Where do Europeans go on vacation?

I have no idea about trends,i am probably the person most like NOT to follow a trend. I live in Europe have done all my life ,I have not had a vacation in my home country since I was a kid apart from visiting my sisters that live in England (Liverpool and Dorset).
My main holidays are taken in mainland Europe and over the last 40 years or so have traveled all over the continent. in the last 18 years or so I return to Prague and the Czech republic several times a year sometime for up to two weeks sometimes just for a few days and I also go the the canary Ilse most winters for a bit of winter sunshine.

The stereotypes for the British in Europe are working-class people going to various seaside resorts in Spain, Greece, and more recently Turkey, and upper-class people renting or owning holiday homes in Southern France and Italy (especially the area satirically referred to in Britain as "Chiantishire"). In intercontinental holidays, the stereotypes are Florida, Thailand, and north Africa, although the latter is becoming less popular due to recent terrorist attacks on tourists.

Many British people get four or five weeks of paid leave plus lots of extra Bank Holidays dotted around the year.

Holidays within the UK - especially Devon & Cornwall - remain very popular during the long school summer holiday for those with kids, but the unreliability of British weather means many opt for Southern Spain, the Canaries, the Balearics or resorts in Greece, Turkey etc for their big holiday. Or Florida, particularly Orlando for the theme parks.

European city breaks are very popular particularly for those without kids - and as they can be done in a weekend they don’t even need to use up vacation leave. Barcelona, Lisbon, Reykjavík, Krakow, Amsterdam... you name it, we go there. The joy of being a short flight from most of Europe.

I cannot speak from scientific research but my impression is that for Danes the most popular countries (outside Denmark) are USA, UK, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Thailand. And Austria, Norway, and Sweden for Skiing in the Winter.

Denmark is also quite high on the list of paid vacation days, but the list fails to mention that apart from "vacation" we also have 5 days of "extra vacation", for everyone who has been employed more than a year.

But as mentioned above, European countries are so close that it makes sense to take shorter vacations in Europe. A weekend in London or Paris is quite easy and not too expensive - if you ignore the climate consequences of flying - as most do.

Average German gets a minimum of 4 weeks and if you are in management or civil servant you will get more.

It seems like Australia is the most popular country to visit for Germans, but following right behind would be Iceland, Cuba, the US (San Francisco, the wild West, NYC) India, Bali, Thailand, Dubai, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Greece. There are the adventurers though that will head to S. America, Mongolia, Namibia, etc. Families like to go to the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, or go skiing in Austria, etc.

For vacations in Germany, they may head to Hamburg, Sylt, Berlin, Leipzig, Weimar, Celle, or day trips to near by towns for historic festivals and events. Medieval festivals are extremely popular and every castle just about will have one. Easter Markets are growing in popularity so they would have day trips to those as well as wine fests, or beer fests. Small pilgrimage routes going through Germany, whether Camino type (Jakobsweg), Luther, Bonafatius, or St. Elizabeth are growing in popularity. The regular Camino routes are popular too, especially Portugal. That walk from Porto to Santiago is easily done in 2 weeks.

When we did a Utah national parks loop last May/June, there were times it seemed like we were the only English speakers on that part of the trail- we were hearing lots of German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, etc.

You shall also know the Germans by their funny hats and their tendency to wander right past the sign that says 'Danger!!! 1000 foot drop ahead! Do not go past this sign!!'

My brother, who lives in Flagstaff, AZ, works as a volunteer for some of the parks in and around the Grand Canyon. He spends a fair amount of time using his German skills. I found it handy to know some when in both Napa Valley and in Seattle (where I currently reside).

When we did a Utah national parks loop last May/June, there were times
it seemed like we were the only English speakers on that part of the
trail- we were hearing lots of German, French, Spanish, Dutch,
Russian, etc.

Selkie, I was going to say the same! We've done 8-9 or so hiking trips to Southwest and swear we hear more foreign languages on the trails than English! It's been fun, really, as those fellow hikers have been very friendly and most spoke admirable English. A good amount of them have been from the U.K. and Australia as well as the countries you've listed, and I recall some from Austria too. Weirdly, we've yet to run into a single Italian hiker although I'm sure some do travel the parks.

