geniebobeanie

I cannot tell you how many many times Fodors has helped me with a trip or two so I thought I would return the favor. I am currently with my daughter in Positano, Italy and I want to put out a warning to anyone who is a sensitive soul like we are, that we have experienced quite a bit of anti American sentiment. Nothing too awful, but local people were unwilling to be helpful in shops, and just a general feeling of "unwelcomeness", if such a word exists.

My daughter is 16 and pretty thick skinned and mentioned that she felt something was off and why were people cold towards us! We are sad about this, and I will tell you we are not loud, nor are we demanding. I have told my daughter to ignore it and we had fun and a nice time regardless. However, I highly doubt he would return here again and will be spending my next vacation in Scotland. I went to Ireland last year and found the Irish to be warm and welcoming. We are heading to Paris next, and frankly this was the type of reception i was expecting from them.

I will add that it is beautiful here and the food amazing. Beautiful hand made sandals and nice linen clothes. The water is enchanting! So if you are okay with a bad vibe then go for it, but if your sensitive I would advice against it. Just my observations. Maybe someone had a better experience, and I hope and pray they did, and can share that on this thread. Maybe there is another Mediterranean city or town that is equally as lovely and a little more American friendly.

WoinParis

???

I guess you're indeed hypersensitive.

Italians haven't got a program to build a wall on their borders and are not saying that their neighbours are drug sellers and rapists.

Dark skin is everywhere to see in Italy (as well as in Europe).

So no, you were certainly not targeted unless you were shouting loud and not saying hello etc. I'm pretty sure there are a few anti-US guys everywhere but frankly that a whole people would be directed towads you ???

You are just in an area where there are too many tourists and these people after a wile tend to be less friendly and some simply don't care.

But rest assured that I have felt the same in some shops on the Côte d'Azur, another over touristy area. Yet I speak the language and have a pale complexion.

You were just oversensitive in an overtouristy less customerfriendly area.

There is NO anti-US sentiment. Not in Italy, not in Germzany, not in France, not in Europe. (*).

But there are a lot of people who don't like Trump and who feel that 50% of the Americans are plain stupid - but these guys usually don't travel that much, do they ?

NewbE

LOL!! Wo's response has to be an instant classic, even for this waspish site.

frencharmoire

I don't disbeleive your story, but why did you conclude the feeling was specifically anti-American? German, French, and British tourists often report they didn't like the welcome they received while traveling in various parts of Italy.

I am bewildered about the comments regarding dark skin. Many people with dark skin are treated very poorly in Europe, and several countries in Europe are putting up, if not walls, then barbed wire fences and other barriers. There are long discussions about whether men from Africa are dangerous to European women. World would be a nicer place if all the bigotry and fear in the world were located in America and the rest of the planet were all enlightened beings ruled by wise leaders. No such luck.

geniebobeanie

You are absolutely correct that it maybe more anti tourist in general. Good point.

Dukey1

"Unhelpful" in shops? How? The whole "general feeling of 'unwelcomeness' is suspect unless you are SPECIFIC. Otherwise it comes across as somebody who may be whining for no reason.

I am SORRY but this is simply TOO VAGUE to be believed.

HappyTrvlr

We have found that in overtouristed areas the people who deal with tourists can be fatigued by all of it. After receiving the warmest receptions all over Greece, we traveled to Santorini and the staff in tourist related businesses were off putting, unfriendly. We felt like we had left Greece!

geniebobeanie

I will be more observant if this for the rest of my stay and be sure to report back. My husband travels a lot for work overseas and agreed that Americans are not very well liked in many places.

geniebobeanie

Thank you Happytraveler, I feel better already.

marvelousmouse

Lol, wo. I also like the use of asterisk.

I'm wondering about the fact you would "expect" any particular place to give you a cold shoulder. There are differences in culture, to be sure..."when in Rome" turns out to be not only a trite saying but also totally applicable in Rome. But French aren't anymore or less friendly and polite than Italians. Actually, Italians may be more fun because it's like they're the starring role in their own soap opera. French are more reserved. I had entire conversations in Italy in basically body language. In France, it was more like they were watching me figure out French. Whether because they thought I should learn or because they just enjoyed my terrible efforts as sadists, I'm not really sure.

In the U.K. You have the disadvantage of them speaking English. I mean, I enjoyed the conversation. But I had more conversations about Trump there than in Italy, Germany, and France combined. Also I enjoy being cussed at in French/Italian because I don't understand a word. It doesn't make me angry if the guy behind the counter is having a bad day. If he was speaking English, I might have actually said something in retaliation. So instead of getting cranky and feeling hurt, I can shrug it off and enjoy the bad attitude as local color. Ignorance can be bliss.

