i suppose the headline says it all. i was tempted to respond to the email at the end of the article but as they say, 'ignorance is bliss' and i am happy to let this person be blissful.
https://www.insider.com/american-tourist-disliked-europe-vacation-2023-11
I seem to remember another article by this person (or perhaps a clone). I may have caused myself physical harm due to how hard my eyes were rolling.
@ cjean: 🤣🤣🤣
If you want until the very end, she claims
Despite these things, I still love Europe
I guess next time bring condiments and washcloths if they are so important
The author makes a living writing these articles ???
insider seems to have cornered the 'disgruntled traveler trip report' market.
It was a simple article but very honest. It seems clear she was outside of the US for the first time and was surprised. Haven't we all been in that position?
Some folks need to let go of what they're accustomed to and embrace their new experiences
I missed condiments
Never had an issue with getting condiments. In the UK at the moment and I'm always asked if I want any sauces. Never had so much sweet chili sauce before.
The breakfast wasn't free
The hotel breakfast is never free. Somebody is paying for it in the end. As a separately billed item is just more honest.
There weren't any vending machines
Really that's important? There's always been a nearby corner store, Tesco Express, etc. Get up and go for a walk.
The transportation was tricky
For someone not a regular user of public transit at home I can see how this can be an issue. I've never had the same experiences.
There weren't any shower curtains
I know, isnt it great? Last week's accommodation, the toilet was a wet room with a rainshower. This week's is an enclosed walk in with a glass door. What I don't get is the modern design of toilets separated from the room by simply a glass wall. Glad I travel solo.
There weren't any washcloths
Right. So I bring a nylon scrubby in my toiletries bag.
At first, I thought it was The Onion or Reductress.
Stressed by no condiments, vending machines nor washcloths, oh my! Some people just shouldn’t travel if stuff like that is a must have for ensuring an enjoyable time…..really??? But then I still remember the Swiss relative coming for a visit and insisting our house and routine be rearranged so it felt more like home to her. People are people and like routine no matter what country they are from…..
Reading this article made me think of Thomas Fuller's quote:
"Travel makes a wise man better, and a fool worse".
If this tourist "disliked" the Europe vacation, as Fats Domino sang, " Ain't that a shame."
If the breakfast was not free, then it's up to you to pay for it, isn't it?
In Paris staying almost a month, using 3 different two star hotels this time, all 3 had vending machines.
My first two times in Europe 50 years, ago, none of these issues was a problem for me.
." It seems clear she was outside of the US for the first time and was surprised."
Sorry, Allan,but you're wrong there.
While I've been to Europe in the past, both with my school and with a
travel company, this was the first time I did all of the planning.
What I can't get over- apparently this is her THIRD trip to Europe. Did she develop amnesia between the last trip and this one? None of this should have been a shock to her
This is an article that looks to be written by someone who is inexperienced with travelling but willing to set their home standards as THE WORLD'S standard. Interesting how rather than self reflecting on their own expectations, they make the issue to be something about other people or other things (external) rather than something about themselves. The attitude seems to be the kind that "ugly Americans" bring with them abroad. Then, they return home and spread the idea that the US is the best place in the world and there's no need to travel anywhere but within the US.
I actually have some colleagues who would say things like: the US is so big, why do I need to travel anywhere else?
The ignorance is astounding. Even more astounding is when going abroad and not able to see how one's expectations are so culturally and historically based, and that in fact, there are other ways of living that are valid.
And why did Insider publish an article like that? It's a stupid and ignorant article.
It was a simple article but very honest. It seems clear she was outside of the US for the first time and was surprised. Haven't we all been in that position?
Yes, we have been in that position before, but not enough to make a public case of it by writing it up for the world to see. There's a difference between having these views and discussing them more privately / within one's social circles versus writing it up publicly.
Sorry, Allan,but you're wrong there.
I did miss that, but I'm still surprised by some of the venomous comments that are being posted. It's an honest article of the differences she noticed. Is it the headline of the article and on the link that is the issue? The link headline says "american tourist disliked europe vacation" which isn't an accurate representation of the article. The actual article headline is accurate but still not worthy of mockery when all the person interviewed is doing is pointing out differences than what someone may experience from home.
Allan, I feel that pointing out the differences between 2 places, and complaining about them are 2 different things. I was left with the impression that pretty much all she did was complain. Instead of being instructive, it came across as small minded and parochial.
Yeah, I'm just not seeing the venomous comments just honest criticism.
The issue I have with the article is that Alyshia Hull wrote it based on a conversation she had with the subject Anna Shepherd. I think any nuance, humor, or even self reflection has been lost in translation, especially over such trivial matters. The URL and the headline just didn't help either.
"The ignorance is astounding." How true.
Her attitude is "ugly" as she was encountering evidence of so-called culture shock on this Europe trip.
You're all forgetting her quote (which is a bit hard to believe)
Despite these things, I still love Europe
I didn't interpret this article as a bunch of complaints. I thought she was just stating facts. In some cases she missed things, but there was no sense that she was angry or annoyed or that she faulted anyone. I'm still flummoxed, though, that she missed vending machines. But to each his own.
Anyone who wants vending machines, Japan is for you. Check out some of the Youtube videos it's overwhelming.
Very superficial article.
Some of these items are incorrect. We like Bed and Breakfasts when we visit Europe and breakfasts are included. Also, many hotels in the USA make you pay extra for breakfast.
Also, I have found public transportation is great in Europe, better than the USA.
Further, there are many good things about Europe that were not mentioned. The dining is great and wine or
beer is not expensive.
Also, I have found public transportation is great in Europe, better than the USA.
I imagine there’s nothing in the US that is comparable to public transit in Europe except, perhaps, NYC and Chicago.
Where I live, it would take me 1.5 hours to take transit to work, but I live only 6.5 miles (10.5k) away which is a 15 min drive. :(
I found it irritating in the same way that watching Emily in Paris was irritating. But I recognize it wasn't written for an audience of mature experienced travelers. Plenty of those kind of articles around. Every generation has to discover the world for themselves.
I was just expecting there would be some kind of reflective "teaching point" statement at the end. Where the writer acknowledged her own naïvety at expecting American standards to apply everywhere.
I think it is just one of these articles intended to get a reaction and just offer up these "irritants" as a ploy for that. It's kind of ridiculous in my opinion. I don't take this seriously. Or maybe she is pulling your leg?
It's completely sensible that hotels charge for breakfast. You don't want to pay the charge? Don't pay.
In the US, the charge is absorbed into the cost of rooms. If they did not offer breakfast (usually something VERY unpalatable like muffins in cellophane), the rooms might be cheaper.
We love the breakfasts in many hotels in Italy, France, and Germany. They offer great variety. The coffee in particular is so good and strong. I sit there for an hour and have a number of cups.
She missed "vending machines"?
My experience in Europe is you can't walk 50 yards without finding a grocery or a small convenience store. I liked that because snacks and drinks were always plentiful. Maybe she needed a pocket comb.
The only thing I agree with is the shower construction in some hotels. You have to be careful with that spray nozzle or you're liable to end up with a flooded floor. Once you get the hang of it you learn to spray in the right direction.
