How has your most recent trip abroad been?

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ApplePajamas@reddit

I went to quebec for the first time ever recently and I had no idea how French speaking it was there, and also how incredibly mixed the cultures were. Most times we could do just fine with English, but not always. Canadians are clearly amazingly nice though, and even though the city was huge I never felt unsafe or treated poorly even though I was incredibly unprepared for the language barrier.

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firefly99999@reddit

Mexico City. A very cool place with a lot of history.

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grahsam@reddit

I went to London over the summer. It was pretty awesome. I was not prepared for the humidity. One day was just brutal.

Cool place. Very nice people. Lovely cities. Reliable transportation.

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jfchops2@reddit

Popped over to London for the weekend for Vikings-Jets last month, people think I'm insane for taking weekend trips to Europe but I really don't mind the flight times with the time change handling a lot of the pain for you, time off is limited, and there's not much left in the US for me to visit for weekend trips anymore. The people were fantastic - fans of all 32 NFL teams everywhere that were chatty and the nightlife was a lot more social in terms of strangers mingling than I'm used to here. But I wouldn't be surprised to learn that London has the most Americans in it of any place outside of NA so it's not like I'm some completely culture shocked foreigner there like someone from say China might be

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Derplord4000@reddit

I'll let you know if I ever have one.

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Fantastic-Leopard131@reddit

I went to Ireland this past summer. Everyone was very nice and for the most part we were treated very well. The only time id say we werent was at restaurants, and to be fair we werent treated badly or singled out or anything like that, im just used to a very high standard of service that really doesnt exist outside the US. I’ve travelled before so i was unprepared for this reality, but it still was a bit of a stain on the trip bc i have a very restricted diet so finding restaurants that were good for me was almost impossible. I know its a very Americanized view but the rudeness of waiters and unwillingness to cater to any requests really turned me off. Other than struggling to find food for two week tho the trip was amazing. And thats nothing against Ireland, as i said before thats pretty much how its gone for me any time i go abroad. All other service type people were incredibly nice and polite tho, it was only some of the waiters who were not.

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Infinite-Pepper9120@reddit

I found in Ireland that people are just very matter of fact and abrupt. For example, if you are standing in someone’s way they will say “can you move”? Or “please get out of the way” it’s seems rude to Americans, but it’s not. They just need you to move. In the US, that could spark a fight. In restaurants it’s kinda the same way. Special requests are met with a simple “no”, or we don’t have that or we won’t do it that way. No arguments, just accept and move on.

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veryangryowl58@reddit

It wouldn't spark a fight in the US, what are you talking about? The person would probably just think you're an asshole for not saying that and maybe shoot you a nasty look, but that's it.

I also disagree with you that "it seems rude, but it's not". Is phrasing it in a slightly more polite way going to kill you? Having been to Europe, we move way faster than they do, and yet.

Similar to restaurants. If you don't have something, fine, but it doesn't take anything extra to be polite.

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Infinite-Pepper9120@reddit

Ok “veryangryowl” simmer down. Take your trolling to a different thread please. We are obviously discussing our experiences not arguing like you want to.

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veryangryowl58@reddit

...what? I'm trolling by pointing out an extreme inaccuracy in your comment? In no way is anything you said going to start a fight in America, that seems like tired "America bad" material.

Or are you upset that I'm disagreeing that politeness should be valued? If you don't like people disagreeing with you, just don't post.

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Infinite-Pepper9120@reddit

You are making arguments where there are none to make. You are doing exactly what you are bitching at me for. You disagree with me, and that’s absolutely fine. It’s seems you are much more upset than I . And “extreme inaccuracy “ is laughable.

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veryangryowl58@reddit

I'm not upset? I'm just baffled. Weird for an American to be like 'yeah, telling people to move in American would totally cause a fight!' because it just wouldn't happen. Again seems like the kind of "America Bad" inaccuracies we don't usually see here, except form misinformed posters.

It's not "impolite" to disagree online, by the way. You seem...really hostile, my guy.

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Infinite-Pepper9120@reddit

Honey midwestern nice only exists in the Midwest. Tell someone on the street in Boston to move out of your way. If your lucky, all you’ll get is a verbal fight.

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veryangryowl58@reddit

What is with the weird condescension, 'honey'?

Also I haven't just lived in the Midwest (I guess you...didn't get that far down my post history). I've lived on both coasts as well. I'm guessing from the outsized aggression in your posts that you might be the ones starting all of these fights lol.

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HoldMyWong@reddit

I went to Norway. I’ve been there 3 times. Love the country, but the people there are very pretentious. They love to tell you how perfect Norway is and how bad America is. I met some great people, but the majority are unfriendly

Weird enough, I’ve also been to Sweden and Finland, both similar Nordic countries, and they don’t act the same. Swedes and Finns have all been really friendly and seem to love Americans

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4MuddyPaws@reddit

I recently got back from various cities in Italy, Croatia, Greece, France (Aix en Provence) and Barcelona. Everyone I met was friendly and kind. I did try a few phrases in most of the language, and that was met with benevolent amusement in most cases.

