Why is Paris so disappointing[ Find Out Now!!]

So, Why is Paris so disappointing – Parus Syndrome

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What is Paris Syndrome?

The phrase “Paris Syndrome” was coined to describe the feelings of surprise or dissatisfaction that travellers have while visiting Paris, especially when their expectations of the city do not match the reality they encounter when they arrive in the city. 

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Paris Syndrome, according to Wikipedia, is “an intense shock resulting from [tourists’] finding that Paris is not what they had imagined it to be.” 

Wikipedia

In 1986, psychiatrist Hiroaki Ota invented the term "Paris Syndrome," but it is not an officially recognized medical disease.

Essentially, Paris Syndrome is a severe kind of culture shock that manifests itself in significant psychological responses like as hallucinations (at its worst) or a profound sensation of disappointment, among other things (at its best). 

The majority of publications state that Japanese and Chinese visitors are the most severely affected by this “affliction.” 

Paris Syndrome occurs when high expectations are paired with weariness, jet lag, and linguistic and cultural obstacles, creating the ideal conditions for it to arise. 

These characteristics are increased to such an extent in Japanese and Chinese visitors that they are the tourists most prone to the disease. 

Paris Syndrome is a broad idea that may be applied to any well-traveled city, but the imagination and excitement connected with the city of lights, along with the large number of tourists that visit the French capital, make it a great setting for the ailment. ( Source)

Some visitors may suffer from “Paris Syndrome,” when they have an idealized and romanticized view of Paris and get disappointed or experience culture shock when the city doesn’t live up to their expectations.

Anxiety, depression, delusions, and even hallucinations are examples of symptoms. Japanese tourists are the ones who report the condition the most frequently; they may have an idealized perception of Paris based on popular culture.

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Despite the fact that Paris is a stunning and culturally diverse city, visitors should go there with open minds and reasonable expectations.

It’s crucial to look after your physical and emotional health while traveling, and to get assistance if you start to experience signs of culture shock or other disorders.

In the end, those who approach Paris with an open mind and a willingness to enjoy its distinctive culture and beauty will find it to be an amazing destination.

1. Big Cities with Loads of Tourists have their share of Negatives

It is inevitable that major tourist destinations would have their share of bad characteristics. 

It all relies on your ability to look through these difficulties. 

Paris has more history, culture, and character than almost any other city on the planet; look for downsides everywhere and you will find them..

When it comes to visiting the Louvre and seeing the Mona Lisa, you may want to consider going in late in the afternoon. 

At Mona Lisa after 6 p.m., you won’t find a large number of people congregating there. 

The Louvre is open until late on Wednesdays and Fridays, allowing you to have a far more enjoyable experience.

As. a matter of fact, many of the activities to do in Paris aren’t worth the bother, so don’t waste your time, energy and money on it. So, prfioritize on what you need to see during your stay at Paris.

For Instance, Imagine you have young kids, Disney land is a must and if you Just new Couple , then Eiffel tower and fancy Restaurants is a good deal

Despite the fact that Paris is a beautiful and ancient city, many of the “must-see” attractions are really not that impressive. 

In certain cases, after putting in a lot of effort to accomplish a goal, whether it’s reserving tickets months in advance or waiting in line for hours to get into a venue, you may discover that the ultimate result was just not worth the effort. 

Considering that the Eiffel Tower is the most beautiful feature of the Paris skyline, there isn’t much to gain from climbing it. 

However, Its awesome to keep staring at it sitting on a Bench. If you seeing the Eiffel Tower for the First time in your life is a gem.

We visited the Disney land Paris, which I had never seen before, and the catacombs Paris which I hadn’t done since 2016. 

In both instances, we purchased tickets online five minutes before our scheduled admission time just because we happened to be in the neighbourhood and wanted to get out of the cold. 

It was only because they were so easy to visit that I was able to appreciate them. 

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Moreover, under normal conditions, this is never the situation. 

As if anybody would want to spend four hours strolling around the exhibits after having already spent two hours standing outside in line to purchase tickets? 

It’s true that there are few things in this world worth going through that type of pain for.

2.Having high expectations of any place leads to disappointment

In my experience having high expectations of any place leads to disappointment. It is far better to go somewhere without preconceptions and have an open mind.

If you are expecting the Paris of 1940s Hollywood films you will either be disappointed or surprised, or maybe both.

I was very disappointed by Rome on my first visit. I have since returned several times, knowing what to expect and have grown to love that city.

3.Some like it and some wont…

Like everything else, some individuals will like it while others will despise it.

When I was a teenager in the 2000s, I began travelling to Paris, and I have continued to do so since it is a city that I genuinely adore. 

