What are the "down sides" to Paris?

[andi]

I thought that I would add this to our collection of knowledge on the great city. Many visitors to the forum will only ever read of the great things and I think it only fair to report any negatives to weigh out the balance. This can be bad places to visit/ eat/ stay or little things that grate on us. I have tried to think of negatives myself, but have to admit that I am struggling a little.

1) Most museums have an entry fee (compared to London) Although this is a small fee and there are plans to change this in the near future.

2) The Moulin Rouge is said to be tacky and a waste of money. This is a widely known complaint but I can not comment myself as I have not been.

3) For the many "lovers" of the city.....PPD is very hard to combat!

[greyghost1]

Since I first read your post I have been thinking and thinking. I guess the only thing I can think of for us in the lower 48 is that the dollar is weak against the euro.
Oh just thought of one. You don't want to be standing in a line with computer reservations for an art show. We did that for the Lalique exhibit and after the ticket holders went through we started through and let me tell you those french madams use elbows, fists, knees and whatever to push the flow through the gate. I had bruises for days.

[suzanne]

I am happy to say that my biggest complaint is gone. Smoking in restaurants. Yeah!
The week dollar is as Greyghost said no fun.

[Ray(aka) tripnebraska]

I don't like that Paris is located 7500 miles from Nebraska. lol

[suzanne]

Ray you are alot closer that us poor folks on the west coast.

[Jody]

I'm thinking, I'm thinking///but so far Ray has come closest...and that my investments don't payl 20%

[Darcy]

The only downside to Paris is having to leave it!

[Truffaut]

The first one is cultural--the complete lack of orderliness in any sort of line.

The second one is infrastructure--what's up all those horrible rags the "little green men" leave in the streets to direct the flow of water. Can we move out of the 18th century, now? Please??

[annettecinca]

Good points, Truffaut! I thought you were heading in a different direction at first ("The first one is cultural..."), with a great observation about the cultural differences between Americans and the French Unfortunately, that is the "down side" for many who expect everything and everyone to be just as they are at home! So I suppose we should mention another down side to Paris--the Ugly Tourist. You get that just about everywhere, but it's particularly annoying in Paris! (am I wrong?!)

[Jody]

At least they have " little green men"!

You must watch this Bill Maher thing!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKS0yISz6xQ

[suzanne]

LOL, the first time I saw those rags I thought they were discarded dirty baby diapers. The kind that we encounter in Wal-Mart parking losts. Another reason I don't shop at Wal-Mart. Truffaut, I think you'd enjoy reading "A Year In Merde".

[Shoesy]

The only thing I can think of right now is the lack of A/C we encountered during a terrible heat wave. I'm basically referring to the restaurants we ate in, which weren't Michelin starred establishments, but by no means were they cheap joints.

[andi]

Well I did say that I was struggling to find faults! The only reason I added that one was because it had been mentioned before and after all, the London ones are free!

[Happygoin]

I chuckled at Truffaut's description of the public works men in Paris as "little green men". My sister was so entertained by watching them on our first trip to Paris...we've called them "little green men" ever since.

I've thought and thought... and can't come up with a single complaint about Paris except that it's so far away, and that complaint is taken already.

[sistereurope]

I have heard many true stories about the frustrating French bureaucracy, so although I have never experienced it personally, I would have to agree that it's one of the few downsides of Paris...(of course I don't care for the CROWDS, but as a tourist I feel that I have no right to complain about that ;D)

That and the fact that it's across the ocean.

[Truffaut]

The little green men, carrying their little green brooms, emptying the little green trashbags into the bigger little green rubbish bins, which are then emptied into their little green trucks.... They are a blessing!!!

[Shoesy]

Let me see......who is that cute little guy who said "It's not easy being green" ? ;D

[Happygoin]

Yeah, but at least they get to do a crappy job in PARIS.

[geordy]

Thanks for bringing that up Tru..the first few times in Paris I wondered about those rags in the gutter...the first time I saw one there was a guy by it fussing with his car so I thought he left it....and then there were more!

Then they just started blending into the scenery!

And I have had some nice conversations with the green men...usually when I was alone and guess I looked lost! Crappy job but some of their English is pretty good! After hearing my attempts at French they'd push their best English speaker forward!

[Anne]

I am ashamed to ask that, but what are those rags that you are all talking about . I never noticed anything ...

What I hate about Paris and all other French cities are the dog poohs everywhere . OK, there are less of them in Paris than in other cities thanks to TLGM, but this is a real disgrace anyway, and I love to walk in foreign cities where you don't have to watch your feet in order to avoid the "mines" (although a few other countries are just as bad as France in that regard ...)