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plangal@reddit

I went to Italy last month and had a fantastic trip. I was treated well for the most part, though I do try to speak the language (though I usually lapsed into Spanish because they are similar) and be considerate. It was my first trip abroad since before the pandemic, so I was nervous, but it was good to be seeing the world a bit again!

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confusedrabbit247@reddit

It was the best trip of my life! We went to İstanbul to visit my in-laws. Truly a home away from home! Can't wait to go back!

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ThanosSnapsSlimJims@reddit

Excellent!

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Used_Return9095@reddit

i was in malaysia to visit family. It went well

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Significant_Wind_820@reddit

Germany last February to buy a horse. The people were friendly, the food good, accomodations great. The towns (and rural lands) were neat and tidy. I relished in all the greenery, as I live in the USA in the High Desert. We were mostly in Munster and the surrounding areas. I would very much like to go back there and spend more time.

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Significant_Wind_820@reddit

Went to NW Germany to buy a horse and it was fabulous. I was most pleasantly surprised at how clean and tidy the towns were, the people were friendly, the food was delicious. I was delighted to see so many open pastures and greenery (I live in the high desert in Oregon). We spent most of our time around Munster and the surrounding areas. It was a wonderful trip!

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ardent-gleaner@reddit

Pretty great. I'll be eligible for permanent residency in just a few more months!

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basicallythisisnew@reddit

India. They treated me like gold! Seems like a lot of people want to come study and work in the US, plus our media is pretty popular. They loved me.

Other travelers treated me with pity and curiosity. They were a bit friendlier when I said I am Californian.

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rubey419@reddit

Everyone talks about Americans dressing so bad.

I go to Europe and majority of Europeans dress bad too.

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HereComesTheVroom@reddit

Canada 15 years ago to see Niagara Falls. Falls are cool, the city of Niagara is entirely unremarkable.

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Erotic-Career-7342@reddit

Yup

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Greedy_Disaster_3130@reddit

I’ve traveled abroad a lot, my most recent trip was to Italy and we were less than impressed with how unfriendly people were, this was our first time to Europe

People in every other part of the world have been so friendly, that wasn’t our expensive in Italy

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tn00bz@reddit

I went to France, Spain, and Monacao. I was presently surprised at how nice and friendly French people were. All of the rumors were just straight up, not true, in my experience.

Northern Spain was also very cool.

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Objective-District39@reddit

They tried to kill me.

Overall 8.5 out of 10.

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sadthrow104@reddit

War zone?

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Objective-District39@reddit

Yes

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sadthrow104@reddit

Man, you vets (if you are one) and y'alls mastery of dark humor always puts a smile on my face and gives me a little hope about myself :)

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Red_Beard_Rising@reddit

Still a wonderful memory almost 30 years later.

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Any-Grapefruit3086@reddit

my most recent trip was to the Netherlands and i had a great time. everyone was very nice and i really enjoyed it. have also been to the czech republic, argentina, chile and paraguay recently and had similiar experiences, i don’t think ive ever visited another country and had a bad time actually.

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DopamineSeekers1010@reddit

Nice, France and Barcelona. Came back 2 days ago. Treated fairly well. some were “shocked” when we said we’re from US (both Asians) and some commented saying it took them by surprise because we weren’t white😅😹

The French loved us trying to speak French. Barcelona was more international so almost everyone spoke English (so shocked).

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GuitarEvening8674@reddit

We went to Cancun for a week of fun in the sun. Awesome time

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Adept_Thanks_6993@reddit

Ireland, to spend Christmas with my wife's family

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PoliticalJunkDrawer@reddit

Turkey/Egypt.

Was treated well in both countries.

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Meilingcrusader@reddit

I was in china and it was awesome. I got on well with the locals very well and I seemed to be a bit of a curiosity wherever I went (I was in a pretty small city for over a month with few foreigners and almost no westerners). I was extremely impressed with China and especially with Shanghai. I hope one day we can make New York as clean, modern, and beautiful as Shanghai is now

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adubsi@reddit

Kinda like every decade was different than the previous one

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TheBimpo@reddit

Iceland, it was great. Friendly people everywhere.

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Ducal_Spellmonger@reddit

Canada, fishing for a week. It went well, the weather was good and we caught fish.

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schmelk1000@reddit

I was in Italy for 2 months as an au pair and then I traveled to Germany, France (Paris), Czechia and Poland for a month. I was treated amazingly well at every place I went. I do have a B1 level in German and A1/2 in French, so I wasn’t that annoying American tourist. There was multiple times where another European asked me for directions since they thought I was a local! I only have good stories from being there.

