How do they always know I'm an American?

They will know about 98% of the time. And that's fine, after all, we are Americans, what would be the reason for wanting to hide it? Many things "betray" us: Brand or style of shoes and other clothing, brand or style of accessory bag, camera, guidebook, map, way of handing eating utensils, etc.Now, the word on the street is that it's different for our friends, on this board, living in the Frozen Northern Regions of North America (and I'm not talking Minnesota)--apparently, they're better than us at blending in (sigh). So we need tips from North of the Border on how we can, at the very least, be mistaken for Canadians.:)

lol so true. No matter what you do, they will know. I have been in Paris for 5 weeks and only twice has someone thought I was French. Funnily enough, I walked onto the metro today and there was a couple sitting across from me, sitting quietly and I knew immediately they were American. I don't know why. I could just tell. I can spot Americans a mile away on sidewalks. They're not being "ugly", I can just tell by the way they dress. I can tell by the way they carry themselves. I can't seem to hide either =)

Maybe it's that American flag lapel button you wear. Or maybe it is the "I am an American" tatoo on you forehead. Or the American city decals on you luggage.

I don't think it has to be true that you are immediately recognised as an American. I have gone into plenty of German restaurants and had the waiter come up and greet me in German, but never in English. Of course, as soon as I return the greeting, I am asked if I want an English menu, but they don't seem to know I am American until then.

There are an amazing number of cultural clues that give you away, and you are oblivious to. I think too that Europeans in general have a sense of nationality on their radars as a result of history, that they are better at detecting these clues. Much might be said about us Americans picking up on Easterners, Southerners, Midwesterners, etc...and of course those of the frozen North Ken mentioned. That said, I am as often pegged as German as American, especially in Italy, Greece, and Spain. This is probably due to my heritage and dress and comes in handy if I find myself doing something particularly rude ;)

Expanding on what Kent wrote, and giving a contrary example: When you walk through New York City, you probably wear work clothes, you probably walk with a sense of purpose rather than gradually strolling and looking around at everything, you probably never go to places like Time Square or Radio City Music Hall. See what I'm getting at? I'm sure very few Parisians slowly stroll down the Champs Elysee or hang out in front of the Louvre either.

Oh, and in restaurants, the way you hold your cutlery is a dead giveaway of your nationality.

My wife, who is Belgian, finds it funny when certain American tourists (usually females) think they can blend in by wearing the correct clothes. She likens it to if she tried to blend in in the US by wearing a cowboy hat and aloha shirt.

In our travels, we have regularly been mistaken for locals, especially in Paris. I think most people have no idea where you're from unless you look like a complete stereotype. Last summer in Spain, my daughter and her Madrid (former exchange student)friend told a group of overly friendly Spanish college age boys boys on a train that they were both American tourists. Elena speaks with such a heavy Spanish accent that no American would possibly be fooled. But the Spanish boys bought their story, totally assuming that neither spoke any Spanish. For the next hour, they proceeded make dirty remarks and pretty much sexually harass them, until Elena got a phone call from her father, who only speaks Spanish. Suddenly, both girls started speaking fluent Spanish to each other and the boys were just horrifed and embarrassed after everything they'd said. You'd think the Spanish would be able to recognize someone who looks very Spanish (in our opinion) and speaks with their same accents! In today's world, anyone can be from anywhere, especially those from a Melting Pot country like America. Maybe the assumption is made that someone is American because we come from a wealthy country where a such large number of people have had the luxury of travel.

We've had several instances as lee

One of them was..

I was in Paris for 2 weeks and every morning went to the same bakery to order our croissants ..(well, the ones we had 1st thing in the morning) :)

I always greeted them Bonjour, deux croissants si vous plait ..paid for them and said Merci.

this went on for 8 days straight...

On the 9th day, 2 of my fellow Americans were in line behind me, trying to figure out the description each pastry as obviously it's in french

I said hello to them and explained pomme and ouef and then the shop owner who I had been greeting for 8 days said shocked...

Your AMERICAN?! I thought you were French!
Keep in mind,this is the most french I know outside of other basic words for survival

To be percieved as a native just made my day!!!!!

I'd like to put in my two cents, if I may, as an European.
What gives most Americans away to me and other Europeans, is not so much the dress (unless they really are wearing shorts in the city, T-shirts or US flag pins, OR are decked out from head to toe in travel gear ;-) it is the body language! Tourists from other countries have cameras too, so that's NOT it!

So it really does come down to a type of radar, I suppose!

Americans seem to have an entirely different body language than Europeans. I am not sure how to describe it right, but for example, Americans will keep a much greater personal distance, and I think many first time visitors from the US are unprepared of how close we Europeans get to each other physically, and in what close proximity we live to one another. We have our formality to deal with this physical closeness and to respect our private sphere. We are very polite to each other and very comfortable with being almost on top of each other, but usually don't make small-talk. When we do talk about something on the train or in public situations, it is because we really care to and want to.

I could write a book on this topic, because I had culture shock about this for quite a while after I came to the US! It took me a while to figure out that 'How are you' is just a greeting, not a prompt to actually tell people about it, and that Americans often drew away not because I smelled funny, but because I was getting too close to them.

So, when I encounter people with a little force-field around them, good guess it's one of you guys ;-))

But some Americans ease into this really quickly, and it has happened to me too a few times, that I didn't pick up on it right away!

I think perhaps part of the reason is simply that one may appear a bit apprehensive when going into a shop (just to use an example) or somewhere that they haven't been to before and may not be used to procedures, protocol etc. which would mark them as a tourist. Just to use an example, I remember the first time I stopped into a British pub and sitting at a table (as opposed to the bar) and wondering why the waitress was taking so long to come over and take my order, until I finally realized that I needed to order my drink at the bar and bring it back to the table myself. I'm guessing people can pick up on things like this rather quickly. Honestly, I'm not sure why people are concerned about "blending in" to such an extent. Of course I would want to wear the same type attire as most of the locals in a pub, restaurnat etc. but I'm not going to fool anyone anyway (once I open my mouth) so why try. In fact, if I go somewhere by myself I often deliberately being a tour book with me. When (or if) someone notices it, it oftens breaks the ice so to speak and they often reply with "Oh, your American?, Where are you from specifically?" sometimes followed by "So, why are you in Germany?" (or wherever). It's a good conversation starter which I try to use to my advantage.

It's not a big deal really, I know I'm going to "fool" anyone anyway and why should I try?

Steve,
I am of one opinion with you!

I believe it is perfectly alright to be who you are, American, Canadian, Australian, whatever nationality!

My basic mantra to American travelers is, and always was:
make sure to dress appropriately for visiting churches (covered arms and legs), and consider that Europeans don't wear shorts in the city or out to eat.

If you do, nobody will faint at your sight, but you DO might feel a little uncomfortable.

