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.

I only see the op complaining - everybody else seems to be enjoying their travels as they always have.

I travelled extensively through Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland and Belgium last year and did not experience any hostility. On the contrary we found most people to be extremely friendly and helpful even where there was a language barrier.
And yes, from reading Google news feeds before travelling, I could easily have believed we would encounter hostility as I did travel to places where there had been protests about tourists - but I saw none of it.

Yeah, same. I’ve had sympathy shown towards me over Brexit but never hostility. Also had a lot of jokes about the number of PMs we’ve had in recent years, but not in a nasty way.

Sorry, it's the op I'm referring to.

Yes probably. There are thousands of users here and new people join every day. I always wonder what people hope to achieve by this kind of comment?

I think that's just French customer service for you. Was it Marie Blachère?

I haven't been to Spain for donkey's years and wouldn't be keen to go back. My experience on that occasion was that people were generally quite rude and arsey, possibly exacerbated by the heat and crowding. More than happy to leave that sort of thing to people who enjoy it!

We lost £85 billion, Spain gained 95 due to EU. Maybe that's why they're puzzled, at us being so profligate.

Don't they have goths in Germany?

I’ve never experienced this, I travel quite a lot and most people are very friendly and helpful.

My parents live in spain (now just mum). I don't speak Spanish but have to go there quite regularly since they got older. I find there has been a marked turn in attitudes and friendliness of locals. Obviously a reasonable percentage are still lovely but many more now are openly hostile.

Spain is a wonderful country, so varied. I'd recommend Madrid and also Bilbao. In my experience, everyone was very friendly and welcoming.

Everything I've read about protests in barcelona and the balearics was focused on tourists using airbnbs and forcing locals out of the housing market.

Where have you got the idea that people object to tourists spending lots of money?

I make every effort not to be identified as coming from these shores, since the self inflicted economic harm of Brexit. If I don't know enough of the local language at a restaurant say, I ask if I can have the menu in French. I wear things that do not identify me as coming from these shores.

I've not had open hostility but I don't go away wanting to talk about Brexit or what I think of some aspect of UK politics.

I think they are a bit more intelligent than that, given that close to 50% of us voted against leaving the EU.

I haven't found this at all. My last holidays in Europe have been in Italy, France and Denmark and people were perfectly fine. People often claim Parisians are rude, but literally every waiter, receptionist, shop assistant etc that we spoke to there was honestly lovely. And also appreciative that I made an effort to use French.

When we were in Italy the proprietor of a cafe we were getting a drink in was complaining to us about American tourists and saying that he always finds English tourists very easy and polite.

Was that in France? You’re expected to say Bonjour! before asking for your croissants or whatever. I dare say other countries are the same.

We were on holidays in Lanzorate for christmas, found staff a bit reserved and not that friendly, they asked where we were from and we said ireland, all smiles, said we thought you were English, we don't like English, drink too much and always trouble so possibly OP is experiencing this although totally not fair as obviously they are totally generalising, sad to say its not the first time this has been said to us over the years, just don't think English have a good reputation abroad which I agree is totally unfair

I actually only realised this recently and have started doing it - the french bloody love it I was amazed!

Please say how you look so British OP! I'm absolutely intrigued 😁

I am Scottish but I think this sort of niche geography is like arguing that the Netherlands isn't Holland (nobody else cares)

Great argument there. I've never experienced racism in the UK, and I've travelled all over. It must mean there is no racism on the UK at all

This isn’t British tourist it’s tourism in general as it is pricing people out of living in their home towns/ cities. People in Cornwall did something similar.

if you stay in a hotel opposed to an Air BnB you are often treated better.

I think some people really overestimate how much interest people in other countries have in British politics.

Big round face, constant mild rosacea flush, pale and pink and a fan of floral frocks. A big tum relative to the rest of me. A constantly anxious "God I'm so sorry" facial expression. There's probably more I don't realise.

Only just got back to the thread
I want to know what you said now 😂