If you've ever traveled abroad as an American, the chances are you know how it feels to be detected as one. It’s not that we hide it (in fact, we are prouder than anything else!) but sometimes you just wish you could blend in with the rest of the crowd and feel what it’s like to be treated as a local.
And all it takes is to step foot inside, for example, a “bar” in Italy and order a beer on tap, or worse, a cappuccino after 12, and here you've earned a bunch of eyerolls with a solid “where in America are you from?” But in order to find out what really gives Americans away in an instant, we have to look at what non-Americans have to say about their radars themselves.
So below we collected some of the most interesting responses to “How do you spot an American tourist ‘from a mile away’?” on “AskReddit” and wow, this is kinda weirdly specific.
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Americans are very loud, I swear you have loudhailers hidden in your clothes somewhere.
Over 40, the tourists tend to be more on the very overweight side, but the women still wear yoga pants and the men always have a combination of button up shirts and loose fitting cargo shorts. And both men and women wear baseball caps and Oakley's or sunglasses similar to that style; with white trainers.
Under 40, you're very friendly, in a way that's both endearing and creepy. When we chat I feel like I'm being indoctrinated into a cult.
I’m American and I really cannot stand how loud most people are here. I have a quiet voice and it’s considered some kind of a fault by some. It’s actually really stressful.
The way they dress. For some reason Americans abroad dress like they're doing some hard core exploring in the Amazon...even when they're just visiting a European city.
"Hey oh you're [Irish/Scottish/Italian/etc]! I'm [same] too!"
"Oh really? Whereabouts you from?"
"California. My great great great grandpappy was from here though!"
If you are so proud of your country, why do you still mention the origins of your ancestors?Sounds like a European saying he's a Celtic, a Roman or a Viking... (even if it was cool, tho)
Amazed by things which are more than 200 years old, presumably because they don't have many things that old in the USA.
Same in Australia. We once went to a “historic” attraction that people were really fawning over. It was from the 1950s, my mum is older than it 😆
Saying “hi, how are you?” to the barista, servers, retail workers. My country doesn’t quite have that culture so I find it really sweet.
when they cross the street, they expect cars to stop for them. in my country, the cars will run you down without thinking twice.
In the Netherlands pedestrians are legally protected into the extreme. If a driver collides with a pedestrians, the driver is always 100% at fault and liable. But even here pedestrians wait till it's safe to cross the street.
When they introduce themselves they never say they're from America: mostly the state/city they're from.
I remember I was a small kid in Tijuana. They were typically a lot more good looking than the local population. The girls were hot as hell. The Marines that would come around from San Diego looked like superheroes and made these other guys look like sh*t.
We'd get European tourists as well but the American ones looked bigger and kind of stronger. Especially the military guys, like something out of these Marvel comics, at least the ones in their twenties.
All buff, tall, etc.
The military tourists were always very friendly to me and made me want to be like them when I grew up, which is why I'm going to enlist in the USMC a few years after college, haha.
Very friendly, generous people, very funny too.
They complain that the portions at restaurants are too small.
You can hear them in museums when everyone else is extra silent.
In my experience, any combination of the following:
white socks
wearing a sun visor
Talking incredibly loud
Their phone will be on a belt loop
American teenagers are usually better at blending in however, so the trick with these guys is to wait until you're in a restaurant, at which point they'll make their presence known by complaining about the local food.
In terms of positives however, I find most American tourists are incredibly friendly and sociable, they usually have no problem talking to strangers and striking up a pleasant conversation, something we Europeans never do with each other (this is also another "tell", but it's one we should adopt).
The absolute fearlessness of asking anyone on the street about anything
Expecting everyone to speak English and/or not wanting to learn the local language.
They always look cheerful and are constantly smiling and seeming happy. Tourists from other places look more neutral or even unhappy.
How can you travel to another place and not be happy??? I'm with the Americans on this one!
They get over-excited over very ordinary events and say things like “OMG look that grass how green it is!
I find this very endearing to be honest. It's how children react and how we should all react in my opinion :)
I always felt embarrassingly underdressed when traveling in Europe.
On the flip side, as a native Arizonan I can always spot the European/English tourist because they will be bright red.
Many of the things we say loudly, includes many irrelevant details. In Israel, no one gives a f*ck about irrelevant details. “Yes” or “no” answers are of high value in middle eastern culture; but in American culture we like to tell you all about why something is or that our daughter got married last year or our cat has diabetes.
I didn’t know yes/no answers had high value in Middle Eastern culture. Interesting!
They’re looking for a store open at like 11pm. Even if in most European countries stores close at like 7-8 pm
American: "Can you imagine not being able to buy a microwave at 3 AM?" European: "Yes."
Americans think the world impressed by their city. No one cares that you’re from Las Vegas
And why do so many tourists visit Las Vegas or New York or California?
Tipping. Americans will try to tip everyone, even in countries where tipping isn't a thing/is considered a serious insult.
They're always asking for extra ice in their drinks.
I prefer my drinks at room temperature unless they're supposed to be hot.