I’m planning on immigrating next year. Being in Europe literally changed my life (cliché, I know). I was healthier, non-suicidal, not depressed, I wasn’t taking any of my antidepressants because I didn’t feel like I needed them, and I was just so happy, all the time. My cheeks would hurt from smiling for so long. Being back in the states has been literal hell for me. I was in Europe for 3 months and it felt so natural for me to be there, surprisingly, I was never homesick (and I’m a momma’s girl). I can’t wait to go back. I work in healthcare, so I’m going to be job searching at hospitals over there, but I’m also going to get TEFL certified to broaden my spectrum. I just cannot live in the US anymore. So, if anyone has any tips, please let me know.

Also, after dating a European, American men just don’t do it for me anymore, hahaha.

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Hopeful-Solution7378@reddit

Saudi Arabia, I was treated with much respect & enjoyed it.

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Kevincelt@reddit

I live abroad in Germany, so now I guess. Been treated well by the vast majority of people. There's that small minority of crazy people and anti-american people, but they're luckily incredibly rare in real life, so I don't have to worry about them much.

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concrete_isnt_cement@reddit

I went to Chile last summer (their winter) for a ski trip. I had fun, although we did have some challenges related to a major storm that had impacted the region right before our arrival. No power for most of the trip, and extremely difficult road conditions. Great snow for skiing though! I would describe my interactions with Chileans to be largely neutral. They were neither particularly friendly nor unfriendly.

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g1Razor15@reddit

I've never left the country, furthest I've been is Maine.

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qu33nof5pad35@reddit

Sint Maarten & Antigua. The people were nice but I was so broke by the end of the trip.

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SingingGal147@reddit

Went to Paris and the Loire Valley in June with my family. I was treated well despite speaking practically no French and accidentally speaking German mid sentence (I think my mind was thinking well we are in Europe so we can speak the non-English European language we know...). Luckily 2 of the family remembered their high school French, so that helped.

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needsmorequeso@reddit

lol I’m the same way. I’ll start a sentence in French and somehow finish in Spanish because my brain remembers a non-English word, just not the right one.

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OK_Ingenue@reddit

I do exactly the opposite with Spanish! I took a lot of years of Spanish in school but I lived in France and my Spanish is not very functional. Embarrassing.

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OK_Ingenue@reddit

Turkey and Dubai. I hate to say this but Turkey didn’t live up to my expectations. I’d probably gone somewhere else if I could do it again. However, there were def some things I enjoyed. And all and all I don’t regret going.

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GardenWitchMom@reddit

I went to Winnipeg from Minot AFB in 1992 for a weekend. That is my one and only trip abroad.

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PacSan300@reddit

If you mean abroad by excluding either the US or Germany (where I currently live), then I am currently on a trip to Japan, my first one in over a decade, although it is the first firm for my wife and my daughter. We got here last weekend, and will be leaving this coming weekend. People have been really polite to us, and often helpful too. Japan has seen a massive surge in tourism since it reopened after a long pandemic closure, and in a few places some locals definitely seem annoyed at the effects of this surge, but we were never treated rudely because of it. The only bad experiences we have had were from a couple of other tourists (one was rude, another almost caused me to trip by trying to shove me aside), but not by any Japanese person.

It has been an awesome visit so far.

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eterran@reddit

Ireland for a week, last month. People were super friendly. Definitely got grilled by some people on political and pop culture topics (thankfully this was before the election), but all in good fun.

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Expensive_Heron9851@reddit (OP)

ive heard people have very iffy experiences when it comes to ireland but im glad you had a good time. definitely a good thing you weren’t there when the election was going on.

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MonsieurRuffles@reddit

We had a lovely time in Ireland earlier this month right before the election. One gentleman came up to us as we were waiting for a bus and chatted us up about it, among other things, but it was all very pleasant. Never had any issues at all with any Irish we interacted with.

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eterran@reddit

Two things that seemed to help were: 1) If somebody grilled us too hard on politics or started criticizing the US a little too much, we'd just say "yeah, things are crazy right now!" and move on to a different subject. 2) We tried not to be stereotypical Americans, like talking loudly in restaurants or mentioning our percent Irish heritage to everybody.

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Hatweed@reddit

That would have been 17 years ago, and it was to Toronto as part of a band trip in high school. Fine, I guess.

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handcocktongueholy@reddit

Visited Egypt in 2023. I try to take a trip out of the country every year, I wasn’t able to this year due to a big move that ate deep into my savings. I’ll start planning for 2025 soon!

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DraperPenPals@reddit

Dominican Republic. I was treated very well and met some very warm, kind people.

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mmeeplechase@reddit

Long weekend trip to Vancouver, and it was great! Lots of sushi + dim sum, biked around the park, sea kayaked, checked out the night market, and did a little hiking. Will definitely be going back!

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terryaugiesaws@reddit

I went to Madrid. I was treated very well, however I caught covid and that fucked me. People generally seemed surprised that I speak Spanish if they knew I was from the US

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warneagle@reddit

I was in Romania in February. It was fine.

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MTHiker59937@reddit

I went to England in June- beautiful.

