# Europe Forum > Travelling & Living in Europe >  The most annoying travellers poll...

## Cimmerianbloke

Below is TripAdvisor.com's Top 10 Most Annoying Travellers, from a 2008 survey of 8,931 travelers:

#01 - Americans @ 18%
#02 - French @ 12%
#03 - Germans @ 10%
#04 - British @ 6%
#05 - Chinese @ 6%
#06 - Russians @ 5%
#07 - Japanese @ 5%
#08 - Italians @ 5%
#09 - Indians @ 2%
#10 - Emiratees @1%

I could not find anything more recent. I love the gap between the US and the French though...

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## LeBrok

Interesting. Was there extra info "in what way" they were annoying?
General dislike of a nation, too many tourists from certain country, loud laughing, rude behaviour, cheap tippers?

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## Cimmerianbloke

I found the poll results on a travel photography blog, and the original poll is no more available on the TripAdvisor website, but I managed to find this, that was part of the original poll:

*Top Travel Annoyances* 

1. Children kicking your seat back 31% 
2. Rude seat recliners 21% 
3. Loud mobile phone conversations 16% 
4. Passengers taking too long to stow overhead baggage 12% 
5. People getting up before the seatbelt sign is off 5% 
6. Armrest hogs 4% 
7. Passengers consuming smelly food 4% 
8. Travellers blocking moving walkways 3% 
9. “Shoulder surfers” reading over your shoulder 1% 
10. People wandering in front of airport service carts 1%

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## Monsieur Ennui

I've noticed that American and French tourists both seem to speak rather loudly in their native tongues about other people. I know Americans do this, thinking no one understands English. When I was in Barcelona, I stayed in a hostel room with 11 French people. They were gossiping about me and America, thinking I could not understand (I played "dumb American", communicating only in broken Spanish and English while there. I kept French in my back pocket only if needed in an emergency.) On my last day there I struck up conversation with the girl in the bunk below me, in French. She was rather shocked that I could speak any other language then she told me she couldn't stand my accent.

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## JFWR

> Below is TripAdvisor.com's Top 10 Most Annoying Travellers, from a 2008 survey of 8,931 travelers:
> 
> #01 - Americans @ 18%
> #02 - French @ 12%
> #03 - Germans @ 10%
> #04 - British @ 6%
> #05 - Chinese @ 6%
> #06 - Russians @ 5%
> #07 - Japanese @ 5%
> ...


Germans are pretty obnoxious when they come to America for tourism. When I've been in Europe, I've disliked the Chinese tourists the most.

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## Maciamo

Here in Belgium, American and the Japanese tourists and expats have the reputation for being 'high maintenance', and asking much more questions about every little practical detail than anybody else (instead of trying to find out by themselves). I am pretty sure that is because the USA and Japan are *service societies*, and people there are *used to have everything done for them* by professionals. Europeans are very different in that regard, much more independent-minded. Whether they are from the north or the south, from west or the east, Europeans don't vary much on this point. Europeans prefer to do things themselves than to have to pay for someone to do it for them. That's why relocation services in Europe are mostly for Americans, Japanese, and perhaps other Asians (China, India, Emirates).

American and Japanese tourists to Europe are also much more likely to *travel in groups* (organised tours) than by themselves. Once again, the service society... I noticed that people travelling in group (whatever the nationality) tend to be noisier (individually) and care less about locals and local sensitivities, probably because *they feel protected by the group and form a sort of 'cultural bubble' impervious to their surrounding*. Someone travelling alone will have to "fit in", to observe locals and try to speak the country's language. Within a group of compatriots with a guide doing the communication with the locals for you, you can behave just like in your country and not care about where you are.


As far as individual travellers are concerned, I have noticed that the Americans and the French are much more likely to complain about all sorts of things. This is something that they also do a lot in their country (the French are _râleurs_* by nature). But it may also be due to the fact that they both regard their culture as superior to anybody else, and consequently feel entitled to tell others how they should do things. 

The Italians tend to compare everything to Italy and are a bit too set in their ways and habits, which makes them rather inflexible when travelling abroad.

The Indians can be annoying because they like to negotiate for everything and take their time to make a decision. They are usually not very familiar with European cultures and are more likely to break cultural conventions and taboos (but not as much as the Chinese, who really live on their own planet).


* there isn't a proper English translation. Grumpy, complaining about everything all the time.

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## Maciamo

> I found the poll results on a travel photography blog, and the original poll is no more available on the TripAdvisor website, but I managed to find this, that was part of the original poll:
> 
> *Top Travel Annoyances* 
> 
> 1. Children kicking your seat back 31% 
> 2. Rude seat recliners 21% 
> 3. Loud mobile phone conversations 16% 
> 4. Passengers taking too long to stow overhead baggage 12% 
> 5. People getting up before the seatbelt sign is off 5% 
> ...


So that's essentially an poll about aeroplane passengers, not travellers in the main sense of the word.