It is a city that is complicated, wealthy, and diversified. 

The city has many monuments, of course, but it also has several churches, about 100 museums, many squares, and parks. 

Different Neighbourhoods with a variety of moods and feelings So you don’t have to limit yourself to just the primary few famous landmarks where the majority of visitors and pickpockets congregate.

The term “Paris syndrome” refers to the well-documented feeling of crushing disappointment that visitors experience when the city fails to live up to their unrealistically high expectations. 

After returning from what may have been my greatest trip to Paris ever, I’ve narrowed down a few reasons why Paris is so frustrating, as well as what you can do to prevent experiencing the same disappointment.

4. Getting Around Paris is No fun!

It’s difficult to get about in Paris.
It is my strong belief that staying in a central location would save you from wasting time and generating bother moving from one place to another when travelling. 

However, doing so in Paris is difficult since the city is just too large, and there are “central” things to visit in many different parts of the city. 

As a result, it’s hard to be in close proximity to everyone. 

While the Paris Metro is hailed as one of the world’s most efficient transit networks, using the metro is a dreadful experience. 

It takes at least half an hour (and sometimes more than one connection) to get to any destination.

You’re probably wondering why you should bother using public transportation in the first place. 

Why not simply call a taxi instead? One of the reasons for this is that it may take exactly as long to go 2 kilometres by jerky taxi in the middle of Paris traffic as it takes to walk that far. 

Except for the fact that the former costs €30 and makes you feel looted!

5.Scammers are everywhere In Paris

Scammers abound in Paris, as you would not expect.

Even if you’re the most laid-back tourist on the planet and your main purpose for being in Paris is to drink and smoke at a sidewalk café, there is one kind of parasite that is certain to make your trip to Paris a disappointment: fraudsters. 

You’ll see these charming men and ladies stalking the streets of Paris, jingling their little Eiffel Tower miniatures in your direction and pleading for money for various phoney charities and causes. 

They may be aggressive or demanding in particular situations. 

The majority of the time, they are just unpleasant. However, they substantially impair your ability to take pleasure in anything for even a single second in quiet. 

These individuals prefer to gather around prominent tourist spots like Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum etc

It’s simply something you have to deal with while you’re in Paris… kind of like a sickness, really.

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6. Eating out – Food is Expensive in Paris

price range of food in Paris is quite large, depending on the kind of food, where you purchase it, and so on. It is possible to eat a cheap (and awful) supermarket sandwich for less than €2, and it is possible to dine at the Meurice for more than €200 (wine not included).

Now, it is true that supermarkets are, on average, costlier than in most of France, by roughly 20% to 30% (ouch). Restaurants are usually a bit costlier as well, but there are huge differences depending on the place, whether the restaurant is aimed at locals (€-€€) or tourists (€€€€)… 

The greatest difference is the price of a cup of coffee (and other entry-price items on the menu): roughly €1.20 to €1.60 in most of France, scarcely less than €2.30 in Paris (ouch, again), and way more (over €3, €4 even) if you fell into a booby trap (Champs-Élysées, Trocadéro, la Huchette, or any tourist-packed place for that matter).

On the other hand, It is not soExpensive  in the Latin Quarter, the 5th arrondissement, near the Sorbonne s as it is priced for students. 

Not the highest quality food in Paris but fun and very palatable.

Well,  you just have to be cautious because the price for a meal can be very high in certain places. 

But if you search and avoid tourists traps you can have very good food for a very reasonable price. 

To give you an idea, it’s very easy to have a lunch in Paris for less than 20 euros per person, excluding wine.

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7. Paris is Expensive!

Paris has been ranked as the seventh priciest city in the world (well above London) in a new cost of living study, that concluded only alcohol and tobacco offer value for money in Paris.

The same can be said for the cost of a basket of goods in a supermarket, although the authors of the studies believe this may have something to do with the quality of product demanded by the French.

But the survey may be a little misleading because, as the authors have explained, it doesn’t mean Paris is necessarily expensive for those who live here.

Matt Brunner, the editor of previous studies, has told The Local that while Paris was pricey, there was an upside.

“Paris has always been expensive. “It’s partly driven by high real estate prices that feed through to retail prices,” he said. “It’s just structurally expensive and the high wages also makes a difference.”“

Parisians shouldn’t see it as bad news. It’s partly due to the high salaries there. It just means other places abroad are cheaper when they go and visit. 

They will have a much higher purchasing power. It’s the same in places like Oslo where prices are also driven up by the very high salaries,” Matt added.