Other than that: whatever floats your boat!
You are traveling, you are American. It IS okay!

Steve,
your posts really make me smile.

I remember very well MY little faux pas after coming to America:

like heading straight for a table (being seated in Europe is rare), and sitting down at a table where people were already sitting at: oh HORROR! lol!

or being constantly OVERDRESSED for just about every occasion, save a concert or formal dinner.

It goes both ways ;-))

"It took me a while to figure out that 'How are you' is just a greeting"

Don't worry Corrina, I still don't know how to answer that one. Growing up in the Northeast, it's more typical to great people with a simple "Hello". It avoids those awkward moments when someone really is having a bad day.

Can't speak for the ladies, but for the men I believe it's demeanour, the way one walks and carries oneself.

During WW2 when the Belgian and French underground/escape organizations were helping downed Allied airmen escape occupied Europe to Spain, their biggest problem was having the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand flyers "act" Belgian and French. Speaking the language wasn't a problem, they passed their "charges" off as deaf and mute. Papers and documents, no problem; the forgeries were almost perfect.

The underground escape lines often spent days teaching the men how to "carry themselves" when out in public. The boys were taken by their guides to eat at restaurants/cafes frequented by the German military, took trams and trains with their 'helpers', and as long as they kept their mouths shut and acted "European" there'd generally be no problems.

I've read countless 'evader/escaper' documents and many tell of being instructed to slow down when walking, not be so 'purposeful', to stay within your bubble and keep others out to the extent possible.

IMO, those of us from the Colonies and the UK still do many of the simple things 'differently' than those on the Continent; and thank God for that, one of the reasons for travelling.

Corinna, You are so right about personal space. We have very good friends from Sweden who lived in this country for 10 years. I still remember the first time the wife came to our house. I sat down on the couch, and she sat down right beside me. (It was just the two of us.) I couldn't stand it. I was so uncomfortable I couldn't even carry on a conversation. Finally, I thought of an excuse to get up -- to get a drink of water or something -- and when I came back in the room, I sat in another chair. I really hoped she didn't perceive it as rude, but I just could not sit there with her so close to me. It gave me the creeps, even though she was and is an absolutely lovely person.

as one of your northern neighbours, Im happy to offer up tips for any instances where you might rather be mistaken for a Canadian. Smile incessantly, apologize for everything and be sure to end all your sentences with "eh". Never complain, and thank everyone, even police officers handing out speeding or parking tickets. You too can be an honourary Canuck!

Having spent time with tourists from all over, I can definitely play "spot the tourist."

They're the ones who are very observant of the sights around them...while a native, who has seen them hundreds of times, will walk right past without a second thought. In a shop, a native will feel comfortable knowing the proper etiquette and langauge. A tourist may not.

Dress, closeness, body language all add to it.

An example: Just after 9/11 I was walking up 5th Avenue in NYC. I was born and raised there so I take most of it for granted. I was walking the "NY Walk": head down, fast gait, with purpose.

I passed a large group of people, all of whom were looking up. Now, it's a only a few months after 9/11 and I'm thinking, "Oh, no, not again." So I stop and look up only to realize I was across the street from the Empire State Building and these were a bunch of tourists looking at the top.

Since it wasn't an important landmark to me that day, and I had passed it dozens of times, I never though about it. I was focused on my destination a few blocks away.

How many Parisians do you think stop and gaze at the Eiffel Tower? Or Italians at the Colloseum in Rome? I doubt many.

In Europe I'm either thought to be a native, an Ameircan or a Brit.

I was mistaken for a local in Paris once, but I wasn't trying to "blend in." I really don't worry about that - I'm not European (although all my ancestors were) and I'm not ashamed to be an American. I just act like I always do at home, which is rather quiet anyway. I can speak pretty good French and although I'm sure they realize that I don't have a native accent, everyone seems to understand me.

Last week I was grocery shopping in a non-touristy area when I saw 2 men and 1 woman walking down an aisle toward me. I immediately thought they looked German (clothing, hair, and way they walked), but then thought that would be pretty far fetched. But, sure enough, as they got to me I heard them speaking German! So, I think it can go both ways - we Americans can also pick out foreigners because they are different from us. I hope visitors to the U.S.A. don't feel the need to "blend." Just be yourself and enjoy being a traveler.

I think that many of the reasons here are part of the answer, but I think there is something else that no one has talked about much. Many times, those recognizing us as Americans are people who work in, near, or with the tourism industry. Generally speaking, most people don't talk about random strangers on the street knowing they were Americans - it is usually restauranteurs, merchants, etc. These people deal with all sorts of tourists on a daily basis - especially in tourist areas. I imagine many of them can peg other nationalities as well.

When I worked at Disney World, I could spot a British family coming as well as knowing which groups were Brazilian vs. other South Americans and I could generally pick out other Europeans fairly quickly (if not knowing specifically where they were from). Of course 1)there were tons of international tourists around me everyday and 2)I was watching them and interacting with them constantly. Joe Blow in living in a small town with little or no tourism probably wouldn't be able to spot them as quickly.

That doesn't mean only those in the tourism industry notice these things, but I imagine most people who are paying attention to it are in that industry or are like most of us on here and are way too obsessed with travel and everything that goes with it!

Lee, I agree. My husband and I can pick out a German or Italian a mile away. We both lived in Germany, so we've been around them enough. And Italians have a certain look as well. Many times, Germans wear certain shaped glasses or certain colored jeans. Most of the time we're right. But there's nothing wrong with it. I'm usually excited when I see a German tourist here because I try to work up the courage to speak to them in German. As long as I'm not recognized as an obnoxious American while in Europe, I really don't care if they know I'm American!

Do some of you think it could be because Americans are heavier? I'm not so sure if that's true, but what do you think? But of course, there are plenty of thin Americans!
I don't want to insult anyone here! Lol!

Dorothy,

You've started an interesting discussion. Based on my observations so far, I suspect there are a variety of clues that reveal who the tourists are.

As Frank mentioned, it's often quite easy to "spot the tourist". When I'm travelling I often stop in town squares or other busy places while I'm taking a break and just look at the people around me. The tourists are usually quite apparent, but I can't identify any one thing that reveals them so clearly. The body language aspect (the post about evading capture during the war) is very likely one of the big clues.

Even though I can usually spot the tourists, I can't tell where they're from unless I speak to them, so not sure how Europeans are able to identify anyone as "American"? Perhaps they've found that the majority of people are Americans, so if they just "guess" they'll be correct most of the time. Perhaps the Rick Steves Guidebook in hand is a good clue!

I usually visit frequently with other travellers, and have found that Americans are by far the greatest majority, followed closely by the Australians. I usually only encounter a few Canadians.

Cheers!

I saw a woman in Venice that I could see was an American from a mile away- sweatshirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. LOL!

