Last edited Thu Jun 11, 2026, 06:59 AM - Edit history (1)

Mr Sedona has family in Germany

and not to be touched by anyone who isn’t a a white straight MAGA male. I do run from that. But I will stay and fight with my vote. That still holds more power than his threats and bluster.

Analogy.

Nobody is "run[ning]." Declining to be a tourist where we Americans are not wanted is hardly the equivalent of cowardice in draft-dodging.

Americans in general are viewed as annoying. And that’s because American tourists have a very bad reputation for being loud, arrogant, demanding, proudly ignorant and woefully stupid. I cringe when I hear another US accent in the wild and immediately lower my voice so as to remain undetected. I have zero friends from the US whom did not predate my move. I intend to keep it that way. I speak other languages on the Continent when I can.
That said, and I can’t speak for Germany, but I was just in Spain and had no issues. Whilst I speak Spanish, I was with an English friend and obviously our accents are different. I have no issues where I live in England or whilst in London.
I’m headed to France next week when I return from the US. I expect no issues there either.

But many Europeans are very tired of Americans and especially of the antics of the government.

(who were not specifically "in the know" ) thought I was Canadian. That is because I removed all labels, insignia from luggage and clothing, I was friendly with "locals," and did not hang out with Americans at all. Of course it was easier because I was traveling/working alone, but this included countries in the Middle East at a time when tensions had exploded--following the disastrous Bush* war with Iraq and periodically after other foreign policy disasters.

This is not to say that plenty of Americans cannot/do not travel "well," and are welcomed--but not if you act totally "entitled" and treat local populations as though they were "the other," even including hanging out in cliques with other Americans, finger-pointing (literally) and denigrating everything and everyone around them.

WAR CRIMES, it becomes much less of a "stereotype" and more provable fact.

I don't want to behave that way. Seems that would not bother you either as I'm sure you don't behave that way either. So not sure why I seemed to have "struck a nerve."

The American tourists who do engage without "airs" do fine. One of the fondest memories I had was encountering an older Midwestern farmer and his wife who talked to everyone--even those who could only speak in broken English, smiled, and were just themselves. Of course, I was smiling watching them which had them readily coming over to "see what my story was and if I was German or French or Egyptian or Canadian or ..."

While I'd been working and traveling overseas at that point for months, they were quite cute thinking they needed to take this unaccompanied young (at the time) woman under their wing. It was quite cute and we had a delightful dinner together--including several other locals. Very enjoyable. But, not all Americans take their cues. More's the pity.

it is the "if it bleeds it leads" syndrome

I have a bit of a Pacific NW accent, and can sound like I'm from Vancouver.
And I didn't act like a stereotypical, over-excited and loud American Tourist.

I spent a year in London in 1986-87 and I could have written the first half of your story word for word.

My overseas friends feel sorry for the good Americans they know. I worry more about being harassed by US customs on return TBH.

Many Europeans tend to be a bit more formal, and if you're rude, demanding, and loud you might find a cold shoulder. I have never encountered such, and I wonder whether this rumor is being spread by the right wing to make Europeans look bad instead of Trump for being the bully and alienating them.

one month ago. Never ran into any issues. It was fine.

His said there is no problem because MAGAts don't travel to Europe, only educated rational Americans do

we were having lunch at a restaurant. I asked my aunt if she minded if I went off to see the Eiffel Tower as she'd been there already. Said sure.

Anyway we were eating outside. I got up, and turned around. The man sitting behind me at the next table was wearing a Trump T shirt. 😑

It was however wonderful to see the Eiffel Tower!

I can't imagine someone wearing that in Paris, how self unaware must one be

I was so focused on getting ready for my first trip to Europe (Switzerland, Paris was an unexpected wonderful extra) from like April '16 onward; I wasn't paying that much attention to drumphf.

I'm a NYC'r so of course I knew of his boorishness, nastiness etc.

I don't see this as a pervasive problem.

She’s quiet and shy but with a bunch of students. Hopefully, we’ve raised her right and she is being respectful.

