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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Only people causing trouble on European holidays are Brits!

233 replies

TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:01

I'll preface this by saying that not all British holidaymakers are causing trouble, far from it. However, my experience is that it is always British people who do cause trouble when abroad by getting too drunk and becoming aggressive etc.

We're currently on a European holiday in a nice 4* apartment complex. We've had a lovely time so far, even managed to get DH off his phone for a change after a serious chat.

HOWEVER, three nights ago a British family arrived and they're staying at the opposite end of the corridor, parents and two pre-teen boys. First the whole family was making an absolute racket every time they got back to their apartment past 8pm, and they were especially loud at 11pm when they seemed to call it a night. They were so loud that I popped my head out and asked them to be quiet. The following night the boys decided to start knocking on our apartment door loudly at 11pm, waking up our baby in the process. I went over to knock on their door to speak to the parents, expecting them to apologise. Far from it! Dad (who was massive) opens the door, swears and shouts in my face and slams the door shut. I obviously contacted reception immediately and I believe they dealt with it because so far tonight it's been quieter. I did see the boys running around the bar and the dad drinking at 3pm this afternoon. The receptionist actually told me that the parents had both been really drunk last night.

Everyone else has been lovely, there are mainly families and older couples here and lots of different nationalities. No trouble with anyone else, so why is it just British people?

Now I'm actually scared of going into the corridor with my children in case I see them. 😧

OP posts:
YellowTreeHouse · 01/10/2022 21:04

So you stuck your head out the door, shouted at them and then expected reasonable behaviour?

Try asking politely in future and you won’t become a target.

shedwithivy · 01/10/2022 21:06

I'm not sure if a sample size of one really proves your point about the whole British nation.

tillyandmilly · 01/10/2022 21:09

I have to agree with you !

Original poster
TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:09

@YellowTreeHouse never shouted, I popped my head out and used a normal speaking voice to ask them to be quiet. Where did I say that I shouted? Even if I had raised my voice how do you justify letting children knock on other people's doors at 11pm to try to wake up their baby?

OP posts:
Pixiedust1234 · 01/10/2022 21:10

So ONE family, who happened to be Britsish, is noisy? Hopefully they get shot at dawn, problem solved.

BlackberryCat · 01/10/2022 21:11

I think 11pm isn't that late for people to be coming back. I get it's tough being on holiday with a baby but I think you're being a bit over the top. Just leave them alone and I'm sure they'll leave you alone too.

YellowTreeHouse · 01/10/2022 21:12

TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:09

@YellowTreeHouse never shouted, I popped my head out and used a normal speaking voice to ask them to be quiet. Where did I say that I shouted? Even if I had raised my voice how do you justify letting children knock on other people's doors at 11pm to try to wake up their baby?

Okay, so you didn’t shout. But you weren’t polite about it. You didn’t ask nicely, hence their reaction.

11pm isn’t that late. Your baby isn’t their problem.

Original poster
TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:13

@shedwithivy I've got other examples from other holidays I'm afraid, but this actually happened yesterday so it's very fresh.

Previously an English couple were openly mocking DH when he was having health problems at the time. When I politely asked them to stop and apologise they became extremely rude. This was a middle aged couple.

I've got lots of other experience unfortunately, but it's always British people who have had too much to drunk!

OP posts:
Blix · 01/10/2022 21:14

Honestly in a holiday apartment block it's not unreasonable to expect some noise at 11pm. Other people can't be expected to consider your baby's sleep. After midnight I would expect a bit more consideration . Unfortunately you poked a bear by confronting them the first time.

LondonWolf · 01/10/2022 21:15

Everyone else has been lovely, there are mainly families and older couples here and lots of different nationalities. No trouble with anyone else, so why is it just British people?

It's one family or are you including yourself?

Original poster
TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:16

@YellowTreeHouse actually there's a clear sign on the corridor that says 11pm-8am is designated quiet time, and it's an apartment complex full of families and pensioners, not the main strip in Kavos.

Is please be quiet not polite enough? Are you one of those Brits who gets blinded drunk every night on holiday and starts shouting in a public corridor at 11pm just for fun?

OP posts:
Original poster
TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:19

@LondonWolf We live in the UK but we're not British so no I don't include myself. No one else has been making any noise at all the whole time we've been here.