Matt B

How to Enjoy Paris without getting Disappointed.

Are there any methods for enjoying Paris to the fullest extent possible without being disappointed?

Of course, it is! If you approach your trip preparation in a different way and adapt your expectations in light of the reality listed above, Paris may be a fantastic destination.. 

If you want to avoid being disappointed when you visit Paris, here are some pointers on how to go about it successfully.

Why do so many French people despise their own capital city?

mainly due to the fact that it is extremely expensive to live in Paris (despite the fact that salaries are not significantly higher than in the rest of the country, despite the fact that there are more job opportunities).

The majority of people are forced to live on the outskirts of the city, and their lives are made more difficult as a result of the crowded suburban trains, the hours-long waits they spend in traffic jams, and the exorbitant rents they pay for cramped apartments that cost more than what would get you a decent place anywhere else in France.

Wander around, explore and most of all… don’t rush Paris

Wander about, take in the sights, and most importantly… don’t hurry through Paris; it deserves to be savoured and appreciated. 

Although Paris is a significant city with over 2 million residents, the Paris Metropolitan region has close to 7 million inhabitants. 

In addition, there are all the tourists. As a result, it will not be sparkling clean. It’s a city that people live in. 

And at the end of the day, you could see rubbish containers that are overflowing… which isn’t unexpected given the number of people. 

Cleaning crews, on the other hand, are on the job 24 hours a day, every day.

As a result, set reasonable goals for yourself. Don’t limit your attention to the bad aspects of a large metropolis; instead, take advantage of all that Paris has to offer. 

Every time I return to this city, I discover something new… it’s an unending metropolis that has captured my heart for a long time and continues to do so.

Paris has become to be so filthy and overcrowded.

It is actually just as crowded as any other popular city, but the level of filthiness here is on an entirely different scale.

There are always a lot of homeless people hanging out in the metro stations, and the smell of urine and other bodily fluids can be overwhelming at times. It’s the same as sticking your head in a container of loose stools. They have my deepest sympathy.

Gypsies can be found on virtually every street, and their garbage is scattered all around them. Next to them are people who use any available space as a restroom, and the waste they leave behind sits there for an unacceptable amount of time.

There was graffiti on the train seats as well as some strange stains. Nobody would want to make contact with anything. Sometimes I get the impression that I’m in a third world country.

One of the positive aspects is that there are people who work to keep the streets clean by picking up trash and other debris.

Allow Paris the time and attention it deserves.

Take your time and enjoy the sights and sounds of Paris — plan on spending at least three or four days there. 

The time constraint on your trip means that you only had two and a half days, which is insufficient to see everything and made standing in line for some sites much more difficult. 

My family and I spent six days in Paris this year, which was just about perfect, but we could have easily stayed one extra day if we had had the opportunity.

Learn a Bit of French

Qui, Learn a  Bit of of French

When I initially came to France, I didn’t care to learn any of the language. 

This was partially due to the fact that we were only going to be there for a short period of time( 6 days ), and partially due to the fact that I’d heard that French people, when compared to people from other foreign countries or languages, didn’t really appreciate tourists attempting to learn or use the language. 

The latter may still be true, but manners are extremely important to the French, and I discovered on my second trip that simply saying a few key phrases in French (such as hello( Bonjour), yes( Oui),  Merci( thank you), and Bye(au revoir) to even to those who speak English, thats cool right.. made some of our interactions go more smoothly. 

Other than that, My family and. i utilised the Babbel app to learn a few important words before leaving for our  trip. My daughter ( 11yo) was particularly keen as she learns French at school.

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Walk on Alleys of Paris at night and find some good Eateries

There are more than 45,000+ eateries in the French capital, so how in the world are you meant to know where to begin your culinary explorations? 

We understand that finding a great restaurant to eat might be difficult in Paris, right .

Whether you’re looking for an unforgettable night out with friends, a quick lunch spot to grab on the way to work, a renowned junk food fix, or a tasting menu that costs more than three figures.

And how did we narrow them down to a manageable number?

My tip is to walk around the alleys. we just did that in our recent Trip to Paris and found out some amazing eateries our selves. There is no need to Opt for any recommendations because you need to figure out what you like the best.

Selecting the location of your hotel should be done with attention.

Research the twenty arrondissements (or areas) of Paris and attempt to book a hotel in an area that appeals to you and is close to the things that you wish to see the most during your visit. 

This is important both because it will make walking simpler and because you may have a more enjoyable time in a beautiful environment if you do it. 

This time, we stayed in a pretty charming hotel within walking distance of the City centre (since I recalled it being one of the nicest places of Paris from my previous trip), and we were quite pleased with the location.

