I found on internet this question, somebody given a a pleasant response in the cryptic language of someone who thinks he knows everything about everyone, at times criticism at times annoying but which in the end really gives the idea of what to expect in Paris.
Paris, l'amour, l'amour, c'est ce que tu veux vraiment, mais ça va être dur à trouver.
I plan to go to Paris in the spring of 2022. Is the city as bad as conservatives describe it on the internet?
Paris is the incarnation of everything that causes severe cognitive dissonance for many conservatives:
A multicultural city where everyone lives in relative harmony, even in the supposedly “rough” neighborhoods. A major city run by a bona fide Socialist mayor (a dark-skinned woman, to boot, who followed an openly gay man) yet functions marvelously.
A place where the English language is relegated to second place and interpersonal manners are different. (Most people that a tourist will encounter do speak English, but for cultural respect, it’s highly recommended to greet them with bonjour and s’il vous plaît before conducting any conversation or business, and merci and au revoir at the end. Don’t worry, virtually nobody is going to expect you to speak anything beyond that in French unless you happen to be able to do so.)
And as a corollary, a place where you need to use funny-looking currency and the metric system (these aren’t unique to Paris). But know that using your debit card is much easier than exchanging cash, Visa and MasterCard are accepted everywhere (other cards, not so much) with a banking system that is far more secure than how the US system operates. (Oh, check with your bank first to make sure that they won’t charge you an exorbitant fee for every transaction.)
A place where automobiles are frowned upon, it’s much easier to navigate on foot or Métro (subway). A place where food and drink are often unfamiliar, and even familiar-looking items turn out to be different than you might expect. But don’t worry, the golden arches and the mermaid are easy to find if you don’t like surprises.
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