OP posts:
VladmirsPoutine · 01/10/2022 21:19

I don't know I think it depends. Brits are also the type of suffer through sheer unreasonableness as a result of their politeness. Swings / Roundabouts.

FourTeaFallOut · 01/10/2022 21:19

TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:16

@YellowTreeHouse actually there's a clear sign on the corridor that says 11pm-8am is designated quiet time, and it's an apartment complex full of families and pensioners, not the main strip in Kavos.

Is please be quiet not polite enough? Are you one of those Brits who gets blinded drunk every night on holiday and starts shouting in a public corridor at 11pm just for fun?

But you said they called it a night at 11pm? Sounds like they were following the rules when you stuck your head out and told them to be quiet?

YellowTreeHouse · 01/10/2022 21:20

TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:16

@YellowTreeHouse actually there's a clear sign on the corridor that says 11pm-8am is designated quiet time, and it's an apartment complex full of families and pensioners, not the main strip in Kavos.

Is please be quiet not polite enough? Are you one of those Brits who gets blinded drunk every night on holiday and starts shouting in a public corridor at 11pm just for fun?

You had an attitude, so of course they reacted in kind.

And no, I’m not, because I’m teetotal and think alcohol should be illegal.

TrainspottingWelsh · 01/10/2022 21:27

Really?
I’ve encountered people of many nationalities behaving like arseholes in other countries. I just put it down to individuals being arseholes abroad.
It’s not the olympics where we all send a handful of people to represent us all.

shedwithivy · 01/10/2022 21:29

My Greek family aren't arseholes but they can be very loud, especially when the strong beer and dancing starts.

Notimeforaname · 01/10/2022 21:29

I get you op. Was on a Greek island for a couple of weeks in August, stayed in 4 different hotel/apartments and any time there was shouting, rudeness or trouble, it was from British people.

Of course there were far more British people there who were not making trouble but still no other nationality that I saw acted inappropriately.

We had a drink with one of the hotel owners one night and he said he really cant stand a lot of British(although he said English) tourists for the same kind of reasons op mentioned.

He also went on a rant about Brits asking for pukka pies and sundays roasts, he really was enraged 🤣

EcoTourist · 01/10/2022 21:35

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Onceuponawhileago · 01/10/2022 21:36

YellowTreeHouse · 01/10/2022 21:04

So you stuck your head out the door, shouted at them and then expected reasonable behaviour?

Try asking politely in future and you won’t become a target.

Gotta love mumsnet- turn the problem on the poster. Truth is most problems on holidays are brits, usually drunk, poor table manners, lawless kids, save their holidays to work out their relationship issues over twenty drinks etc. Nightmare.

Doggydarling · 01/10/2022 21:39

I agreewith you op. We have a house in Spain, when we bought it (20+ years ago) the local coastal area was only really popular with the Spanish, it was mostly second home owners escaping the cities for the summer but in the last 8 or so years it has been developed with lots of tiny apartments in multistorey blocks almost all occupied by British and the entire vibe of the place has changed, the Spanish and small few other Europeans who lived there were pretty quiet, kids were well behaved and it was safe to leave your belonging on the beach all day, now its incredibly noisy, couples sitting at the beach bars screaming at children to get out of the water, get in to the water, stop fighting etc, children not being supervised, I've seen some bad sunburnt children who will end up miserable as a result,
the Spanish are selling up and while we're less effected by being slightly in land it has reduced our enjoyment of the area. It's not all British by any means, some are also annoyed by the behaviour (and a bit embarrassed) but I've not seen it by any other nationality in such numbers.

Original poster
TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:39

@EcoTourist fair point.

'I opened the door slightly so that I could place my head out whilst keeping my body inside (because I was wearing my pjs) and said please can you be quiet' 😄

OP posts:
Original poster
TeenyQueen · 01/10/2022 21:42

And again I'm not saying it's all Brits, not at all. All the other Brits have been very friendly. My experience is that the trouble makers are always Brits, not all Brits but always Brits if that makes sense.

OP posts:
IsThePopeCatholic · 01/10/2022 21:43

Yes, agreed. Brits abroad are often feral. I’m afraid it’s their sense of entitlement and superiority over Johnny Foreigner. So embarrassing .

hattie43 · 01/10/2022 21:43

British scum are often the main troublemakers because they can't hold their drink . These type of people are an embarrassment.