A changed view of packing & planning:

Thank you, i have voiced my opinion on this topic before but not as eloquently as you just did.

I completely agree. My German friends find it hilarious when I tell them some of what is reported on travel sites, including this one, about not wearing shorts, tops with words, athletic shoes, etc.

Somehow somewhere along the way being a tourist became a bad thing - not sure why. Sure there are rude tourists but they are the exception - not the rule.

Wear what you want
Use your manners
Learn the polite words in the local language
Have a good time

Yep, it's pretty amazing what people worry about, attire-wise. I wear my everyday stuff and try to be polite and quiet. My boyfriend's tan zip-off pants from REI, paired with his cobalt blue Brooks running shoes and his purple Torrey Pines golf course shirts have traveled the world, and if people are laughing at us, it's behind our backs so we can't see it anyways:)

Pretty well said. You have gone to Istanbul, you are obviously "western" and you are walking through the Sultanahmet; you are on the Charles Bridge in Prague and you aren't hawking some gizmo and you don't have your hand in some one else's pocket, you have a $500 camera strapped around your neck, you are pulling your pants down to get to your money belt; & you are worried about the clothing giving you away? Funny. Actually in a lot of the places I have traveled, the fact that I look like a tourist has provided the opportunities to meet people.

The one Tourist dress exception that I do hold to is that of dressing appropriately for the event or venue. I can spot the tourists at the Opera for instance. They are the ones in the t-shirts and tennis shoes; the local inhabitants are the ones in sports coats and ties (or better).

Learn the polite words in the local language

Careful. Some (same?) would advise not speaking with strangers to avoid scams.

Even the "GURU" himself admitted in one of his last videos on what he took during his last trip that he never even wore his famous khaki pants. He said he wore jeans every day.

As James stated, you want to dress for the occasion. Trying not to dress like a "tourist" is much wider as there are now tourists from all over the world dressing any which way they want.

Dress comfortably. Respect customs of proper dress such as in houses of worship. Be yourself.

How you act is more important than what you wear. And in regards to Americans being loud...ha.....I heard very loud conversations in many different languages and with many different English accents.

As I have previously posted, my husband loves to wear his colorful Hawaiian print shirts from our local Costco in Southern California whenever we travel. Talking about being a walking billboard as a tourist. We are also Asian, so people often think we are from Hawaii. It is a great conversation starter. So far (gratefully), we have never been a target of any crime - other than being overcharged for a taxi ride to the train station in Prague, but that would have probably happened even without the Hawaiian shirt. Last month, as we were explaining to our French Airbnb hosts about how we are not supposed to wear white athletic shoes among other things because that would be dead give away that we were American tourists, they each pulled up one of their pants legs and raised one foot up to the table to show us they were both wearing white athletic shoes and we had a long laugh.

Your post is a very articulate reminder of good travel practices, and hopefully some newer travellers will find it useful. I've never subscribed to the idea of "dressing like a local" so they can't tell I'm a tourist. What a lot of rubbish! As you said the locals can usually tell who the tourists are so wear what's comfortable. I don't wear blue jeans during travel for pragmatic reasons - they're just too hot for the time of year I usually travel, and take too long to dry after washing.

How you act is more important than what you wear.

AMEN

And in regards to Americans being loud...ha.....I heard very loud
conversations in many different languages and with many different
English accents

I am sort of on the fringe of a tourist business but it does allow me to get reports on which nationalities are looked upon with enthusiasm and which are dreaded. Despite this bizarre need for Americans to be self deprecating the edge of the business I am associated does not put Americans anywhere near the bottom of the list when it comes to appropriate behavior and politeness.

I grew up in Charleston, SC which is a very touristed city. All the tourists looked like me, spoke the same language (usually with the same accent), and dressed like me. Nevertheless, it was easy to spot the tourists because they are the people at the touristy places, with the maps, cameras, and doing touristy things like eating at the touristy restaurants.

The take home: if a guy from Georgia can be marked easily as a tourist in South Carolina, then you have no hope of blending in in Paris.

