Several weeks ago, I decided to live a first and unusual experiment: make a mini European tour by bus. Actually, the craziest thing was to do it with a group of Russians while I do not speak a word of the language. Yes, either I'm a little crazy or a real adventurer. But, the truth was my Russian friend wanted to spend her last vacation in Europe and it was a chance to enjoy it together.

I will not here paint a postcard of the various places visited, but I will point out the cultural differences that I faced. Indeed, the language barrier and the fruit of this experience favoring the observation of these rather special beings.

This was however not the first time I hung out with Russians. I even made ​​a short trip to Moscow in the past (see "A Stranger in Moscow"). But, I soon forgot something that still remains: to live with them requires determination, flexibility, an open mind and lots of patience. So, I joined this group of Russian tourists when they arrive in Paris for an adventure that would take me to the coast of French Riviera, Florence-Rome-Venice in Italy, and finally back to Paris from Vienna in Austria. A journey of almost two full weeks of memories, unusual and informative experience for a French intruder.

Naturally, this group of about thirty people was surprised to see a young French, not speaking their language, come and share this experience with them. Who would not? So I was aware of and prepare for two things :

-          don't expect them to smile at you. It is not customary to talk or smile at strangers, so don't interpret this behavior as coldness or unfriendliness.  

-          don’t hesitate to open your soul to them. You will then be acknowledged and considered as part of the group.

Think American tourists and many would answer: loud, overweight, doesn’t speak any language other than English and totally ignorant, excluding information that he or she picked up in a Lonely Planet guide.

Think Japanese tourists and many would say: loaded with the latest models of the most expensive photographic equipment to take smiling pictures everywhere; almost always travels in large groups.

So how does a Russian tourist behave? And why do they keep fueling bad images of their countries by behaving inappropriately abroad?

Actually, over the past few years, holidays abroad have become more accessible for more and more Russian tourists. This has increased the flow of tourists from Russia who visited Europe for the first time (even if their main destinations still remained in Turkey and Egypt) without knowing how to behave. So, it raised a lot of different stereotypes :

-          They often say that the Russian tourist is arrogant. Russians also never apologize when they push you on the street or in public transport. You are lucky if you are not yelled at instead.

-          Russians don't usually say "please" or "thank you".

-          One more feature of Russians is eternal discontent. You can recognize a Russian tourist everywhere by the bored and unsatisfied expression. They like to keep their stoic Slavic facade.

-        When they say they are from Russia, people say two things: 'It's cold, and you've got bears.' One could then respond: 'Look, I know everything about your country. Perhaps you should try and find out a bit about mine.' " Or, is it only a myth within a myth: Russians believe that Americans believe that bears walk the streets in Moscow, but this myth of a myth might be a purely Russian invention. Americans actually believe all the bears in Russia are dead.

-         You could also hear stories about Russians calling to book a hotel, but the manager refused to give them a room when he realized they are from Russia.

Fortunately, I didn’t feel or experience any of these bad stereotypes during the trip with my group. Also, having a Russian friend at my side contributed greatly to my adoption by the group. Verbal exchanges were unfortunately very brief because few of them spoke English. Nevertheless, I was able to make friends with a charming young couple and chat regularly with two to three other people who could speak the language of Shakespeare. Therefore, the first observation: apart from the young generation, don’t expect Russians to speak English.

When you hear two Russians speak on the phone, you often feel that they’re fighting because they talk so loud or abruptly. But they are not. And, there is a thing I need to confess: like many other French people, I’m sometimes late. French people are never late, they're just nearly on time. It’s only after 15 minutes that it can be notified as being late. While visiting the city of Florence, I once took a wrong way and we got lost, my Russian friend and I, at the time of returning to our bus. So, we were really running late. Here is the second observation: Russians may not hesitate to criticize any of your mistakes, whether small or big. And, it’s done openly and clearly.  Even the most patient of you will test this lack of tact or diplomacy.