We were treated well. Very quick trip.

Going to Hungary in a few weeks then Austria and Germany. Can't wait.

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Gullible-Display-116@reddit

South Africa, to visit family

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sloppy_sheiko@reddit

Went to Netherlands/Germany/Belgium last year and had a blast. Outside of a conversation with some British dudes at a Volksfest I went to in Stasburg (douchey little shits who were trying to look cool in front of some girls), I was treated like any other tourist.

Now, the trip I went on to the same place during Trumps first presidency was a different story.. As soon as a Euro figured out I was from the US and not military, they would immediately ask me ‘what do you think about Donald Trump and guns?’. I got the impression that United States politics were almost like a terrifying reality show to them? Everyone who I spoke to was very well informed, however they all had the same view points (Trump bad, America needs to ban guns, etc) and regurgitated the same arguments. Even though I fundamentally agreed with what they all were saying, it was a little frustrating being lectured/browbeaten about my own countries politics.

That said, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like traveling internationally for the next (hopefully only) 4 years…

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repwin1@reddit

Ireland. Loved the smaller towns and countryside but didn’t care too much for Dublin. Within 20 minutes of arriving and leaving the hotel we were greeted with people smoking meth on the sidewalk. I’ve been to all of the major US cities and haven’t encountered anything like that.

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doubtinggull@reddit

Went to Amsterdam to visit family (Americans who recently moved). It was great. I had bitterballen and herring. Everyone was nice, in a mild way. A Dutch candyseller refused to sell me triple-salted licorice and she was right to do it.

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ruppert777x@reddit

Prague/Pilsen in the Czech Republic just over a week ago. Was incredible and absolutely loved the city!

Crowds were light, beautiful fall colors still prevelant, incredible eating/drinking.

Want to go back as soon as we were in the airport to come home.

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_Smedette_@reddit

Still here.

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hotpan96@reddit

I went to Mexico and my phone/credit cards got stolen. It was traumatizing

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mkshane@reddit

South Africa this past June/July. Cape Town, plus some venturing a few hours out into surrounding wine country and game reserve. Service workers were great (tipping is a thing there as well, and they seemed aware of how well Americans tip). When not in touristy places, plenty of curious and friendly people eager to talk to me.

There are definitely more than a few areas where you do NOT want to get lost in, but avoidable with the right local guidance.

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Beneficial-Horse8503@reddit

I was in London in April. It was fine. I think as I get older I prefer countryside to cities. I like London though.

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UltimateAnswer42@reddit

I haven't been out of the country since coming back from Germany during the pandemic. Would not recommend, lockdown in another country destroys your psyche.

The two years i was an expat there before that were a good experience, but convinced me i couldn't do it long term on my own.

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Secret-Ad-2145@reddit

That's why you go to Sweden, like I did. Germany was hyper restrictive.

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tcrhs@reddit

I went to London and was treated very well.

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ZaphodG@reddit

My last trip outside the country was Vancouver to move my sister to memory care. It totally sucked. My brother in law also had dementia so I’ve been there many times project managing and observing. That kind of ended leisure travel for the last couple of years. My sister died last Tuesday.

My previous trip, we were in London for some days and in a rental house in Galicia Spain for a week. That was my third time renting that house. Swimming pool. Stunning view. Nice local restaurant across the street. A great spot to hang out, drink Albariño, and eat Galician seafood.

I support an English Championship football club. I’ll probably fly over in the spring to watch a match. We’ll probably zip to Paris from there.

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No-Profession422@reddit

Went to the Philippines to visit the wife's family out in a very rural province.
It was a nice visit. She overall has a very nice family. Her parents lived with us for 12 yrs here in California.

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FeelTheWrath79@reddit

Just got back from Thailand! Great trip! My dad planned most of it. People were generally friendly. Most shop keepers would talk to you to try to get you to come in, but left you alone if you didn’t.

However the massage girls at massage shops were on another level trying to get you to go in 😳

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book81able@reddit

I went to Paris for the Olympics and considering most of the city population those two weeks were tourists I was treated well and never had too much of a language problem.

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lupuscapabilis@reddit

Iceland in June and it was a great time. People there are awesome.

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Mata187@reddit

Norway, the UK, and France. Everywhere we were treated well. Except at Charles de Gaulle airport. Customer service at that airport sucks.

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jacksbm14@reddit

Lived in the Basque country from this past January to May. Good people. Give you the cold shoulder at first but once they warm up to you they love talking. It's a beautiful place. Strange food at times.

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coffeewalnut05@reddit

What’s strange about the food?

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jacksbm14@reddit

Very creative sometimes. It’s hard to describe. Once I had octopus fat (didn’t even know that was a thing) as a tapa. Very acquired cuisine.

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3mptyspaces@reddit

Costa Brava region of Spain earlier this year, it was great. I did not like the Spanish dinner schedule one little bit, though.

