How to meet locals in Paris

This probably isn't an option for you, but just in case... when I lived in Germany, a sure fire ice-breaker for meeting people, especially when my German wasn't up to par, was my friendly, happy, well-behaved dog. There's very few people resistant to the charms of a wagging tail.

Which brings up a larger point. Although probably not true of all European countries, in many, strangers just simply don't carry on conversations beyond the business at hand, particularly when they do not share a common native language. People can be perfectly polite and pleasent, but if you don't already have an established relationship, many are resistant to diving into a more intimate discussion. It's often considered an unwanted intrusion into personal space, and it's probably the reason many languages maintain the distinction between the familiar and formal second person pronouns that English has lost.

So... if you want to actually meet people beyond simply asking for directions, you need to bring something to the table beyond just being a polite and friendly tourist. If they live in Paris, odds are they've seen thousands of other tourists just like you. Better than average French language proficiency would probably help, as even though many Parisians speak English quite well, they're more averse to conversing in English than many other Europeans. Find something about yourself that will make people want to talk to you, rather than just politely tolerating your intrusion into their privacy. For me, the dog did most of the work.

If your French is minimal it will not be easy to start in this language directly a chat with anybody you can think is a local. But in the two weeks you can look for occasions you “need to talk” and have to rely on others to find your way in the city. Go to shops where you have to ask directly the shopkeeper the things you want to buy, so avoid shops with self-service. Certainly you will make mistakes, but with some courage you will learn with little steps a bit more of the language and get also more confident in using it. The success-ful moments will stimulate you to go on and learn more.

I also think starting directly with French will put most off, so begin conversations in English, best with young people as nowadays many of them can speak English. Show interest in their language and learn this way a few words and phraises in the proces. Instead of using the guide or the map, ask directions and other info and show interest how it is to live in Paris for instance, rely more on your social skills.

Allowing yourself to depend on others, submerging is IMO the best method to find your way in a foreign place and to learn to speak a foreign language.

One nice way to start is to sign up for the Paris Greeter program. It is a free service. A local will make arrangements with you to meet and show you around the area in which they live. We spent 5 hours with our "greeter" walking around his neighborhood and going into food shops and collected food for a picnic together. We met many local shop keepers and talked to each one for awhile, then moved on to the next. We had a wonderful time talking with our greeter about his life in Paris and that of his family.

Also, we talked with grocery store staff, restaurant staff, locals in line at bakeries, etc. Everyone was extremely nice and it seemed we both enjoyed the interactions, although minimal. Also, go to Luxembourg Gardens and wonder around where the locals gather, see the families play at the park and the men play bocce ball.

These are just a few things we did. We don't speak French, but we learned a few phrases and were polite, curious Americans, and the French seemed to be open to conversation - yes, even in English after our initial approach was in French. We felt that we had quite a lot of interaction with the locals. I really think if you are trying to speak French, and are upbeat, happy, trying to interact, they will too.

I have found the local laundromat a good place to connect with locals as they are just hanging out waiting for their clothes to finish, so have time to chat. Otherwise, I have been able to connect with waiters if the cafe or restaurant isn't too busy. In Paris you are unlikely to connect with people as easily as in the country where I've found that the local's curiosity about having a stranger in their midst plus my attempt to speak fractured French resulted in some interesting and fun encounters. Just be friendly and polite. The suggestion to sign up with Paris Greeters is a good one. I enjoyed a three hour walking tour through the Marais wiyh a local giude that was quite special. Have fun.

Rick has mentioned a couple things in his book about meet ups in Paris with locals like you are looking for. Maybe you can search for it on this site.

Mark,

this is just my opinion/observations and experience.

I have had more conversations with people on trains traveling from one country to the next. Im not sure why, but it happens more than on an international plane ride.

As far as spending time at "touristy" spots to chat with locals to me would not be the best solution. they are called "touristy" for a reason. If you want to chat with people from other countries, i think its a good idea since they will draw people from other places.

Also, what i noticed is that although locals are polite and will try to chat with you, they are probably "working" whereas you are on "vacation" so they will have to be some where or have limited time to chat.

if it was me i would look off the beating "touristy" path like parks and place where people aren't working. I have chatted with restaurant/hotel/museum people, but again, they have a job to do and usully won't stay long.

one last comment/observation. With your limited language skills, i think you will find that some of the French hesitant to chat with you. I find/think they are more embarrassed to speak bad English than i am of speaking bad french at least that is how i felt.

happy trails.