They ask for ketchup no matter what they're eating.
They have impeccable facial hair. Maybe Americans get a trim before they go on holiday, but I'm always impressed by the tidy beards and mustaches.
dollars. God damn it, people - hit a money exchange before you hit the market. Especially in a country where hard currency was still illegal.
They’re the first to kick off when it’s a hot day and the Grade II listed hotel I work in doesn’t have air-conditioning.
Then they leave a bad review :( believe me, I would LOVE air con but we’re not allowed to change the building.
Why would you leave a 900 year old historical building intact, when you clearly can ruin the façade with air conditioners?
Their college t shirt, sweater or cap
We are morons about diet. Another American moved to where I lived. He preached about high protein diets, b*tched about how he couldn’t find fat free milk or pasteurized egg whites, in a country that specializes in high-fat cuisine.
I've lived in the USA for 18 years, originally from England. It's not really anything specific, and it's hard to explain but Americans have a certain attitude and way of holding themselves that's easily noticeable. They just seem more confident and at ease than other nations. You don't notice it at first, but it's easy to spot after you've lived here a while. Last time we were in England we stopped at a convenience store and two young Americans were sitting opposite, they hadn't spoken but we knew immediately.
My wife walked up:
"You here on vacation?"
"Oh.. yeah! Wow, how did you know?"
"Duh. Where are you from?"
Proudly. "We're from the USA"
"Oh, really honey? Where do you think I'm from?!"
Turns out they were from Ohio and the last thing they expected in some quiet British convenience store was to find someone from their home country.
My wife says I've never acquired it either, she can usually spot English people really quickly too.
They’re definitely more confident! I admire this about them (when it’s appropriate, not about arrogance or ignorant confidence). Me and my partner have discussed before: do they all go through some secret special confidence school at the age of 3 or is it genetic?!
Everyone else is freezing outside and then there's that American walking around in shorts as if it's nothing.
That would also be a Canadian on a southern university campus...
They ask things like 'what is that in degrees Fahrenheit?' 'How many miles?' and 'That's two pounds'???
Like Europeans ask "What's that in degrees Celsius" "How many Kilometers?" and "That's 1 KG?" when they're in the US.
In the UK, first-time American tourists look bewildered trying to navigate their rental car in busy roundabouts (traffic circles).
People in the UK are driving on the wrong side of the road, so that's understandable.
All the Americans I saw abroad always traveled as a family and had a MILLION bags, usually the mom would be carrying the largest/most.
Also, we are the only ones who would differentiate between different parts of the country. My European friends never understood why I always asked where in America another American was from. I guess they didn’t understand that people from California can be VERY different from Kentucky or Southern people, so you gotta know in order to judge this new person based on stereotypes.
The way they like to say "oh you call this X? We call that Y in America" or something along those lines
When being a tourist in US, I told my husband there was a queue to get to the toilet... the table next to me (locals) made fun of my choice of words (hahaha , queue, who says that). I speak Dutch, french and English and have a good notion of several other languages... I'm doing the best I can, people....
"Does that come with a side order of French Fries?"
This phrase and that sentence alone are so foreign here even if you faked an accent perfectly it would stand out.
i am Central African.
See, I didn't figure OP didn't know what French fries were. I figured he found it strange that Americans presume every meal comes with a side of fries. (Sorry, but fries at restaurants are kiddie food... familiar, comforting food when other food at a restaurant can be unfamiliar and therefore intimidating to children... but now generations of us Americans have grown up getting fries with dinner at restaurants.)
For some reason, American tourists in Norway always seem to be marveled at how technologically advanced Norway is. Read: how everywhere takes and prefers card, how chuggers that go about with those money jugs also have a sign with an account number you can send money to, how there's a lot of electric cars here, etc etc etc.
Also, they always seem to automatically assume that if you aren't norwegian, you're either a tourist, or, if you're middle eastern, a refugee. It's always a button annoying when you try to help some lost American couple find a stave church and they brush you off just because you have an Australian accent and are apparently a tourist who doesn't know the place like them even though you've lived in that area for ten years.
Footwear. Americans for some reason wear sneakers / running shoes when unnecessary. Also usually loud along with their accent, it's very distinct when heard abroad. Except some Canadians have a very similar accent. And dress, kind of hard to explain this one though. Usually unintentionally stand out when back home they'd blend in perfectly.
Just an American view on identitying other Americans overseas.
staring confusedly at the food you just ordered. Beef Stroganoff in a fancy restaurant doesn’t look like your Hamburger Helper version, and fish soup is traditionally served with the head still attached
If they have kids they say "Good job!" to them a lot
It's positive reinforcement! It encourages them to behave or strive to be better.
In Germany, I never realized how many other Americans wore baseball hats.
The huge American flag they are wearing usually gives it away
Hand-held fans, maybe because air conditioning is very common in the USA.
As a woman of a certain age, I find a hand held rechargeable fan necessary at times. I also hug an ice pack occasionally.
Look for the crocs, walking cane, Hawaiian shirt, shorts, wiiide hiker’s hat, and a map.