Back in Barcelona, during the summer, we would vacation either on the Costa Dorada, southern Catalonia, in towns like Cambrils or Salou or we would go north, to the Costa Brava, and stay in towns like Tossa de Mar.

During the winter, we would ski in the Pyrenees (both the Spanish and French sides), La Molina ski resort was popular, the oldest one in Spain. From time to time one would go to the French Alps, that was a real treat.

I also visited the United States a few times, but always to the west part of the country for the national parks. Back in 2008 I visited Monument Valley, located on a Navajo Reservation on the Arizona/Utah border, made famous by the many John Ford cowboy movies shot there.

I mustered the courage to try some horseback riding there too, it was so spectacular I felt like I was in one of those wild west films. I even met Stephen Fry, of all places, in a roadside diner there, he was shooting a documentary about Monument Valley for the BBC.

What struck me though was that many of the tourists there were all Europeans, I did not see many Americans, other than the indigenous Navajos. Even when I tell some of my American friends about this trip, they seem puzzled about Monument Valley, it seems familiar to them but they don't know where it is, I was surprised because I thought that it was a very famous place in the United States.

I've always been super interested about which American destinations Europeans prioritize when they visit here.

I once read a British guidebook on visiting the U.S. and there was a section on top sights from across the country. Some of them were logical (Grand Canyon, Las Vegas Strip, South Beach, Statue of Liberty, etc.), but others were just bizarre.

I'm pretty sure Graceland (Elvis' home) was in the top 10. Again, this is top attractions across the entire United States.

Most foreigners who have visited the U.S. seem to prefer the natural beauty of the western half of the country. Places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, etc. are super popular with international tourists.

Let's face it, Europeans have us beat when it comes to history and culture, but America's wilderness, particularly toward the west coast, is something to behold.

The French I have talked to (most of them) take their vacations in France, a few French I've met vacationing in North Germany, especially in Berlin, where at one time the population of Berlin was 20% French.

The Germans have told me they go to the Baltic and other towns. It's easy to spot out German tourists and tour groups in Germany. I've seen them in Dresden, Weimar, Lüneburg, Kassel, Hamburg, and, obviously, Berlin.

Outside of Germany one place they go to is Hungary...Plattensee, especially., or "Fünfkirchen" and the South Tirol area, ie, to Bolzen.

How often do you see Germans or German bus tour groups in Paris at Gare de l'Est?

Look at who is there at breakfast with you. When I stay in a hotel, I look at who else is at breakfast and hear what language they are speaking, ie eaves dropping on their language,

Here are the stats for the Brits

https://www.finder.com/uk/outbound-tourism-statistics

Number of trips

Spain

15.87 million

France

8.86 million

Italy

4.16 million

Republic of Ireland

3.42 million

USA

3.40 million

Germany

2.91 million

Portugal

2.87 million

Poland

2.67 million

Netherlands

2.66 million

Greece

2.38 million

@Fred you better add Mallorca to your German holidaymaker list, the Germans practically have a colony on the island! You see them plant their Bundesdienstflagge on the beaches of Palma, as if they are a conquering army Lol 🤣

For a not entirely serious review of our German friends on holiday:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/germany/articles/german-tourists-the-stereotypes-and-the-truth/

Please don't click the link to the stereotype of Americans on holiday. That won't go down well, I fear, despite it obviously just being a joke.

You see them plant their Bundesdienstflagge on the beaches of Palma,

LOL, Carlos! I had to look up "Bundesdienstflagge"! Thought it was maybe a lower-rear part of the anatomy!

Hope the horse you rode in Monument Valley was better than the creature they put me on. That horse was a willful and disobedient pain in the....bundesdienstflagge.

@Nick - quite the amusing article, it's a shame they don't have one for Spanish tourists, I will have to be content with the Italian version, as I think we share a number of similarities:) p.s. the American one was pretty good too!

@Kathy - glad you found humorous my little "double entendre". The horse I rode on in monument valley, "Shadow" was his name if I remember correctly, seemed content with slowly but surely following the designated path, much to my relief!

They were all at DisneyWorld. I met them all!

Carlos,
I too am surprised that you got a lukewarm response regarding Monument Valley. Maybe these were "young" folks who never watched any westerns?
Oh, and to meet Stephen Fry there. That would elevate any trip!!

