.

it isn’t enormously expensive, especially compared to London.
Ha ha. Isn't that called 'damning with faint praise'? "It's expensive, but not as expensive as a really expensive place". I hope you don't work in advertising.

We went to France on holiday a lot when the DC were young, mostly because it was within driving distance. After realising that (a) few of the French were welcoming [it's not just Parisians who are rude] and (b) everything was shut during the tourist season [what are they thinking!] we went elsewhere. We haven't been back in years - there are plenty more nicer places out there.

I think like most city’s it depends on the area. I love France, spent a lot of my childhood there and there are lots of beautiful bits of Paris but there are also parts that feel unsafe, and that smell a lot of urine, we stayed near gare du nord last time we were there and saw multiple different men weeing in the street during the day, including one who was in a little park next to the children playing on the swings! Have generally found the people there pleasant but I try to speak (very badly!) in French which I think helps. I adore other parts of France and think I maybe haven’t found the best bits of Paris yet