My husband and I just returned from two weeks traveling through Switzerland, Northern Italy, Chamonix France and driving through a part of Austria. We are sooooo ashamed of how trump has made America’s reputation plummet, and even learned how to say “ We are American but we don’t like trump!”- in French. My husband even envisioned someone shoving him over an alpine observation deck after uttering an anti american slur, lol!
After apologizing to people over and again, we soon realized that people weren’t as focused on the US as we are, there are tons of Americans traveling and spending money- so they love that about us, and several of them LIKED trump immigration policies! We finally just gave up. No one treated us badly at all!
Someone made a post on a travel site I visit about this. They said, trump THINKS the rest of the world is preoccupied with him but they couldn’t care less about him! They are more focused on their own country and lives. So you go and have fun! You will be fine!

On a trip right now. No problems whatsoever. Again, politeness and humility go a long way.

I travel internationally 2 to 4 times a year. I just got back from the West Indies in
March and Switzerland in April. No where have I been "treated badly" because I'm an American. That includes Russia, China, and Cuba. I was told my an elderly Vietnamese man, in Hanoi, that I had nothing to be ashamed of, as each person is judged by their actions.

My now deceased brother-in-law refused to travel with me to France back in Bush Jr. days when we were calling the French 'surrender monkeys'. He believed the RW propaganda that Europeans were rude to Americans. I've found the world to be a welcoming place when one accepts all people as human.

I've been overseas since the present administration began. I've always kept a fairly low profile when traveling, and I always apologize for not speaking the local language when I speak English. Never had a problem.

of his family members or the members of his administration and their family members. Like the way Vance was treated on vacation. The way Bill O'Rielly couldn't get a reservation at a decent restaurant anywhere in New York.

Let them stay trapped in their gated communities where even their other neighbors won't associate with them.

I don't speak French and barely know a little Spanish. It helped that I was traveling with friends who are French and Spanish themselves or live in France part of each year.

I did have a problem with my hotel the first night but I sincerely doubt it was due to my being from the States. Mixups happen everywhere.

A number of my friends travel often, usually on tours, all over the world. They haven't mentioned anything.

I'm not sure what your friends of friends encountered. Establishments that cater to travelers (hotels, restaurants, etc.) count on tourists to make a living, so it's hard to imagine why they would be rude to tourists unless the travelers were rude first. However, remember that when things get hectic people get tired and short with one another. That's a natural human behavior and not aimed at any one nationality.

Not everybody is anti-Trump. In Paris several of our Uber drivers assured me that Macron was "just as bad as Trump." (Actually I encountered pro-Trump feelings among Uber drivers in Baltimore last spring.)

I don't know if things have changed - family needs have kept me from traveling recently - but I'll echo what others have posted here:

- Travelers who are loud, demanding, and clueless are exasperating to everybody around them. If you think you might come across that way, stick to a Disney trip or some other curated cocoon. Go on a cruise or stay at an all-inclusive resort. This would be boring to me but it's exactly what some folks want. Be honest about what you really want and do that.

- While traveling remember that the establishments you are using count on tourism to make a living. It's a business transaction. Treat it the way you would in the States. Be alert, make sure you're getting what you paid for, and if there's an issue work it out quietly.

- Be open to being in a foreign environment. Things are different in different places. Expectations, standards, customs - it's different everywhere you go. If that's going to upset or freak you out, look for a curated tour or cruise. This is true whether you're visiting San Francisco, NYC, Boise, or Singapore.

- Traveling can be exhausting. It's really not for everyone.

DE and IT in particular.

Certainly NOT as bad as in France in the post Iraq War years - but the color of my skin protects /protected me from the majority of vitriol.

That said, my husband canceled our trip to Scotland during Labor Day week yesterday morning. It's obvious from what we are seeing in Northern Ireland and Glasgow - it's not a safe time for Black and Brown folks to be going there.

We text and I have talked to him once. He is having a great time and likes his host family. We are all a little stressed but this trip was planned and paid for a while ago. He is very aware of world issues. I will feel better when he is home.