Until just before I retired from the British railway I was working 4 day 36 hour weeks. In exchange for working unsociable hours in sometimes unpleasant and troubling circumstances I got pretty decent hours and benefits. My rest days were paired and moved through the week so every third week I had 5 days off together if I didn't work overtime which was plenty for lots of short holidays to places in England, France and Belgium or the Netherlands.

Then I had 4 weeks of what we called block leave, a week in the spring, two in the summer, and one in the autumn/winter, all rostered on a revolving schedule for the whole depot (not seniority) so everybody has a chance at the best weeks (trading encouraged) plus 8 days (equal to 2 weeks) application leave to take as needed or wanted.

I'm probably different from some others from here. I usually had winter time in Monaco or elsewhere on the Cote d'Azur, or in Rome or elsewhere in central Italy, a summer road trip to Venice and the Veneto including Switzerland and/or Austria, various parts of Germany and France, travelling through Luxembourg and Belgium. Getting a 5 day weekend at one end or the other of the summer break made a luscious break. The winter break was usually Belgium or England, or staying home.

Most working class Brits with families will take two weeks in the summer to head to the coast somewhere - popular destinations are the U.K, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Greece. Middle class families will head somewhere such as Portugal, France, Italy and Croatia or further afield such as Florida or California, safaris in South Africa or Namibia or Australia. There are exceptions, of course. Most visit one place for the entire two weeks.

Many without children travel further afield such as South America, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia/New Zealand.

My employer gives 5 or 6 weeks paid leave each year plus Bank Holidays and an additional two days over Christmas and New Year.

Middle class families will also ski for a week in the spring.

City visits are usually for weekend breaks, not a main holiday.

Many retirees spend two or three months over the winter in Spain, Portugal or the Canary Islands.

I don’t know any Brits that have had their main summer holiday in Germany or Scandinavia (not hot enough) nor Poland or the Baltic States. Switzerland and Austria are for Brits to ski, not summer destinations, generally.

Popular city breaks are Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague and Budapest.

@ Carlos...True, I did leave out Mallorca and Spain where Germans head to when going abroad on holiday. I won't see them there since Spain and Mallorca are low on the priority list vis-à-vis Poland and France....lol

Let's face it, Europeans have us beat when it comes to history and culture, but America's wilderness, particularly toward the west coast, is something to behold.

My priority when visiting the US is to focus on somewhere close to a national park as that's what really interests me in America. We've travelled a lot to the US due to owning several Marriott timeshare weeks in Spain which we exchange to other resorts in the US. This means that we've visited places that aren't typically frequented by British visitors such as Hilton Head Island, Park City, West Palm Beach, Williamsburg VA.

School half term breaks are spent in our timeshares in Mallorca and Estepona. Our summer holidays have mostly been spent in the US recently however our visit last year is likely to be the last for some time for various reasons so we'll probably concentrate more on Europe. I'd like to visit a bit more of Greece, the Balkans and the Baltic coast. Currently trying to plan a trip to South Africa over Christmas but this is clearly a popular time and £3k for 3 nights in a safari lodge is a bit excessive even if it is supposed to be luxury.

It seems like Australia is the most popular country to visit for
Germans, but following right behind would be Iceland, Cuba, the US
(San Francisco, the wild West, NYC) India, Bali, Thailand, Dubai,
Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Greece. There are the adventurers though
that will head to S. America, Mongolia, Namibia, etc. Families like to
go to the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, or go skiing in Austria, etc.
For vacations in Germany, they may head to Hamburg, Sylt, Berlin,
Leipzig, Weimar, Celle, or day trips to near by towns for historic
festivals and events.

According to Statista the most popular holiday regions for vacations in Germany are
9,7% Baltic Coast
7,6% Bavaria
7,3% North See
4,4% Berlin
3,5% Baden-Würtemberg (= Black Forest)
2,2% Mecklenburg Lake Plateau
1,7% Harz
1,6% Saxon Switzerland + Ore Mountains

So, while most foreign tourists flock to Bavaria, most Germans prefer Northern Germany (almost 20%).

