15 American Tourist Habits That Make Europeans Cringe (Don't Be That Guy!)

[@LEWIS1992]

We spent 2 weeks in Japan and the only people we heard speak in public were American tourists. You guys REALLY need to quieten down a bit. Well, a LOT.

[@maidenekker]

Nicely done. I live in the Netherlands and I frequently visit Switzerland, because my son lives there. We were on a mountain, early in the morning, it was really special because we were in the clouds, and some mountaintops appeared through the clowds, that was so magical. There was an American party that had to comment that moment so loudly, I really got annoyed and felt the impuls to throw them of the mountain. OH MY GOD I AM SO HAPPY WE DECIDED TO GO ON THIS MOUNTAIN, THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL. Yes. It is beautiful. We all see that and we try to enjoy it. It was actually so magical, that their loud voices spoiled our moment.

[@geoinsider]

That sounds like such a magical experience, being on the mountaintop in the clouds! It's unfortunate that loud voices can disrupt those serene moments. Hopefully, we can all remember to be a bit more considerate and let everyone enjoy the beauty around us. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@antonskee]

I wish all tourists followed this advice!

[@geoinsider]

@@antonskee Right? It would make travels so much smoother for everyone!

[@AngelaDruckmanCST]

Talking loudly...THIS. For a time, I traveled to Cambridge, England pretty regularly. In the dining room, the loud voice that boomed over all others...was always an American accent. I also remember being in Schiphol airport (Amsterdam) when they were doing a loudspeaker announcement and it was hard to hear because of an American woman yammering on her phone. An older gentleman finally said "Ssshhh!" in exasperation...she was oblivious.

[@geoinsider]

Oh wow, @AngelaDruckmanCST, that does sound frustrating. It’s embarrassing how some Americans behave abroad. Hopefully, more awareness and consideration can help change this in the future. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@mircapecic5391]

Spot on. Recently came back from a holiday in Iceland and the only thing that annoyed me was some American tourists. Loud: we're at exhibition and bunch of them are coming into, one of them start reading out loud to the others. First I thought they might have children, not the case. I had to ask them to quiet down. Another one talking loudly in a SPA about her salary, how much she gets on and how she would love to get more creative job(poor girl) 😂. Absolutely everything you mentioned is spot on. Not reading about local culture and have some knowledge about the place where you going is disrespectful. One thing that always frustrated me the comparison. It's a different CONTINENT not only a country. Educate before travel not where to get the best photos and where to eat but local customs, etc. Thank you.

[@rokasdobrovolskis]

As if they have no self-awareness and see the world through this americentric corporate and heavily commercialized lens. No culture at all. But I envy their sense of freedom (or illusion of it) and "personal life journey", but it looks like it comes with a lot of stupidity.

[@geoinsider]

Wow, sounds like quite an experience! It's unfortunate when loud and inconsiderate behavior overshadows a trip. It's a good reminder for all of us to be mindful of local customs and respect the environments we visit. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@nicholasharvey1232]

Regarding talking about money: In some places (such as the UK), this extends to talking about your job as well. I completely understand this. I'm American (and have never been to Europe... except maybe in a past life), and I wish it was like that here as well. In American culture, your job is usually the biggest part of your identity. I don't feel it should be that way-- your job is merely what you do to put food on the table, and a person should instead be identified by their hobbies/pastimes. If you work at, say, Walmart, and you love to play video games in your spare time, then I see you as a gamer, not as a retail worker. Whenever I socialize with other gamers from around the country and world, I never, EVER ask them what they do for a living. It's not important for me to know what they do to keep their bills paid, and not really my business anyway. Needless to say, I also don't care how much money any of my gamer friends make. To me, someone's occupation and income are just more things someone could judge them by. Not everyone is proud of their occupation or how much they make. So I let them keep that information to themselves. Then they know that I will not be judging them by how they keep their lights on, but instead by their choice of video games or other hobbies. You work at Burger King? Well whatever it takes to keep the rent paid, buddy. You like to solve crossword puzzles? Then you are an intellectual type who loves a mental challenge and loves to learn new things about the world and appreciates the educational and brain-building value of cruciverbalism.