But "unwelcome"? Cold shoulder? The only places I experienced were the types of places I've experienced bad service at in the US too. Tourist traps. Transit stations. The sort of restaurant that has become so popular that they no longer care about local custom. Count the second as part of the experience- you haven't enjoyed NYC properly until a subway worker treats you like an idiot- and avoid the first and third. You'll eat better and see cooler, off the beaten path sites.

marvelousmouse

and if anything, based on what my tour guides said in Rome- it's a good time to be an American tourist. Because at least you aren't part of a massive Asian tourist group armed to a man with selfie sticks.

geniebobeanie

in response to the above poster about how they were unfriendly......they serviced and helped just about everyone who walked in after us, even after we asked for help. It could be a fluke but we spend about 3 hours looking around.

I really hope someone else has been to this area and could possibly report a more favorable visit. Please note I also have many wonderful things to say about it here too.

hetismij2

I think it is a cultural thing as much as anything specifically anti American. Europeans in general are more reserved than Americans. We do not expect to be treated like someone's new BFF just because they are helping us in a shop, or waiting on us in a restaurant. They are doing their job and being polite which can come across as aloof or even rude if you are not used to it. Add into that the constant stream of foreign tourists, from wherever in the world, and having to deal with people who don't speak your language, and yes you would be stressed too, and again could appear rude even if you aren't actually being rude.
I think you are being too sensitive, and suffering a bit from culture shock tbh.

Perhaps you could give some specific examples of the rudeness you have experienced.

There is actually very little anti-American feeling in the world but some Americans seem to go out into the world with the view that we all hate Americans, and everyone is specifically targeting them because they are American. We don't, and they aren't.

marvelousmouse

I don't really think you can overgeneralize Americans like that either, though. At least where I live, if it isn't a chain, there's not that expectation of overly friendly service. At least among locals. And I don't think many of us really think that friendliness is genuine either. Forced by company policy.

I will say that I noticed American/British tourists are very, very likely to talk to fellow English speakers on transit or in restaurants. Like out of the blue. Which I found kind of off putting. But I got some great tips on what to see or do next from those folks so can't complain much.

geniebobeanie

Great replies. LOVE what the above poster said. Yes, your right it could absolutely be cultural.

I am PROBABLY being sensitive. But in fairness I think ALL areas have a vibe. I have lived all over and was in the military and certain areas lend themselves to being more welcoming.

There are many examples I could give but I will give one specifically. We went into a shoe shop, there were several foreigners in the store and all were serviced kindly and quickly. we stood in the shop as well as one other American couple and we could barely get service. You got the overall feeling that the shop owner wanted you to leave. He became very agitated at the other American couple and raised his voice to the woman who was asking for a heel. Of course this could all be coincidence but when you observe everything that happened as a whole it can really make you paranoid.

I am going to chalk this up to "tourist area" and take a boat to a lesser touristy place and report back. You've all given me a lot to think about and I appreciate it.

Belinda

I've read the OP twice and I don't understand where Wo is coming up with dark skin.

In Paris make sure you walk into a store and give a friendly greeting (bonjour) to the shop owner. Same with restaurants, taxis, anywhere you see someone. That will start you off on the right foot.

bvlenci

In Italy, when entering a shop (not a supermarket), you should say "buon giorno" to the shop owner, just as you should say "bonjour" in France. Also, in small shops it's not the custom to pick up merchandise and look at it, as people do in the US. You at least have to ask permission, either in words ("Posso?" (May I?) would be enough, or you could use gestures.

Unfortunately, Wo, Europeans are no better than Americans when it comes to racism and ethnic phobias. I have run across all too many Trump admirers here in Italy, and anti-immigrant sentiment is rampant. A woman in my town, a retired schoolteacher, no less, asked me what I thought of Trump. Among other epithets, I said that he was racist. She responded, "I think we need more racism here in Italy!"

I don't believe the French are so virtuous, either. Who are all those people voting for Le Pen, after all? The Netherlands, are they all color-blind? The Hungarians? The British?

ekc

I find this post astounding. I have stayed in Positano 7 times over the last 5 years, in part because of the people I have met. We loved our first trip there so much we booked our next trip while we were on the plane home.

Do we run into the occasional grumpy store clerk? Sure, just like everywhere else in Italy, especially tourists areas. I grew up in a tourist town by the ocean here in Oregon and some days I am sure I was less than enthusiastic to help the 27th tourist of the day a few months into the season. But saying "Buon giorno" when entering a shop goes a long way. As does saying "Grazie" when leaving. It shows that you are trying.

But "unwelcoming" and "anti American"? Absolutely not.

newtome

I posted a mini trip report about our experiences in Florence over the Christmas holiday, and I experienced much the same responses as the OP described on the AC. No one was being overtly rude, but we definitely got more service than other people, nobody was very friendly, and I mean not even European courtly friendly not American glad hand friendlyI'm quite used to European cultural norms, and our experiences and I only make us not want to go back.

marvelousmouse

I was in Florence just after Christmas and didn't have that experience.

But the crowds were pretty crazy, and admittedly I didn't try to shop. I didn't fall in love with Florence, honestly, but it wasn't due to the people.