General Discussion

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.