Worried You’re the Obnoxious American Abroad? The Data May Surprise You.

A recent survey from Upgraded Points asked 2,200 Europeans across 22 countries, as well as 1,000 American travelers, about perceptions of Americans overseas. While 73 percent of Americans  believe they’re viewed poorly, it turns out Europeans are actually much kinder. Just 26.9 percent of Europeans reported a generally negative opinion of American tourists. Just over 73 percent said they had a neutral or positive view of American travelers in Europe, and the majority (45.4 percent) said they didn’t view American tourists differently from visitors of any other country.

Photo: oneinchpunch/Shutterstock

Americans who are worried about their reputation in Europe are at least correct when it comes to what annoys Europeans the most: loudness. Seventy percent of Europeans cited loud voices as typical of American tourists, which is also the percentage of American tourists who said they think they’re loud. But Europeans were correspondingly complimentary on friendliness, with 64 percent describing Americans as friendly. Yet only 44 percent of Americans think their friendliness is appreciated abroad. However, it’s a fine line: 33 percent of Europeans said Americans can be overly friendly.

Loudness aside, 61 percent of European respondents said they feel Americans expect English to be spoken everywhere, and another 30 percent think Americans tend to ignore local customs. But Americans themselves in the survey were tougher critics: 53 percent of Americans worry they’re viewed as arrogant, while 40 percent worried they’re seen as rude. But only a small percentage of Europeans (27 percent and 12 percent, respectively) shared those same thoughts.

Residents of Poland reported the least annoyance with American tourists and rated themselves among the friendliest. Photo: phM2019/Shutterstock

The reputation American tourists have varies depending on where you are in Europe. In Portugal, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark, respondents reported the highest levels of frustration with Americans, ranging from 15 to 19 percent, while Poland, Spain, the UK, Greece, and Latvia reported the least. However, despite the annoyances, Belgium, Italy, Estonia, Finland, and Poland also rated themselves among the most welcoming.

The country where Americans can expect the chilliest reception may not come as a surprise. It’s France, where 15 percent of citizens said they consider the country unwelcoming to Americans. Europeans ranked the worst American tourists as those coming from Texas (33 percent), Florida (21 percent), and California (14 percent), though it’s possible that could be influenced by the fact that those three states have some of the most well-known stereotypes within the US.

For travelers worried that the current “America First” federal political policies are making them less welcome abroad, those fears aren’t unfounded. But the impact isn’t as significant as it could be. Just one in five Europeans say recent political events like elections and global tariffs have altered their view of American travelers, even as four in five Americans worry that’s the case.

The exception is Scandinavian countries, perhaps because their state policies tend to be among the most progressive and most removed from the direction in which US politics are trending. In those countries, respondents said their opinion of US travelers had changed based on US political affairs, led by Norway (44 percent), Estonia (35 percent), Sweden (31 percent), Denmark (30 percent), and Finland (29 percent). Hungarians were the least impacted, with only 7.8 percent saying their opinion shifted.

Not understanding US tipping requirements is a common complaint Americans have of European tourists. Photo: D-VISIONS/Shutterstock

It’s long been known that American customs can make US-based travelers stand out in Europe. Actions like speaking loudly, expecting everyone to speak English, carrying giant water bottles, wearing baseball caps, and going everywhere in “athleisure” clothing are giveaways of Americans often made fun of on TikTok and Instagram. While European behaviors that annoy Americans haven’t been as popular as a topic, there are a few repeating themes on online discussions that show travelers from every country have their own little quirks. While Europe is a collection of many countries, some online travel forum users shared their own observations of Europeans in America.

“The only issue I’ve ever had with European tourists is when they assume no one here speaks their language so they’ll make really rude comments. I once heard a family of Germans commenting on how fat Americans are while on a beach in New Jersey. I’ve also heard French people comment on how dirty everything is.” — Robert H., Quora

“British getting absolutely smashed in public, engaging in acts of vandalism and having to loudly be detained.” — SaltyHater, Reddit

“Yes. We tip. Some is to help supplement the income of waitstaff. Really, over here it’s considered polite to do it, as it is a way of showing the wait staff that you appreciate their help.

Yes. We add sales tax while you are paying. Each state has a different rate. Some localities in each state may have different rates. I live in Tennessee, where the general rate is 7%. It’s higher than a lot of states. That means for every dollar you spend, expect to have to pay at least an extra 7 cents. In my locality the sales tax rate is 9.75%. That’s almost a dime for every dollar.” — DJ S., Quora

“Don’t be offended if an American steps away from you when you’re standing near them. We have larger personal space bubbles than almost any other country and we’ll try to politely step away. It’s not you, it’s us.” — BonelessBBQB, Reddit

“I have seen that some Americans find it a bit rude, when the humble European casually keeps asking about the location of the toilet.” — Tom F., Quora