The French people are so lovely,but........... (1 Viewer)

[Podney]

No,seriously,I actually like the French.
I find them friendly,kind,and helpful. Honest!
OK they may not be very good drivers,but who is?
And generally speaking I find that they like the Brits.
So............why all this crapola on here about how numptie they are (and worse).
Now,tell me what you really think.

 

[DP+JAY]

Generally speaking the Rural French are lovely, townies not as much.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

I find the French people very pleasant, Parisians not so much.

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[Ingwe]

And their kids are so clever-even toddlers speak French!

 

[iandsm]

No,seriously,I actually like the French.
I find them friendly,kind,and helpful. Honest!
OK they may not be very good drivers,but who is?
And generally speaking I find that they like the Brits.
So............why all this crapola on here about how numptie they are (and worse).
Now,tell me what you really think.

What I think is that those going on about the French being mumpties are talking out of their rear ends and I just put it down to ignorance or allowing one bad experience to perhaps totally influence attitudes. Generally I find the French friendly and welcoming and sometimes they go to extra lengths to be helpful. The ability to use a few French phrases and a smile makes a big difference they really appreciate it, at least that has been my experience. There will always be numpties in any country and the U.K. certainly has its fair share.

 

[trophychap]

Well - we have both always wondered where on earth the complainers find the rude ones, as clearly neither of us has ever been there and we'd like to avoid those places in future. Some of em might not have had a good day anyway - can any of us claim to be joyous 100% of the time? - I know we can't.

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[JJ]

I have discovered that...

Some folk are sweet, kind, considerate and loving people and some folk are horrid, nasty people.

I have also discovered that, in both cases, their nationality doesn't have much to do with it.


JJ

 

[ShiftZZ]

Never had any issues in France, love the country and people.

 

[Reallyretired]

Always found the French friendly and very polite. Usually have a great sense of humour. I also think they are generally happier than the British.

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[Mikey RV]

Good and bad in all country’s across the world. Fact.

 

[1ten]

I have always found the French great when on holiday and I love the fact they don’t all sit in the middle lane on the motorway.

To deal with them at work is a complete nightmare and one of the worst in Europe.

 

[ShiftZZ]

The problem I have in France is avoiding thick Britain who think they can do any they want. I remember one incident when this shell suited thicko went into a pâtisserie and asked for a sausage roll and was very annoyed when he didn't get one

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[Reallyretired]

Had some lovely sausage rolls in Spain. Don't know what they call them there, don't think I've seen them in France.

Edit. I've never had a shell suit.

 

[DBK]

There are a few on here who just like to moan about others. It could be about anyone: cyclists, folk who use campsite facilities, fill the fresh water tank to the brim, drive too slowly, park too close to them etc., and people like me who moan about the moaners.

 

[injebreck99]

I had a nasty experience in Picardy several years ago when I led a group of bikers from our local IAM group for their first ever mini tour abroad, everywhere we went we were stared at in an unfriendly fashion, hostile even, we weren’t causing any trouble, just normal touristy things, when we changed into regular clothes and went out for an evening meal, the restaurant closed their doors when they saw us coming, saying they were closed, but other people went in afterwards.
The experience definitely put us off France, and haven’t really been back since.

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[BobtheBass]

And their kids are so clever-even toddlers speak French!

And amazingly all their dogs can understand French as well!!!

 

[Chris]

They don’t even sell sausage rolls

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We love France and have always found French people to be friendly.

I find that whatever country you’re in making some sort of effort to speak to people in their language is the key. If you make the effort they will too. If you just shout at them in English they won’t. If you can’t be bothered why should they be? I don’t blame them at all for appearing unfriendly or snooty in that situation.

