This guide is for the adventurer who actually wants to make friends with natives whiletraveling abroad! I can’t even list all the advantages ofmaking friends with locals while traveling/living abroad, but some benefits include:meaningfulfriendships, a free place to stay when you want to come back, help with the language, and a real glimpse into the culture. Having friends abroad, especially in France,has changed my life.
With Celine, a trueParisian and one of my closest friends! ^_^
I know that Paris has a reputation forhaving people who are cold, unfriendly and always in a rush. It’s a rumor that exists among Americans and even among French people who come from regions outside of Paris. This may be slightly true, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to make friends or come across kind people! In fact, I think most French people start off “cold” according to American standards, but once you know them you will most likely have a reliablefriend for life! Want to find out for yourself? Hereare some tips for meeting people!
Make an effort with the language:
This is number one because it’s so important. I honestly believe it will make or break your experience in Paris. I know that most major cities whichare frequented by tourists tend to cater to thosewho speakEnglish, but it’s not really appropriate to assume that everyone you encounter will speakEnglish fluently. I understand French is hard and you may feel shy, but trust me, you will do a lot better at least starting with a polite “Excusez-moi” followed by asking “Parlez-vous anglais?” or “Do you speak English?” than not trying at all. People will be more inclined to help you, and may even strike up a conversation! I met one of my good friends Ivan when I got lost on the bus. I was doing my best to ask the bus driver which direction we weregoing, and he heard me struggling and offered to help! We ended up getting off at the same bus stop to chat, and we are still friends to this day!
Who would have thought a random encounter on the bus would turn into an international friendship? We ended up meeting again in California and in Las Vegas!
Try Couchsurfing:
Couchsurfing.com is awesome because it’s a network filled with like-minded travelers who are already open and willing to show you their city and hang outwith you. Contrary to popular belief, Couchsurfing isn’t justabout sleeping at someone’s place! With the “Wants to Meet Up” option, you can contact people who are simply interestedin hanging outwhile you’re in town. It’s great because you can preset filters based on gender, age and even language. If you meet a person and really hit it off then who knows, you may have found a friend for life! I’ve met a lot of great people this way, some of whom have become my really close friends! Paris also has a lotof weekly meetings and events on its Couchsurfing page that you can attend if you want to meet friendly Parisians in a group setting.
I met Nico through the “meet for coffee” option years ago and I’m so glad I did! I can’t imagine Paris without him!
Avoid Americans (or whoever your fellow countryfolk may be) …but not at all costs!
I usuallymake a conscious effort to avoid other Americans when I travel. It’s not anything personal or discriminatory, but I really like to dive into the culture when I’m abroad and it’s hard to do that when I’m surrounded by people who speak the same language and come from the same culture as myself.I bent the rules one afternoon at the Virgin Megastore (rest in peace!) on the Champs Elysees while I was attemptingto negotiate a phone contract. There I stood, completely drowning in numbers and words I just didn’t understand, when Ioverheard a guyspeaking English. I scurried over to ask him for some advice,and we ended up talking about what he was doing in Paris. He was there with a French girl whowas really shy at the time, but I knew that if we stayed in touch we could become friends. We exchanged information and the rest is history! I realized then that having a common language can open you up to making contacts faster because it’s one less barrier to break through!
With Celine and Jason, my favorite Franco-American couple! 😀
On the train
This is not for the faint of heart. If you are shy, this will probably sound like an awful idea, but I promise it can work! You just have to feel people out and have really strong social skills. You also have to have an open mind. If you walk onto a train looking to meet your next best friend, then you will probably end up disappointed! The reason you can meet peoplefairly easily on train rides is because they are usually at least an hour long, and people tend to berelaxed. If I sit next to someone who is around my age and isn’t wearing headphones or busy doing something, then I usually take the opportunity to chat. I start out askingabout recommendations for things to do at whatever the destination is, or what kind of events they may be attending in town. If the person isfriendly then it usually leads to more conversation, and occasionally an invitation to hang out!
Most importantly you have to be open minded and willing to throw yourself out there! 😛
The best thing about these tipsis that they canapply to ANY country or city! Of course the culture is different everywhere, but I thought I’d crack one of the tougher cities. If you can make friends in Paris, then you can make friends almost anywhere!
