Nobody spoke English and there was nothing to do

[AdoraLovesCake]

Sorry, this might sound like I am complaining when obviously in another country they won't speak much English.

I decided to go to France this summer as a single pregnant mum with a 1 year old and a 5 year old. Fortunately my friend and her 3 year old son decided to join us.

I booked in a place, by the beach in Northern France, I had been to when I was a young adult, I remember it being quite touristy but very kid friendly. Photos of the place looked like a touristy city where people would speak English.

I speak quite a lot of French and was teaching bits to my oldest daughter so she could ask for a crepe or say please and sorry and simple things like that, under the expectation that most people would speak English. My 1 year old can only speak a few words, so I am not going to teach her French. My friend speaks French well too, and her son also learnt please, thanks, sorry.

We arrived to find a really untouristy place. We unpacked and looked around the town for fun kids stuff. There was nothing. By this time I was exhausted, with an overexcited child and a screaming baby. So we hunted for a cafe or restaurant. Nothing. We went into a small bakery, asked in French for some stuff then asked in English, "Are there any children's playgrounds here?" The baker looked blank at us and soon there was about five French men shaking their heads and repeatedly telling us, "Me French"

So we left and went to the beach. No kids on the beach, just a couple and their dog. Thankfully they let the children stroke the dog. No places to buy ice cream, buckets, spades, balls, paddle boards or anything.

The next day we took the bus, still nobody spoke English and still, towns bare of tourists and kids, beaches bare of anyone and anything.

Thankfully the kids took it quite well, it could have been a whole lot worse. It's just that the research I did made it look good. Maybe I didn't do enough? Maybe I shouldn't have used my memory from 20 years ago? Maybe I should have taught my kids more French?

xxx Cora

Afew things -- I'd also love to know the name of the town , I know northern France quite well as well as some kids' zoos, amusement parks etc in the area.
Do you have a car? The roads are easy to drive on if you can get out of town and explore other beaches etc. You can avoid the motorways if necessary. But if you can manage the M25 in the UK then French motorways are a breeze.
(NB the French don't seem to do as much seaside-y things for kids as we do, at least in the North. )
At the end of August it is very much 'fin de saison' in France and things start shutting down. It might be better at the coming weekend when Parisiens start heading for the coast and their holiday homes just for the weekend. But August is the peak holiday month for France.
I speak French reasonably well but have found that in the Nord region (previously Nord-pas de Calais) even supermarket checkout staff have a smattering of English, I don't think the same would apply for English staff in Kent! I don't often get people replying to me in English, as DH does.

My French 'prof' always says the French find our English accents, when speaking French, to be charming. Possibly...

This whole thread is like a dystopian novel. @AutumnCrow and @Feverly , I spotted OP's solipsistic exchange too, and thought it added to the general air of existential angst. This might be my favourite thread so far today.

Very Jean-Paul Sartre. Being and Nothingness - nobody spoke English and there was nothing to do - or Beckett, maybe. Even Kafka!
Where is Godot? Is he coming? Does he know where the playgrounds are or if anyone sells food?
Sorry OP, sounds like you made the best of a bad job.

I find google translate really useful for asking something in French, they usually either write the answer on my keypad or get their own phone out and reply

The Vendee is a good option for child friendly places, the ferry to St Malo is about the same cost as fuel to drive, then eurocamp or take your own camping equipment

After 21 august often the prices for accommodation decreases and the last week of August - the b/h week here in the uk is often much cheaper

Well, this just sounds weird... You knew how to ask in French, but decided to ask in English anyway, and your dd was sobbing with exhaustion and you wanted to take her to a playground??

Visited the Loire valley this summer, it was beautiful. Every shop had someone who spoke English every touristy place had signs / leaflets in English. People were incredibly friendly and patient with my very basic French.

This was posted by a Daily Mail "journalist" so they could get an article out of the responses.

I have been to France many many times and lived there for 4 years in the past. Apart from Paris I have always found the french friendly and welcoming.