People were nice, we were out in the country for the most part. Once I got to Barcelona I could see what the anti-tourist fuss is about.

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Finemind@reddit

Was just in Mexico a couple days ago. Mexico was business as usual. I minded my business and they minded theirs.

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Libertas_@reddit

I went to Canada 20 or so years ago for hockey. I was treated pretty well.

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notthegoatseguy@reddit

Mexico City, two weeks. Day of the Dead stuff and then we stayed for an extra week on top of that. It was fun.

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AngryManBoy@reddit

I was reading an article about how Mexico City has become overrun by Americans lately and how gentrification is pushing Mexicans out of the city. Did you see that?

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notthegoatseguy@reddit

My understanding is Mexico has a much more clear class divide and the neighborhoods Americans, Canadians and Europeans move to in Mexico City were already being lived in by the upper classes.

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Maquina_en_Londres@reddit

Yeah. The Americans were gentrifying Mexico City narrative was mostly pushed by upper-middle class Mexicans getting mad at upper-middle class Americans.

It's hard to know how many Americans are in Mexico City, but anecdotally, you see us in 2-3 neighborhoods in a city of 22,000,000.

Like the significant majority (but not all) cases where people were mad about gentrification, it was mostly isolated, affected people who were already well off, and barely registers on the list of reasons for a cost of living crisis.

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CountChoculasGhost@reddit

Mexico City was also my last trip (early October). This was my second time visiting. First trip was pre-COVID (2019).

This is just anecdotal, but I felt like I heard SUBSTANTIALLY more English spoken on the streets this trip compared to last trip.

I also had some local shop owners bring up the issue of gentrification in casual conversation, so it is definitely an issue.

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burner12077@reddit

Went to southeast Asia. Mostly Vietnam. The more rural areas are more fun, as any non-asian person there you are instantly guaranteed to be a minority and no one is used to seeing non asians so they always stare or want to say hello. Makes you feel like the main character.

Also the dollar is super strong there. I was there for three weeks, I honestly don't think my total expenses in country amounted to how much I spent on my plane tickets and I lived preto well.

Highly recommended trip but just bring loads of meds for upset stomachs because if the spicy food doesn't get you, thier unique concoction of bacteria in the water will get you (even if you only drink bottled water someone will guaranteed rinse vegetables with the tap, just assume your going to have the runs occasionally)

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Infinite-Pepper9120@reddit

Ireland 🇮🇪 wonderful experience, treated very well. The Irish can be a bit abrupt, maybe seemingly rude, but they are not at all. I can’t wait to go back ❤️

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HighFiveKoala@reddit

Went to Quebec in 2022. I actually liked it there and hope to visit again with a friend.

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yozaner1324@reddit

I backpacked from Vienna to Amsterdam in August. It was my first time being in Europe and only my second time leaving the country—the first was Mexico in January. It was great; so many nice people, beautiful sights, and good food. Most people I interacted with spoke at least decent English and for those that didn't I learned enough German to get by. I wish we could adopt some of their transit and urban design principles here in the US. I also wish we had European food standards—Fanta actually contains oranges and tastes significantly better and it isn't the only case.

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Flossmoor71@reddit

I’ve been in Latvia for just under a month. My wife is originally from here and her family is still here. The people are very nice as long as you understand they don’t smile and innocently laugh at everyone. I’ve been treated with respect by everyone, and I’ve had zero issues speaking to people across the many cities I’ve been to. Everyone spoke English, with most speaking it very well. I attempt to speak some Latvian even though my knowledge is extremely minimal, and they just smile and ask if I speak English. Many if not most things I needed to read are in both Latvian and English. When I first visited, Russian was far more prevalent than it is now despite the sizable Russian minority still being here. Anti-Russian sentiment has always been high since the USSR collapsed but it’s ramped up since the invasion of Ukraine.

American tourists here aren’t unheard of but the vast majority of visitors are Scandinavians, Estonians, Lithuanians, Germans, and [drunk] Brits.

It’s really an amazing and hugely underrated country. Even in this cold and dark time of year there’s much to do and see, and the food is absolutely fantastic. Rīga has beautiful architecture, Jūrmala has a lot of charm and scenic beaches, and the countryside has gorgeous birch and pine forests with castles and charming villages.

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Archduke1706@reddit

I went to Istanbul in 2021. What an amazing city. The city is bursting at the seams with history. Roman aqueducts, Byzantine churches, Ottoman palaces. A great modern city as well.

There was a language barrier, but everyone was quite friendly and hospitable. Great food and lots of cats!

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MrAlf0nse@reddit

It’s still the centre of the world as far as I can work out

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SSPeteCarroll@reddit

The UK, 10 years ago.

It was fun, wasn't treated poorly at all. I wore some gear for my favorite soccer team and got some good natured ribbing.

