cmt

On some of my trips in recent years I've been in places where there were tourists, in relatively small numbers, but most were not American.

For example, in Basilicata, I didn't notice ANY other Americans except the small tour group of eight people I was traveling with. I did, however, see a large tour group of Japanese people in Matera, and a few Germans in Maratea. If there were other Americans around, they were not speaking English, and I was not able to pick them out from among the local people.

In Sicily, of course in Taormina, even in the off season, there were tourists from all over, including the US. But even in Palermo, which is a busy place with plenty of visitors, most of the tourists I saw were not Americans. Some were French, some German, and some Italians from other parts. In some well known archeological sites, e.g., Piazza Armerina, Selinunte, Segesta, Mozia (again I'm talking about off-season), the few other tourists I saw were mainly French and Japanese, and in a less known archeological site, Tindari, the only other foreigners I noticed were French. In the Nebrodi Mountains, I saw no other tourists, except a Dutch woman traveling with her Sicilian friend--a man from Palermo who used to work for her in the Netherlands.
So, I'm wondering, do american blend in better than we think, so I couldn't even spot americans among the locals, or do Americans generally visit some of these places less than Europeans?

Very very popular destinations for Americans whom I know include London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence, with lots of other places, depending on people's special preferences, ethnicity, academic backgrounds, activity preferences and prior travel experience. I guess these places are popular among Europeans and Asians and Australians, too.

I'm just trying to help make conversation on this somewhat sluggish forum, so if anyone else feels like taking the topic in some interesting direction, that would be nice.

logos999

One thing about (many) americans is that they like to stay on the beaten path. Maybe, because many don't have enough time to spent in Europe and want to rely on guides and package tours. A positive thing is you usually get to see the most important places a problem is that this way many people get a totally biased impression of a country. And are absolutely convinced the know places, have seen everything and know how things work "over there". In a way this is true, because it's out of actual experiance. I another way they may only have a seen a construct, esp. made to keep them happy. It usually doesn't happen to Europeans travelling in Europe, since they have already been everywhere, don't need to cover a great distance to visit the next country. An just maybe their nations have been fighting eachother for centuries and they know about eachother from daily experience..?

5alive

When I went in college, it seemed the Australian students saw more than anyone. Their tickets were so very expensive, they would travel for months, then work (perhaps under the table) and then travel until they were broke again.

My English host family said that the English often vacation at the Isle of Wight and that is not somewhere that many guides recommend for American tourists.

kleeblatt

Just looked up information regarding the origin of tourists who come to Switzerland.

Time Period: Jan. - Aug. 05

There were many differences in the origin of tourists, depending on the canton.

In Jura, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus and Appenzell Auserrhoden, most of the guests were Swiss.

In most of the other cantons, the guests were half Swiss and half from other European countries.

In Canton Geneva and Lucerne, one third of the tourists came from non-European countries.

Most of our European tourists came from Germany, UK and France. Our non-European tourists came from (in order of their percentage) 1. US 2. Japan 3. Mid East countries 4. India.

The growing tourist segment is coming from Japan and India. We are also getting more tourists from China. There are even more Rumanian tourists than in the past.

Personal Note: You still will find tons of Germans on the warm beaches in Europe. Mallorca was a top destination for a long time.

sheila

I think "our" European vacations are about R&R and not forced marches round the historic sights of Europe.

So you'll find us in large numbers in pretty countryside and at the beach. Doesn't mean that we won't, from our vila in Tuscany, go to Florence or Lucca or even Rome; or from our beach in Crete visit Knossos; but the purpose of the visit to Tuscany or Crete will not be the sightseeing; that's a mere by-product.

baldrick

I agree with sheila. I have the impression the Europeans 'run' less and the americans 'run' more during their holidays than in 'normal' life.
This is, however, an oversimplified statement.

Would I 'run' as much in America as the Americans 'run' in Europe? I can't say, but I think I wouldn't.
Do the Americans run in Europe because there is so much to see, because they have less holiday than the Europeans, because it is expensive???
Do Europeans run less in Europe because everything is in their backyard?

sheila

I, of course, don't know the answer to your questions, but I SUSPECT it's because "we" live "here" and are used, to some degree to the ancient. I have the impression that Amurricans spend their US based hols the same we we do.