The good news: No one cares if you are a tourist. It's not a dirty word.

I think the fear of "looking like a tourist" comes from most people's desire to 1. not become the target of scammers/thieves and 2. not be one of those obnoxious tourists that embarrass us.

In my experience, being recognized as a tourist can be an advantage. More often than not, people are happy to share their city, culture and stories with you. I certainly don't mind giving directions or restaurant recommendations in my hometown and have had interesting conversations with travellers in the park or in the pool at the spa.

I don't worry about what others think when I travel, I just try to be myself. In fact, I find it funny when I am mistaken for a local. Last summer, I sheepishly apologized (in English) to a man for not understanding his Swiss-German. Then he apologized to my husband and I for assuming that we were Swiss because we were so polite. Not long after, I was sitting on a seaside rock in Newfoundland, knitting and enjoying the sun and the gentle sound of the waves when a tourist asked if he could take my photo. He wanted a photo of a Newfoundlander doing traditional crafts. I smiled sweetly and let him take my picture.

Oh Maggie, cute story! I guess Newfoundland will have to annex Moose Jaw!

Aside from visiting over 70 countries in the World, I have lived overseas for 9 years. Living in Germany, I eventually purchased some clothing items that Germans would purchase and I occasionally would have people come up to me talking in German, thinking that I was German.

Still, I find it easy to guess, within about a 90% correct where a person is from, based on their clothes, teeth, shoes and hair style.

Of course, it is hard sometimes to tell someone from Belgium vs. Netherlands or Austria vs. Germany.

Tourists stand out like a lighthouse to a mariner, with guidebooks, cameras, as well as American style clothes or hair styles.

It used to be some years ago that just looking at the shoes was a big one. Italians, Spanish, French and Germans just didn't wear athletic shoes unless they were doing something athletic. That is not true anymore, although it is still somewhat true.

My view is don't worry about looking like a tourist, but be prepared so pickpockets will not get your wallet or purse.

As for talking loudly, that is true of Americans, especially compared to people that speak a Romance Language. However, Germans tend to be loud as well.

As for being polite, most Europeans are relatively polite, but the British are the most polite and Germans are the least.

I maintain that the maxim, "Wear what you want, no one cares" is mostly true but not 100% true. As evidenced by the time I saw an Australian couple in shorts and t-shirts get rudely ejected by the maitre d' at a classy Brussels brasserie when they asked for a table.

And some clothing choices are just too far beyond the pale. One November in Mainz I saw an American couple get off the train I was on; the guy was wearing athletic shorts. Athletic shorts in Germany in November? Just... no.

Hi,

Thanks for the post. On "how little any of that matters."....how so true. I don't make an effort to blend in , what ever that means. In the past I was more concerned with that. no longer relevant or important. Now I travel with tourist written all over me, ie, come off as a tourist, wearing my white sneakers (Nikes), but no caps/hats or shorts, and day packs. Yes, the locals know you are tourist unless you can speak the local language flawlessly with no betraying accent.

I still make the argument that there is a difference between blending in and standing out. While we don't completely blend in but we do a decent job of it, we don't want to be that couple that screams TOURIST because of their clothing and behavior.

I have only been to Frankfurt and only overnight to catch a connecting flight, but I had to chime in on the Germans being the least polite comments. Everyone we came into contact with was polite and friendly that night and partial day. But that is not where I garner my opinions of Germans from. I am a secretary in a senior secondary school in a city in British Columbia. Every year we host 20+ German students ranging in age from 14-18. We have met some of their parents, and yes, we even hosted a German girl for a full school year. I can say not a single one of those German students has ever been rude or disrespectful to any of our staff at the school or students - they are soooo polite! Quite the opposite, our student population can be quite excluding of welcoming these kids to Canada. Part of that problem is Germans we have found, can be quite reserved and introverted especially given a new situation. The German girl we hosted was the loveliest, most respectful, delightful young woman a family could ever have the pleasure of hosting! Her family was very polite and friendly also, her mother was shy and reserved, but still polite. One of the funniest stories she told us was they are taught to not make eye contact with strangers. So taking full advantage of this knowledge the next time we were in an elevator with her, he got on the elevator, faced everyone on the elevator and asked everyone if they were having a good day! When we all got off the elevator, she couldn't stop laughing! So perhaps it is a misconception that Germans aren't polite - perhaps as a culture they are just more reserved than we North Americans and need more time to warm up to us!