Another thing I had ever seen before and that has been confirmed. French men, whether traveling as a couple or with friends, don’t hesitate to leave their girlfriends/wives to choose and decide what to do or where to go. Is it pure laziness not to be the only one responsible for any wrong choice or is it because French women always look for a certain parity in the absence of equality? Russian women are a bit different. The third observation: with Russian families and couples, the man should always know how to decide. He must be strong or have character. In short, being reassuring such a pillar. This is why some Russian women find French men too effeminate. Moreover, some Russian men are convinced that feminism has led to the collapse of the West, and Russia's historical mission: resist.

Nevertheless, French people have the image of intelligent persons. But, if they can’t answer many questions on places or objects that are supposed to be familiar to them but in which they absolutely pay none attention, they are quickly considered as ignorant, like someone who ultimately doesn’t reach the scholar image. A lack of interest or confidence can then be easily seen. The fourth observation: are Russians really more demanding towards people who do not share the same culture?

Russian tourists, meanwhile, complain that they are often treated as second-class citizens. They concede that Russians like drinking but say their ubiquitous national reputation for drunkenness is undeserved. "There are stereotypes about Russians which are caused by a few oligarchs and have nothing to do with how the vast majority behave," said one of them. Sharing snacks and drinks with some of the people of the group at night was one of the best and more pleasant moment of the trip. So, taking the time to chat, always learning more about their culture, smiling at their funniness, feeling their kindness through the thoughtful gestures despite the barrier of language. Fifth observation : they naturally and constantly pour you a drink, so you can’t have an empty glass.  Although Russian people make toasts with practically every sip of a drink, they usually say a unique toast every time. If you want to make a toast with them, stick with "За Вас!" (Za vas!), which means « To you » and is very acceptable. You may miss drinking with Russians.

Only a child and a teenager were part of our group during this European trip. And some came with their grand-parents. Sixth observatory : through this and previous experiments, I liked the fact that kids are a natural part of everyone’s life, rather than a special, perfectly-planned project. Family is something so much important with Russians compared to the individualism of some occidental countries.

The end of my trip was a moment of excuse to take a picture with the whole group.  Actually, many wanted to have a picture of the group, so it lasted a while but it was quite fun. All along this travel, some may have hated foreigners, but others were very welcoming. Some may have been closed and afraid, but others were very friendly, open and curious. Will I ever travel again like that ? That’s not sure because it’s quite tiring. Will I ever travel with Slavic ? Here is my last thought : as long as we succeed to talk, I think I’ve become strong and comprehensive enough to continue and suffer a bit more among some of them. Russians are also extremely emotional and passionate, and although they don't show emotion in public, they can cry and laugh and shout and play more than Italians. Therefore, it's just all about respect and having a knowledge of basic etiquette wherever you are.

by R.R.&G.

First, you should know that there is a difference between Parisians and the rest of the French. Everything is a matter of nuances and historical facts. But, in order to simplify the vision of things, we won't dwell on their specificities and therefore we will not distinguish between these two populations.

When a stranger arrives in Paris, he's generally happy to be in the city of light and may say: "It is very beautiful here. You can feel culture and history through the majestic monuments and museums. There is entertainment everywhere and I can't wait to see accordionists and the Parisians in their daily life..."

Ah Paris, France ... what a dream, "quel enchantement"! But soon, reality takes over and a few surprises, good or bad, will enrich and spice up your journey. Then, here are some examples of how France and the French are viewed by foreigners through my little experience. Naturally, it is more fun to focus on the bad things. And, these will be enhanced with a subtle and subjective analysis.

1 They reproach, above all, our chauvinism, our tendency to believe that we are better, more cultivated than others. In short, a certain arrogance and snobbery. From the strict point of view of tourism, although the park hotel in the country is much higher in quantity and quality to that found in neighboring Italy or England, for example, our services and how to welcome our guests are not always live up to their expectations. The first criticism that they make ​​is that we don't like to serve. 

