France - especially Paris & Côte d'Azur

[GamePlan]

I've been learning French since I was young so I'm actually a bit biased and would like to find a really great city in the French-speaking world.

I've been to Paris twice. People always talk about Paris as if it was one of the greatest cities in the world. I found it to be an 'okay' big city. It was kind of nice, but not amazing. I loved the way the girls dressed and girls were kind of pretty overall (wouldn't stay absolutely stunning, though).

What is it that people like so much about this city (I've come across a few posts on here by people who probably do not have a huge interest in museums/history who raved about it)? I'm not trying to talk bad about it, I'm just curious hoping I might have missed out on some great things (I didnt sit in any cafés or the like).

How about the Côte d'Azur...Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Monaco...Has anyone been there? What's it like? more like a place for a 1 week vacation to tan in the sun or a great place to live for a while, too?

Any other great places in the French-speaking world? Montréal? the Seychelles? Maurice?

 

[speakeasy]

Don't know what to tell you. If you can't be amazed by Paris, then you can't be amazed.

 

[true romance]

Go to Montpellier for summer vacation.

I just came back from there...
Feria de Bezier is one of crazier party I attended

all the paillots on the beach, greatest French DJ come to play, lots of hotties, great atmostphere

http://effetmer.com/effet-mer.html


Google Feria de Bezier
youtube video..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Béziers

Montreal is also to do list

 

[GamePlan]

I'll definitely give Paris another try (or multiple). Maybe I just need to get the feel of it. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that the architecture and all doesn't really look different than in the area of Germany I'm from...probably had something to do with not going there in the summer, too, though...

As for Montpellier, actually that (other than Paris and the Côte d'Azur) is one of the places I've had in mind, because it's the only decent-sized city on the beach other than Nice (or Marseille, which I hear is rather dangerous) and because I've heard it's a students' city, etc..

So the nightlife there is great, too? Did you ever get to the coast to one of the bigger clubs? I heard in the city of Montpellier there were pretty much nothing, but bars but that buses went to the bigger clubs on the coast..?

 

[Heart Break Kid]

I love Paris. I was born there and that is where all my family is. Once you live there for a while and get to know people you can find parties every night from dancing to ****tail. It is very easy to get highly connected whether it is for business, social circles, etc.

To visit, I find people outside of Paris are much warmer to foreigners but really, if you make an effort to speak French before asking something in English and act polite, very few French people will snub you. One of my best friends came with me one year who knows college French and he managed to get quite a few numbers because girls taught it was cute. If you go to Paris though I would suggest going to a concert or two while you are there. Just be careful if you go to the night clubs, there is a disease going around called "La tecktonik" which destroys the motor functions in your brain required for dancing.

I would highly recommend Montreal if it is closer. Amazing night life, people are bilingual (except way out in the isolated patelins) and people are very friendly (even for Canada.) Ile Maurice is okay; nothing about it really amazed me. Luxembourg is again pretty nice but out of the three I would suggest Montreal.

PS: Marseille is not dangerous but their slang is different from everywhere else in France and it could really confuse you unless you are going with a native. Marseille speech is much more confusing than the Parisian "Verlan." The people are very friendly as far as France goes though.

 

[GamePlan]

Hi Heart Break Kid, thanks for the input. I've thought about that before..that Id probably enjoy life in Paris, because there's probably tons of stuff to do in such a huge city, but couldn't find much else about it like really really special (which many people seem to). I'll definitely go back, though...definitely have to girls what the girls wear in the summertime (was there in November and in May on a weekend when the weather sucked).

I'm from Germany, btw so Paris is pretty close to me (way closer than Mtl). it takes like 1 hour by plane (+waiting at the airport...) and by train I think it's like 5 or 6 hours, now, so Paris is pretty close and Im bound to get back.

I also got to say that I found the people who I dealt with and talked to in Paris rather friendly. Can't really reemmber anyone who was not friendly to me actually. Maybe it had to do with my speaking French to them not English (though obviously having a foreign accent)

Im surprised you say Marseille is not dangerous. Seems like everyone says something different and you have to see for yourself..lol