The most popular countries are:
9,7% Spain
9,3% Italy
8,3% Austria
6% long distance travel
4,4% France
4,3 former Eastern Europe
4,1% Northern Europe
4% Greece

In addition to discussing where Europeans are going, I also think it is interesting to consider what they’re doing. Based on the feedback so far, it sounds like beaches and nature are high on the list. Northern Germany, Spain, for example, people tend to plunk themselves down in one place for a week or two, probably to places Americans would never consider as they are not historic. Travel to the US, Australia or South Africa would be more adventurous travel, involving hiking. Skiing is also obviously popular for everyone. Overall, it seems to me that Europeans are a bit more relaxed when they travel, spending more time in one place. Probably because of proximity and access to more vacation. Europeans also, to me, seem much less into charming villages, castles and cuteness as they are surrounded by this all the time.

Working Europeans get far more holiday than working Americans, hence we travel at a slower pace.

I have never been on a holiday that has visited more than one country, save for one trip to Portugal and Spain, unlike many of the itineraries featured on this forum, which seem to feature 2, 3 or 4 countries in a 2 week timeframe.

I do find it rather amusing that some Americans think that Europeans take more sophisticated holidays. Whenever I meet a European, the three places in America they've been to are:

Disney World: Everyone it seems has been to the Florida amusement park and most would love to live in Florida. Florida Man has yet to make it into European media.

National Parks: Everyone is surprised that I've never been to a big National Park.

NYC: It's still the ultimate city in NYC as everyone either has visited the city or has a friend or relative who has moved.

As for the Brits, watch Channel 4 Brits on vacation TV shows and you'll see many just want, sun, sea and booze.

I've never been to NYC...not yet anyway but rather to 9 European capitals.

@Fred - On the other hand, I've been to NYC and Washington DC, but not to Berlin, Vienna, or Budapest :)

NYC: It's still the ultimate city in NYC as everyone either has
visited the city or has a friend or relative who has moved.

From what we see, foreign tourists come to NYC without fear of public transport; they embrace the convenience which is wonderful to see! Many American tourists so dependent on cars and not accustomed to ubiquitous public transport can freak out about the subway including taking public transport to/from JFK & LGA.

It's no wonder they freak out from the subway. It has to be the worst
subway anywhere in the world by a mile. The conditions are just
atrocious.

That's peachy and very special. LOL Well, more foreign tourists than domestic (obviously not you LOL) like and appreciate the 24 hour/7 day nature of our public transport and its efficiency plus are pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness. Shocked, aren't you? This isn't the 70s which were arguably the worst. It's also $2.75 anywhere you go. We also have new cars on the 4, 5, 6, 7, E, N, Q, Times Sq/GCT Shuttle, J & L trains among others. (The L has its own separate political hysteria taking place.) Maybe you were stuck on the C; that line is only starting to get new cars here and there.

I visited Moscow a few winters ago. The lovely subway stations were architectural gems; you just had to pick your way over the homeless and around the vomit to take it all in.
Literally s breath taking experience. Otherwise, priceless. My too few trips on the NYC subway werent nearly as interesting.

I have a lot of relatives in the Netherlands. Most of them go to Spain or Greece for holiday in the summer. One liked Spain so much that he now lives in Barcelona and flips apartments there. They like to ski in Switzerland in the winter.

@ Carlos...I will say that Wash DC is a very interesting and fascinating place, intriguing, went there once. That was in 2017. Another visit will take place but in the summer. My very first trip to Europe in 1971 as a college backpacker included London, where I landed, Vienna, and westBerlin. It was unthinkable not to go to Berlin, struck me as absolutely fascinating, stunning, likewise with Vienna then too but for different reasons.

@ Carlos...I will say that Wash DC is a very interesting and fascinating place, intriguing, went there once.

I enjoyed Washington DC very much, a lot more than NYC. Whilst NYC is iconic with plenty of identifiable locations and landmarks I found it a bit so-so when you got down to average ground level. I did have an interesting interaction when popping into the Church of Scientology building out of curiosity!

DC has a better vibe in my opinion. I felt a lot more relaxed and comfortable there. Excellent, world class museums and a very good food and drink culture.

Of the two I would certainly return to DC over New York.

So would I, choosing Wash DC over NY, even though I've never been there.

