On this week's episode we explore whether Paris is a safe city to visit right now, what exactly are France's notorious banlieues and whether they deserve their bad reputation and we'll also look at some of the biggest cliches about the French to see whether there's any truth in them. Are the women all skinny and the men all adulterers?

We’ve got the lowdown on France’s latest cheese battle, and if you are spending Christmas or New Year in France we'll explore how the French do the festive season.

Ben McPartland your host is joined by the team at The Local, Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield.

Further reading:

• Is Paris a safe city to visit?
• French cheesemakers win battle against EU over Camembert boxes
• Why do French women suffer from 'heavy legs'?
• Do the French still eat frogs legs?
• Do the French do Christmas better than anglo countries?

Busting the biggest cliches about the French and do France's banlieues deserve the bad reputation?

How safe is Paris to visit and busting the biggest cliches about the French

What cliches about the French are true and are France's banlieues all that bad?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.