Apart from wales and that silly gibberish they pretend to speak. It’s not a real country and not a real language so none of the above applies there

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[Shrimp]

We like France, the food, the people, the atmosphere, the Aires, etc., etc.!
Mostly the French are very friendly and they will try & help if you try to speak a bit of French. We love the way the kids are, even toddlers will say bonjour!
We had a thunderstorm yesterday, dog was hiding under our van, when I looked for her she wasn’t there...panic....oh no there she was just coming out of next doors French van where she had run to to hide!
We all had a laugh, even the Dutch!

 

[Chris]

Personally I find them friendlier the further south you go.

In Northern France I find them Les Miserables, but then Northern France is quite a miserable place in my opinion.

I do try to speak the lingo but I never really listened in French lessons. I can ask for a beer, a coffee and an ashtray and the bill but not much else.

 

[yodeli]

I had a nasty experience in Picardy several years ago when I led a group of bikers from our local IAM group for their first ever mini tour abroad, everywhere we went we were stared at in an unfriendly fashion, hostile even, we weren’t causing any trouble, just normal touristy things, when we changed into regular clothes and went out for an evening meal, the restaurant closed their doors when they saw us coming, saying they were closed, but other people went in afterwards.
The experience definitely put us off France, and haven’t really been back since.

Oh heck ... how unpleasant! Shall I invite you... and may be (just may be) make you change your mind!??
You've been very unlucky , and I do understand it put you off. We've got lots of bikers here too. They sometimes give a wrong image of what they really are. Could it be the reason why?... Indeed no idea! It would be a good question to ask on a French Bikers' forum... and I will probably do so!

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[2657]

We have a Mobile Home (Static Caravan) on a large non touring residential site near to La Baule, soon to be around 500 vans, we are now the only UK owners.Over the years we have had a few problems with late night noise, few and far between though, in general we have been made to feel very welcome and most of our immediate neighbours that we know are lovely, friendly people.

To our shame after visiting France for more than 25 years and owning the Static for 11 years we only speak a smattering of French so proper conversations are impossible but we try, and we are always treated with friendliness and respect, which we always try to reciprocate.

We love France, just a pity it's so cold in the Winter.......and expensive

 

[injebreck99]

Oh heck ... how unpleasant! Shall I invite you... and may be (just may be) make you change your mind!??
You've been very unlucky , and I do understand it put you off. We've got lots of bikers here too. They sometimes give a wrong image of what they really are. Could it be the reason why?... Indeed no idea! It would be a good question to ask on a French Bikers' forum... and I will probably do so!

We weren’t acting up, or doing anything out of the ordinary, just tourist things, but it happened all the time in Amiens, and the coastal towns nearby, very disturbing and off putting.

 

[Parrot Face]

Always found the French very polite, relaxed and friendly. As above, nationality doesn't come into it. So why on holiday do I try to avoid the Brits? Maybe its because I want to feel like i'm in another country?

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[Nirvanauk]

Not sure why we even have a thread on this subject. Just saying like.

 

[laneside]

Now why do I suspect that the ones that see the French people in a bad light are probably the same people that see camp site wardens as little Hitlers.

 

[StitchesnFluff]

Love the French, always helpful and have in general a better attitude towards the vulnerable than some others in Europe.

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[maison]

After 12 twelve years of “living in France for 6 months each year, following thirty years of touring there we have always found the French to be friendly and helpful.

Police, when asked where to park our motorcycle safely, telling us to park on the pavement outside the Police Station, “It’ll be safe there!”

A motorist flagging us down when we had a problem with a tyre on our trailer. He then led us almost 15 kilometres to a tyre firm that he knew stayed open late.

A resident knocking on our motorhome door to see if we would like some of their surplus apples from their garden, free!

There are many other examples too.

We have probably met four or five French people during that time that we wouldn’t want as friends, but likewise with British.

The remedy is simple. If you decide you don’t like France or the French don’t go there. Leave it for us that do.

 

[Chris]

Seriously though, why don't they sell sausage rolls?

 

[klaatu]

Seriously though, why don't they sell sausage rolls?

You can get a thing called a feuilleté de porc, which is supposedly close to what we call a sausage roll - haven’t tried them myself.

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