@Fred - quick question is "Wash DC" how people in the U.S. abbreviate Washington DC? I've not heard that expression yet.

Most Americans say Washington D.C. or just shorten it to D.C.

I've never heard anyone call it Wash D.C., American or otherwise.

I've always found it funny when people compare D.C. and New York because those cities have such dramatic differences. New York has a world-class, cosmopolitan vibe, while D.C. has a more relaxed, historical atmosphere.

Whichever you prefer is likely the city you're going to enjoy more too.

Or you can combine the cosmopolitan vibe with the historical atmosphere and take a train to Philadelphia instead -- a criminally underrated city :)

I've always found it funny when people compare D.C. and New York
because those cities have such dramatic differences.

I'd agree. They're not apples to apples but very different cities. We enjoyed exploring NYC but like the vast majority of visitors, only spent time in Manhattan and not the other boroughs other than a tiny piece of Brooklyn. There's quite a lot of history there if you're interested in looking for it, and the Met, MOMA, the Frick and Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian were all very good. The latter is free and in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House; some interesting historical background there.

One US museum I know most European visitors invariably find absolutely amazing is the National Gallery in DC. Apparently, back where they live it is virtually impossible to find an art collection of that caliber with absolutely no crowds.

As to public transit system - as a daily commuter on DC metro (Back2Good!) and an occasional user of the subway in New York, I'd say Moscow metro, even with an occasional Technicolor yawn or a homeless person here or there, is in a totally different league as far as efficiency and convenience goes.

The beauty - or rainbow sneezes - are in the eye of the beholder :-)

PS. Someone has provided a link to TopCityGuide - I clicked it and just wanted to confirm - is it a joke site?

@ Carlos...No idea how Americans abbreviate Washington DC, DC is fine, if you don't want to spell it all out. I just picked my own way. If Europeans interested in America came to visit with ample time, ie, not under some pressing time constraint, I would suggest to them go to DC, Memphis, Atlanta, NY city...no comment, I leave that up to them, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, maybe Kansas City...depending.

On your previous question...After I was finally done with college (grad school), I went back to Europe as a reward to myself after my first time there in 1971. Now, two years later on this 1973 trip it was Paris, and of course, obviously, back to Berlin and Germany too.

If Europeans interested in America came to visit with ample time, ie, not under some pressing time constraint, I would suggest to them go to DC, Memphis, Atlanta, NY city...no comment, I leave that up to them, New Orleans, Boston, Chicago, maybe Kansas City...depending.

Some interesting choices there. Memphis, Boston, Chicago I agree. Atlanta I found very underwhelming and quite hostile. New Orleans? Perhaps a few years ago but the crime rate now would put me off. Not sure about Kansas City either, why do you recommend that?

I quite liked Philadelphia, well the main historic district but it's easy to quickly enter some quite rough areas by mistake. I found San Francisco to be overrated, I quite enjoyed Savannah, GA but it was only a day trip, I couldn't imagine spending more than a few days there. Jackson, WY is also a pleasant town and an amazing location. I also enjoyed the road trip in California, SF to Sequoia NP and then onto Lake Tahoe before heading back down to Lodi, some great little towns on the way and incredible scenery. The part of the US I'm interested in my next trip would be the Pacific Northwest but that might be a few years away yet.

I think that Europeans are not really interested in US history, so visiting cities that are of historic significance to Americans do not appeal to folks from abroad. Places of natural beauty (the West) and cities with flash (NYC, Miami) are what Europeans want, it seems to me. Europeans want something that is different from what they would find at home.

Europeans? Which ones?

I think that Europeans are not really interested in US history.

I am. Admittedly the history is a lot shorter than most European history but it's still interesting nonetheless. Let's also not forget that the nation's history doesn't start with the arrival of the British settlers in Jamestown or Colombus' discovery.

I work in DC. Everyone here understands that.

Not every American is as big on history as I am. I did an exchange with the German Air Force (back when I was military) up in Schleswig. They asked me why I didn't bring my wife. I told them my wife's idea of a vacation was a warm beach. They said, "Yes, In Germany you can get warm or the beach but not at the same time."

