The “Parisians Are Rude” Stereotype Is a Myth

Before my first trip to Paris as an adult, I have to be honest… I was not looking forward to it. I had been skeptical about returning to the city for a long time, having been there a few times as a kid. One of the reasons I initially wasn’t so interested in visiting was because I was all too familiar with the stereotype that Parisians are rude.

Naturally, I didn’t want to spend time in a place where I didn’t feel welcome. But the good thing about travel is that it lets you see places with your own two eyes. As a result, you can make decisions for yourself (and yes, that means changing your mind or disagreeing with the masses). My trip to Paris was much better than expected, and one of the most pleasant surprises was that people from Paris are actually… polite. 

I am absolutely confident now that the stereotype of the “rude Parisian” is by and large not true. During my trip to the French capital, I had multiple encounters that confirmed this. Plus, I have interacted with plenty of Parisians outside of the city—all of whom I’ve enjoyed talking to. 

Today, I want to discuss why I think the stereotype exists (and what people get wrong about it). After reading this article, you will be much better prepared for your Paris trip and know what to expect when you interact with the locals. 

Everyone Says the Same About Their Own Country’s Capital

One big thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of people in each country—who aren’t from its capital city—will have negative things to say about the capital and its people. For example, I grew up in London.

Londoners often have a reputation for being cold, which I kinda understand. The Underground is a good example; we go out of our way to avoid eye contact with each other. Moreover, we do not say “good morning” to each other. When I used to holiday in the English countryside, I always found it shocking that people would actually greet me when we walked past each other 🤣. 

I now live in Copenhagen, and lots of Danes from outside Copenhagen think that people from the capital are stuck-up and arrogant. When I lived in Sweden, people felt the same about Stockholm.

As someone who grew up in a capital city (and still lives in one, albeit much smaller than London), I can understand where this logic comes from. I would definitely say that people in the countryside and smaller towns are much more likely to talk to strangers than in a big city. At the same time, though, I wouldn’t say we’re “rude”. We are just much less likely to interact with strangers, unless someone speaks to us first. 

Living in a Big City Means Dealing With More People (This Is Important)

Paris, while small geographically, is a big city population-wise. If you include the metropolitan area, it’s home to over 12 million people. Having not only grown up in London but also spent a lot of time in New York City (my mom is from there and I have family in the Big Apple), I can all too well understand that dealing with lots of people on a daily basis can get exhausting. 

Within an hour in Paris, you will see more people than you probably would in an entire day if you were in a smaller town. Plus, there are plenty of other sounds and things happening that stimulate your mind. As a result, you naturally start to filter out lots of information. 

Life in cities of this size is often about getting from Point A to B. When you’re focused on a single objective, you are also more likely to be blunt and look like you’re unapproachable. 

Living among so many people also means that you will deal with nefarious actors, such as scammers, meaning that you are automatically more guarded than you would be somewhere else. Which, as a result, can make you less trusting of strangers until you get to know them. 

Understanding Important Cultural Differences

I’ve pretty much discussed factors that apply to most major cities so far, and not just Paris. But when talking about the French capital, understanding some key cultural differences is important.

Bluntness is one of the biggest cultural differences, in my opinion. French people in general are more blunt and direct than Brits are, for example. Parisians are particularly direct, which can be a shock if you’re from a culture that is not like this. It’s quite similar to other parts of Northwestern Europe, but it would be surprising if you are not. 

The language barrier does and doesn’t matter in this respect, too. When speaking a non-native language, people can be quite shy. This is true in Paris, in my opinion, even though I actually think a lot of people in the city speak better English than they’re given credit for. 

However, it’s more common for them to say fewer words to get their point across. For example, I might say “sorry, just a second” as a native speaker. Someone who isn’t, however, may say “wait” or something shorter. It’s easier to get the point across if you feel like you don’t have as big a vocabulary; personally, I do the same in Danish. 

Another big cultural difference I observed was that people in Paris are less likely to say sorry if they bump into you. I think that this is different from London, where *I* would apologize to someone if they bumped into me. Maybe they were being rude, but perhaps also not. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. 

I should also point out that Parisians are generally, from personal experience, quite laissez-faire. This means that they may not notice you when stopping on the sidewalk and will also smoke in your presence. These things can be annoying, but they’re not done to inconvenience you on purpose. 

Most People, Generally Speaking, Are Nice

The overwhelming majority of my interactions with people in Paris were positive, and I actually found that most people were helpful. Some were even happy to assist without me saying anything, but when they saw that I clearly needed help. 

