To feel a bit like everyone hates me when I'm a British tourist in Europe now

[Everythingisnumbersnow]

I try with the language, I try not to get in people's way, I tip and I don't complain.

But everything still feels much more hostile than it used to.

Exactly. Trying to get your translated Romanian placard on general news probably won’t happen!!

I can see why the OP is felling mistreated if they don’t realise how entitled they are.

I thought you said all the graffiti was in English...

They aren't just fed up of British tourists. They're fed up of all tourists.

Bang on the money.

I would add to this excellent riposte that those working for the very poorly paid tourist industry are expected to speak English well. So not only do they need English outside their own country, they need it to do low-paid work in their own nations so that they can serve people like OP. And still get accused of being rude.

Haven't RTFT but I have always found that attitudes soften when I explain that, despite the fact I am speaking English (though I try to speak French/Spanish where I can), I am actually Irish.

Attitudes where in Europe? Do you mean Spain or tourist hotspots of the Mediterranean as I am really doubtful that you will find that in all of Europe. I really don't think there is much care in Scandinavian countries for example, my friends and family from those parts don't make that distinction at all.

I can only speak from my perspective ( not my personal view but my experience and it’s in. O way to be offensive ) .
I have family with tourist businesses in Spain , Portugal , Greek and Cyprus, I manage some of those properties . Portuguese folk are mostly welcome , you will not be treated with hostility but secretly just like the other 3 they are resentful towards English folk , not as much as the rest of the British , Scottish people are quite friendly etc so they tend to be really welcomed . Spain seems to take the brunt of the bad behaviour so I can see why it’s fighting back , Greeks and Cypriots will welcome you too but they will not hide their tourist preferences either .
I have a fair idea why this happens but I won’t go into it .

@Crazyworldmum yep 😉

I'm Irish but as we speak English I feel like most people on the continent think we are English. Never experienced any hostility. Was in Spain in november, everyone very nice to us.

You can be as "doubtful" as you like. I mean Spain, France, Madrid, Paris and beyond, Italy and Rome, Portugal - Faro - Porto etc etc.

I can't speak for "tourist hotspots" because much as your sneering post wants to infer, I haven't only been to them.

I can't speak for Scandinavia because I have not been there, but I have travelled extensively in Europe and the reaction upon discovering that we are in fact Irish, not English, has been fairly universal.

Not least because we try to speak the language, which a lot of English can and do not.

I'm not saying I "experienced any hostility" - just an increased friendliness when they realise your nationality and particularly if you are speaking their language, which they don't expect!

You have misinterpreted my reference for hotspots as 'sneering'; I'm asking the question as it may be a reason for people's reactions to the English, who simply down to population size, 57 million as opposed to Ireland's 5.7, there are going to be more English visitors to certain hotspots than Irish. How do you even know the linguistic abilities of all 57 million English people, absolutely ridiculous logic that just suits your argument but is not based on facts.

Personally I know loads of people that are bilingual and always speak Spanish or French when on holiday in those countries, guess what, they are all English- mind blown!

Feel exactly the same and I feel when you do say you're irish they immediately give out about English because they think the age old rivalry/hatred is still going on and it's just something for them to say , I honestly believe that. If you asked them outright they wouldn't even know the politics behind it😊

Yeah, if I encounter a Canadian I might similarly be inclined to make a few comments at their southern neighbour's expense, doesn‘t mean that I'd treat an American tourist differently on account of their nationality (those who travel are by-and-large the good ones, it's the MAGA half-wits who've never left their own state who are the problem)