JC, have you been to Santa Fe yet? It's our favorite small U.S. city for all sorts of reasons: history, culture, food, architecture, diversity, interesting day-trip opportunities and good hiking nearby...

The joke is that Germans don't travel within Germany, but I think that mostly applies to white-collar workers in their 20s-40s who prefer more exotic locales. I have experienced lots of German families on holiday within Germany, and the tour buses in Stuttgart that unload are either entirely German or Chinese!

Of course Germans relate to Mallorjca the same way they relate to a big bierfest like Oktoberfest - they either love it or hate it. So many Germans head to the Belaric Islands and just as many avoid it and say they'd never go there.

Tyrol in Austria/Italy seems especially popular for active holidays (whereas in the Bavarian alps the tourists seems more international and especially American), whereas the Black Forest and other spa locations throughout Europe are popular for "wellness holidays".

The Dutch apparently holiday exclusively in August and entirely in RVs. (This is a joke. I think.)

Since I'm not a German but I live in Germany my own travel habits are different. My German friends jet off to Asia, Australia, Brazil, and the US, whereas we focus on the good deals we can get traveling within Europe. I've been to Berlin far more times than most of my German friends, and I don't think any of them have been to Paris until a friend of ours got married there.

August is a nightmare for travel and we opt to stay home that month, which is a nice break, even if some places close.

`Let's face it, Europeans have us beat when it comes to history and culture, but America's wilderness, particularly toward the west coast, is something to behold.

I find this true of most of my German friends. Their trips to the US usually focus on the West. A classic itinerary is San Francisco-Yosemite-Las Vegas-LA, usually visiting Napa as a day trip from SF (I always tell them to avoid Napa for more untraveled parts of Sonoma and my advice always goes unheeded).

Some trips leave out LA but involve a trip to the Grand Canyon. Longer trips involve driving Route 66, which is an endless source of fascination with Germans. As an American I've never had much desire to do so. But they love our big open spaces in the West, as nothing in Europe really compares. `There's a consistent fascination with the old west, so it's also not unusual to see stopovers in places renowned for Plains Indian history, like South Dakota and Wyoming.

Since my home base in the US is California and I have family in South Dakota, I've been surprised at the amount of Germans I've encountered all over the Western US. I probably just didn't notice it before!

I've noticed that Budapest is popular with Brits (men) who are too poor to be able to afford shirts and travel in groups, I assume out of the insecurity of their situation. They try and hide the fact by by painting matching slogans on their bare chests; again, I assume, to try and appear as though they do indeed have shirts. Despite their sad plight, they do find the means to purchase copious amounts of beer. Out of feeling for their situation, I have purchased a round for these gentlemen several times over the years, and sung their cultural melodies with them on one occasion as well. I wish i spoke their language so i could learn how to avoid the same plight.

Yes, Schleswig....a lovely and interesting area, historically and culturally, Schleswig-Holstein and the town of Schleswig itself.

Last summer I did a day trip there from Kiel, will have to go back for sure since the famous Schloss Gottorf and the Museum I didn't have time for. When I saw this town, I thought I should have come here back in the 1970s and "80s, which could have done with a little itinerary changing.

A classic itinerary is San Francisco-Yosemite-Las Vegas-LA

That's one hell of an itinerary.

I have to say that if I were to venture all the way from Yosemite to Las Vegas, I'd be much more inclined to skip L.A. and visit one of the many amazing parks in that area. Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon and possibly Capitol Reef are all within a day's drive of Las Vegas.

I have never been to L.A., so I can't speak to its worthiness as a tourist destination, but I've been to a few of those national parks. They are among my favorite destinations. :)

Longer trips involve driving Route 66, which is an endless source of fascination with Germans. As an American I've never had much desire to do so.

I can't blame you here. Route 66, while scenic and iconic, is kitschy. There are better roads to drive, including the astounding Route 163 through Monument Valley, though that's pretty far from any of the aforementioned destinations. :)

JC, have you been to Santa Fe yet?

No, not yet. I haven't been to New Mexico at all but Santa Fe looks interesting and not as hot in August as I thought it would be (that is when we'd typically go). One potential candidate for a future trip, thanks.

Interesting thread. I don't know what the percentage is, but there are loads of Europeans (German, British, etc) that flock to western Canada in both the winter and summer. Many are enjoying the splendors of the Rockies, Vancouver Island, Vancouver and Victoria, as well as the natural beauty elsewhere.