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Arbiter2023@reddit

Was in Paris for the Olympics way too busy for my liking, but the food and venues were great. Stopped by London and Porthsmouth, too, didn't do much sightseeing there but was still fun

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KeynoteGoat@reddit

I went to tijuana for some meds and everything was cool. I got a delicious torta for 60 pesos (quite a steal when taco trucks sell those things for like 12 bucks). Nothing out of the ordinary. People were cool. I was just there for 2 days. The most memorable part of the trip was when I was on the San Ysidro train and some 300 pound ghetto girl started screaming at the fare inspector, "no you go buy da muh fuggin ticket bi-YATCH! You can't make me buy da ticket!" 😂 That's how I knew I was back in America.

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Worldly_Antelope7263@reddit

My family went to Iceland and the Netherlands last year and both trips were wonderful. We learned a few basic words (thank you, please) in both native languages and tried to be respectful guests. In my experience, seeing yourself as a guest in another country goes far in making the experience more positive.

However, we were in the Netherlands during peak travel season and Iceland during the off-season. I much prefer off-season travel and will avoid summer travel in the future. Being in the Netherlands during peak travel time opened my eyes to the damage excessive international travel is doing to some parts of the world.

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FunctionalAdult@reddit

I was in Seoul for a long weekend in October. I was treated well but was also mainly in the Gangnam area. A little google translate, heavy use of thank you in Korean, and a smile goes a long way.

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I_amnotanonion@reddit

Atlantic Canada 2023 - New Brunswick, Nova Scoria, and Newfoundland. Lots of fun, beautiful scenery

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cherry_sprinkles@reddit

We went to Italy in March. Overall pleasant experience, most people were at least indifferent if not nice (except people in Venice, was not a fan). Florence and the area surrounding were beautiful and the people were fairly nice despite us only knowing basic Italian.

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Relevant-Ad4156@reddit

I haven't been out of the U.S. since our Honeymoon to Jamaica. That was over 19 years ago.

It was good and we were treated well. Wasn't a super authentic experience, though, because we just did an "all inclusive resort" and had only limited interaction with any locals that weren't resort personnel.

The few interactions we had with non-resort workers was pleasant enough, but everyone we came in contact with was connected to the tourism industry (bus driver from the airport, off-resort excursion people, like a snorkeling boat and waterfall tour guides, etc.) and their livelihood is extremely dependent on tips, so it felt like being politely shaken down by everyone (even more so than our compulsory tipping at restaurants here in the States)

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Confetticandi@reddit

Mexico City for a week for work. It was nice. People were friendly and polite.

I also speak proficient Spanish which helped me get around. I took Uber all over the city in my off hours and got to chat with the drivers.

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Avasia1717@reddit

went to ireland right before the pandemic started. did some touristy things but mostly saw family. it was fine.

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NamingandEatingPets@reddit

Visited cruise ports in Mexico and Honduras. Nothing much has changed in Mexico. You still have eight-year-old children hawking goods to you who should otherwise be in school. I really liked the vibe of the people in Honduras.

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ByzantineBomb@reddit

Cyprus is cool! We were treated well enough.

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virtual_human@reddit

I went to Greece for a couple of weeks last April. The country and the people were awesome. Obviously they have a lot of tourists so they are well set up for it. I was surprised at how much stuff was in English and how many people spoke at least a little English. That was one of the things I was concerned about since Greek is not an easy language to learn.

I drove a lot towards the north and in the Peloponnese peninsula and didn't have any trouble to speak of. There were a lot of toll booths on the highways but the highways were in great shape.

I was a little concerned about the food since what's called Greek food in the US is not my thing. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed all but one of my meals while in Greece and had a few excellent meals.

I visited a couple of the islands and they were awesome. Santorini was a bit pricey but I had a good time there and ate at a couple of great restaurants.

I would definitely suggest it as a destination for anyone. There is a lot of walking in most places so keep that in mind. April was a good time to go since almost everything was open but the crowds weren't too big. The weather was gorgeous but it wasn't warm enough to go swimming anywhere.

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Marley455@reddit

My last trip overseas. Iraq during the surge. Would not recommend.

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mads_61@reddit

I spent two weeks in England over the holidays in 2018. My grandad is from there and he’s got dementia so my dad and I brought him to visit his family one last time. We had a really great trip and were treated well. It was interesting because our family lives in a small village in the countryside so it was immediately clear that my dad and I were visitors. But everyone was very kind and welcoming.

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SpiralMetal@reddit

I went to Finland and many people we spoke to were so surprised that we visited from the US. They said most visitors apparently come from Australia. It was hands down the most amazing trip I've ever taken outside the US. Exploring Lapland in the winter was an experience like no other. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, as we experienced temperatures as low as -22F. But it was truly amazing - deep snow as far as one could see, polar night, the most stunning northern lights, reindeer around every turn, the still, crisp night air in the forest. Ahh, I really want to go back!

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namhee69@reddit

Just under two weeks in Japan in October. Was fun. Been there a bunch of times before. Road tripping there is fun but god those tolls add up fast. Thank god the exchange rate is favorable.