For example, I wanted to visit La Tour Montparnasse (it was cloudy, so I didn’t get to the top, sadly—but I guess there’s always next time 🙂). The station to reach the building has multiple exits, and I tried to scan my pass at an entrance. I evidently looked confused, and a polite man told me where to go and then walked me to the exit so I could leave the station. 

When I got to the tower, the people working there were also helpful in showing me how to get a refund for my ticket. And at other points during my trip, locals were more than willing to assist when I was clearly in “tourist way out of his comfort zone” mode. 

My girlfriend and I both agreed that the majority of Parisians we interacted with—whether in hotels, restaurants, or just on the street—were nice. I do think that using “bonjour” and “merci” helped a lot, but people sometimes greeted us in English and were similarly kind. 

The Importance of Not Trying to Confirm Your Biases

We all have preconceived ideas about what places will be like, even if we’ve never visited them. It’s very easy to get influenced by what you see on the internet, too, especially on social media. I have, in the past, gone out of my way to try and confirm my biases—which has naturally led to a less enjoyable trip. 

For this trip to Paris, I wanted to keep an open mind. I knew that if I tried to find all the so-called negatives I had convinced myself of, I would frankly have been better off staying at home. Because I allowed others to prove me wrong, they duly did that, and I had a weekend that ended up being one of the highlights of my year. 

As human beings, we like to think we’re neutral and rational about everything. But the reality is that all of us (including me) let our biases influence our opinions to some extent. I have worked hard to be more aware of these, but I am not perfect. And let’s be honest: Being proven right is nice for the ego, which is why I try to look at things from a balanced standpoint instead of being like “aha, see, I told you!”.

To be honest, this is more of an issue if you have negative preconceptions about Paris rather than the opposite. I would also say to not expect everyone to roll out the carpet for you, because this also won’t happen. But doing your best not to search for reasons why your negative views are right will lead to a much better trip. 

Of Course, You Will Sometimes Meet Unpleasant People

I’m not going to pretend that everyone is nice, because you have to deal with not-so-nice people wherever you go. Some people are just having a bad day or are going through a difficult period in their lives, and I try not to take their actions too seriously. 

On other occasions, you will have to deal with people who just outright have zero manners. We had one unpleasant experience at a wine bar in Paris, but we kinda knew what we were getting into because the Google Maps reviews all said the same. We just needed to use the toilet and bought a glass of wine so we could, so I did not care.

Again, though, we were not dealing with someone who clearly loved their life. So, I just jotted this down as a “them” problem rather than an issue with either of us. Even if that individual is just unpleasant by nature, the same thing applies; it’s about them, not you. 

My Other Theory About Paris In Particular

I like to think of abstract theories that can explain things, and while in Paris, I had a realization. France is an interesting country because it takes elements of culture from Southern and Northern Europe. This is particularly true in Paris, which is in the northern part of the country (it’s literally just a few hours from London by train, after all). 

Since you a) have people from all over the country and elsewhere living here, and b) Paris is what I would consider more Northern Europe, there is that element of a reserved nature that I don’t think you find as much in the south of the country. 

Because of this, it’s easy to see why some people find Parisians rude. I actually just think they’re more guarded, but they will be (mostly) polite if you need to interact with them.

Paris Is Loved by Many for the Same Reasons It’s Disliked by Many

Paris is a very interesting place because it does not change itself to appease others. The French capital is the most visited city on the planet, partly because it’s unique and proudly flaunts this fact. 

This mindset, in my opinion, is evident wherever you go. People march to the beat of their own drum, and while something might seem annoying to some, it doesn’t mean that they’ll automatically change. 

Paris is one of the most polarizing places on the planet, which is why you get just as many people saying they loved their visit as those who think the opposite. I personally have grown to like the fact that it doesn’t bend over backwards for anyone, though I admittedly used to hate it. 

Final Thoughts

Maybe this is a bit of a hot take, but I think that the “Parisians are rude” stereotype is massively overblown. Moreover, it’s largely parroted by people who have never been to Paris, France, or Europe. 

People in Paris do not speak to strangers as much as people in other places do, and Parisians tend to keep to themselves. This is the case in most major cities, though, and it doesn’t automatically equal rudeness. 

When you need to speak with people in Paris, you will find that most people are friendly to foreign tourists. This doesn’t mean you won’t encounter some douchebags, but that’s the case everywhere. Most people are from being that.

Parisians won’t roll the red carpet out for you, but they will assist you when needed and may even… wish you a nice stay in the city.