I certainly didn't "run" as much on my one US trip. Saw a decent amount of Southern California in 10 days, that's all.

willit

I think it is all a question of being local. With the advent of low cost airlines, and the fact that most Europeans get more vacation time than their American counterparts, we have more time and oppertunity to see the "lesser known" areas. There is no rush to do "The 10 must see's of Florence" in a day before rushing off to do "20 great roman sightseeing trips" tomorrow.

I have only been able to travel in the last 5 years or so. I like travelling slowly. I have been fortunate enough to spend at least a week in places like Rome, Naples, Lucca, the Italian lakes, Venice etc. Many proposed itinaries on Fodors take in all of those in less than two weeks. The difference is that I can take a cheap ryanair flight, rent an apartment off season in Spring or Autumn, and know I can do it all again in 6 months time without breaking the bank. I probably spend less in the entire week, all inclusive, than an American would have to spend on a high season air fare.

GSteed

Americans (300,000,000) rarely travel to foreign countries. Vacation days are used for in-country travel and events. Deer hunting is on in Wisconsin! 1,000,000 or so are reported to be travelling about seeking a trophy. Much foreign travel is of the 'keeping up with the Jone's'kind. I think 'one-up-manship' behavior may drive travel to certain locations. Over and over, Paris is touted as a place to be. My experience suggests or wonders why, if Paris/France is Eden, most WW2 veteran's haven't returned to visit there. American second home ownership is growing. Travel is limited to 4 hours. Leave every Friday afternoon and return late Sunday. I also suspect that the majority of Americans travelling abroad are retired and have a comfortable income.

Americans live a regimated life. Consequently, their foreign destinations depend on what their peers do or did. Americans are comfortable in their locales. There are more Americans bowling than visiting in-country venues much less a foreign one.

oldie

I think that many British people have two holidays, one in the UK where they will do somewhere quiet and picturesque like East Anglia or a less touristy part of Scotland or Wales.
They will also have some time in mainland Europe but again many people have their favourite place.
Many younger people will go further afield to China or South America.
Florida is very popular with working-class families.
I worked in the US for a couple of years and before coming home literally drove coast to coast.

Xenos

I have to agree with the comments about Europeans having more time off and so less need to rush around ticking off sites from our lists.

I live in England and so far this year I've spent 3 weeks in Greece, 1 week in Hong Kong and a long weekend in the UK in Warwick. At Christmas I'll be in Northern Cyprus, followed by Easter in Germany and back to Greece for another 3 weeks in July and I've already started to plan a trip to Thailand for 2007. That may seem like a lot of holidays compared to what some US posters have, but I can assure you that it's relatively few compared to what many people over here take and even I've had my holiday plans curtailed this year by having to wait for and now recover from an operation.

All of these trips have and will include plenty of relaxation time and there will be no dashing from one "must-see" to the next, because I've either seen them already, or there will always be another chance to go back and see them another time (I hope!). I also work hard during the rest of the year, so I feel that I deserve some "chill-out" time when I'm on holiday and shouldn't have to make it seem like a mission I have to complete.

But I can understand how, with limited vacation time and possibly only one bite at the cherry it could be easy to fall into that trap, choosing only to visit the main attractions and missing out on the off-the-beaten-path places that are so much fun to "discover".

david_west

We Brits love our mini-breaks! This is a big difference between us and the Americans in that we are only a few hours away by cheap plane or train from other countries – whereas the Americans have to cross a whopping great ocean.

Most people of my acquaintance take at least six “holidays” a year which will include a weekend at the seaside in Britain, a couple of budget airline city breaks, a trip on the Eurostar (I live in London, so it’s very easy) and maybe a “pampering” break at a country house hotel or spa. Quite a lot of them have a few weekend or weeks skiing as well, but it’s not for me.

There will also be one big “proper holiday” which could well be a long hall destination (possibly to America – Florida is inexplicably popular – why not just got to Essex?) or to southern Europe for the sun and lying on the beech next to a nude German.

We do get a lot more time off here, for example, I am a local government employee and I get five weeks holiday, the bank holidays and can take a day and a half off every four weeks on “flexi time”. This is on the generous side but still fairly typical for a European. I don’t think Americans get that kind of time off.