[@geoinsider]

@@nicholasharvey1232 You bring up a really important point about how we often tie our identities too closely to our jobs, especially in American culture It’s refreshing to hear your perspective on valuing people more for their passions and hobbies rather than just what they do to make a living In the end, what truly defines us are the things we love and how we choose to spend our time, not just the way we pay the bills. Thanks for sharing this insight-it's a great reminder to look beyond the surface🙌🙌🙌

[@nicholasharvey1232]

@@geoinsider And also, American society has way too much classism. (Though other cultures are guilty of this as well... looking at you, India with your caste system!) So many people in America will just refuse to associate with you if you are perceived to be of a "lower" socioeconomic standing. Yet we are all equally American and every job is important to society, even if they are paid wildly different amounts of money. We need our garbage men, construction workers, and fast food cooks as much as we need our doctors, police officers, and teachers. But it's only the jobs that take the most training (and hopefully, pay the most) that get all of the respect. Occupations that "anyone can do" get looked down upon despite being just as difficult (if not more so) than the more prestigious, higher-paying jobs. This more or less takes me back to the point I was making in my first comment-- American culture judges us way too much as a person for the things we do to pay for our basic living expenses. If you're contributing to society, you're contributing to society, that's how I see it. I just wish America as a culture could be a little more egalitarian about people and their jobs, and how much society says they're "worth".

[@PK-yf3hd]

Quite brilliant ..honest perceptive and accurate...you're a credit to your country which as a Brit I have always appreciated ..if we all assessed our national faults with such a pitiless eye none would survive ...of these offences the ones I do deplore are ...talking up job and money prospects,disrespecting local conditions and cultures and comparing these unfavourably with back home ..most of these faux pas (?plural) are I guess committed by the young

[@federicosolorzano7520]

Good video. I would add one more. Don't binge drink. Most europeans don't and feel uncomfortable when tourists do.

[@geoinsider]

Great point, and definitely a good addition to the list! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@katella]

I beg to differ. I live on a well known holiday island and large groups of drunks from many European countries are, unfortunately, a daily peril here.

[@usbxg3474]

@@katella I think thats a different situation. "Holiday islands" invite tourists to their bars and beaches with special prices, partys, and bargains to have fun, relax and give them the chance to behave like kids in Disneyland. They even create "party miles" and offer special "binge drinking" events to boost the economy of these islands. So its no wonder that these islands attract way more single male tourists from surrounding counrtys with the primary goal to get drunk and have a good time.

[@katella]

@@usbxg3474 not just single males, the women are just as bad as the men.

[@katella]

@@usbxg3474 my point was that your comments about Europeans not binge drinking is simply not true. And it is not just groups of single men. There are groups of women coming here with the purpose of staying drunk the whole time, and entire families getting wasted together. Most people, from any country, aren't binge drinkers. But there are enough to drive the economy in some places.

[@usbxg3474]

Usually I tip depending on the quality of the service, food and restaurant! When the food and service is mediocre, I just might tip a few cents or an euro to show that I as a customer am not satisfied. On the other side I might tip 20% of the total bill when I get the feeling that the waiter/waitress is a clumsy student that has to work in this place for a minimum wage during his/her summer holidays to pay the rent for his/her flat or educational utilities.

[@geoinsider]

@@usbxg3474 Thanks for sharing your tipping practices! I appreciate how thoughtful you are about adjusting based on service quality and the staff's situation. Your approach shows real consideration for the people behind the service 👍

[@Atomprofessor]

I never noticed that they behave that bad! I live in Munich and all Americans I have met yet have been very nice and polite!