No worries. No problems outside of crazy long lines at the airport😀. Was specifically talking oil/chemicals/energy so the subjects were front and center. For the first time in years some of their chemical complexes are profitable due to market pricing being so high, so in a twisted way this situation is helping some industries.

we discussed politics from a progressive perspective they were relieved and happy to see that not all Americans are insane.

I was in Berlin and Frankfurt recently speaking at University. No problems at all especially amongst younger adults who love American culture. Many of the students I talked to dream of working and living in the US. Did not see or hear of any negative Ugly American stereotype talk at all on my 10 day work trip. No worries if planning on traveling to Europe this summer.

Most of my teams are very interested to come to the US to work.
Germany has the feeling of a recession the last 4 years especially. Jobs are being cut and basic infrastructure is not being maintained properly.
My Uk teams don’t like the high taxes with lower pay. I’m asked to sponsor their families to the US on every trip, which is currently not possible. They definitely don’t hate the US.

That was my experience traveling abroad during the first term. Let them know how you feel about him, and they will tend to have empathy for you. If you are like "Greatest president ever!" you'll definitely be met with derision. People know how unpopular he is, they know that most americans don't like him. Just be gracious, and be honest about your feelings when they ask you.

I will admit I was nervous about our reception but we had no negative experiences at all. We were in London, Normandy, Prague, Salzburg, Strasbourg, Rome, Naples/Pompeii, Florence/Tuscany, and Zurich.

The only problem I've had were two continentals who upbraided me (thinking I was British) for not acting the way they wanted me to. Most people take me for just another Brit unless I open my mouth and out comes the Pac NW lol.

Sorry, but your friends and acquaintances are all wet. The Germans can get stodgy and a bit full of their rules and bureaucracy, but they are not idiots. They know perfectly well how strong the opposition to Trump is inside the USA, because their news media is full of it day in and day out. Plus, Americans that visit tend to be a majority of educated, reasonable people who are only too eager to tell anyone who will listen that American doesn not mean Trump-supporting any more than Russian means Putin-supporting.

It obviously means a lot to the locals that I can speak their language, but not ONCE have I experienced a hostile reaction from merely telling peoplpe where I was born. You are a hundred times more likely to be asked if you would take a few minutes to practice their English than you are to be trashed for your nationality. I travel almost every day for work, and this goes not just for Germany, but for the rest of Europe as well. I speak the languages of most surrounding countries as well, and this goes for all of them, too. France, Belgium, NL, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Denmark, it doesn't really matter much. Reasonable, friendly behavior is almost always reciprocated.

Come on over. Have no fear. On the contrary, help the rest of us show the Europeans how UNLIKE Trump we really are!

I was quite confident that these are the answers that I would hear because I’ve traveled to Europe numerous times and I’ve never been met with anything but kindness. My friends are elderly and sometimes overly cautious, so I will happily pass on all of the advice and experience of my DU family.

I went off on my own a few times. Being considerate, and mild mannered asking in this case Parisians directions etc was just fine. Everyone was very nice. At least I had my "pardon", and "merci" all ready.

We were 1 1/2 blcks from The Seine and I loved walking by, and looking at the book sellers booths!

We traveled to Mexico in 2017, back when when we just thought our govt was embarrassing

Anyone who asked, we told them we were from California. They knew exactly what that meant

What would DU's response be to Americans doing that to foreign visitors? Because my response should be that they're fucking assholes who are pestering tourists, and any non-asshole Americans nearby should step in to set them straight.

while America has been doing some heinous and mystifying shit and I guess my observation would be that reasonable people of whatever nationality can distinguish between an individual and the actions of that individual's home country.

There's always the chance you will run into an unreasonable person but as a tourist you pretty much always have the option to just disengage or leave. If it's someone you have to interact with, usually a five minute conversation where you make it clear what your actual opinions are will clarify it for the other person and they will see you as just another person who can't help what their government is doing.