Choclabret

I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
any info on wineries to tour in the area?

Szozu

"choclabret" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > any info on wineries to tour in the area?

You don't say how old you are, but the clothes that I used to wear when I
lived in Manhattan work well here. Young people wear athletic shoes a lot,
women in their 30s seem to wear a lot of those pointy high-heeled shoes not
really suitable for walking. One sees more muted colours than generally seen
in the US.

Bear in mind that it will be quite warm in May and that there are already
people on the beach towards the end of April.

For an idea of what's selling in France, go to www.laredoute.fr and have a
look at their on-line catalogue. Also have a look at
http://www.provencebeyond.com/ for ideas on what to do while in the area.

Lana in Cannes

Mxsmanic

choclabret writes:

    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake.

Your rental car and your speech will betray you, so there's no need to
worry about dress.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

S?Nke Tesch

Someone wrote:

    : I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    : in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    : renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    : for safety sake.

The #1 failure of US tourists is to expect everybody to speak English.
Learn French, at least a bit. Second, do not expect the same service
style like in the US (it's not worse, but it might be different).
Generally speaking, you're a guest, not a customer, so act like a
guest, not like a customer.
Third, avoid politics, even if someone wants to talk to you about
politics (one way or the other..). At best say that politicians are
nuts anyway - it's true, everyone will agree and think you're pretty
smart for a US tourist.

Regards,
soenk.e

PS: Europe is not that different from North America like Africa or
Asia. Usually nobody will notice that you're not from France right
away, but everbody will notice that you're a tourist as soon as you
have a guide book or a map in your hands. Not much you can do about
it.

PPS: All of the above is of course true for tourists from other
countries, too

Markku GröNroos

"Sönke Tesch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > The #1 failure of US tourists is to expect everybody to speak English.
    > Learn French, at least a bit. Second, do not expect the same service

Perhaps they don't. However, to learn foreign languages is typically most
laborious. One and good solution is to dine at restaurant with English
speaking menus.

John Bermont

The May daily average hi/lo temps for Nice are 70/50. It will be cool in
the morning and pleasant in the afternoon. Thus, dress in layers. For
advice on what to wear in Europe see my page at
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap05/clothes.htm

To find wineries and tours in the area do a google search for "cotes de
provence" and subsearch "wine" to find plenty of possibilities.

John Bermont
--
------------------------------------------------------
* * * Mastering Independent Budget Travel * * *
http://www.enjoy-europe.com/
------------------------------------------------------
choclabret wrote:
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > any info on wineries to tour in the area?

J:)Rgen Stockburger

"Markku Grönroos" <[email protected]> writes:

    > "Sönke Tesch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > > The #1 failure of US tourists is to expect everybody to speak English.
    > > Learn French, at least a bit. Second, do not expect the same service
    >
    > Perhaps they don't. However, to learn foreign languages is typically most
    > laborious. One and good solution is to dine at restaurant with English
    > speaking menus.

English or not, I prefer silent menus. Usually means a much nicer
ambience (and you're not asked if you want fries with that ;-).

--
Jrgen T. Stockburger, Stuttgart, Germany
Stockburger at po . uni-stuttgart . de

Mark Hewitt

"choclabret" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > any info on wineries to tour in the area?

You really believe you will be attacked if you look like an American?

Americans seem to hate the French but I don't believe the reverse is true.

Cathy Kearns

"choclabret" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > any info on wineries to tour in the area?

I spent a few business trips in Nice, and after hours I found that
jeans with a blazer made me fit in well enough to get stopped
on the street for French folks to ask me directions. The younger
women tend to wear their jeans with really pointy shoes. Older
women go for slacks, or slim knee length skirts. Scarves are
quite common. In the summer I saw more skirts, and even
a few capris, but no shorts. I noticed some college age
French kids do wear the white athletic shoes, but if you
stick to dark walking shoes you stand out less.

If you aren't fluent in French, as least learn some phrases.
Always say "Bonjour" when you enter a shop or cafe, and
before asking for something. After purchases use "Merci".
Personal business transactions here in the US don't expect
the formerly common courtesy phrases anymore, but in
France they still do. (Actually, I find using them here
gets me better service too, unless of course, the clerk is
attempting to ring up my purchase while discussing her
latest adventures on a cell phone with her friend.)

Keith Willshaw

"Mark Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "choclabret" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > > any info on wineries to tour in the area?
    > You really believe you will be attacked if you look like an American?
    > Americans seem to hate the French but I don't believe the reverse is true.

