CubsFanJohn

From my limited International travels (Canada and 15 European Countries) I would have to say that all countries have some good, some bad and some rude tourist. While yes it is a sterotype that American Toruist's are rude it has gone down a lot IMO over the past five to ten years.

BadgerBoi

How could you disregard Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland...?

I have to be on the side of the students' with this, I'm afraid. Whenever I'm in France I'm constantly forced to correct my Parisian friends' French - they might be native-born French but they seriously lack the skills to correctly speak their own language. They might become impatient with me, but I'm doing it for their own good.

Brenden99

I dont agree with this that American are the worst tourist.

JohnnyColombia

Must be a destination thing, all of our American visitors to Colombia are without exception discerning, worldly international travellers and are nothing short of excellent people to play host to.

In Lima I have stumbled across a few objectionable Americans with an "I'm all that and a pack of potato chips" attitude, not that this makes them necessarily bad tourists. The Brits in Peru do are sometimes like that too, problem is more that they think they are travel pioneers.

London which is firmly on the mainstream tourism map, I have met a couple of Americans with objectionable attitudes, that's 2 in about 20 years, but in the main they just ask stupid questions which also doesn't make them bad tourists.

exbayern

I must admit that my greatest annoyance tends to be with tourists who approach one and speak in English (often colloquial, or heavily accented), without even an attempt to try and greet one in local language or acknowledge that they don't speak the language. I see this often in Paris in shops, bakeries, etc and consider it to be rude of the tourist not to even say 'bonjour' or at least acknowledge that they don't speak the language. I even had one recently go off on me in English when I tried to assist him in French, because he was sick of people speaking to him in French apparently. Imagine that, in France!

Then there are the ones who approach me (usually in the public bathroom) in Germany and launch into a one-sided conversation in English about some annoyance they have about Germans, as if I am their confidant and will somehow be onside with them. I can only assume that they think that I am a fellow tourist. The concept of chitchatting with strangers in the bathroom whilst attending to my business aside, I am always amazed that they don't consider that I may be one of the very people about which they are complaining. I know that they are just trying to be friendly, but complaining to me about my country/countrymen doesn't endear me to them.

Every country has its own poor quality exports; certainly there are badly behaved Germans around. But this phenonenum is one I have experienced really only with English speakers. (I cannot recall an Italian for instance approaching me in Germany to complain about Germans in Italian) I can only imagine what they say about the French and the Germans when they return home. And I will admit that every now and again I may contribute to the 'rude Frenchwoman' or 'rude German' stereotype when I answer back in French or in German... But by this point in the summer I tend to tire of it, and congratulate those who tirelessly deal with it on a daily basis as part of their jobs. Last night I most likely had a Dutchman who went home to complain about the 'rude French woman' in the airport who berating him for jumping the queue.

I'll have to agree with chollie about the volume issue (there are definitely LOUD Germans too, but more often in a different type of setting) I noticed it again last night on the bus; American voices talking so loudly that we could hear them at the front of the bus from the back of the bus, and it was just general conversations usually of personal nature, or chit chat. Lots of nationalities are known for being loud, but there are many loud English voices around Europe in the summertime which may contribute to the (mis?)perception.

BadgerBoi

More than once, after returning home from one of my trips to France, I've questioned by a friend or colleague about by trip. They will tell me how dreadful the place is, mainly because of the rudeness of the French. A bit of investigation always reveals that the person expressing this opinion to me has never been to France.

My own feelings about the Germans is a little different. I enjoy Germany as well, but always felt like a schoolboy who was in trouble there. I was always getting yelled at for not having the correct change, or for joining a queue at the wrong end (it's not always clear where a line starts and finishes...) or for any number of things. My favourite memory though is of chatting with some very pleasant Germans in a small neighbourhood bar in Munich. A woman in the group was trying to tell me what she did for a living, proudly exclaiming that "I am the boss of Harry Potter!". Indeed she was, it turned out that she managed the childrens' section of a large bookstore. I wish that I could be as charming and descriptive in my second language (French) as she was in hers (English).

cblaisd

Good evening....

The off-topic (no matter how good-natured) grammar wars posts have been deleted. You are welcome to take such to PM, thanks.

cblaisd
Moderator, Travel News

exbayern

I've always thought that most Germans were not the verbally/out loud correcting types towards strangers. Rather, we give you the evil eye, imprint you into our brains, and remember you for life. (I am the woman who dared to open a window in a sweltering train carriage in Bavaria more than 25 years ago without asking permission, and am certain that many people remember me) In Salzburg there always seems to be tourists who jump the queue at a certain brezl seller, and we generally all stand quietly until they leave, then share some 'tsk tsking' or eye rolling. Usually the stand owner apologies to US for the tourist's behaviour. Then again, the Austrians tend to be a little better at the famed hospitality at times.

(I've been corrected like a naughty child too, but assumed that it was because I am 'one of us'. Customer service concepts are a little different, and common sense and practicality often overrides warm and fuzziness. Complaning about something such as a broken air conditioner may result in 'well, then open the window!' for instance)

Then again, I am guilty of a few comments myself directed towards people who don't understand the way things work, but usually if they tend to be 'know it alls'. For instance, when the American tourists at my little airport insist on removing shoes after being told several times not to, and then hold us up even more by putting on their plastic booties, or just generally remarking how our security is 'bad' because we don't practice the shoe carnival and don't have MMW or BSX scanners, I do find the need to mutter something to myself in French or German. But I am guilty of the same at LHR in English.

