Savoir-Flair!: 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French

My family just returned from a two-week visit to France.While I had studied French throughout my pre-collegeyears, I was a bit uncertain of my ability tocommunicate, and bought Savoir Flair! feeling that itwould be help me to understand French culture better,thereby improving the quality of my interactions with theFrench. It certainly did.I can't praise this book highly enough! It was much moreuseful than the phrasebooks and dictionaries I broughtalong, because it helped me understand what makes theFrench tick. Thanks to its insights on how French cultureworks, and what individual French persons expect in avariety of situations, we could not have had a betterexperience.I knew what to say and how to say it to get a positive, helpful response. Thanks to the book, we even managed to bring on board ourplane over 250 lbs. of French floor tiles we bought on ourlast day in Paris - without any trouble by officialdomover weight or size! The advice worked like a charm ineach and every instance -- and even earned methe respect of my usually prickly adult children whodepended upon me to translate on their behalf. Truly,this book was a joy.

If you are going to France you can get a head-start on understanding how the French are different from us. Polly Platt's wonderful book Savoir Flair! is a fun read and helps explain why the French are "rude" to Americans. I wish I had read this before my previous trips to Paris (no doubt there are a few French men and women who wish I had too). Ms. Platt uses her book to take us in hand and walk us through the pitfalls of visiting France. What to do, what NOT to do, and, with her humorous anecdotes, helps us understand and recall that what is expected behavior where I come from (maybe you too) is rude and disrespectful in France. She illuminates with wit and precision the grace and warmth of the French, plus, she gives the reader the tools to elicit the same from the French. A book well worth your time!

Merci, Polly Platt and thank you so very much for both of your wonderful books. My experiences in Paris were delightful. I traveled to Paris for the first time last year. Three trips in all. The delightful and helpful hints found in Savoir Flair were used daily. For example, on one trip last November when the presidential election in America was hanging on the Florida vote count-- I was just off the plane and had taken the RER and Metro into St. Germain des Pres. (I had no prob using the RER on my second time there. Just beginners luck, I guess. Or pehaps the tips from Ms. Platt which remained in my mind. And an elaborate map drawn on an airline ticket jacket by an American commercial pilot who firmly believed I would be lost and bewildered. I lost the map. All I really needed was to remember the word: Sortie) I floated into Paris transported through the galactic portal at CDG -- appearing pretty much as described by Ms. Platt. I found the circular design comforting -- I couldn't get lost. It was a loop. Before 2 hours had elapsed I used Ms. Platt's information, again: I left my bag at the hotel and stepped out for a refreshing walk. The heel on my favorite (and only comfortable AND pretty) shoes had broken. Vanity more than need was driving me to find someplace to repair them. I didn't want to wear my ugly, but comfortable shoes. These cute little Stuart Weitzman black ankle boots w/black rabbit fur inside were perfect for the chilly, wet weather. They were three years old but still wonderful. However, I was slipping a little with every step (and it wasn't on dog poo.)What were my chances of getting a repair while I waited -- not great, I figured. Probably impossible. Plus, where would I find a repair shop. Whoops, quite by accident I saw one and stepped inside. Guess what! As quoted by Ms. Platt: Napoleon was right, "Impossible does not exist in France." Following her solid advice on manners, conversation, banter and keeping things interesting: Not only did I receive a shoe repair from a St. Germain des Pres shop keeper who first declined to fix the shoes unless I left them. But I had a wonderful experience. "Bonjour Monseiur," I said -- and as you can see, I speak French as poorly as I spell it -- followed by the magic words Ms. Platt recommends we all use to describe my problem (and to find out what those are you must READ the book), "I know this is impossible, and I am sure you don't have time, but could you fix my shoe while I wait?" He had stopped a conversation with another man to address me. "You can't leave them?" he said. "They're my only shoes...." I said but paused and considered his request carefully and looked over my shoulder out the window and said thoughtfully, "Oh, yes I could leave them, but I would have to walk barefoot on the cobblestones...or sit here in my stocking feet until the heels were repaired..." "What's wrong?" he asked. "The plastic on the bottom of the heel is off," I said. "Ah, you are slipping o

Francophiles of the world, listen up. Want to go to France for any reason, for any length of time and not feel awkward and anxious and like your savoir faire is about at toddler level? For many travelers not knowing how to negotiate the small things (catching a bus, using the subway, knowing how to use the security code plaque at someone's front door) can seriously diminish the pleasure of being abroad. Help is at hand in the form of Polly Platt's Savoir Flair; 211 Tips for Enjoying France and the French. This book has more incredible and truly useful information packed into one paragraph than any two popular guidebooks combined. I can't say enough about this jewel. Polly Platt has thought through every conceivable situation the traveler might face, from the moment of landing at Charles de Gaulle or Orly airport to what to do if you drop your keys down a grate in the sidewalk. With utmost patience, specificity, knowledge and humor she tells you everything you need to know (including things you didn't even know to wonder about!) for a smooth and happy experience in France. Platt is an American who has lived in Paris since 1967 so she knows exactly whereof she speaks. She is the founder and director of Culture Crossings, a training organization for corporate employees and their families who have been transferred to France. She has written an earlier book, French or Foe, aimed more at the latter audience, though I read it and found it helpful for the traveler.Still, there is nothing like Savoir Flair anywhere. I pity people going to Rome or Turkey or Berlin or Sri Lanka who have to make do with standard quidebooks. (As far as I know Polly Platt has not been cloned in other languages and cultures!) This book is my new best friend. Buy it and you will see what I mean!

Polly Platt's excellent and engaging book, "Savoir-Flair," was of particular use to my wife and myself on a recent trip to Paris. This was the first trans-Atlantic trip for us, and I had last actively used my French 27 years ago, in my sophomore year of high school. I was given Ms. Platt's book for Christmas and dove into it immediately, hoping to get the help I needed for knowing just what to say and do in various circumstances in Paris. We used countless tips from the book--everything from knowing how to hail a LEGITIMATE taxi, to how to greet shopkeepers, to using the Metro, to eating in restaurants--the list goes on and on. My French is, as you can imagine, a bit rusty after 27 years, but with the assurance gained from the book, we were able to successfully navigate through our five days with style and FLAIR. Speaking with the Parisians was easy and fun, even though I had to occasionally ask someone to speak "plus lentement, s'il vous plait." My favorite story from our stay took place on the day we were to leave Paris. We came down to the hotel desk in the morning and asked the young woman on duty (in French) where we might be able to buy some Pokemon cards for our sons. Her pleasant smile grew into a huge grin, as she echoed back "Les cartes Pokemon?" She then delighted in telling us which department stores in the area might carry them. We found the cards in the toy department at one of the stores she had mentioned. When we brought the cards to the cashier in the toy department, we asked if the cards were indeed in French. She asked us if our children understood French, and when we replied no, she looked puzzled...until we explained that some of our children's friends had Pokemon cards from Japan, and that these French Pokemon cards would make our sons very popular indeed. Her laughter told us that she understood.So, many thanks to Polly Platt for this most interesting and extremely helpful book!