People knew my husband was American, but a few people in Italy thought I was German. I do have German bone structure, though, (but not German hair, which I think is another give away).

Everybody has brought up valid points, but I think Frank is very correct in that, if you are working with tourists, you do learn to pick them out. That said, I cannot always tell who is American, but there are certain give-aways. The folks that stop for traffic at zebra crossings instead of boldly striding across, guys with the hairstyle of a severe part on the side, waiting to be seated in restaurants, carrying a RS guide book, wearing American name brand clothing, and please do not get mad at this one - but it is also being too nice and polite, saying excuse me at every little bump and not striding down the street like you know where you are going. Germans just plow through and you just need to get out of the way. It is why they are often mistaken for being rude. It is the body language. I wear white tennis shoes, many of my clothes are from the states, like my jeans, but no one ever thinks I am American until I speak and even then they continue to speak German to me as I speak the Frankfurt dialect. When we go to other countries, I still don't get taken for an American usually, because of the "German body language" that I guess I have adopted. Oh, and I wear a scarf. :-)))

I thought I look like an American. I am of English and Scot and German decent (as are millions of American people in the U.S.A.). When I was in countries in Europe, the people there did not know I am an American, until I started talking. And when I started talking, most Europeans guessed that I am from England. (I do not talk with any kind of British accent). When I was in Denmark, I walked toward a man who does the work of answering questions from foreign travellers. When he saw me approaching him, he talked to me in English. That was because : all the people who approach him are foreign travellers, and all foreigners do not speak Danish, and English is the international language, and English is the only language that he speaks fluently, other than Danish.
It is like that in the Netherlands : people from other countries do not speak Dutch. The people there working with foriegn travellers talk in English to everyone. Tourists from Germany, France, Italy, Ukrainia, China, Brazil, Lebanon, Ethiopia ... talk in English when they are travelling in Europe. The world's worst English speakers are from Scotland. (Lots of Laughs). When I was in Italy the Italian people thought I am Australian, because of the hat and jacket that I was wearing : I was wearing a Panama hat (ivory color, 3 1/2 inch brim. It is the kind of hat that is for sale in every town in Florida. People in the south eastern states in the U.S.A. have been wearing that kind of hat, during the summers, for the past one hundred years). When I was in Athens in Greece, a Greek woman who sells food at a little eatery on a sidewalk said to me : "You do not look like a foreigner". My light brown wavy hair was covered by a hat. When I had a beard on my face, people in Spain and France may have guessed that I am Danish.// But yes, people in Europe can identify foreign tourists as being foreign tourists.

Shoes is the # 1 way I tell different countries. Even if you're in styleish USA shoes, they are still way different from Italian of Germand or French. Style of jeans or slacks makes a big difference too.

Kent, about 70% of the time, I'm mistaken for being American so I guess that's the same as being mistaken for a Canadian.

The Europeans haven't developed the same "keen sense of observation" that most Americans have, as when travelling in the States I'm always identified as soon as I start speaking.

Cheers!

When I am in Helsinki, especially at the harbor, tourists are the majority or the people that you see. I can quite clearly pick the Americans out of the crowd and they are by far not the majority there. Older ones are not usually over weight but it is the clothing and the shoes and the hair that is the giveaway. I can also usually pick the Germans by their clothing and then there are the ones that look Italian or Spanish - they are usually darker and smaller with their unique way of dressing.

That is how it is. I wonder what people think of me though? I have lived in the States for a long time and my clothing comes from the states but I do not think that I dress totally like a typical American either (no white tennis shoes, not shorts, no logo T-shirts). I do look Scandinavian with my blond hair and fair skin though.

Ken, I would say that Europeans can not tell the difference between American and Canadian accents :-). ( I have learned myself only after watching Home and Garden television, because there are a lot of Canadian shows there.) I would say that anything that isn't British english is considered American english.

The clothes, the hair, the shoes, the baseball caps perched higher on the head,the maps/guide books, the daypack, the little bulge from the money belt, being at a restaurant for dinner at an early hour...all give aways. I have an Italian friend who says he can determine the nationality of anyone by their shoes alone.

Most people can't quite figure me out when they try to guess my nationality. I've been living in Canada for quite a long time but I still have a slight accent (and wear only glasses with frames imported from Germany) so nobody here would take me for a Canadian. But they can't figure out my accent either, maybe because I spent quite some time in France before moving across the Atlantik. Most of the time if they dare to take a guess they think my accent is Dutch - which in fact is quite different and one of the few I can always pick out correctly. But I did grow up 30 km away from the Dutch border so I'm used to hearing that language.

In Europe nobody would mistake me for a Canadian either. Only in Italy I had a tough time to convince Italians that I'm German (important to get discounts) since they heard me speaking flawless English to my husband and kids. Without a passport I had no chance.

The only place I actively tried to disguise my nationality was in the Netherlands. Speaking English is enough for me to succeed there. It's getting better but there are still resentments around against Germans and if I have my kids along I just don't want to run any risks.

Kent, Tom, I don't try to hide my nationality (why would I want to?)and I wouldn't know how.

But, I do make an effort to be respectful of local culture (which includes dressing well) and an effort not to be a dork. (Dork meaning bulging backpack, slobby Northern California clothing, white sneakers, oblivious behavior in markets and restaurants, acting like I'm in Walt Disney's Renaissance-land instead of an actual country etc.)

So, I accept that I will be different and out-of-place, but not a roll-your-eyes "Did you get a load of that loud American who was in such a hurry?" annoying. Hopefully, I am a good ambassador for Americans.

I can usually spot American tourists, but I am not sure why actually. Tourists are usually easy to spot anyway even if they are dressed the same as everyone else because they always do something that the natives would not do.

Out of interest can any American explain why everyone thought I was either Scottish or Australian when I was in America? Only one person guessed I was English. I got quite paranoid about my accent after a while!

It is interesting as an american expat in the UK I am almost always thought to be Canadian even after talking to people. I grew up in California.

The one thing I have learned in 3 years of being here is that in my opinion Americans and Europeans are much similar than I could have ever imagined, but also much different than I could have ever imagined. It's not necesarily the large stuff, there are just so many nuances.

Just some things I have noticed in my time

Certainly footwear, clothing, how we may over respond to an environment with smokers, how we eat with silverware different, how we use condiments (specifically ketchup), how we deal with illness - hankerchief in the pocket, just blow your nose :), how we deal with someone who many have drank to much, how we deal with bad weather

The average American can't tell the difference between the accents so they were probably just guessing. A few years ago I was in a pub in Amsterdam, and an American approached a groups of Scots and very innocently said "seems to be a lot you of English guys in town tonight". That statement didn't go over very well and a bottle was smashed over his head. I bet to this day that poor fellow doesn't know what he said to upset them.