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SufficientZucchini21@reddit

Greece in July and we had a blast island hopping to lesser known locales. Everyone and everything was great.

It was more convenient for me to get to Bangkok than Naxos though. Less flight segments which I prefer.

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mtnlady@reddit

St Lucia. We were treated great. The locals are super friendly. It was a pain in the ass to get home as our flight was cancelled 3 days in a row but wonderful trip otherwise. We went last June 2023

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Chad-Ironrod@reddit

SXM in January. Lovely time. The island is very tourism oriented, so really only positives to be said.

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needsmorequeso@reddit

I was in Italy about a year ago and it was wonderful. The people and food were amazing and the architecture and art were beautiful. I’m so jealous of the rail system.

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huazzy@reddit

France to fill up my car. I interacted with no one.

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anneofgraygardens@reddit

last time I went abroad was to my friend's wedding in Normandy, France in 2022. It was lovely, everyone was great. I only wish I could have spent more time there. (It all happened very suddenly. My friend had been engaged for a long time but the venue they wanted had a surprise opening that they were offered so they threw everything together at the last minute. I didn't have time to arrange stuff at home so I was there for only a few days, which was crazy for such a long flight.)

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TehLoneWanderer101@reddit

Went to Toronto for a few days in January 2020. I was treated normally except for the several quips I got about it being too cold for someone from Los Angeles lmao.

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coyote_of_the_month@reddit

Catalunya. People were generally pleasant, albeit mostly indifferent. Tourism and hospitality is a big part of their economy so foreigners are not uncommon.

In Barcelona, they'll steer you toward speaking English instead of Spanish if you don't speak Catalan, but in Valencia they don't seem to mind one way or the other (and fewer locals speak English anyway).

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Lower_Kick268@reddit

Never been outta the country, too expensive compared to just staying in the US.

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samandtham@reddit

México City for one week. I had a great time and would love to come back again soon.

I noticed that I spent roughly the same in eating out/drinking at restaurants and bars than I would if I were to do the same thing every night here in the US.

I was treated no different from others. People commented on my Spanish and thought it peculiar that an American spoke Spanish from Spain instead of from any Latin-American country.

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Current_Poster@reddit

London UK, 1999. The stuff I didn't like wasn't in anyone's control- going by how people actually treated us, pretty good.

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Shevyshev@reddit

Excellent. Went to the Dordogne valley in France a year ago.

I think a lot of folks’ complaints about France come from Paris - just as in the US, in big cities, people are a little more rushed and a little more brusque. In the French countryside, the pace is different. People were super friendly.

It was my first significant trip without my kids; who stayed with their grandparents back home. Ate amazing food. Stayed in a castle with a 2 Michelin star restaurant attached for the price of a Hampton Inn in DC. Mostly got by on speaking French, which was fun.

I have a couple of bottles of walnut liqueur from this little distillery we hit on a road trip somewhere. Every time I crack it open, it takes me back.

Been to France a few times and love it there.

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Technical_Plum2239@reddit

I was there this year and fell in love with the Dordogne. I also really, really enjoyed Paris. We were homely middle aged women who speak NO French and still got treated very graciously. The service was fantastic everywhere even everywhere in Paris.

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Technical_Plum2239@reddit

I went to Paris and the Dordogne. I'd been before but I was young and dumb and hadn't really traveled our country that much. Now I have traveled a lot and I was wowed by the food, history and architecture, how gracious everyone was, and how reasonable everything was.

There's so many places I havent been but I seriously want to go back again.

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AshTheGoddamnRobot@reddit

Went to Canada in summer 2023. We went on a road trip from Minnesota to New York City, Boston, Cape Cod, Salem, Portland, ME, then drove down to Niagara Falls, Ontario and spent a night in London, ON.

Then we drove next day to Michigan, stayed in Mackinac City, before heading home to Minnesota.

Best road trip ever, and Niagara Falls was beautiful. It was more of an East Coast road trip but we gave the Great Lakes some love, too.

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MortimerDongle@reddit

We went to the UK (London, Bath, Inverness, Edinburgh) last year.

It was great.

how were you treated?

Fine? These are places that get tons of tourists so I don't think the average person cares much either way as long as you don't get in the way on public transportation or whatever.

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dr-tectonic@reddit

Same -- London, Bath, Brighton, also last year, also great.

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HoyAIAG@reddit

3 weeks in Italy. Pretty great

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DigitalDash56@reddit

I left my job to travel around Europe for a bit focusing on the Euros this summer. Went to a few matches in Germany, then we popped over to Prague, Budapest, Croatia and finished off in London for the final.

Everything and everyone was fantastic but singing 10 German bombers in a packed bar full of English people was the highlight

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triple_hit_blow@reddit

I spent a week in Ireland last year, mostly in Dublin but made a few day trips too. I was treated neutrally, they’re used to tourists and I do my best to stay out of people’s way. Funnily enough, I was asked for directions multiple times, so I guess that one Irish ancestor from 1730 or whatever had some strong genes

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RegionFar2195@reddit

Manitoba for fishing. Not much different from the Midwest, USA. People were more friendly, everything was more expensive.