Asking for the bathroom in a restaurant or public place. Do you need to take a shower? No. What you're really looking for is the toilet.
He's politely letting an entire tour bus full of Chinese jump the line by pushing past him and his entire family.
Touching everything behind "Do not touch" sign.
That's what all tourists have in common. In the Netherlands Chinese tourists are notorious for trampling the tulip fields despite numerous signs telling them to stay out of the fields. One flower grower once said on TV that his fields looked like they had been attacked by a swarm of locusts if a bus with Chinese tourists had stopped at his place. He closed his fields for the public.
He/She/they will usually be the only that takes up the space where 2 people should be.
Easy joke aside, living in Switzerland i've noticed the american trends tend to be more blatant here. Things like popped collars, sunglasses even during the rain, obnoxiously loud talking in bars are usually a dead give away to me. Dont know why, but it seems that the US people living here are just generally stand out more compared to the rest
I mostly find them in the most visited beaches when I go for a vacation inside of my own country and a real easy tell there is that they're the most sun burnt around. Most of them look like a walking tomato.
They're usually tanned, and grinning ear to ear as they marvel loudly about some aspect of our culture. Also very likely to strike up conversation with any passer by, which many of the locals here (rural UK) find intimidating or annoying. Also their accents are super distinct, so if any of them ever talk at a normal volume level (jk that never happens) you can still hear them from a mile away.
They ask for to-go coffee cups. Everyone else in Europe sits and drinks their coffee, but Americans always seem to be in a rush so they take their coffee to go.
What? "Everyone else in Europe"? No no. In Greece we do it all the time
They pronounce things horribly and make zero attempt to say it correctly.
Most tourists aren't interested in the language or the culture of the country. They just go there because of the weather and cheap food and drink. A few of my Dutch friends have been going on holiday to Spain for 20 years. None of them have advanced beyond the point of "Dos cerveza, por favor." "Quanta costa?" and "Gracias." All said with a heavy Dutch accent.
The accent, you can usually hear an American tourist no matter how far they are from you.
They take their shoes off for airport security, even when there is a sign saying not to take shoes off.
In New Zealand, American hikers were the only ones with Nalgene water bottles.
They are little sweet, little shy & little soft spoken. They usually respect everyone around them. They take selfie with old age people. The best part is they apologize too much. Sometimes it feels like they are just scared to come to my country Vietnam.
This sounds like the opposite of American tourists tbh (to clarify, while I'm a kiwi, I have a tonne of USA friends who are nothing like this, and it's a generalization yadda-yadda) but here they tend to be very loud, anything but shy, come across too strong with compliments etc.
I've seen multiple American tourists here in Canada asking their partners "WhErEs tHe sNoW?" I really hope they were joking it was summer at the time.
I live in Toronto, and the most obvious sign of a tourist is turning around, seeing the CN Tower and trying to take a group selfie in front of it. Get off the sidewalk.
The same problem exists in the Netherlands with tourists on the bicycle path. Bicycle paths are painted red. They also have bicycles painted on them. It is not the best place to stand with your entire family for a photo. A crash course in swearing in Dutch will be your reward. And I will get downvotes but Dutch swear with diseases.
Back at it again BP. always ripping on Americans. Please find another group of people to disparage.
It's also total hypocrisy advocating for equality and against discrimination in some posts and then being guilty of it in others. Posts like this suggest that it's okay to discriminate or stereotype certain groups but not others.
Load More Replies...This makes me very nervous to travel to other countries. I would be afraid of insulting someone with my smile or my hello. As an American, I am very polite and happy. I love to ask questions. How am I supposed to learn of the country I wish to visit if I can't comfortably speak to a citizen there? If I wasn't interested in your country, I wouldn't visit it. Just my opinion.... I know every country is different and i respect that.
You are welcome to come over here. This is a stupid thread, that's why I posted nice things. This USA bashing is just stupid. Not all of us are like that.
Load More Replies...Thank goodness, haven’t seen one of these re-hashed articles in nigh on a fortnight. Can I get paid for one of these? Pretty sure I could do it from memory at this point ;)
Back at it again BP. always ripping on Americans. Please find another group of people to disparage.
It's also total hypocrisy advocating for equality and against discrimination in some posts and then being guilty of it in others. Posts like this suggest that it's okay to discriminate or stereotype certain groups but not others.
Load More Replies...This makes me very nervous to travel to other countries. I would be afraid of insulting someone with my smile or my hello. As an American, I am very polite and happy. I love to ask questions. How am I supposed to learn of the country I wish to visit if I can't comfortably speak to a citizen there? If I wasn't interested in your country, I wouldn't visit it. Just my opinion.... I know every country is different and i respect that.
You are welcome to come over here. This is a stupid thread, that's why I posted nice things. This USA bashing is just stupid. Not all of us are like that.
Load More Replies...Thank goodness, haven’t seen one of these re-hashed articles in nigh on a fortnight. Can I get paid for one of these? Pretty sure I could do it from memory at this point ;)