I love this post! On our first trip to Germany, my husband and I knew enough German to get by and thought we'd try to pass as locals. But, lo and behold, every time we sat down in a restaurant, the wait staff would always speak English to us. We finally asked a waitress about this, and she said "you just look American, it's the clothes."
So later in the trip, we went to the baths in Baden-Baden. There we are, naked as jaybirds, and everyone's speaking German to us. Aha! So we all just have to travel naked, and we'll pass for locals. Crazy locals, but locals nonetheless. Or maybe we just have to hang out at FKK places.

Good point on personal space. I know greeting someone with a kiss is also not normal for us. Regardless of language an American accent is hard to cover up. Our clothing style is different (even if we wear the same clothes, we'll wear them differently). We tend to be louder. I think our reputation as cowboys is true to some extent, not so much wearing cowboy hats but less polished in both style and manner (and often proud of it) than our friends accross the pond.

On one business trip to Germany, I noticed that when I first arrived I would go into a shop and greet the owner in German but they would reply in English. After a couple of weeks of being isolated from any Americans, they were replying in German. I figured my accent improved but my mannerisms may have also adjusted because of being around only Germans.

Maureen - I like the travelling naked plan in that it would certainly break the ice, but where would we hide our money belt!

It is interesting as an american expat in the UK I am almost always thought to be Canadian even after talking to people.

This might just be people hedging their bets. Unless you have one of the stronger accents (Texan, Newfoundland etc.) we generally can't tell American and Canuck accents apart. There is also the impression (whether true or not) that Canadians get a bit upset if you mistake them for Americans but the reverse is not true. So if we're not sure Canadian is a safer guess.

One point I'm surprised that nobody mentioned yet: The volume of our voices, particularly in restaurants. Next time you eat in a Rick Steves recommended restaurant, sit back and listen for a few minutes. You'll notice that most of the Europeans (except, perhaps the Italians) speak to each other in a hushed tone... you may not even hear their voices. But you'll clearly hear every word spoken by the Americans. And the more Americans in the restaurant, the louder each one speaks.

Peter, I agree--the Canadian and American accents are, for the most part similar that a non-native speaker wouldn't be able to distinguish. I do pretty well with regional Canadian accents (Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes etc) but other than the extremely distinct US ones (NY, Boston, south) it's all 'American' to me. I think Canadians getting upset is somewhat true, but not necessarily out of dislike for Americans...it's our national identity crisis...nobody notices poor little Canada...

The man in the fromagerie on Rue Cler totally made my day though by picking me out as Canadian. I don't have an extremely thick Quebecois accent (most of my teachers were European growing up, and I spent 6 months in Belgium) but I guess I have enough. I'm used to being pegged as American. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it was a nice change to be identified correctly.

I made a post already about Americans body type. Americans are heavier most of the time. I'm surprised no one has said that yet!

In response to Lisa, Yes, I think size may well be one of those things that others pick up on about Americans. It is no secret that as a culture, we come in on the heavier side of the scale (pun sort of intended). Certainly it is a stereotype that does not apply to all, but can be made. My experience in Europe though is that Americans were just ahead of the curve, and may be over the hump. One need only look around Britain, Germany, and a few other countries to see that they are doing their best to catch up.

I thought the travelling "nekkid" thing was interesting. I believe there was a firm that wanted to market FKK flights. You get on the plane and disrobe I guess and then you go to resorts where the whole place is FKK.

It has alot to do with the clothes.
I made it a point to NOT look American when I went to London last year. My saving grace were the (fake) burberry scarf, black leather gloves and simple black shoes I wore. I blended right in, even tied my scarf in the same "loop" they all had. A few English people even came up to me to ask for directions to Trafalgar square from Big Ben, and I was flattered that they thought I was a local. They even laughed when I spoke and told them I was trying to find it too! The lady said to me "I wouldnt have taken you for an American, very well done!" I guess that could have been an insult, but im not sure.. lol

After a couple days, I could spot "the Americans" myself. Americans wore Parkas in the cold weather, Londoners wear long black coats. Americans wore zip up sweatshirts, Londoners wore cardigans. I didnt see any English people with North Face parkas on, just Americans. Americans also wore the typical Tennis shoes, Teva sandals, had back packs, fanny packs, baseball caps, carried open maps looking lost, and stood in groups in front of Starbucks arguing about where to go for lunch. The Americans also tended to be louder and ruder when yelling across the tube station "Kevin, its this one, the East platform, THE EAST PLATFORM! KEVIN WE ARE GOING TO MISS IT! GET OVER HERE!"

Near the end of my touring career, I worked for a company that took non-American English speakers on tours of the U.S.

By the time that season was over, I could tell the difference between U.S., Canadian, British, Scottish, Irish, South African, Australian and New Zealand accents. Some of the differences are huge, some are very subtle. (I could even tell the difference between a few British regional dialects. And of course, the numerous, American ones.)

Just after this I took a flight from LAX to LHR. I sat next to a young lady with what I thought was an Australian accent but not fully. I asked if she was Australian and she said no, she was British.

I then asked if she had recently spent some time in Australia, she said she was returning home after six months there. I told her she had picked up a slight Australian accent. She laughed and said a few people had told her that.

It made me feel better.

Let's take a poll here. Who actively tries to hide their nationality when they travel? I don't, but I do try to remain inconspicuous.

I think it's just as easy to spot foreign tourists in America for many of the same reasons people have listed above.

It's also easy to pick out American tourists in the US and, in some cases, correctly guess what part of the states they are from.

The only time I was mistaken for a local was in Oslo. I was interviewed by a TV news crew...in Norwegian. It took a couple seconds of me saying "ja, ja" before it suddenly dawned on her that I didn't understand a word she said. It must have been my long, red hair and unshaven face...I probably looked like a viking

Thanks to all of you for such interesting replies. I never knew about the differences in personal space among countries, I found the post about the WW2 underground fascinating, and I learned what FKK is!

I don't speak loud, I'm not fat, and I don't wear a flag pin. Must be the Teva's, etc that gave me away. I don't mean to start a whole new topic but I wasn't that eager to be spotted as an American during the hostile-to-Europe Bush years.

Thank goodness we're all still so different and not yet homogenized in the McDonaldization of the world. Vive la difference!

This is slightly off topic, but being of Chinese descent, I have had the opposite "problem" in Asia. People think I am a local. This is good when I want to be inconspicuous. It is no problem at all in say Singapore where English is widely spoken. But in China it is a big problem. Even in Hong Kong people automatically speak to me in Cantonese. I know only small bits of Cantonese and no Mandarin. In Hong Kong I have learnt to point at menus. I can understand prices, but I cannot hold a conversation.

(Smacking my forehead) You're right Dorothy. Now that you mention it, I used to feel that way too. But, I got over that so long ago that I've completely forgotten. Before I traveled abroad people assured me that Europeans don't hold every American they meet personally responsible for unpopular actions of our government. While I can't know what everyone I meet thinks of me or my country, I operate as if that's true and make sure that at least I've left them with a favorable impression of Americans.