No matter what you do, even if you think you speak fluent ______ and know the culture. You can be sure people will recognize you as a tourist - so don't worry about it.

I focus on dressing appropriately - modestly at churches, semi-nice at nicer restaurants or performances, casual when appropriate - rather than trying to look like I'm not a tourist. I also bring clothes that are good for travel and accept that I may not have the perfect shirt, shoe or jacket for every occasion. People are fine as long as you make an effort. It should go without saying not to show up at a nice restaurant wearing shorts and flip flops.

As far as being an ugly-American. It's not about being self-deprecating; it's about being polite. Start conversations with hello. Americans are unusual in that we'll start a conversation, even with a stranger, without saying hello, please, excuse me sir or maam. We go straight to, "Do you know where _______ is?" That's considered rude in most of the world and is easily remedied.

While I've never been unduly concerned about clothes while traveling, I used to make more of an effort to make sure I had appropriate clothes for certain situations. So, for example, I used to bring a sport coat along, which maybe got one use during a trip. Those days are long gone.

About 15 years ago we were staying at a gite in a small village in France that had a restaurant next door that had a well-known reputation in the area. All week long I saw well-dressed business people going there for lunch, and similarly for dinner. We had a reservation for dinner for our last night, and I was a little concerned because all I had to wear were jeans (which at least were clean) and casual shirts. We had an early reservation, and my better-dressed wife went in ahead of me. We were the first ones seated, and as the other diners arrived I noticed that every man was wearing jeans. The only one in the place that was dressed up was the maitre'd. Oh, and the meal was one of the best I've ever had.

I agree with Travelbug. When we were in Rome a few years ago, my teen daughter needed a new pair of everyday walking shoes. We went to a Footlocker in the Prati area just down the street from the Vatican and she bought a very bright pastel orange pair of New Balances. I was a little worried how much they stuck out.. But as we walked around, we noticed all kinds of outlandish shoes on others. On a subway ride, a young Roman girl was wearing the exact same shoes and said to her something along the lines of "buono scarpe"!

Brad, I guess you missed my point. In general American tourists are not the dreaded tourists. The only place I ever hear "ugly Americans" is in discussion between Americans.

In the part of the world and in the travel business that I am associated with. There are nationalities that are somewhat dreaded and Americans aren't in that group.

No, I don't think Americans are the most dreaded tourists. The worst I've seen from Americans is yelling across a station to their families, "THE TRAIN'S OVER HERE!" or talking very loudly in restaurants. That induces some winces but it's not nearly as bad as some other behavior.

The most preventable problem is our natural tendency to skip pleasantries. Most Europeans see that as odd, some see it as rude. We just have to remind ourselves to start every conversation with hello, please, excuse me and use sir or ma'am when appropriate.

Brad's post reminded me of a conversation I overhead years ago while riding the train. Nearby Americans from almost the largest state in America were loudly bemoaning just about all aspects of traveling in Europe. I wanted to hide. Maybe Rick's advice has been internalized as in the past few years, I notice more non-Americans being rude (verbally, physically) when in Europe.

If you understood one of a dozen other languages you might have the same experience, just not involving an American. But, yes I agree, we have forgotten many of the pleasantries. I think it may also be a generational issue. Still, as often as not, we leave a country with new friends that we go back and visit and who at times come and visit us. Those are the experiences that color my opinion and to some degree I expect other Americans to be similar to us. Still, just so we don't beat ourselves up too much, my associates are thrilled when it's an American tourist vs a few other nationalities, so despite the obvious short comings we aren't doing so bad.