Has anybody traveled to Paris on the RTD recently?Do you need a visa for a short stay?
I recently traveled there, yes France requires RTD holders (whether they have PR or not) to obtain a short stay visa (Schengen) before travelling there, I applied with RTD at VFS Ottawa and received the visa in 30 days, submitted bank statements, job letter, house contract...
Took a direct flight to Paris, no issues going to France or returning to Canada, just make sure to have another document (PR card, work permit, IRB letter ...) as the airline did request to see my work permit before letting me board the plane on the way back (IRCC only requires the RTD, but just take your work permit or PR with you, its better than trying to convince the airline that you only need RTD)
You can travel to Germany visa free (I checked with the embassy), just because you may be able to cross from Germany to other Schengen countries without getting caught does not mean its legal though, I would not recommend it. If you can't get the proper visa than just don't go (in my opinion).