Really? Some of you really need to get over yourselves. It’s not cute. Anyway, I have a lovely picture of a piss drunk Scottish gentleman just sitting outside a Paris cafe guzzling a beer with his full salad bowl turned over on his head. I could tell he was Scottish by how pink he was and by the "Dress" he was wearing. Time and time again, the loudest and most obnoxious I have seen have been the Aussies, second only to the English on stag weekends "wooing" like they are at a football game. I am willing to bet that those of you who think they are the most refined travelers are oblivious as to just how annoying you really are.

A guy with a Southern accent wearing a cowboy hat, stepped onto a bus on the Amalfi coast, asked the driver for directions, and then replied "Gracias."

Ooh, an uncouth American bashing by worldy travelers thread! Can this morph into egocentric Americans bringing treats to the poor Europeans and cap it off by oblivious parents with obnoxious children on planes?!?!

I think English speakers notice the obnoxious behaviors of other English speakers, more so in non English speaking countries. But just because we notice (and understand) one group doesn't mean similar behavior isn't coming from another group. Furthermore, even if multiple languages are understood and multiple misbehaviors are recognized, it still isn't fair to extrapolate to an entire country.

<Cranky>

Jnjfraz

I make that 6 generalisations in 3 shorts paragraphs. Which deserves a mention at the annual Fodors awards.

Pal, you think the yanks are a larf abroad? You want to see the Red Army, most Muscovites think 1980s prostitute is a cool fashion image.


I was in Mallorca last year, the sun went in because a 600 ft (ish) gin palace cruised into Cala D'Or harbour with a helicopter on the back. It was so big it had to moor out at sea and they dropped a Riva speedboat off the back. We expected Don Trump or Wayne Rooney to waltz off the back. Instead we were treated to 6 Russian dressed like they had been shopping at Primark and had their make up applied by a 6 year old.

Pal, you may think yanks have a little to learn on their travels but the Russians are still in the kindergarten of life.

There you go JNJfraz, there's a proper job : 8 generalisations in 3 paras, beat that.

"piss drunk Scotsman"

That's our manner you cheeky blighter.

Some threads reminded me... in San Francisco, CA (USA ;) ) front seats on buses are sideways so people face each other.

On one side, 2 young women, across from them an elderly person. The girls are telling the woman they came from Paris. "Oh, it was my dream to see the Eiffel tower" she said, and asked: Paris... what country is it?

She was serious asking it! :)

We have a very particular manner in Scotland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z08k...e_gdata_player

To some it may appear that we have been on the Abbots Mead, to others it is just breeding.

PSSTTT... have you noticed... Cold is here... posting!!

Dang, this thread was moved from European board.

DickieG - craziest thing I ever saw a Scotsman do? Spell "there" when they meant "their." ;)

Actually, the craziest thing I saw a Scotsman do was when my sister, brother-in-law and I were in Portree on the Isle of Skye. We went down the steps to the dock area and met an EXTREMELY drunk man who kept shouting, "Didja see the game?" When we told him we hadn't watched any game, he cheerfully said, "Ye're a liar, ye're a liar!" He then shook all of our hands before lurching up the steps. (It took him a couple of tries and we all cringed, expecting him to fall backwards at some point along the way.)


<<Most crazy thing I have seen yanks do?

There clothes in Venice.

Most of them presumed they were on the 14 th fariway on Kiawah Island. I presume non of them posted here or read the "what to wear in Venice thread".>>

I guess because I am Canadian I tend to notice Canadians behaving badly - I cringe when someone with a maple leaf on their pack or whatever does something assinine. In my opinion it's the person not any specific nationality who behaves badly.

It's not my spelling it's this bloody American iPad which corrects everything and changes sentences.

My fingers don't fit the screen pad and the bloody thing just makes it up as it goes along.

Must read what I post more often!!!

.....and I told you before, the chap in Portree wasn't drunk, it's our manner.

"What is the craziest thing you have ever seen an American tourist do in Europe?"
"Obviously a Yank from his speech"

OH PLEASE!
I've traveled and worked enough in Europe to know that the majority of foolish comments come from Europeans themselves when they travel in other European countries. Many of them are incredibly ignorant of where they are.

cold, you're back. That's great - we missed you.