I, too, never hide the fact that I'm a Yank, but I do like to try to blend in and not attract attention. Here's what I found works:

Black/Brown/Tan Shorts
Black Socks
Brown Sandals
Hawaiian style Shirt
Hat bought at previous tourist site with words like Florida, or Budweisser or something similar on it.
Camera in case slung around my neck.
Over sized day bag with the name of a tour company on it.

Seriouisly, one thing I have noticed. Americans love their water bottles. Our luggage and daybags are designed to carry them. But how often do you see Europeans lugging them around?

Same as Frank. I, too, have found the Aloha shirt makes a statement in Paris. Hey, I learned everything I needed to know about how to dress in Europe from Chevy Chase (European Vacation).

Does it maybe have to do with our height?

I'm 5'6", and I have never had anyone speak English to me before before they heard me speak.

Lol, Frank!

I wasn't going to be the one bringing up the water bottles . . .

Thanks ;-))

Where do the naked hikers keep their water bottles?

I was in Scotland with a native-born but U.S. raised friend. I knew her parents well so understood that difficult Western Scottish accent. We were always mistaken for Canadians, I think because WE could understand THEM. Canada has a lot more recent Scots than the U.S. does.

I agree with Tom...

and I just need to comment on the Aloha shirt...

In 2007

we were in Vilnius Lithuania just soaking in
all of the architecture and the pilgrimage shrine...

NO ONE was speaking English and we are the ONLY Americans in town according to our front desk clerk

in the distance I'm hearing a band playing as it get closer ....

this band is ROCKING OUT wearing ALOHA SHIRTS...

apparently a new nightclub opened and it was hawaiian themed

totally surreal..

I taught them how to say Aloha, Mahalo, and A hui hou.

and yes I took pictures

you can see them on our website..

ourpassportstamps.com, go into photos and then Lithuania...

In answer to Tom's question, I don't try to "disguise" my nationality when I'm travelling. I've chosen my travel wardrobe and footwear based on comfort and ease-of-care (no wrinkle & can we washed in a hotel room sink), rather than trying to blend in with the locals. I won't use a Waist Pack, as I they don't really fit my overall "scheme" (although I do use one when at home). I use a Civita bag only if I'm going to be away from my "base location" for the entire day (somewhere to keep a light coat, my Tilley Hat, a water bottle and perhaps a snack).

I'm sure the locals have no trouble identifying me as a tourist (the Camera gear and Photo Vest is a blatant clue!) and of course especially when I start speaking. However I have found that on a couple of occasions, other tourists have identified me as a local and asked directions. Especially in Italy, I've noticed the locals wearing Photo-style Vests on a number of occasions, so they must be popular there also.

One other aspect of "identifying tourists" that hasn't been mentioned so far is the penchant for Canadians especially to display a Flag on their Backpack / Luggage / Daypack / Clothing or whatever. I find this a bit annoying at times, and prefer to travel more discreetly (however my gear is set up for this if I ever decide that it's necessary, using Velcro to attach the Flag).

Cheers!

Hey Ken, how about those Americans who have our maple leaf displayed on their luggage? That must add to the confusion of the Europeans trying to distinguish accents.

I've had some Europeans ask if I'm an American and others ask if I'm from America. I wonder if that means the same to them? It means different things to me! ;)

I really like this thread! :)

My case is a bit unique; Europeans can't tell where I'm from most times. I speak English, fluent French, as well as Spanish, and some broken German. I am of German heritage and have been told by many people that I look German. While traveling around Europe, some Europeans could tell I was American, but I've also gotten British (?!), German (makes sense), Dutch, and Canadian.

One of my favorite/happiest times in Europe, however, was when I visited Strasbourg last year during the Christmas Market season. Within the first two hours I was there, I had 6 different people who came up to me asking where things were; they thought I was from Strasbourg! Many people also approached me in Alsatian instead of French. It was neat to blend in so much and look like a local without trying! :)

According to RS Paris 2009 Pg. 379

"Americans are recognized by their large rear ends."

:0

I dunno, I got my rear-end from my German mom!

I got my from having 3 kids!

I wonder who decided to commission a study to measure derrière sizes in various countries?

I've been hearing for many years now that Americans are more over weight than people from other countries. There have been studies on this. In Europe, they eat fresher food, and walk so much more than we do here.
When it comes to rear ends, look at Jennifer Lopez, and she's not fat, she's just built like that, and she's so beautiful! I wouldn't say I'm fat, but I have the Italian culo! Lol!
When I travel, I dress very well, and don't speak loudly, but I never worry about if I look like an American or not. Is it a sin to be American anyway? I want people that meet me in Europe know that many Americans are wonderful people, and I hope to make a good impression, but I don't want to worry about things like this too much, because I want to enjoy my trip!

Italian men don't have beer bellies.

Only Americans talk loud ? I was in a bus, travelling 25 miles to an other town. All the other people in the bus were British (English) young women, ages 19, 20, 21. They were talking loud. It was uncomfortably loud for me. I recorded the sound of their talking on my tape recorder. When I listen to that recording, it is LOUD !

Hmmmm? I find these comments interesting, though in some cases a bit puzzling and it prompts me to ask a question here. Please don't misinterpret this, I'm not trying to be confrontational but I'm curious...

At what point does "blending in" cross the line from being simply a matter of respect, couretesy and politeness to being a bit ridiculous and, well, for lack of a better word "dumb".

Dressing appropriately is simple common sense (yes, wearing a bikini or bathing suit to a church or mosque is in poor taste) and I do try to dress for the occassion. However, I've seen posts under this thread where people mention carrying a day pack or a camera (as if carrying either is a bad thing).

Yes, perhaps a camera will mark me as a tourist. So what! I am a tourist! Should I leave my camera at home and come home with no photos (i.e. memories) from a place I may not have the opportunity to visit again simply because I want to "blend in"?

In regard to day packs, I often use a day pack right here in the states as well (when I'm in New York City for example), when I'm going to be out most of the day and need to carry an extra jackt, unbrella, extra books for a class I may be taking etc. It's simply a practical thing to have (and many other people seem to use them as well and they are not all tourists).

What am I missing here folks?

Steve relax:) Reread the title of the thread. I don't think anyone is saying one shouldn't take a camera or use a day pack. This is simply a discussion about what marks you as a tourist. The thread isn't about how not to look like a tourist. For the record I don't carry around a camera or day pack. It has nothing to do with not looking like a tourist; I just hate lugging things around. For me it's very liberating just to go around sightseeing with only small guidebook in my back pocket and nothing else.

