Striped shirts, tilted berets, and a baguette peeking out from a paper bag all make up the caricature we all know as Paris. But beneath the dreamy corner bistros and cobblestone boulevards along the Eiffel Tower is an ugly truth. According to Rough Guides (via MSN), Paris falls in the top five of the world’s most unfriendly cities, as its locals have a reputation for generally being discourteous to tourists. To hammer the point home, a French travel blogger aptly named Pierre Baguette definitively wrote, “Parisians are the worst people in the world.”
So is Paris really that unfriendly? It seems some visitors plan trips all the way to Paris just so they can escape from it, opting to take a jaunt on a scenic train whisking them away from the city instead. Not to mention it can be a hub of petty crimes and dangerous activity you probably want to avoid while on a trip.
Despite the behavior of its residents, Paris does have its charms. In 2023, according to Visual Capitalist, tourist numbers reached 15 million, making it one of the world’s most frequently visited cities — and for good reason. Many of its biggest attractions are even more impressive in person, the stunning architecture is hundreds of years old, and the Louvre Museum displays some of the most famous artistic masterpieces in the world. In actuality, while Paris may host some unwelcoming residents, it’s a city with a long and rich history well worth exploring.
Why Paris is actually a great city despite the bad rep
Perhaps the idea of unfriendly Parisians has been perpetuated by outdated information. Readers at The Guardian stated that in recent years the atmosphere of Paris has changed, with the new generation of residents being more welcoming to non-French speaking visitors and overall much friendlier. Depending on who you ask, that’s not a new change, either. A reviewer on Tripadvisor commented, “Parisians are actually among the nicest people of Europe” … and that was posted 20 years ago!
Of course, there may still be grumpy locals every now and then, but that’s true of every buzzing tourist destination. For example, local Manhattanites have constantly been perceived as rude and unaccommodating to visitors from out of town, with professor E.J. White writing in Lit Hub that many think the distinct New York accent is “aggressive.” But despite New York’s reputation for bad manners, millions visit the Big Apple each year.
If you encounter bad attitudes toward tourists in Paris, venture beyond the cliché landmarks. Away from the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, you’re more likely to see Paris’ stunning hidden gems, lush public parks to take in the fresh air, and kind locals ready to point you in the right direction.
Hidden gems you should visit while in Paris
