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 don't care about being labelled British but I just don't recognise this 'Brit' stereotype where I grew up, who I am married to and who my friends are. Perhaps if you do grow up in quintessential England then yes, there is a commonality you recognise but those aren't my cultural references and I do think that is a bit exclusive I.e a Brit looks like this otherwise they aren't a Brit. Equally, I do have Danish family so TBF it's quite an accurate guess.

No, not the case! I've been skiing in Chamonix, Courcheval and Les Arbes, among other ski resorts - they're beautiful places with great people! The hotel staff couldn't do enough for us and the ESF instructors were the best I've come across.
Courcheval is just perfect 👌

Was supposed to add, I really don't think you'd distinguish me as a Brit in comparison with my Danish family at all!

I am British but living in Sweden and I have seen the protests in news here. I didn't take it as 'anti British'. It was reported here (or how I read it) that the protesters in Spain were complaining about the rise in general tourism and lack of rental properties/near impossibility of getting on the property ladder. Many former rental properties have been turned in to AirBNB type operations.

Even Brighton Council has discussed the AirBNB saturation in the city centre and local families are priced out. It hasn't got as far as firing water pistols though.

We went to Spain last summer , and the year before. absolutely did not feel this at all. Everyone was friendly and welcoming

We've booked again this year 😆

I'm sorry if you get that.

Unfortunately there's ignorant shites in every country 🙄

It’s ironic that you won’t answer a certain type of posts OP, and also that you complain of racism towards you from the “Europeans”, yet your last two posts have included:

• A ganso / gansa “joke” that you may have used in an attempt to be funny, when it’s anything but to a native Spanish speaker. It comes across as mocking, when you consider your previous words in that same post.
• Saying that the French make fun of you for your politeness and that makes their appreciation of good manners (such as saying good morning), somewhat cynical.

Have you lived in Spain or France for you to have this level of confidence about what the French and Spanish think, do or say? There are people who behave appallingly to tourists, yes. In every country. That doesn’t mean you have to call someone rude for using “what!?” in his interactions with you at a bakery.

I live in a Mediterranean, touristy country. I have used - and had said to me - the equivalent of “what!?” by various customer-facing staff members today in shops, a restaurant and the train station. It’s how we speak. Nobody is being rude. You can’t travel to a country then expect everybody to treat you just like they would at home. Perhaps their cultural norms are different… have a think about that.

Nope, OP. I’m another who hasn’t experienced it. Quite the opposite. If I notice anything, it’s a sense of pity.

I've lived and worked in Paris (twice actually) and have never come across the French making fun of the Brits for being polite. And that includes when I was the only non-French person in my Paris office. "La politesse" is incredibly important in France.

But then I'm Northern. So we say good morning etc when we walk in a shop anyway. It would be rude not to, regardless of country! And yes, I apply the same rule where I live in central London. And usually get excellent service as a result.

@RobinHood19 I agree with you, for what it's worth. OP isn't coming across well on here.

What's mocking about ganso/ gansa?

DD and I were in Valencia in the summer and honestly everyone was so lovely and friendly and helpful.
Felt no anti-British sentiment at all. Very welcoming.

And highly recommend Valencia as a city break-fab!!

Just come home from a week in Malaga - met some lovely people - no issues at all - I try and use as much Spanish as I can and use Google translate when I’m stuck
Big praise for the taxi driver who spent ages trying to track us down and drove an hour out of his way to return DPs lost mobile - then took us to the airport and wouldn’t accept a big tip on top of his fare

That's lovely, isn't it?

Always flummoxed by these comments. It's absolutely the norm in the UK too to greet staff on entering premises / when you approach them. I would never walk up to a member of staff and bark out an order without a greeting first, whether at a counter, on a shop floor or restaurant and always thank staff when leaving too.

Eh? French people really don't, as a broad brush stereotype, think that British people are too polite. Brits do have a reputation for avoiding direct confrontation and for smiling & complimenting insincerely (which is seen as being more of an American thing which has caught on a bit in Britain). What constitutes good manners varies by culture, obviously, but French people do not tend to think that the British are obsessed with please and thank you.

In France you are expected to call out hello when you first enter a (small) shop or department, before your turn at the counter. In the UK, you're expected to wait until your official interaction begins before greeting staff.

YABU.

I genuinely am baffled at this British obsession that everyone hates you. Is it complete lack of self confidence? Or is it megalomania? I do not understand.

For clarity: we do not hate you.

Seincerely,
The foreigners

@RobinHood19

Oh the "what?" instead of "sorry?", such nostalgia! It must feel quite intimidating to be honest but that's not intentional 🤣😬🙈
(I'm Greek 😬)

And of course I had to make a typo 🤬

Interesting.
I think unless you were on a beach in Spain where activists targeted, you simply came across a stressed unhappy shopkeeper.

But here's a thought worth considering :

Most non English speakers cannot tell if you are British, Irish, American, Australian or Austrian/German/italian/Spanish/Korean speaking English.

So they are friendly or not friendly but all they know about you (unless you are wearing a union jack t-shirt) is that you are communicating in English. But they really cannot tell (nor do they mostly care) if you are German or English.

Don't despair! In Paris you'll get a lot of staff who are too rushed to bother to try to understand mediocre French (not to be rude to you, just in general). They're under pressure to get their job done and it would be quicker for all concerned to just switch to English. If you feel confident enough that you can manage in French, just answer them in French and eventually they might give in! Outside of big tourist areas you're much more likely to get staff who are more relaxed and will let you have a go. And also many staff who just don't speak fluent English and would prefer to let you make the effort.

I am bilingual in French and English. If I'm in France speaking English with my family, I will sometimes get staff who address us in English, and on occasion (always in Paris!) have been quite insistent with this even when they can hear that my French is a lot better than their English. It's rare though; most people will cave in and answer in the language the customer chooses.

I don't find that at all but I guess it depends where you go. If it's resort in a holiday area, I find a lot of the staff are from elsewhere anyway, not necessarily the EU.

I agree with you OP. The other tourists hate us as well. 😂I'm just overly nice to everyone now and kill them with kindness. I think that pisses them off more. 😈