[jmnicolas]

I'm French too and if you read more of the comments you will find more positive things about us.

By the way, if they form an opinion on France by how they are treated by parisiens I can understand they don't appreciate the experience.

We're much friendlier in province ;-)

[Shebanator]

I don't speak French, but I've never had a problem with people being rude to me, in Paris or elsewhere in France. I have witnessed rude responses to other tourists, though, and it was always because the tourists themselves were rude and/or excessively informal first. Politeness will take you very far.

[programLyrique]

I am French and I've lived both in "province" (means not in Paris...) and in Paris, and I don't think that's particulary accurate to say that people are much friendlier in province. I've met friendly people both in Paris and in "province" as well as unfriendly ones...

In my opinion, it's just a way of reenforcing this dichotomy between Paris and "province" (and this word is also part of that scheme).

[bane]

> I've met friendly people both in Paris and in "province" as well as unfriendly ones...

As it turns out, people are just people everywhere. Some are good, some are terrible.