Please use the below search option to get a Good deal for Paris accomodation

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Be on the lookout for pickpockets and modern con games.

There is no guarantee that everyone who approaches you on the streets of Paris will have your best interests at heart! 

If you follow some of the other suggestions on this list, such as avoiding some of the more busy and touristic locations, you may not encounter as many of these difficulties.

I know I encountered many people on our first  trip! 

Another thing that can assist (as with everywhere else in the world) is dressing in a manner that allows you to blend in with the locals a little bit.  

Pro Tip: Do not even attempt to wear Beret… I dont see any Locals wearing it LOL

And not wandering about with your map out or a camera around your neck–in other words, not giving the impression that you are a tourist right away!

Lower your Expectations about Paris

Last but not the least…Expectations should be lowered.

Seriously. Even while Paris is rich in culture and history, the city is not without its troubles.

You’ll encounter crowds, touts, and hawkers on the streets, as well as an unpleasant or resentful attitude towards visitors from certain locals, just as you would find in other heavily-trafficked tourist locations.

It will not be as clean or smell as fresh as you expect since it is a huge metropolis, just like any other.

My first time in Paris, I had a very awful experience:  My Hubby and I were scammed  while admiring the Eiffel Tower at night , and we saw a nasty brawl between three Girls on the street as we were leaving our hotel .

So, don’t allow all of the beautiful photographs and media depictions deceive you — be sure to keep your expectations in check before you arrive in Paris!

Traveling to Paris? Here Are Some Nifty Tips for Getting There.

Make a Reservation for Your Flight

To locate a low-cost flight, use Cheapair.com or Funjet Vacations ( From the USA Only) as search engines. 

Both of these search engines are among my favourites since they scan websites and airlines all over the world, so you can be assured that no stone will be left unturned. 

First and foremost, start with CheapAir.com, because they have the most reach!

Make a Reservation for Your Accommodation

Booking.com is the best place to book your accommodation since they offer the largest inventory and the greatest discounts. Booking.com offers Genius Discounts.

Booking.com is the best place to go because they constantly provide the most affordable rates for Hotels, apartments and budget hotels. 

Here are my fave Hotels in Paris. We have not stayed in these Hotels yet, But my research and talking to some of other travellers around helped me make this list!

1.Résidence Blanche 

2. Authentic Parisian Flat

3.Hote Parisianer

4. Bridgestreet Le Marais

5. PAX HOTEL

Don’t Forget to Take Out Travel Insurance.This is a must, of you are travelling from Australia. As Aus and France do not have the reciprocal medical agreements  between them.

Check your country has any such agreements with France. You can get help with costs for medically necessary care when you visit any of those countries.

This includes:

• Emergency care
• Care for an illness or injury that can’t wait till you get home.

You still need to get your own travel health insurance.

Travel insurance will protect you against a variety of risks, including illness, accident, theft, and cancellations of plans. 

It provides full protection in the event that something goes wrong. 

Given that I’ve never had to use it in the past, But, I never travel without it.  I did my family travel Insurance with Allianz , make sure that it is comprehensive and also check if they have covid cancellation cover as well

The Ugly Truth About Paris:

Well, I  am not a Parisian but as a tourist, I’ve visited the city many times and have experienced some ugly truths.

• Expensive city
  • Seriously, this city looks awesome and is really well planned. Legend say that the Seine doesn’t want to leave the city so it flows curly. But it is expensive. Prices of real estate are close to €10,000 per 𝑚2m2.
• Arrogant locals
  • Parisian people are arrogant and you have to accept it. As a tourist, you don’t have much to do.
• The smell of piss around
  • The subway/metro stations really smell that bad and are more or less dirty. I’ve seen an old man putting his bags aside and piss to the other side of the stairs and continuing his life normally with my own two eyes.
• Things go “missing” Often
  • Paris is a really nice city to visit but believe me your fabulous trip can be a nightmare when you discover your wallet to be stolen. Stealers are so professional at their job that, you don’t even notice that they cut through your jacket to get your valuables from your inner pocket (talking from experience).
• Finally, strikes happen, every time.
  • If you are not used to it, you will be shocked that the metro train will come,drops their passangers and goes away to be lost in infinity because of a strike. It just happens and locals are used to it like “ooh again?!”. If it is not the subway, it is the bus if it is not that it is something other.
  • This applies for France in general.
• And NOoooo, Eiffel Tower can not be seen from everywhere.
  • I don’t really get where did this misconception derived from but you can’t expect to sit on a random window and see it.

So these are my observations of visiting the city for a numerous times( Source)