Xenos

David,

Love your comment about Florida

Hate you for your holiday allowance
My DH also works in the public sector and makes me green with envy with the amount of holidays and flexi-time he gets. Makes my 23 days look miserable in comparison

PatrickLondon

I think you will find differences between the different European countries in their choice of destinations.

In the mass market, for example, although there are many overlaps in the big beach resorts (hence British jokes about Germans and their towels on beach-loungers and so on), there are places on the Spanish costas which are as familiar to the Dutch and Germans (Gandia is one, I think) as, say, Benidorm and Torremolinos are to the British, but British tour operators don't go there: and vice versa. And there are all sorts of niche markets, as fashions change at different paces in different countries. When the Iron Curtain came down, many post-Communist Europeans descended on Italy first. When I first went to Australia, I discovered that most of the car and camper-van hire companies in Alice Springs had German-speakers on the staff because touring the Red Centre was all the rage in Germany at the time. I'm sure there are many other examples.

Sue_xx_yy

If I want to get off the beaten track, I don't need to go much beyond the boundaries of my own back yard. In some places near where I live, there's barely a road at all, and no door whatsoever to be found - front, side, or back! While I appreciate the space, I also know that if I'm going to fly five time zones or so, I want to see CIVILIZATION. Whereas after I saw a campground in Beilstein with tents lined up barely three feet or so from each other, I understood what many Germans might be seeking when they come here.

PatrickLondon - Germans and beach towels on lounge chairs? (And by the way I think you're right, what travel agents choose to advertise might be a big factor in where people choose to travel and what they choose to see.)

PatrickLondon

Sue, there is traditional bad feeling between British and German holidaymakers in the big Spanish resorts over the alleged German belief that you can reserve a sunlounger by leaving your towel on it, and that they sneakily get up very early to do so. (Whereas it's a common belief in the UK, as my mother used to say, that "it's bums saves seats, not bags". or for German readers "Man reserviert mit dem Arsch&quot.

I can imagine German responses as to the reasons why Brits are sleeping in, so we won't go into whether it's true or not: the important thing is, it's believed - to the point that there's been at least one humorous TV ad based on the idea (Brit overhears neighbouring German family sneaking downstairs early in the morning and manages to throw his towel from the balcony to land perfectly on the lounger before they get there: clearly a man who drinks the product - as if!).

david_west

Patrick explained very well, and didn't mention the war once. For an Englishman this is some kind of record.

*wanders off whisltling the Dambusters March*

kleeblatt

Switzerland has a running joke about German tourists.

Do you know where's the best place to visit during the summer? Germany. Why? No German tourists (they are all gone touring other countries).

This is friendly neighborly rivalry only.

tcreath

I think a lot of it just depends on individual comfort zones. In the U.S., many of the most touristed sights in Europe are advertized extensively here. Americans will go but many are uncomfortable to stray away from the well-beaten tourist path.

My husband and I are both American and prefer a mixture of both. Many of the most touristed areas (Paris, London, Rome, etc.) are touristy for a reason; they are incredible cities and well worth visits. However, we also like to get away from the touristy areas and spend time in locations more frequented by locals. For instance, we spent a week in an apartment in a small town southern Germany in May and did not see one American in the general vicinity, but we also visited places such as Salzburg and Munich, both of which are obviously very popular. I have friends here in the U.S. that gasped at the idea of us spending a week in a place where English was barely spoken. Each person has their own comfort levels.

I think Americans can blend in more than we think or assume. Do I look Parisien when I'm in Paris? Probably not, but we had three seperate people on our recent trip to Paris stop and ask us for directions, and two were French! I hope I don't look so totally American that its obvious to everyone. We make an effort to fit in.

Europeans get a lot more vacation time than Americans in general. I'm not sure if they "run" as much as Americans do, but I would guess that it would depend on the person and the amount they are trying to see in the period of time they are away.

Tracy

Sue_xx_yy

Alas, if that's the case, then I must sadly report that many non-Germans abuse the 'towel marker' also.

For myself, I consider an unaccompanied beach towel to have a shelf life of as long as it takes for the owner to get to the bathroom and back. After that period of time elapses, the towel is considered 'forgotten' and is carefully folded beside the lounger, to be presented with a smile should the once-but-not-future-king of the lounge chair returns.