Steve, I think several different posters here may be using the term "blending in" to refer to slightly different intentions. It can mean, as you noted, simply showing the proper courtesy through dressing. Or, trying to remain inconspicuous and not draw attention to oneself (my usual MO while abroad). And the ridiculous (and usually futile) extreme of actively trying to look like a local.

Laura, the Americans think that I am British. Maybe we were swapped at birth!!!

Steve, remember we are conceding that we look like tourists, but we joke about the people that are so over-the-top that even other Americans are amused.

Of course taking pictures of everything marks you as a tourist-- even here in the states-- but that's not a bad thing. I see people from all over the world in San Francisco video-taping street performers (like Escape Man). I know they're tourists, but so what?

I haven't been all over Europe so I'm limited by my experience, but I noticed American tourists with HUGE overstuffed daypacks with maps, English guidebooks and water bottles sticking out of the pockets. They were also wearing white shoes.( I'm so used to it at home that I didn't realize how dorky they look until I went overseas.) So, not not only did not blend in, they were conspicuous. I don't think Rick's Civita daypack would be so glaring, even if it's not what the locals use. (I noticed that Europeans carry their stuff in more stylish bags--even the men. )

With that said, it's not a camera or an unstylish bag that is a no-no, but rather the combination of many things that make one stand out. So try not to wear a Hanes beefy tee, white tennis shoes, a ball cap, and have a camera bouncing on your belly the whole trip.

I hope that made sense. It likely fell short of answering your question.

Whilst in london, I noticed plenty of other big bottomed women such as myself. Im sure it has nothing to do with all the KFC, Burger King, McDonalds and Pizza huts I saw everywhere... lol

Thanks Ron for saying that! When I was in Salzburg at one of the Mozart museums, there were some extremely loud Japanese people. They had no respect. So when people talk about loud Americans, and we read that often here, we are not the only ones that can be loud!

I had a curiously pleasant experience in Munich last year. I was in a shop (Max Krug) and the clerk came up to me and asked (in English) if she could help me. I replied, in German, no thank you, I was only looking. She then asked, in German, to excuse her, she thought I was an American. So, I said I WAS an American!

We then had a short conversation about how and where I learned German. I explained that I lived in Munich as a kid. I guess I remembered my German and kept the Bavarian accent better than I thought! Fun times!

Tami - British women are famous for being bottom heavy alas!

Someone commented about Americans wearing shirts with sports insignias. I see them on Europeans, as well, but there is one big difference. Ours make sense.

The Europeans have shirts with sayings like "College Department of Sports", or something like that.

I think body language is the single most important cue, even though we may not be able to articulate what the exact tip off is. Here in Seattle, there are lots of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Yet, I can spot the Japanese tourist from a distance every time. I've thought about why--subtle difference in clothing and hair style? But I think it really is the difference in how Americans versus Japanese carry themselves that is the give away.

I suspect the same is true of European-Americans and Europeans, too.

Incidentally, I appreciate how hard it is for Asian Americans when they travel to Asia. I was recently in China with a Chinese American colleague. When I spoke any amount of broken Chinese, my Chinese hosts fell over themselves complimenting me. But when my friend wasn't completely fluent in her Chinese, our Chinese hosts expressed surprise and disappointment that she didn't speak perfect Chinese.

Lee's comment on sports insignias reminded me of this -- we tried to find t-shirts in Germany for our niece and nephew with something written in German on them (they're both studying it at school), but all we could find were t-shirts with English sayings on them. And this was in a department store, not a souvenir shop.

Laura, in general Americans have a hard time distinguishing British accents from Australian (or New Zealand), and also have difficulty distinguishing Scottish from Irish. At the same time, most British can't distinguish the different American accents, or American from Canadian. It's a matter of what you are exposed to. The differences are pretty subtle. For example, with Canadians, it's usually how they pronounce words like "out" or "rather," and even some people in the Northern US have a similar (though not identical) accent.

I lived in the UK for 2 years, and people there were amazed when I recognized Canadian accents. One of my colleagues was Canadian, and by the time we both went back to our respective homes, our British colleagues could detect the difference. It was the same for me with my Australian, Scottish, and Irish colleagues.

To this day, I still get thrown off by Australian accents sometimes, though I'm better with the Scottish vs. Irish. I can even detect some northern English vs. southern English now.

Alan,
good point!
I still, to this day cannot distinguish between Mideastern US and Canadian accents very well,
but I am learning.

Especially now that there seem to be more Canadians than Americans kicking around in Europe.

Other than that, I can distinguish Australian, from British, from American English in my sleep.

I cannot, in my wildest dream, imagine how English speaking people deal with the variations of German we speak hereabouts in Central Europe.
It must be a nightmare for you!

Austrian, Swiss and German German are worlds apart - our saving grace is, that we all understand High German, as we learn this in school, in order to communicate, to read poetry and literature.
So - we'll understand you, while you might not understand US :-))

Now add French, Italian, Spanish, and God knows what to the mix - and you understand why Europeans are generally polyglots.
We have to be.

Corinna, the way the typical Anglophone deals with the variations of German is by speaking English ;-)

Midwestern American English used to be regarded as the "standard" for television and radio, though now it has probably shifted to the accent they use in California and most of the west. Basically, with American English, there are three major accent groups (Northern, Midland/West, and Southern).

Boston and New York have their own distinctive accents, and there are still minor variations between cities within the major regions, but it is much less varied than British English.

Alan, are you telling me I have an accent? I thought everyone else had accents and we didn't... :)

I grew up in Southern California and a family from New York moved in a few houses from us. They had a girl who, when she met us, proclaimed that we had funny accents. I had to tell her that around there, SHE was the one with the accent!

Well, no one ever confused me for a Spaniard when I was in Spain. But when I visited Norway a lot of people assumed I was a native (I'm pure Scandi stock and was dressed similar to just about everyone else, so perhaps that helped).

For example, when I was walking around Oslo's dock area a man must have thought I worked around there because he started quizzing me in Norwegian and pointing to a clipboard (I believe he was trying to make a delivery). When I shrugged and replied in English, he seemed surprised and went on his way. And various coffee shop workers tried to take my order in the Norske tongue.

However, my crowning achievement was being mistaken for a Frenchman by a native. I consider that to be a feather in my traveling cap because I like to blend in and France is like a final exam for that sort of thing. Indeed, I usually don't make myself known to other Americans (especially the obnoxious ones, for obvious reasons). I guess that's because when I'm on vacation, I'm trying to get away from all things familiar. But on the other hand it's fun to talk to good travel ambassadors from home, and when pressed I have no problem claiming the USA.

Andrea, when we moved to Springfield, Mo, my husband was shocked that people mentioned his accent. He is a native Californian and always considered himself without an accent. I guess it is what ever you are used to :-).

