A Quick Overview of the French

A few years ago DW and I were walking in a small village not far from the beaches of Normandy. An elderly lady walked up to DW, and in decent English ask if we were Americans. When DW replied "Oui" the lady just smiled and said "thank you." Some in Europe do not forget.

Hank

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We spent a week in Normandy the week before the 70th Anniversary of DDAY. It was exciting to see all the preparations and all the US, British, Canadian and other Allied flags being flown from private homes and public buildings! French school children were touring the museums and beaches. Glad to see that they are still thankful for the sacrifices of others and they are trying to teach their children about this important part of their history.

We also spent a week in an apartment in Paris. No where did we find the French to be rude. As a matter of fact we found them to be helpful. Frankly I think that are now glad to have American tourists. We bring money and jobs! And hopefully American tourists have learned to be more tolerant of other cultures.

As for chip cards, as a previous poster said, we had no problem with toll booths north of Paris. Also had no problems with our chip and sign cards in grocery stores and at gas stations in Normandy. We did have issues in unmanned public transpiration kiosks. Had to use Euros only. Just remember if you are from the US and you have what you think is a chip and pin card, it isn't!.. It is a chip and signature and it does not work like the cards in Europe.

I just saw your posting. Welcome back home Hank.

I think the conception about the French being rude and unhelpful is a bit unfair on the French. We travel to France frequently, but often just for the weekend. Therefore, I agree with your comments. Paris, like any large city is also full of people who are not originally from that place and tend to lead very busy lives and can't be bothered being nice. It happens in London all the time.

 

I can't say I've noticed a lot of young people smoking in France, but did comment about it to my OH when we were recently in Greece. We were having lunch in a nice restaurant and there were two Greek men smoking. Myself and OH are both ex smokers and smoke really doesn't bother us, but it is an EU ruling that you can't smoke in public places. If that were to happen in the UK you would soon be told not to do it.

 

I am currently following the Tour de France daily on TV as I love watching the beautiful countryside that they cycle through. Gives me ideas as where to go. I think maybe a short trip to Champagne region is on the cards.

Champagne is my favorite little spot in France. May I recommend a stay in Hautvillers, visit Dom Perignon's grave and taste champagne with an amazing view of the vineyards from the hilltop. If you go anywhere between Aug and Oct, check to make sure they are not harvesting. Most of the houses close and most of the hotels are full of the season laborers. Some small houses also close for a spell in the winter. I go about twice a year now to restock my cellar. :)

Skippingaroundtheglobe

Thank you for the recommendation. I'm sure if we visit we would bring back a couple of bottles of Champagne, but my OH doesn't like it. I normally bring back a case of sparkling Saumur Brut, which I like. Prosecco has become a fashionable drink here in the UK, but I prefer the Saumur.

..... Just remember if you are from the US and you have what you think is a chip and pin card, it isn't!.. It is a chip and signature and it does not work like the cards in Europe.

This is not necessarily true. I have a chip and pin MasterCard issued in the US from USAA and it is an actual chip and pin card, not a chip and signature card.

We spent a week in Normandy the week before the 70th Anniversary of DDAY. It was exciting to see all the preparations and all the US, British, Canadian and other Allied flags being flown from private homes and public buildings! French school children were touring the museums and beaches. Glad to see that they are still thankful for the sacrifices of others and they are trying to teach their children about this important part of their history.

We probably crossed paths.

I particularly loved the shops in towns all over Normandy that were decorated with paintings honoring the D-Day invasion. One artist was responsible for all those wonderful paintings. Images of flags and streamers/bows and doves and recognizable faces of the Allied leaders. Amazing! We were fortunate enough to watch the artist paint portions of two of those windows.

A big "yes" to your comment about the French trying to teach their children about this history. We arrived at the American cemetery as a group of hundreds of children was being loaded into school buses after a field trip there. The cemetery administration had scheduled a special ceremonies and tours daily for school children the week leading up to the D-Day anniversary.

I'm glad you have one that works everywhere. There's a another post on this subject on another board and it seems to be a big issue with most US issued cards. Mine works everywhere except in unmanned booths at public transportation stations in France. It worked at motorway toll booths and gas stations (sometimes signing and sometimes it just went through). Will be glad when the US gets their act together!

So glad you saw the same wonderful things happening in Normandy that we did. It was a very emotional place to experience but seeing all the French celebrations sort of lightened up the experience.