One idea is to sign up for a cooking class or similar class where you will be with a local person for an afternoon. We took a class in Rome during our trip in September and absolutely loved our time not only learning how to make some authentic dishes but hearing about Rome culture. Even though our class was American & British participants, it was a great environment to feel free to ask questions (in English!) and feel like we spent a very nice day with a local.

Some of this is just serendipitous, and starts with being polite to everyone you encounter, as well as not being in a hurry. Older folks may be more ready to talk, especially sitting on a park bench. When I happened to share a lunch table with an older woman in Venice this fall, she made an effort to speak slowly in Italian, so I generally understood the topic of each sentence, if not the full meaning. Supper clubs are becoming a thing, too. See also Rick's tips for creative communication: http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sightseeing.

Laura (above) mentions a park bench as a possible place to have a conversation with a "local" (Don't know why but I hate that word). One year my husband and I stopped to relax on a bench when we were walking along the Canal St. Martin, and an elderly man joined us. In the conversation that followed we learned he had been transported from Paris to Germany as a worker (aka "slave") during WWII. He was a lovely old man and in spite of his experience was not anti-German and was in total agreement with France being in the European Union. However, the OP says his French is minimal so I really don't see how a meaningful conversation could take place.

We were eating dinner, and a French mother and 11 yr old son were right next to us. We weren't looking to talk to them, but a conversation began when my husband saw the mother eat some of her son's ice cream while he was away from the table. We all laughed, and agreed to keep her secret. The son wanted to practice his English but was shy about it. We ended up talking about snakes, and his dream to study them in Australia or America. Most of this was in English. Serendipity.

Being willing to say hello is the first step, though it is largely by chance, in my experience the French are not given to chatting up tourists, at least not anything of consequence. But there are exceptions, and saying hello is a good start.
We were dining in Lyon, and a French businessman came into the restaurant and was seated at the next table, he was by himself. After a few minutes I glanced over and caught his eye, said bonjour monsieur and he responded in very good English. The three of us talked and talked through the meal-a three hour meal. We walked him back to his hotel, had drinks in the lobby, set up to meet for dinner in Paris, where he lives, a few days later, and had another delightful time. He was just as interested in our lives as Americans as we were in his as a Frenchman.

At another Lyon restaurant, after dining we were exiting at the front door and there was a group of 6 or 8 young-early 20's-people waiting outside for a table. One of them opened the door for us and asked me how we liked his restaurant. I fell for it completely, and he went on for a couple of minutes about "his" restaurant-telling us how pleased he was that we had enjoyed our meal so much. After a while he started laughing and let us know he was pulling our leg-it wasn't his place at all. We all talked for fifteen minutes or so; they all work together in Lyon, and we had a great time. Here we are.

On another note, I will occasionally ask someone if I can take a photo of them, and I find that people are generally flattered to pose a bit, and short chats can come from that, too. I use the camera as a prop in order to have a few words, it's almost as good as having a puppy in hand, but not quite.

What I have done in the past w/ varied success is start early. At least 1 month or so before I leave, I find a compatible language exchange partner at mylanguageexchange.com who lives in the city I'm planning on visiting. There are profiles on the site, but even so, sometimes you have to connect with a few different people before someone clicks for you. I'm in exchanges that have gone on for years (i.e. after I've visited). But still it's best to be up front and say that you will be going to Paris (or whereever soon).

Even if you can't speak French, or your French is limited, you can certainly help Parisians on the site with their English. In other words, it doesn't have to be a 50/50 exchange.

In any case, if you have any luck, you should have at least someone with whom you could meet up with at least 1x during your trip.

Mark, I've had good interactions with locals using various homestay options. We used Good Morning Paris for 3 nights in Paris, staying near Place Monge in a nice 19th century building with Elisabeth; you could look on their site in particular for hosts who speak English. Elsewhere we used Bedycasa.com, staying 3 nights in Montpellier and another 3 in Avignon. Particularly enjoyed our hostess in Avignon. Bedycasa has lots of options in Paris as well and again the site will list hosts who speak English.

I understand that Couchsurfing also can connect you with people and events in a city even if you are not using it for sleeping arrangements - take a look at their site and see if that appeals.

Good luck and have a great trip!

Thank you all for the great ideas. We will be researching them all before we go.