I have to disagree with the general thread. More often than not, people will think my husband and I are not American. We always try to speak the language, not just please and thank you, and I think that confuses people. But it might be something else that I haven't figured out yet. When they finally ask and we inform them we are American, we can see the surprised look on their faces. I love it that I am a bit of a mystery at least somewhere...that's certainly not the case at home!

I agree that America has a real problem with obesity, but Europeans aren't all thin. Just look at some of the older men and women (especially in Italy). I used to date an Italian man who's parents came over here from Italy just about 20 years ago and they and most of their visiting relatives are overweight. Maybe too much yummy pasta?? ;-)

A great thread and lots of good observations. I agree it is the space thing that is the first clue, then the infamous shoes. Also in some places Americans are recognized because of our good teeth. I never deny being an American but don't feel it necessary to call attention to it either.

When we traveled my husband who was Italian American was always assumed to be a native when we were in Italy, Spain or France while I am a pure Irish Celt and look it. They would give him a native language menu and sometimes hand me one in English. However when we went to Ireland they told him to be silent and let me do the talking if we didn't want to look like tourists. Once in Rome at Harry's Bar we were talking about Hadrian's wall when the Canadians at the next table asked if we were American and then commented it was surprising to find Americans who knew something about history of another country - ouch. The funniest thing was when we were in Washington DC in the French Market looking at stuff and being addressed in French.

Since he died and I travel alone I have been mistaken for being French in Paris and asked directions by a local and a group of Germans. I agree with the post that it is fun to sit in the park or a cafe and play guess the tourist.

Thanks for the chuckle, Kathleen! Oh how true!I find that Americans dress with much more colour than others. Also, they are much more vocal, and sometimes much louder than other nationalities. Canadians, as a rule, are alot more reserved and in that way alot more like Europeans.

Hilarious!

After rushing around like a rat in New York City for most of the year, I will take my time, look at and sample all the cheeses, and risk looking like a tourist when I go abroad, thank you very much!

I'm frequently mistaken for a German rather than spotted as an American. Probably because I rarely travel at the height of the tourist season anymore. However, my German is good enough that if I speak it to native Germans, even they do not always catch on right away. It isn't that I am trying to hide my Nationality, I have always been a chameleon and when I speak German, it is with the intent of improving my fluency.

Lisa,

Regarding size--one reason I am assumed to be German is that I am blonde and zaftig. It would be very easy to imagine me serving in a biergarten in Bavaria.

Regarding the body language part of the discussion, I quickly put on my "crowded city" face and behavior when I am in Europe. I have lived in a number of places in the US where one has to become accustomed to being part of a crowd without sacrificing one's separateness. For example, riding BART in San Francisco at rush hour or the Metro in DC--likewise at rush hour. You quickly learn to look through people rather than at them and to walk with a purpose to avoid the panhandlers. Since I invariably fly into a major airport in Europe (either CDG or Frankfort), I fall back into that behavior and carry it through even when being a tourist. Again, travelling during the low season also makes a difference. Most of the tourists you see then tend to be Europeans rather than fellow Americans.

Interestling the SECOND day I was EVER in Toronto ( I am an Australian) I was walking down Yonge street when and American (fron his accent alone) asked ME where a certain store was ---- the REALLY funny thing was I knew where it was --- but when I told him HE said --- YOU are not Canadian :))

TRUE story

So don't worry if folks realise you are an American -- because as long as you are respectful of whatever "local" customs prevail in the country you are in locals will help you --- ENJOY your trip

Regarding overwieght Americans versus overweight Europeons.

My grandmother and great grandmother were French, and fat.

When my grandmother came to Canada for a visit , back in 1980,, we took her down to California for a visit( LA,San Francisco and Las Vegas). She commented on all the fat women.

I said, ( laughingly) " Grandma,, but, you are fat yourself!"

Her response was, "yes, but I am old, there are too many fat YOUNG women here" . She thought it was sad to see fat young women,, as she had been much thinner as a younger woman, but in her aged years had spread out( which considering she never made 5 feet tall was not hard to do) '

I have to agree that there is nothing sadder then seeing an obese 8 year old.. and I see more of them all the time, and when I aay "America" I should explain I do mean North Amercians in this particular case..

Regarding overwieght Americans versus overweight Europeons.

My grandmother and great grandmother were French, and fat.

When my grandmother came to Canada for a visit , back in 1980,, we took her down to California for a visit( LA,San Francisco and Las Vegas). She commented on all the fat women.

I said, ( laughingly) " Grandma,, but, you are fat yourself!"

Her response was, "yes, but I am old, there are too many fat YOUNG women here" . She thought it was sad to see fat young women,, as she had been much thinner as a younger woman, but in her aged years had spread out( which considering she never made 5 feet tall was not hard to do) '

I have to agree that there is nothing sadder then seeing an obese 8 year old.. and I see more of them all the time, and when I aay "America" I should explain I do mean North Amercians in this particular case..

I have seen fat women in Europe,, but I still do not see all the fat children there, likely as they do walk and take public transport to school, so get more excericise then our kids do.

Wonderful discussion.

I wanted to bring up the question of Rick Steves. Now, he is the one advocating that we approach Europe through the back door. That we mind our manners and behave as guests in other countries. Nonetheless, Europeans can spot his baggy pleated khakis and tennis shoes a mile away. And his accent when attempting to speak other languages is...interesting. But the point he's trying to make is that Europeans will respond to our respectfulness and positive attitude more than they will our attire. I believe that one of the reasons he is so popular among American travelers is the idea that, "hey, if HE can mingle with locals in Europe, then so can I."

Personally, I enjoy the challenge of trying to blend in. I have always preferred European fashion, so I frequent the street scene blogs from big cities in Europe to see what people of all ages are wearing right now. I also try to use luggage and accessories that don't pop out right away (North Face bag, Rick Steves Guide.) But at the end of the day, the majority will still notice that I'm American at some point, and that's okay.

Nick, You're right. I also enjoy the challenge of trying to blend in. I started playing the game on my first trip to the UK in 1989 so lets face it: At the end of the day it's the shoes that give people away.

I only hide my nationality when being hassled by agressive street vendors or street scammers. I always try to learn a bit of the local language before going
And I'm of Canadian-Filipino with light complexion and often people can never guess correctly my ethnicity. I'm often mistaken for Spanish, Portuguese, Mixed Caucasian/Asian

I just came back from Japan recently and I was easily able to pick out Americans and Europeans by what they were wearing and physical features.

I think it's all in the dressing, physical features and/or how you hold yourself - like when on the metro, walking from point A to B. I was surprised that Japanese locals were stopping me and started talking in Japanese asking directions and questions.

I have bright blue eyes and brunette hair and I didn't want to stand out in the vendor stalls in Ephesus in Turkey so I wore dark sunglasses and somehow the turkish man running the stall mentioned my blue eyes. I have no idea how he knew, yet he did. I just had to laugh as he tried to sell me a tourist trap belly dancing outfit.