"My fingers don't fit the screen pad and the bloody thing just makes it up as it goes along."

Yeah - my phone does that too. I send the craziest text messages to people.

You can disable that, you know.

I've returned to find that (can I say "ironically" without being reminded of Stephen King's edict that "adverbs are not your friend"?) this has become an enjoyable read. Lots of funny stories with friendly banter among folks who seem to be able to keep an open mind and share a laugh at themselves.
Nothing like the serious and aggressive exchanges in the discussions I've entered for the purpose of getting help for my upcoming Italy trip.
PalenQ, (a Michigander? I'm near Detroit but have family up there in Grayling/Gaylord) do we think my nemesis on the Cinque Terre topic is finished insulting me, or are there more negative American lables that I've yet to be called?

I started a thread on things non-American tourists do, in case anyone gets tired of the usual American bashing and would like to expand to tourists of other nationalities.

lol orangetravelcat

annettafly - I'm sorry you've had a bad experience :( It's amazing how hostile some people are. But the majority of posters are so generous, kind and helpful - and cool. Try to completely ignore the people that attack you. They don't exist ;)

I just emailed the administrators asking them to remove the thread I started. I really think it's horrible to single out a nationality and bash it, and I'm sorry I started that thread.

Not Europe, but in Egypt. At the train station there were soldiers standing about with guns and one soldier had a very large, threatening German Shepherd on a short leash. Lady from our group walks right up to the dog to pet it like it was just some stray mutt, "Awww, nice dog..." and the soldier is smiling but trying to make her stop! We all held our breath until she finally took his advice to please step away.

annettafly, don't feel singled out by your "nemesis." She's EVERYONE's nemesis - THE Last Word on (home country). A real pill. I bet lots here were happy to see you and that other nice person give back as good as you got.

In Rome I got my soft and hard "ch" sounds mixed up and ordered fish ice cream.

"historytraveler on Apr 5, 12 at 8:46pm
I think it should be in the lounge and I'm a bit surprised that the topic is focused on Americans. In the past twenty years, I've witnessed just one " crazy American" experience but apparently old stereotypes still exist. Such behavior has little to do with one's nationality and more to with one's attitude,lack of sensitivity or just plain ignorance"

I agree. I'm American and have overheard all kinds of ridiculous things said and asked overseas by non-Americans. I speak and understand several languages. It's not just an American thing. Plus, here at home in L.A., tourist land, I have been asked and have heard all kinds of ridiculous things from plenty of foreign tourists. Happy Travels!

One of my worst tourist experiences occurred outside of Rio de Janeiro many years ago -- a fight between Japanese (could have been Chinese, but I was at the back of the bus). Torrential rains in Rio; we decided to take a bus tour to the mountains, where it wasn't raining to see an old presidential palace. Our tour guide spoke five languages -- I was soooo impressed. The bus made a loo (shopping) stop, and the Americans in the best forward bus seats (panoramic view) left the bus, to find on their return that the Japanese/Chinese people had settled into their seats. Much yelling going on. For some reason (maybe sheer numbers), the Easterners won; one of the Americans started singing America the Beautiful at the top of his voice. Surreal.

Really? Oh no! I'm unprepared. I've got to find "what to wear in Venice". Planned on just dressing as myself. So---Detroitwear won't go over in Venice, huh?

annettafly: <i>do we think my nemesis on the Cinque Terre topic is finished insulting me, or are there more negative American lables that I've yet to be called?</i>"

Unfortunately the brat on your Italy thread . . . IS American. An expat that insults <u>everybody</u>.

"orangetravelcat on Apr 6, 12 at 3:17pm
I started a thread on things non-American tourists do, in case anyone gets tired of the usual American bashing and would like to expand to tourists of other nationalities"

LOL! I've been tired of the American bashing for three decades. It became stale a long time ago, as far as I'm concerned.

Happy Travels!

Iceland was the first foreign country I visited over 40 years ago and we wanted to see some of the countryside but there were no cars to be rented from Reykjavik, at that time of year, so we took a tour. The land is so harsh and exotic that astronauts used to train there because it is the terrain that most resemebled the Moon in Earth. Nothing grows naturally because of the composition of the soil from the lava.