[@geoinsider]

@@Atomprofessor Of course, not everyone! There are plenty of polite folks too. This list is just a bit of an exaggerated look at some of our quirks. Thanks for watching!

[@geoinsider]

@@Atomprofessor Of course, not everyone! There are plenty of polite folks too. This list is just a bit of an exaggerated look at some of our quirks. Thanks for watching!

[@denisscheffmann9240]

les Américains (USA) m'insupportent lorsqu'il sont en groupe, ils sont bruyants, agités, je dirai presque hystériques surtout au restaurant. Je trouve aussi leurs enfants indisciplinés Ce sont des individus dotés souvent d'un fort complexe de supériorité que je n'apprécie pas du tout.

[@Kato0807K]

Also about the heritage thing.. If you are so proud of it and want to talk about it, maybe use a different phrasing. Something like: Oh, my grandparents are from italy and I wanted to learn more about the country my ancestors are from. You will see that locals will react way different and maybe will be excited to share their culture with you. And as a german one thing that I and many germans really hate: Nazi jokes and everything in this direction. Those are not funny and disrespecting all the people that died because of the Nazis. No german is proud of that part of our past. Please try to be respectful. Especially when you visit memorial places. Those are also a good place to keep your tone down.

[@geoinsider]

@@Kato0807K Thank you for sharing your perspective. It's important to be mindful and respectful, especially when discussing sensitive topics like heritage and history Your suggestion about phrasing is very helpful, and I completely agree-understanding and respect go a long way in creating positive interactions And yes, jokes about such a tragic part of history are never appropriate and can be deeply hurtful Thanks again for the reminder to approach these topics with the seriousness and respect they deserve

[@betterburial]

No tips expected in Portugal

[@SilkyCayla]

Regarding the money talk, we share salary info with our trusted circle when we feel it's the right time. But you don't bring up how much you make at random, that's obviously bragging.

[@geoinsider]

That's true, discussing salary is usually reserved for close friends. However, some people do bring it up pretty quickly. I wouldn't think you can brag about salary within the first hour of meeting someone, but I've met too many people who want to tell me about it right away. It can definitely be annoying when it's not the right context!

[@johannaengman2594]

But you are lumping Europe together in this video. And besides that I find it a lot more expensive to eat in the USA nowadays. The prices is absurd and on top of that you have to ad tax and tip.

[@davidesilvio8147]

Thank you.

[@geoinsider]

You are welcome!

[@kjerstiva]

This is not bad advice.

[@geoinsider]

@@kjerstiva Thanks! I'm glad you think so. It's always great to get feedback that the advice resonates with people Hopefully, it helps make everyone's travel experiences a bit smoother!

[@cmcjvcltcbmc]

Regarding the first complaint, you've obviouisly never been to Spain.

[@geoinsider]

Just because Spaniards can turn up the volume doesn't mean Americans get a free pass on the loud front. Nice try, though!

[@sn8597]

What about American tourists in Asia or Africa? These countries are less judgemental and more welcoming. I would much rather prefer going somewhere where I don’t have to adjust the way I dress to ‘blend with locals’ .

[@geoinsider]

That's a great point! It could definitely be a topic for another video. While dressing as you like is totally fine, it's more about remembering to be a respectful guest rather than acting like you're conquering the country in my opinion and it would apply to wherever you go

[@ellensandor741]

Yeah. Stick out like a sore thumb. I am American and many times can spot other Americans. I always think in my head, "hope they dont get pickpocketed."

[@sn8597]

@@ellensandor741 I am not talking about sticking out. I am talking about societies that look down on Americans with their snobbishness. AKA most European countries. As a brown person I stick out anyways in these countries so I don't at all care about trying to 'blend in'.

[@humushumus2219]

Americans are very humble and respectful in my experience. German, French, Spanish, Italian etc. not so much.

[@denisscheffmann9240]

🤣🤣🤣

[@es5925]

Nice bait.