To win over the locals, this is the one thing travellers must do

Common wisdom: French people are the rudest, most arrogant people in the world. Is it really true, or simply a cliche perpetrated by a bitter Brit, jealous of the cheese, architecture and elan of their chic next-door neighbours? A predicted 15 million people will visit Paris for the Olympics next month, and so it’s time to put the trope to the test and find the source of the rumour.

“I would say French people are more shy than rude,” says Frenchwoman Magali Dechelette, who leads family-friendly tours through Europe (family-twist.com). “Sometimes, we do not feel at ease speaking English,” she says, adding that French schoolchildren learn to read and write English, but rarely actually speak it.

So, to disarm and charm our Gallic friends, and to smooth the path for all travels, the key is to learn the local lingo. “And add some onomatopoeia, like ‘pfiou’ and ‘arghh’!” advises Magali. Shouting not required.

You had me at hello. Walk into a shop, get on a bus, buy a metro ticket – in France, it all starts with a simple bonjour (or bonsoir if it’s after 6pm), and it all ends with merci. The French are sticklers for niceties. And while you may not be swamped with a pile of new Parisian besties by simply breaking out the bonjours, the air about you will definitely thaw. Remember, 80 million people visit France each year – that’s a lot of directions the locals have to give to lost tourists.

Give it a go ”It is always best to try to speak French,” advises Dechelette. “French people, being bad at speaking foreign languages, will always be impressed. And if they correct your mistakes, take it as proof of encouragement.” German and the Romance languages, including French, Italian and Spanish, are widely considered the easiest for native English speakers to learn, while Mandarin Chinese and Arabic are among the hardest.

Fast track to fluency Need to pick up Portuguese on the flight to Lisbon? Popular foreign language apps include Duolingo, Babbel and long-timer Rosetta Stone. Some, such as playful, game-oriented Duolingo, have a free version (with ads), while others require a subscription fee. Critics say they’re good for building vocabulary, but not all give context or speech recognition feedback that corrects your pronunciation. All offer the popular tourist languages while some, such as Fluenz, have Spanish at their core. See duolingo.com, babbel.com, rosettastone.com, fluenz.com

Going by the book If you need paper, or phones aren’t an option, there are a forest of phrasebooks on the market supplying survival phrases (the time, cost, directions). Guidebook companies lead this charge, including DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. Its cheap, pocket-sized Phrasebooks series covers 65 languages from Spanish to Swahili, including tailored dialects such as Mexican Spanish. Great for visual learners, most phrasebooks can also be downloaded. While they can’t correct your accent, they will supply entire phrases and – importantly – responses, to keep the conversation going. See dk.com, lonelyplanet.com

Quick study Aside from wooing Parisians, learning a language is proven to slow cognitive deterioration, and is like exercising a muscle – try to build a regular 10-minute session into your day while commuting or walking the dog. “It takes a few months to hit conversational level, and you can be fluent in less than 12 months if you’re doing regular one-on-one lessons online or in person,” says Rohan Baker, managing director of Berlitz Australia (berlitz.com). And if all else fails, but the Wi-Fi doesn’t, there’s always Google or iPhone’s Translate apps.

9Now’s Getaway goes to France takes a closer look at the wonder of Paris and France’s diverse regions. (9Now is owned by Nine, owner of this masthead). Watch here.