Its not a matter of hatred or attack I suspect.Obvious tourists
are magnets for petty thieves and pickpockets just about
everywhere.

Keith

Bb

On 1 Mar 2004 05:36:11 -0800, choclabret wrote:
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be.

By "proper", do you mean proper for the weather, proper for not looking
out of place, or both?

I just brought clothes that fit as "business casual" in the US - no
worn-out jeans, t-shirts, or white tennis-shoes. Since those kind of
clothes aren't always 100% cotton, they tend to be good for warm weather
and wash/dry easier as well.

Just make sure you're comfortable. Its not an absolute requirement that
you dress nicely, but it can keep you from sticking out like a sore thumb
(and thus probably less succeptible to pickpockets). And no matter where
you go (not just Europe), people will tend to treat you better if you
dress fairly well.

Don't bother bringing VERY dressy clothes unless you plan to visit the
sorts of restaurants/theaters/etc that would require the same sort of
dress in the US.

--
-BB-
To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

Mike O'Sullivan

"Sönke Tesch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > The #1 failure of US tourists is to expect everybody to speak English.
    > Learn French, at least a bit. Second, do not expect the same service
    > style like in the US (it's not worse, but it might be different).
    > Generally speaking, you're a guest, not a customer, so act like a
    > guest, not like a customer.
    > Third, avoid politics, even if someone wants to talk to you about
    > politics (one way or the other..)

And don't be a lavish tipper, spreading the euros around as if you were
still at home. Pay the service charge and nothing else.

Me

[email protected] (choclabret) wrote in message news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be.

Depends heavily upon what you will be doing. However, save
some places in Monaco, you can get around in most common "American"
clothes.

    >I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake.

Okay, first. They're gonna know. "Looking" American depends
almost entirely upon who you are, and little upon how you dress,
so they're gonna most likely know. Second, there is no "risk" in
looking "American". There might be a slight "risk" in looking like
a tourist, but only in the sense of being a potential victim of
your own ignorance in commerce. That and maybe pickpockets but
this has more to do with where you are than how you appear.

Now, I can understand not wanting to appear completely ignorant
of where you will be visiting based upon your attire. So here's
a bit of advice that applies world round. Avoid loud, gaudy, showy,
or ostentatious. After that, dress for the weather, be clean,
and neat.


    > My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy.

So dress moderately and not too fancy. I will say
though, that it's probably always better to be just a
bit more over dressed than under dressed.

    > Also, I haven't been able to find
    > any info on wineries to tour in the area?

Yeah, they can be few and far between. I've never
really stumbled across the kinds of arrangements you
might be familar with from California or Burgandy.
We did stumble upon various cooperatives for local wines.


Oh, by the way, the film festival is around that time
(in Cannes). You have planned around that right? Yeah,
I know it doesn't start til the 12th, but I'd bet the
place starts filling up the weekend before.

Choclabret

"Mark Hewitt" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > "choclabret" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > > any info on wineries to tour in the area?
    >
    > You really believe you will be attacked if you look like an American?
    >
    > Americans seem to hate the French but I don't believe the reverse is true.

Allow me to clarify "for safety's sake"...a rental car, filled with
luggage and driven by someone quite obviously not from the area is
certainly likely to get broken into. (no matter what country you're
in) thus, my desire to blend in as much as possible. If I wasn't
quite fond of the French I would be visiting Italy instead of
Provence.

Mark Fagan

In Nice and other Cote d'Azur towns, shorts and sandals are common in warm
weather, though this is a little outside the summer season. I dressed that
way in September tho, when there is still plenty of tourist traffic. In a
less resort atmosphere, light pants and a shirt with a collar (as opposed to
a tshirt) will get you in anywhere, except maybe the highest class
restaurants. France isn't as casual as North America, but nobody will throw
you out for wearing shorts during the day, esp. if it is warm.

However! in May it can be quite cool still. Try tracking the weather for
the couple of weeks before you go, but make sure you're prepared for heat
AND cold. You could get either, or more likely, both. Not to mention rain.
And if the Mistral decides to blow, very VERY windy.

"choclabret" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > I will be visiting Nice, Aix en Provence, Monaco, etc...the first week
    > in May and want to know what the proper attire would be. I will be
    > renting a car and do not want to look like a typical American tourist
    > for safety sake. My boyfriend and I will be eating in moderately
    > priced cafe's, nothing too fancy. Also, I haven't been able to find
    > any info on wineries to tour in the area?