Americans want to be treated with a little respect when they tred on French soil, as many Americans gave their lives in the 20th century so that the French can continue to criticize America in the French language rather than in German.

I took french once, and my teacher told us that both sides think the other is rude-- but it's a culture thing. I say to the french person, "hey, how do I get to the train station?" The French person responds with a snotty tone at top speed and is not interested in repeating herself. Alright, I think she's rude, right? Well, I was rude to her *first,* because french manners would have you say "hello, excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the train station?" instead of demanding they tell you where it is after you don't even acknowledge that you're interrupting them.

It's not just the Americans that think that, even some other countries do as well, including neighbors of France, even some that also speak French. I've been told about their rudeness all my life by many relatives and friends from Europe. I don't believe that they are simply 'ruder than most' I think it has to do more with their attitudes and manner, and if you aren't French born in France, then you just can't understand them and never fit in. I've also known many French people, and I have to say, I've felt it myself even with those that live here.

French wine as quuoted by my WWII relatives was that they complained a lot or were rude to our soldiers. One thing is French women are relatively easy and our boys took advantage of that causing some anger.

Lived in France for three months. Many are actually friendly if you are friendly to them. And don't act like the stereotypical loud know-it-all America. People who live in France are people just like people who live in America.

1) a couple common-sense tips: "- Always at least attempt to speak French. Simply saying, "Bonjour! Parlez-vous anglais?" (pronounced bon-jouh, pah-lay vooz ahn-glay) can work wonders. It means, "Hello. Do you speak English?" Many French who would feign ignorance suddenly speak fluent English if you just try. Also, try to imagine what you would think of a stranger walked up to you speaking French and expecting you to reply! - Be sure to greet strangers with, "Bonjour," before launching into other requests. In France, it is considered rude to just walk up and start talking like we do in America. - Quiet down! The French are a very hushed people. I never realized how obnoxious it can be to be loud until I was in France. My husband and I were eating dinner in this lovely cafe in Carcassonne when a group of American tourists barged in, loudly shouting at one another, running around the restaurant snapping pictures of patrons and generally being rude. One man bellowed, "I wonder if they serve grits here?" across the room. Their behavior was made even more noticeable in France where the people are very low-key. I might note that the wait staff was still polite to these buffoons, despite their disrupting the dinner-time ambiance. - Learn about the cultural differences. Many times, the French react rudely because we do something that is considered extremely rude by their standards. Know French culture and customs before you go to avoid misunderstandings." Source and further information: http://gofrance.about.com/cs/culture/a/rudeness.htm Further information: http://french.about.com/cs/culture/a/rudefrench.htm 2) Here some good and bad experiences with French people: http://www.travellerspoint.com/forum.cfm?thread=19688 http://www.blogaholics.ca/archives/2006/06/french-people-are-rude.html http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Ile_de_France/Paris-99080/Local_Customs-Paris-Stereotypes_Rude_or_friendly-BR-5.html