A travel blogger ventured to the “rudest city” in the world, only to be left baffled by his findings. Paris, the French capital, is often labelled as the most inhospitable place for tourists, with locals frequently described as “snooty”, “surly” and “unwelcoming”.
This reputation persists despite the fact that approximately 50 million tourists flock to the city annually to marvel at landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe. Ben Morris, a popular YouTuber with a following of 870,000, decided to investigate these stereotypes by visiting Paris himself. His initial encounters with the locals were mixed, leaving him uncertain about the city’s reputation.
One tourist he met commented: “They are rude. French people are so rude, they are so mad at everything.”
However, others had nothing but positive experiences to share. One visitor remarked: “Nobody’s been rude to me, but I’m good vibes.”
In a video documenting his trip, Ben expressed his confusion: “After a full day of talking to strangers I was feeling confused because everyone was giving mixed opinions. We were told if we wanted to better understand why Parisians are labelled rude, we needed to experience the morning commute to La Défense.”
The travel blogger decided to head to La Défense – the city’s business district – on the second day of his trip to see if it lived up to its name. While Ben encountered a “direct” waiter in the bustling district, he felt as though it “wasn’t quite rude”.
Ben’s quest to uncover the real Paris revealed more welcoming encounters when he sported a blue-striped shirt and red beret. “More nice French people, they’re everywhere,” he remarked to the camera.
He subsequently connected with Lucile Hernandez Rodriguez, a Parisian blogger who outlined proper etiquette for the capital. She explained: “You have to say merci (thank you), bonjour (hello), [and] look people in the eye or people will think you’re rude. That’s like the rule of Paris.
“They [tourists] come and they’ve seen the movies and they think like they’re going to meet a pretty French girl and fall in love but they take the subway and people are p****d because they have to go to work.”
Lucile nevertheless believes the stereotype regarding Paris is “kind of true”. She argues that much of the negative perception stems from encounters with commuters travelling to and from their jobs.
Ben acknowledged meeting “so many nice people” during his visit, admitting it was “ironic” given he had travelled to the city specifically seeking rudeness. He concluded the video by experiencing the Fête de la musique (World Music Day) in the capital.