When I lived in France (2 different places) I had some of the best neighbours ever. They would give me veg from their gardens, flowers from their gardens, home made wine. They would invite me for meals. My french wasn't great and almost none of them spoke english but we managed with hand gestures, bad drawings, dictionaries and lots and lots of laughter

Have you never struggled to understand someone with a strong foreign accent trying to speak English? A small difference in pronunciation can make a huge difference to the meaning.
I was once at a small restaurant in Greece the waiter couldn't understand the English speaking person the customer continues to say the same thing just louder and then was annoyed they couldn't be understood.
The arrogance of some English people abroad is embarrassing.

Where we went in France people did not speak much English- but we like this and tried with our French and pointing!

You definitely did not do enough research. I Google map the walk from the accommodation to shops / sights etc. Check out all the restaurants / things to do etc.

Quite often they can't parse the accent, just as we struggle when someone says the correct word in English, but in a heavy foreign accent. Sometimes, though, you'll meet someone who is just being awkward and pretending not to understand.

This is something that is always missing from newspaper articles about tourist destinations - languages.

How difficult is it to say "English widely spoken" or "you need local language knowledge here" or "English not widely spoken but you'll get by with Spanish/Russian/German whatever".

I've often wondered why journalists never ever add it to their articles. Whether you can communicate in a given location is pretty important, and given Brits' laziness in learning other languages, a significant factor.

OP, in many countries people would be helpful if you speak a bit of their language but being insulted that you don't speak it well enough seems to be a thing in France at times. I have experienced this a couple of times, although generally people have been fine, even in Paris.

If you speak passable French, just look up a word before you need it, or talk around it. For example, if someone stopped me in the street and said "I look for field for children play" there's a fair chance I'd guess a playground or park.

This is a bit bizarre.

Surely you'd look on trip advisor for reviews of things for children in the area, or at least on google maps?

I don't think you can really complain that there was nothing for kids in the area if you didn't research things for kids in the area.

Norther France isn't really a bucket and spade kids beach trip place. You want the Spanish costas or Alicante.

That’s nothing. When I was a kid in the mid 80s my dad accidentally took the family to Workington thinking it was in the Lake District.

It's a bit odd that you had to book somewhere to stay but that place's website (whether it was AirBnB or a hotel) didn't mention that there were no facilities. Also strange that you both spoke French but couldn't get by.
Hopefully you're getting out of this thread whatever it is you want out of it. It's not entirely clear.

Next time take the 5 year old to Norfolk or suchlike and say it's France, and they all speak English

Absolutely this.

The French are very proud of their culture (in this case language) and rightly so. The great French footballer Zinedine Zidane has rarely uttered a word of English (apparently also a reason why he'd not manage in England).

I just wish more nationalities were like the French and predominantly spoke their mother tongue. The Eurovision song contest with 95% of entries now singing in English is just wrong. Its become homogenised..ie. stale.

As English speakers its bloody arrogant to expect the rest of the world to do the same (not saying this is you OP). As visitors to someone elses home we should be adapting to their culture ("When in Rome") not have them adapt to ours.

The expat takeover of Benidorm has made it the most southern location in Britain (not legally or course, but culturally). Fish and chips signs, newspaper stands selling British dailies, not doubt there are British cafes offering full English breakfasts. Takeovers like this are why the Spanish are putting a cap on British tourists.

Where did you go?

What town is this?

Whereabouts in France were you?

Re the French language barrier. A while back a group of friends including a French couple chatted about it. According to the French couple there are huge local and regional differences in pronunciations within France so people don’t understand what each other are saying.
They said no-one speaks French properly so no-one knows how the language should be spoken correctly.
I had the same conversation with a Spanish friend. In Spain there is an overarching body that oversees how Spanish is spoken and taught and managed. I think the same overarching body oversees how Latin American Spanish is spoken and taught.
There is no such thing for the French language. Which is part of the problem.

Hmm I´m surprised about Zinedine Zidane, he speaks really good Spanish...

We were in Normandy earlier this month, staying in Arromanches.

Lots of folks on the beach. Not the best in Normandy if you want soft sand but lots of places nearby including the invasion beaches.

French for a play park is Aire de Jeux. Most towns and even small villages have one.

@Jetstream Umm the Academie Francaise is a thing

https://www.academie-francaise.fr/

Would recommend going to Belgium coast or Netherlands instead. Only an hour from Calais.

The Flemish speaking people pretty much all speak English and are so lovely. And more kid friendly.

Trip advisor is the answer for the future before you book anywhere