When I was in high school my debate team traveled often to Bakersfield, California. We used to stay at a motel called the California Inn. It had wall-mounted toiletry dispensers. As a teen I thought this was high class because those dispensers were labeled “EuroBath.”
If you want Americans to believe something is classy, valuable, or just plain better describe it was European. I hear that the men are much more romantic there, too.
It’s become conventional wisdom that Americans don’t take enough vacation time. Just look at the quality of life in France! Of course spending time in France I’ve found people in general to be extremely frugal, especially in Paris.
Indeed the French can no longer afford their vacations (NYT). They get time off from work but that doesn’t mean they go anywhere. 40% no longer go anywhere over the summer.
“Vacations are sacred in France,” she said. “People would love to go on vacation with their children so they can refresh themselves and clear their heads. But they can’t. It’s hard.”
“So we’re spending our vacations at the roundabout,” she said, “because we’ve made friends here.”
…In the Yellow Vests’ choice of location for their summer vacation — and the increasing number of other French unable to afford one — Ms. Bary saw the disappearance of something special about France.
One of the earliest issues for the Yellow Vest protesters was free parking at Disneyland Paris because the French can’t afford to take trips. Per capita income in France is about one-third less than in the United States, and inequality is on the rise.
If there’s one other thing we know about the French is that they strike. That matters most to Americans, and to travelers generally, when it’s Air France that’s on strike. In 1936 the government offered concessions to strikers that created the 40 hour work week and 14 paid holidays a year (which has since grown to 25 paid holidays). “The government created youth hostels and slashed train fares for vacationers” as well, tripling the number of French taking summer trips year-over-year.
The Yellow Vest movement has been quelled (at least for now), so we don’t appear to be on the verge of social movements retaking the French summer vacation – and an underperforming economy leaves those trips out of reach. We can complain about Americans choosing not to take trips, but overall more Americans can afford to if they wished.
(HT: Marginal Revolution)
Not withstanding the fact that the French are probably more frugal than Americans, I am not sure about this post at all. There are plenty of people in France who can afford to go on nice vacations, just like there are plenty of people in the US who cannot afford to go anywhere on vacation.
I think the big difference is that those without in France have a bigger voice to air their grievances with society, than their US counterparts.
Your article includes no citation for the Disney Land parking issue. The link you cite includes no citation. The NYT article the link cites includes only one passing reference. A google search doesn’t indicate where this quote came from or who actually said it.
I’m no fan of the French system
but this seems like something one protester or group mentioned once and not actually related to any of the protests.
If this is true, why doesn’t the French government again slash train fares and build more hostels so more French can take a vacation?
“Free” and “Disney” are two words that are completely incompatible.
@Dan, there are some articles on the Yellow Vest protests at Disneyland Paris. Google the phrase “yellow vest protests disneyland paris parking” and you will see several articles, NYT among them.
The French do a LOT of things differently than we do and making travel an essential part of life and learning is one of them. They believe that travel and relaxation makes you more productive when you are at work and place a premium on it. They encourage travel among youth to teach them independence, free thinking. In the U.S., we have far too much emphasis on stupid things reality tv starts teach our kids and as such have a nation of unmotivated slobs. It is sad how we spend untold fortunes on education and yet have some of the most uneducated people on the planet!
It’s a bit nonsensical when in France one is within a few hours plane ride of exotic destinations in Morocco, Israel, Jordan, the pyramids of Egypt and of course places in Europe accessible by high speed rail. If people are spending their income in other areas it doesn’t mean they couldn’t go on vacation if they prioritized it versus other hobbies.
Of course it doesn’t help that millions of non white foreign immigrants are given benefits in France at the expensive of native Franks and Gauls. But that is another story.
But I thought European socialism was the model for us to follow? Are you telling me that government can’t create wealth by dictating it to be so? So mandating massive entitlements like a high minimum wage, 6-8 weeks vacation, free health care, free college, free whatever (now parking) won’t make us all wealthy, but will actually lower the standard of living for most people? Well I’m just shocked.
I don’t understand the free parking at Disneyland, as far as making a vacation affordable. Is Disneyland the goal? There is a train that goes from Paris to Disneyland. Park elsewhere? From several airports in France, one can jump a plane to so many places in Europe for $30 (I included carry on bag cost in that estimate). There are plenty of places in Europe where a hotel or house for 2 or 3 nights would be less than a 1-day ticket (for a family of 3) to Disneyland.
I don’t know their situation but I could wonder, do they have the same problem so many in the USA have? I know people who always say that they wish they could afford to take a vacation (beyond a few days somewhere close by) and make comments about how “lucky” we are to do the travel we do. First, it isn’t luck, we prioritize our travel. Many of these same people have huge car payments, because of what car they choose to drive. They constantly have new this and new that, getting rid of things that were perfectly good, just to upgrade to the newest shiniest object. Even though we use a lot of points and miles, we spend a fair sum on travel and don’t need every new gadget that comes along or new cars every year, etc. Sometimes it is choices that people make, that hold them back. When someone tells me they can’t afford to take a vacation but are holding a new $1000 phone and driving a sporty $40,000 car (and so on), I don’t feel sympathy. Like I said I can’t say that is the problem in France and I know the cost of living in Paris has outrageous but I wonder if, for some, it is self-inflicted.
A superficial post based on cotton candy premises and understanding of current events in France.
Are the ‘Those Crazy French’ posts set up for one every 4 months or is it 6?
The French do not work a 40 hour or more workweek..It’s more like 34 hours and if you are there in July or August all of France is on VACAY!!!
Having just spent the labor day weekend at Disneyland in Anaheim, I can confirm that nothing is free or inexpensive with Disney. Attendance is down at Disneyland, partly because they again increased prices as they opened their new land. People in Paris can simply take the train to the Disneyland Paris station. It’s quick and easy. I’ve never driven to Disneyland in Paris but used the train 8-10 times. I’m assuming most residents have monthly train passes.
Given that about 50% of Americans have less tha. $1000 in the bank I don’t k ow whether more Americans can afford to go on vacation. Of course that segment of society is not likely reading your blog but they exist
Jackson Rogers continues to post the same racist garbage as always. It appears we have some alt right trolls using this blog to disseminate their bile. It is coordinated and consistent. It should be spiked, which is within the control of omaat. Guys, please can we return to a miles and points blog? Before the turds in your midst poison the whole thing?
Oh but how can this be so? we all know the French are so much more sophisticated than us lowly Americans, LOL , just wait until their government has to actually start paying their 2% of GDP to fund their commitment to NATO which theyve been reneging on, and propping up their socialist handout agenda to appease their population,at the expense of the lowly American taxpayer
It’s not even a 30 minute train ride from downtown. But sure, drive there. Really though it probably should be free parking because I’m sure almost everyone parking is “local”, and that’s the base they need more of.