'The French are rude' seems to be a universally held stereotype and is not unique to Americans. Here on FT I have seen people who have never been to France expressing the very same comment, or simply taking that comment at face value from other posters.

We had this very same discussion over dinner the other night (about tourists, and reactions of locals towards certain behaviours) And I will admit that I have been cringing for awhile now about the behaviour of a certain colleague towards the French, and that colleague certainly isn't American.

Just wanted to provide some insight from 'the other side' ie why some of us may leave the impression that we are rude, when in fact we are tired of others being 'rude' towards us.

BadgerBoi

To clarify,
1. My memory of doing the wrong thing in Germany is probably clouded by the mists of time. I probably wasn't yelled at, but they certainly let me know that I was doing the wrong thing. I do believe that the shop assistant in Dortmund was perhaps doing the "if I speak to him slowly and loudly enough in German he will understand" thing that English-speaking people so often do. (I have many, many happy memories of Germany and German people. Just don't get me started on the Italians!).

2. My colleagues who are "experts" on the alleged rudeness of the French are not American. This bias seems to be common amongst anglophone people, and rife amongst them when they have never left their own shores.

Your post cracked me up, it's a great insight.

exbayern

Well, to be fair, English is a somewhat common language to many of us. But it goes back to what chollie was saying about volume.

If you are going to insult people, do it quietly, and don't assume that they don't understand.

One last story in defense of my 'rudeness'... It was summer festival in Salzburg, and a few years ago I was at breakfast at a hotel familiar to Americans, about to cross the border for a day of enjoying the city. I was wearing 'modified Trachten' or what is often referred to as 'Landhausstil': black damask long skirt, white short sleeved 'peasant' top, silver heart chain belt, black cord necklace with pendant, and black ballet flats. It is a comfortable outfit perfect for summer concerts, but without the heaviness of the traditional Trachten of my childhood, and suitable for a city which tends to be rather smartly dressed much of the time.

At breakfast (and throughout the day) I heard tourists in English rather loudly mocking the choice of dress of locals, who wore anything from smart casual to Landhausstil to full summer Trachten. This from my American counterparts who were wearing usually what was for a long time the 'tourist uniform' for women my age of khaki cropped pants with elastic waist, white v-necked t-shirt, white socks, big white trainers, etc.

Not only do I believe that I was dressed more appropriately for the setting, but if it came to an episode of 'What Not to Wear' I believe that I would have been able to keep my wardrobe.

The moral of the story is that if one is going to mock the locals, perhaps do so in a language other than English (or other than the local language), or keep your voice down!

Yaatri

I bet he couldn't find any domestic (American) beer there either. No American cheese either. Imported French cheese and wines.

Right. There are people who complain about things being wrong, or difficult, when they are just different.
Complaints about the French can be traced to the British. Anglo counries inherited that attitude from the British. I have come across a few rude people in Paris and in CDG. I have spent more time in the country though. I never came across one rude person in the country.

[/QUOTE]I'll have to agree with chollie about the volume issue (there are definitely LOUD Germans too, but more often in a different type of setting) I noticed it again last night on the bus; American voices talking so loudly that we could hear them at the front of the bus from the back of the bus, and it was just general conversations usually of personal nature, or chit chat. Lots of nationalities are known for being loud, but there are many loud English voices around Europe in the summertime which may contribute to the (mis?)perception.[/QUOTE]
We get signals from the media too. For many people, movies and TV shoes is the primary means of learning, history and science included. When they travel, they "see" and "hear" but they already have their mind made up.

chollie

I have to agree with exbayern about the positive effects of at least trying to use the local language, no matter how badly you butcher it. It is the attempt that counts. This is one of the single best pieces of advice I ever got, and it has served me well around the world.

I don't pick up languages well (no 'ear'), and in many languages, I almost sound like I have a speech defect (I can't roll or trill my 'R's). But more often than not, just the fact that I tried is appreciated. It gets really fun if you ask someone to explain/clarify some small detail - like when it's appropriate to use 'vielen dank' versus 'danke'. The folks I've encountered really warm up when they realize you are trying to get it right - not just the language pronunciation and grammatical usage, but what is appropriate and respectful in that particular society.

AlohaDaveKennedy

or Texas? We seriously need to require VISAs from those in the lesser 49.

Fredd

Two recent vignettes as we return from our most recent visit to Europe somewhat relevant to this thread...

A half dozen young Germans singing loudly and talking very rudely in their native language on a bus along the Amalfi Coast. When one of them said to his friends, "It's lucky nobody understands German," Mrs. Fredd was tempted to explain that she at least could and reprimand them (her retired teacher instincts) but refrained. They were quite young and more silly than awful.

We were waiting at a bus stop nearby St. Tropez. It was recommended by a waitress at the restaurant where we'd stopped for a beer after a long and hot hike on a sentier. I returned to the restaurant, said "bon jour," and asked the owner/manager in my few words of French if he could assist. When he answered in rapid French I asked "Parlez-vous anglais?" He replied to me in rapid and clearly rude French - all I could pick out was that he was an "immigrant." An English-speaking waiter standing next to him was a little nicer.

Sometimes you can't win for losing.

Oh, and our experiences otherwise in a variety of countries were just great. ^

chollie

Texas needs a 'phrase book' for visitors - even some of the American folks!