The tour guide gave the obligatory facts and figures and asked if there were any questions. From the back of the bus in a deep southern accent came, "Yeah, how much does this bus weigh?"

It was a question far beyond anything Kierkegaard or Wittgenstein could have posed or answered.

Oh,Adu, that is priceless!

:) Back for another good laugh---and got it---before heading to bed. I'm beginning to recognize your names from other posts in past 2 months. So much helpful info and good advice---from StCirq on an old post ('09) what to wear; Dayenu letting me know the vaporetti do go in both direction from both sides of the Canal; PalenQ, LucieV, Annahig, Ellenem, Jean. And Janisj, yes, I had heard that expats could be worse than exsmokers. YA THINK!?! Goodnight or good morning all.

Adu, our first foreign was also Iceland and also more than 40 years ago - 44 at the end of this month to be exact. Could we have been on the same tour? Did you fly over on a turbo-prop on your way to Luxembourg?

St Cirq:

There was also a couple on the bus who claimed that they were on their honeymoon but looked like the children of the Director of Recreation at Auschitz.

Basing, was that you asking the question from the back of the bus? I do not recall if were given leather helmets or not on the leg from Reykjavik to Luxembourg.

But I was the semi-ugly American. When we landed in Reykjavik I realized that I did not have any Icelandic Krona and this fellow graciously lent me enough money to get into the city. Of course, I offered to pay him back. The next day, I sent an envelope to him but forgot to include the money, which I did the following day with the hope that he did not think all Americans were as stupid as I was.

"chartley on Apr 6, 12 at 9:11am
The reason this thread is about crazy American tourists is because Fodor's is an American site, and most of the people who post here are Americans"

Well, I started on Lonely Planet and there was plenty of this kind of talk on non-American Lonely Planet, and regularly, which is one reason why I came over to Fodors. The comments got real tiring. Happy Travels!

Adu - couldn't have been me. You mentioned a southern accent and I still speak like the Brooklyn boy that I am. Can't mistake the two. On the other hand, we were on our honeymoon but I hope we looked better than the couple you described-----on the other hand....

We Brooklyn kids have to stick together.

annettafly: if it makes you feel better, when I encounter everyone's nemesis, I remind myself that this is a person who lives in paradise, but spends all her time scolding people on Fodors.

There is something seriously wrong with that picture.

An Australian I know claims to have heard a man outside Winchester Cathedral saying to his wife "OK, honey, you do the inside and I'll do the outside". I think we all know the mentality, irrespective of nationality.

And this is a genuine letter to a local paper in England (admittedly about 40 years ago):
<i>We went to France for our holidays and took six large sliced loaves of bread with us. We still had one left after thirteen days. It was still good to eat. This is a tribute to a Leicester bakery.</i>

Patrick -- you'll have to ask your Aussie friend if the American man was unusually tall (6'4") with an adorable and hyper 4 year old boy. You don't have to ask if the wife was pretty though! We have had that conversation outside Winchester Cathedral (and Edinburgh Castle and a few more). Sometimes divide and conquer is the only strategy we had with our little one. We are getting better as he gets older and have been back to Winchester!

Oveheard while we were wandering through the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland admiring the tulips on an admittedly chilly chilly April afternoon:

"Why couldn't they do this in August when the weather's better?"

in a frighteningly nasal whine.

As a Brit I have to cringe at most of the things I've said and done on holiday. To keep away the stress of the holiday I now take off my watch and wander around with a grin on my face. I wear glasses to restaurants so I can take them off as I try to workout what is being said to me and I have had the pleasure of traveling with people who speak the local language who explain the terrible/humorous things the local say and as you say it every country.

However, you guys are right you do tend to pick up English (as a native speaker) out of a crowd of noise.

Still I remember a beautiful evening in Pienza on a terrace with the stars on a piece of black velvet above and the distant cities twinkling down the valley, the smell of the warm afternoon still filling the air a fine meal just being finished as a Texan female twang is heard speaking to a waiter we know can only speak Italian "If you didn't know that I ordered sparkling water why the f@@@ didn't you say".

The silence on the terrace of some 40 people was not enhanced when she shouted "well?".