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Sinrus@reddit

Marseille, Nice and Genoa about two years ago. France was beautiful and so much fun, but we were in Italy for all of about two hours before my friend's luggage was stolen. Another Italian guy on the train was very nice in helping us report it, but he also pretty much said "Yeah that's just what it's like here, sorry it happened to you."

We were supposed to continue on from Genoa to Bologna and then San Marino, but had to cut the trip short because her bag contained all her vital medications.

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Electrical-Speed-836@reddit

Italy was treated very well I speak intermediate Italian and I think people really appreciated. On multiple occasions we got desert or an aperitivo on the house. Overall felt very welcome by the people I interacted with

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Nodeal_reddit@reddit

I was in Poland in fall of last year. I usually go 1-2 times / year for work. It’s always a good time.

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Raving_Lunatic69@reddit

Mexico and Grand Cayman about 5 years ago, and it was great

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Keewee250@reddit

Southern Spain in May. Everyone was lovely and friendly. I was there with college students and another professor and it seemed like we were treated differently because of that. Not a good or bad thing, just different. More patience and interest on the part of museum staff.

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psychocentric@reddit

I was in Scotland for a week, and it was bliss. I am an introvert, so I did a lot of hiking and exploring. I only interacted with people when I felt up to it. The poeple really made me feel at home. Everyone I interacted with was kind and helpful. I had one situation where I needed some help from the locals, and I had several people stop and offer to help me out. I also lost my credit card, and some lovely lady tried to get a hold of me to return it. I had already cancelled it, but it was such a nice gesture. She also offered to show me around if I ever made it back to that town. I was the receiving end of a few cracks at my accent and where I was from, but it was all in good fun.

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everyoneisflawed@reddit

Traveling abroad is expensive for us, so it's been a number of years. But we went to Montreal and were treated very well. None of us speak French, and I was told it wasn't necessary, but it definitely would have been easier on us if we had learned at least conversational French! At any rate, everyone seemed genuinely kind and friendly, and people were happy to oblige our not speaking their language.

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WrongJohnSilver@reddit

Zurich, Nuremberg, and Bad Elster. It was a lovely time, and we could spend much longer in Zurich. It was out first trip out of the country since the pandemic, and it was absolutely worth it.

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JimBones31@reddit

I went to Panama for work. I was treated like a sailor here to transit the canal. They were pretty professional.

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jdmiller82@reddit

My last trip abroad was to the Netherlands, for work. Spent most of the time in The Hague. Was treated very well. The Dutch are very welcoming.

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huhwhat90@reddit

Went to the UK last year. I was treated fine.

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Canada in August. Went about as well as it normally does, but I have family there.

I lived overseas for 6 years, and used to visit Europe at least annually, but I haven't been back since 2015. Never really experienced any problems with treatment.

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papercranium@reddit

Not super far away, but we went to St. John's Newfoundland for a week this summer and it was glorious. Beautiful hiking, excellent food, fascinating history, and all the people were incredibly friendly. Would recommend it in a heartbeat.

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AntisocialHikerDude@reddit

My last trip abroad was to the Cayman Islands the Summer before Covid. It went great but I've heard from my uncle who used to live there that it went downhill a lot and never really recovered with lots of businesses closed and crime up.

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HotSteak@reddit

Bicycle tour of The Netherlands in 2019. It was good.

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Adventurous_Cloud_20@reddit

Went to the UK in 19. Did a week hitting various historic sites I always wanted to see (Portsmouth Dockyard, The Tank Museum, some historic ships), and spent the second week touring through Scotland and visiting distilleries when I could. The UK was great, Scotland was awesome.

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ZetaWMo4@reddit

Pretty good. I went to Japan last month with my husband and kids. We’re black and had no issues or bad experiences with any people.

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wooper346@reddit

My last trip abroad was Montreal, 2015. It was for work, and it sucked in a massive way. I'd like to go back sometime to "do it right," but it's probably not going to be anytime soon.

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FatGuyOnAMoped@reddit

Thailand for 2 weeks last winter. We were treated very well. My fiancée is originally from Laos and still speaks some Lao, which is a sibling language to Thai, so we had an advantage.

Before that, we'd been to Mexico at least a dozen times. I speak conversational Spanish, so we got by okay.

I've also been to Europe a few times, and even lived in the UK when I was younger.

If you don't act like a stereotypical Ugly American, you typically don't have problems, even if you don't speak the local language.

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PinchePendejo2@reddit

I drove from Detroit to Windsor, Ontario in June. Felt pretty much the same. Quebec City in May had a big language barrier, but I was there with my Francophone friend, so it really wasn't a big deal.

My last real trip abroad was to Spain and France in January. Everyone was quite nice!

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