Yes, we possibly did unknowingly cross paths!

I have to say that two of the biggest myths I heard about Europe were busted for me.

I never met a rude Parisian in Paris and pickpockets were not like a swarm of locusts.

The rudest person I met was a bus driver in Brugges and the only pickpocket I encountered was on a bus from the Pantheon to the Forum. I caught her trying and she ran away as soon as the bus stopped.

I'm glad you have one that works everywhere. There's a another post on this subject on another board and it seems to be a big issue with most US issued cards. Mine works everywhere except in unmanned booths at public transportation stations in France. It worked at motorway toll booths and gas stations (sometimes signing and sometimes it just went through). Will be glad when the US gets their act together!

Unfortunately most cards with chips issued in the US are chip and signature cards, not chip and pin cards.

We love France. I have been to Strasbourg in the NE, on the Rhine, sacred ground at (they shall not pass) Verdun, done the Saone/Rhone river cruise from Lyon to Arles. Done the South of France, Monaco, Nice, St. Paul de Vence, as well as the Loire valley with its Chateaus, Normandy and of course Paris.

The only rude people that I met in France were a few in Paris. However, a French friend of mine, not from Paris told me that Parisian waiters were rude to him as well.

There is much history and art, great food and wine, as well as great people in France.

We are considering renting a car "post cruise" and driving though the hill country of Provence. How difficult and stressful would that be for a "non-French" speaking person?

We have driven through Normandy on one trip and from Paris down to Nice and Provence and then over to the Dordogne area and Bordeaux on another. Just be sure you get a GPS on your rental car. Also have some very good maps as backups. Also a good dictionary /phrase book helps too! Most people can speak some English. Probably more than most of us can speak French. I think you will be fine with some good research pre trip so you know where you want to go and what you want to do. Have a great trip!

We are considering renting a car "post cruise" and driving though the hill country of Provence. How difficult and stressful would that be for a "non-French" speaking person?

We are certainly not fluent in French, but have driven thousands of miles throughout France with very few language-related problems. The one time we did have some problems was years ago when we got horribly lost and needed some directions. Getting directions turned out to be difficult because we were in a rural area where nobody spoke much English. But these days, our GPS speaks very good English :).

Hank

We take our own car to France frequently and although our UK GPS will also work in France we have a French road atlas that we like to look at. It gives us a better overall view of the area.

I don't really speak much French, but it has never been a problem. As long as you can say 'bonjour' and 'merci' you will get by. Many young people these days will speak some English, particularly in the more popular areas.

We have driven from CDG through Normandy and the Loire for a week with no French and no difficulties. "Bonjour" and "merci" help a lot.

We are fortunate that English is spoken increasingly all over Europe.

We have driven from CDG through Normandy and the Loire for a week with no French and no difficulties. "Bonjour" and "merci" help a lot. We are fortunate that English is spoken increasingly all over Europe.

LondonTowner: We take our own car to France frequently and although our UK GPS will also work in France we have a French road atlas that we like to look at. It gives us a better overall view of the area. I don't really speak much French' date=' but it has never been a problem. As long as you can say 'bonjour' and 'merci' you will get by. Many young people these days will speak some English, particularly in the more popular areas. [/quote']

 

Hlitner: We are certainly not fluent in French' date=' but have driven thousands of miles throughout France with very few language-related problems. [/quote']

 

Appreciate and agree with the above smart, experienced experts on these boards, plus other posts. No problems for us!! Language, rudeness or driving. We did lots of road action in the Loire and Normandy/Brittany in 1995; Paris, the Loire, Sarlat & SW France in 1998; Alsace, Reims/Champagne Country, Loire and Burgundy in 2005. Plus 1970 and 2007 France trips without doing any driving there. GPS can help, plus having good maps and doing advance reading/prep prior to hitting the roads there makes positive differences.

 

I speak no French, but knowing a few words of kinds helps. Also, having written out where you are heading helps. You can show that to folks, then can see it, etc. That helps them rather you trying to pronounce what/where you are seeking to see/go.

 

Saw a little of Tour de France in 2005 while in the Loire Valley. Fun to experience the varied aspects for this event and all that is involved with its staging.

 

Great thread by Hank. Glad you trip worked so well.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 68,334 views for this fun posting.