I am British, but am rarely recognised as such when I travel around Europe. The French think I'm German or Dutch. I have a strong northern English accent: even British people mistake me for a Scot! - Ridiculous!

Mark

I usually have a good "ear" for accents and being one of those people who think "if I can do it you can do it" I assumed most other people did too. I once asked directions from a young woman I met in Colchester. After she gave them she asked me where I was from and was surprised when I asked her the same question. Her R's gave her away.

I just have to reply about how Americans are heavier and that's how they know it's us. I have that lovely American figure, not obese mind you, but I had figured I'd be pegged as American for sure.

While traveling with a tour group in Italy my mother and I removed ourselves from the group so she could have a smoke away from the group. We were leaning against a wall next to some elderly ladies who were speaking in Italian and it seemed they where amused with our tour group and one of the ladies leaned over and said something to me in Italian as to let me in on the joke. When I replied I didn't understand Italian she looked at me like I had just put one over on her and they walked away giving me dirty looks.

The only thing I could imagine is that they must have thought I was an local, with my plump American figure and all. At least we got a good chuckle out of it.

BTW I have no Italian in me at all, I'm of French/English decent.

Another zaftig American here. I've been to London four times, and am often mistaken for a local. I agree that it's probably more to do with body language than anything else. I grew up in a big city, and I agree with the poster who wrote that people put a 'bubble' around themselves to maintain a sense of privacy.

Tourists of all shapes, sizes, and varying degrees of voice modulation are welcome in Wales, the best country in the world.

Plus, if you pretend to be a local there, they'll pretend to believe you.

And if you tell them you know Catherine Zeta Jones, or Tom Jones, or Terry Jones, or anyone named Jones, they'll make you a citizen.

To be fair to Tom he was just repeating what I posted up-thread. I was careful to say I was making no statement about the accuracy thereof but, in my part of Europe at least, Canadians do have a reputation for getting chippy if you mistake them for Americans.

That's the stereotype; I suspect, like most stereotypes, it is nonsense but these beliefs do tend to hang around. Look at all the posts here about "rude French," "Gypsy thieves" etc.

AFK-
I know why the gentleman recognized you as a Canadian... it was the Bonjour,eh? 8-)

I usually don't like to resurrect old threads from the graveyard. But here I go anyway...

Although I was aware of this on previous trips, I am acutely aware of it this time- sneakers! Although not the case for children and teenagers, the only adults I have seen over here wearing sneakers (minus those who are working out) are Americans. The same goes for white socks. Of course, most of these same people were with tour groups, so there's a double give-away.

Which brings me to my next observation... of all my visits to Europe, I think I'm seeing the fewest Americans on this current excurision, and the few I have seen all seem to be with tour groups. Other than some people who are obviously military personell stationed in Europe, I'm otherwise seeing very few independent US and Canadian travelers. Anyone else who's been to Europe lately (outside of the usual high-volume destinations) notice this?

You observation on tourist numbers are right on the money. I read an article last week... the Dutch Tourist Board is reporting that visitors from the USA and Canada are down 60%! But tourism from neighboring countries is up almost that exact amount. More than likely the situation is the same for most other countries in Europe.

Mea culpa! I'm sorry but sneakers are the most comfortable thing to wear when doing mega amounts of walking. I'll try to get black ones, I guess, and I'll avoid white socks, but does anyone have any other suggestions? Also, I'll be hiking in Switzerland and don't want to have heavy hiking boots in my suitcase so I was planning on getting ... well, I don't know, really good sneakers??!!

Hmm, perhaps that would explain all the Germans I saw in Ghent yesterday and Keukenhof last week.

What I have always found funny is they always seem to know I am Canadian. I am in a store or something and they ask me "you must be from Canada".....
i have no idea why.

Someone explained that earlier in this thread. Many Europeans can't distinguish between a standard Canadian and standard US accent. And because Canadians tend to be more offended when mistaken for US citizens than vice-versa, when in doubt, often Europeans will play it safe and assume Canadian first.

Dorothy, if it matters to you there are all kinds of attractive, adult walking shoes.

Since you're in an urban area, try a store that specializes in stylish walking shoes and you will find multiple brands under one roof.

It is not the sneakers. Look in any shoe store here, they are filled with white nikes, adidas, puma and converse shoes. It is just the whole package. I always wear white shoes and I am never mistaken for an American until I speak English.

Converse are VERY big here in Germany. All colors. Seriously, wear whatever shoes you like. It just does not matter!

Dorothy- Wear sneakers if you want! Nobody will think less of you, it just is one small thing (among others) that will identify you as American. And if you're hiking... who cares about being stylish when functionality is so much more important?

Hmmmm...interesting assumption, Tom, that Canadians have a reputation for being more offended for being called Americans, than Americans have for being called Canadian. I've never encountered that before while abroad. Perhaps the "body language" has more to do with it rather than an assumption that I don't really think Europeans take much time to stop and think about. For the record, I've been mistaken more often for American than I have Canadian.

Peter...try the reverse and see what happens! ;)

Hey Norm,
Those Americans who stuck our maple leaf on their backpacks didn't seem to mind being mistaken for one of us! ;)

Can Canadians really be "chippy"?

What a fun thread. New to the site, and enjoying it. Canadian be me - but love my buds to the south (east, west and north - if anyone else up there).

Its true, that our roots do seem to sometimes put the tags 'made in USA' or 'made in Canada' on us - but thats cool, it gives us a starting point to get to know the cultures.
Heading to Europe in 3 Weeks and Im thinking of putting both the american flag and canadian on my pack - to stir the pot. naaa - being a canadian, i really am more likely to apologize (even for something I havent done) -than to stir the pot.

I pride myself in 'wanting to be' a traveller versus a tourist, but I do get caught up with gauking, looking up, etc, now and then - no where like NYC which I (after 15+visits) still love and stand in amazement - yes, like a 'tourist - made in Canada'.
All said - I'll try to blend in, but still 'be me'and show how impressed I am of the wonders!

oh and I guess when I get called an american, I do correct, but like another Canuck mentioned, more out of who we are then insulted. - and I (teehee) would also add - Im from 'Eastern Canada' - like it might matter.

oh, I have noticed the sneakers a little more south of the border than north. Perhaps its just that Jerry Seinfield - ever so white ones - opened my eyes, and now I see them. (humour)

I think the no white sneaker thing in France/Italy is about looking as smart as you can at all times, a very French/Italian thing (sorry about the stereotype!). They just seem impractical for city wear because they can get grubby quite quickly. When on holiday we do not, unlike local people, have the opportunity to pop home to change our shoes and so end up having to wear the same pair all day.

I wear lightweight leather shoes with a cushioned sole and have no problems with my feet even after a full day walking, touch wood.