In shops, reception is sometimes chilly. In the terraces of our prestigious cafés, servers are not always friendly and helpful with tourists. In terms of transport, including taxis, the picture is not idyllic either. While most European countries have adopted flat fares for connections airports - city, tourists often feel - true or false - of being "trimballés" longer than necessary to inflate rates. Our subways are closing too early, usually around 1am. Paris is a city that has become excessively expensive when the night is a mere shadow of itself, a capital that doesn't resonate (more) party, such as Barcelona, ​Berlin...

The tourism business has never been the subject of a genuine public policy in France. However, tourism (hotels, cafes and restaurants, campgrounds, travel agencies, spas and ski resorts) employs 1.8 million people. They represent 6.4% of France's GDP and generate some 44 billion Euros in revenue. All that should be enough to display a wide smile, right?

2 Smile, let's talk about it. In the United States, for example, smile is a sign of politeness. I don't know if it is the same for the other French, but Parisians are well known to often pull a long face. The French don't consider that to be polite, you need to smile. They smile only when they really want to do it, not when it is expected. This explains why, for the French, some social conventions can be seen as hypocrites.

3 The French are often late. Indeed, do not expect people with whom you have an appointment to be on time. Punctuality is treated casually in France. Then, a delay of up to 15 minutes at a meeting between friends is generally tolerated. We say that we are not late but almost on time. However, punctuality is still required and even an obligation when it comes to going to work or business appointments.

4 For those that evoke France in terms of work, the majority of them think on the disputes, strikes, holidays. According to them, the French, when they are not on vacation, they are on strike. Moreover, we still have our RTT (additional days off) to recover from our weekly 35h of work. Fortunately, the foreigners recognize the skills of French and they don't see us as lazy as Spanish, Italian, or worse... the Greek! But, one should work for a living and enjoy life and not live to work. Some says that we are really lay back, others call it the French art de vivre.

5 Unfortunately, we French have a reputation that sticks to your skin like old dry dirt: we have a reputation for being dirty and don't wash every day. Indeed, you may meet dirty and smelly people every day, but no more than anywhere else. But this reputation is maintained by two things: the dog poop in the streets, and the Paris metro with its terrible smell. But, it's still a showcase for France, almost the first thing seen by foreign tourists. While in Chile, for example, the underground (French) in Santiago is beautiful, brand new, all clean and even when it's really crowded, it doesn't smell bad inside ... It is the same with the metro in Montreal built from French technology.

Some people find rather sexy the body smell. This cultural difference is relatively old. Henry IV, king of France (1553-1610) wrote to his mistress: "Madame, I will be with you in a week, do not take a bath anymore."

Today, it is quite unlikely to meet smelly French. If it happens to you, do not hang on it and try to hold your breath. For those who love to dive, this is an excellent exercise.

6 I pass on the reputation of French lover because it doesn't fit with the fact that we stink. And also, because I personally don't believe in being one. As it is more difficult to assess whether this is a deserved reputation or not (after all, I've never been seduced by a French lover, me...). However the famous French kiss, it works great!

Actually, I fear that the general vision about the French and scoped by the foreigners under such an angle is endless. The opinions may differ, change or enhance after one or more visits of the country and therefore exceed the images conveyed by movies, television, advertising, magazines...

Nevertheless, it is fun to compare a few points of view: for the Spanish, Italian and South American, we are rather cold and distant; for the Czech, Russian and Polish (at least those I met) we are too uninhibited; according Germans, we are trying to be too bright and that really complicates things when it would be easier to be clear and get to the point. The Dutch thinks we are terrible for speaking foreign languages and for the Belgian, we are too... French! More generally, many of us are very, very pretentious.

Looking back, trying to be objective, I'd say we're not so cold or unfriendly, but we know how to put some distance, often for the wrong reasons, like showing one's superiority. It's true that we love to show off, we are not pretentious - we are just French. France is the country of the Enlightenment, of Human Rights, the cultural exception... I think it comes from that time, of the Enlightenment, the 18th century when Paris was famous for its literary and philosophical salons. Since then, the French have not stopped "de se la péter" (fart higher than one's ass). Hence, the reputation to smell.