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## Yetos

The most annoying travellers are the one who travel with out a wash, 
are the one who travel not for tourism, journey, fun but for other reasons,
and have the demand to know their culture,

the most annoying hosts are the ones who know that you speak 2-3 languages but not their own, and no matter they speak the other languages they want you to speak their own,

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## hope

Two things not listed, but which I find very annoying are, passengers who use too much heavy perfume or aftershave and fill the cabin with the scent for the duration of flight. Second, and worse, are those who see you travelling alone and insist on "bringing" you into their conversation, chat non-stop for three hours and make you feel obliged to nod and smile at the right point of said conversation.

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## JFWR

> Here in Belgium, American and the Japanese tourists and expats have the reputation for being 'high maintenance', and asking much more questions about every little practical detail than anybody else (instead of trying to find out by themselves). I am pretty sure that is because the USA and Japan are *service societies*, and people there are *used to have everything done for them* by professionals. Europeans are very different in that regard, much more independent-minded. Whether they are from the north or the south, from west or the east, Europeans don't vary much on this point. Europeans prefer to do things themselves than to have to pay for someone to do it for them. That's why relocation services in Europe are mostly for Americans, Japanese, and perhaps other Asians (China, India, Emirates).
> 
> American and Japanese tourists to Europe are also much more likely to *travel in groups* (organised tours) than by themselves. Once again, the service society... I noticed that people travelling in group (whatever the nationality) tend to be noisier (individually) and care less about locals and local sensitivities, probably because *they feel protected by the group and form a sort of 'cultural bubble' impervious to their surrounding*. Someone travelling alone will have to "fit in", to observe locals and try to speak the country's language. Within a group of compatriots with a guide doing the communication with the locals for you, you can behave just like in your country and not care about where you are.
> 
> 
> As far as individual travellers are concerned, I have noticed that the Americans and the French are much more likely to complain about all sorts of things. This is something that they also do a lot in their country (the French are _râleurs_* by nature). But it may also be due to the fact that they both regard their culture as superior to anybody else, and consequently feel entitled to tell others how they should do things. 
> 
> The Italians tend to compare everything to Italy and are a bit too set in their ways and habits, which makes them rather inflexible when travelling abroad.
> 
> ...


In the US, the Germans tend to react in a way you describe. Excluding perhaps their penchant for renting motorcycles in some areas of the country. Also, the Chinese in the European areas I've been.

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## Cimmerianbloke

> Here in Belgium, American and the Japanese tourists and expats have the reputation for being 'high maintenance', and asking much more questions about every little practical detail than anybody else (instead of trying to find out by themselves). I am pretty sure that is because the USA and Japan are *service societies*, and people there are *used to have everything done for them* by professionals. Europeans are very different in that regard, much more independent-minded. Whether they are from the north or the south, from west or the east, Europeans don't vary much on this point. Europeans prefer to do things themselves than to have to pay for someone to do it for them. That's why relocation services in Europe are mostly for Americans, Japanese, and perhaps other Asians (China, India, Emirates).
> 
> American and Japanese tourists to Europe are also much more likely to *travel in groups* (organised tours) than by themselves. Once again, the service society... I noticed that people travelling in group (whatever the nationality) tend to be noisier (individually) and care less about locals and local sensitivities, probably because *they feel protected by the group and form a sort of 'cultural bubble' impervious to their surrounding*. Someone travelling alone will have to "fit in", to observe locals and try to speak the country's language. Within a group of compatriots with a guide doing the communication with the locals for you, you can behave just like in your country and not care about where you are.
> 
> 
> As far as individual travellers are concerned, I have noticed that the Americans and the French are much more likely to complain about all sorts of things. This is something that they also do a lot in their country (the French are _râleurs_* by nature). But it may also be due to the fact that they both regard their culture as superior to anybody else, and consequently feel entitled to tell others how they should do things. 
> 
> The Italians tend to compare everything to Italy and are a bit too set in their ways and habits, which makes them rather inflexible when travelling abroad.
> 
> ...


Spot on... I've been a hotel receptionist for 10 years now, I come to the same conclusions.

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## RosenBlues

Fascinating observation. Does age play any role in the matter?

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## Cambrius (The Red)

Americans from Texas.

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## errantbit

Tricky ranking.Some societies can afford to travel around the world more than others.

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## Cambrius (The Red)

Americans from the south or Texas are especially annoying on international flights ... loud.

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## InMotion

I don't know much about Americans but I have some experience with Britain people and man they can be some loud crowd.

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## ebAmerican

A sure sign an American traveler will be annoying - look at their shoes. If he/she is wearing tennis shoes (dressed down) watch out, lol. When ever I travel abroad I try to look stylish, and fit in with the culture. The younger generation of American travelers, I believe, have a better understanding of European etiquette. I do agree with Maciamo on American tourist groups, or any tourist groups. They are obnoxious. In my opinion, the Asian Tourist groups are 100 times worst then any American group. I was in Lucerne Switzerland and this tourist group of Asians (30 people) were looking at the Lion Monument and this little old Asian woman made the most horrible chocking noise before letting loose the nastiest loogie on the ground in front of everybody. I was jaw dropped by the lack of decency.

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## InMotion

I dont want to be rude but I have had some really bad experiences with Asian people, you can explain same thing 1000 times and they still dont get it.

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## alayka

Annoying travelers include little children, people who talk loudly on mobile phones, passengers eating smelly food etc

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