I am surprised to read your reports of many foreign tourists in the western US states (outside the big cities). When I lived in California from 1998-2006 I took a lot of road trips and rarely met anyone who wasn't American, even in the major national parks.

Israelis also get more vacation time than most Americans and love to travel to other countries. They go to Europe a lot (it's so close) anywhere from a long weekend (to one city) to a two-week visit. For longer trips, they usually go to the Far East or the Americas. I don't think there are any discernible trends, though they are more likely to go off the beaten path than most Americans seem to do. They may spend a week relaxing on beaches if there is some interesting sightseeing they can do as well. They may spend a week in Berlin or London going to museums and concerts, or rent a car and roam through Alsace.

I was in Budapest a year ago, and met two British couples who were on long visits there and commented on running out of things to see and do - turns out it was significantly cheaper for them to spend several weeks in Hungary for major dental work than getting it done in the UK.

...not as hot in August as I thought it would be (that is when we'd
typically go). One potential candidate for a future trip, thanks.

That's because of the altitude; +7,000 feet.
As you like the U.S. parks, Bandelier National Monument (main canyon and Tsankawi section) and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument are both within easy day trips.

And you're welcome. :O)

I am shocked that Hawaii and Alaska are not high on the list since they both meet the criteria...beautiful parks and beaches(Alaska not so much)...the distance might be the big player here. Hawaii is a big flight from the continental US...so from the Old Country would be a big deal.

I have met some Europeans that don't think the US has a coffee culture(outside of Starbucks)...if you make it to hawaii...try the kona coffee...ummmmmm

On Lago Maggiore we see a lot of visitors from Germany, France, Belgium, and Switzerland (observation based on license plates). We can probly count the number of Americans tourist we’ve talked to or overheard on both hands. Often we are mistaken for Germans and spoken to in German. Italians look at us with great puzzlement when we tell them we moved here from California. They all say they dream of visiting or living in California.

You'd be shocked at the amount of places where you can spend vacations in Europe. Some countries even have numerous tourist spots. You might also want to consider cruises, quite a relaxing experience.

Italians look at us with great puzzlement when we tell them we moved here from California. They all say they dream of visiting or living in California.

A lot of that is based on perceptions gained from Film, TV, music etc. When I was growing up in the 80's (my wife also shares my view) we all wanted to live in America. American kids always seemed to have huge bedrooms and live in massive houses on quiet residential streets (compared to sharing a tiny room with my brother in our council house) and there was always something fun or exciting going on. However, having toured the US extensively over the last decade I have come to realise that my perception was wildly distorted by Hollywood and the othe media companies. Now if you asked me whether I'd rather live in the Italian lakes or in the US, Italy would win hands down every time. The problem is, you rarely appreciate your home location and there's always somewhere better out there.

I am surprised to read your reports of many foreign tourists in the western US states (outside the big cities). When I lived in California from 1998-2006 I took a lot of road trips and rarely met anyone who wasn't American, even in the major national parks.

The state and regional tourism development agencies have gotten pretty well-funded and aggressive in trying to reach outside their old footprints for drawing tourists. Utah in particular has gotten quite slick at marketing the slickrock of their 'Mighty 5 (tm)' National Parks globally.

https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/most-visited-parks/the-mighty-5/

I knew people in college who were living in the real (though decidedly affluent) Chicago suburbs in the 1980s when John Hughes was filming teen comedies just down the street. So not necessarily universally representative but it was a slice of life for a certain group of people at a specific time.

Italians look at us with great puzzlement when we tell them we moved here from California. They all say they dream of visiting or living in California.

I get this all the time, too. ALL. THE. TIME.

Like plenty of Americans, European ideas of California have been shaped by media. When I explain that I grew up in a dusty, hot valley surrounded by agriculture it just doesn't comport with their vision of California. But since I lived in Oakland for well over a decade I found it easier to just say, "I moved here from near San Francisco," and the answer is always, "WOW, why would you ever leave?" Then I get into a complicated discussion about how what they consider to be insane housing prices in Germany are like, nothing, and as a late GenX/Early Millennial I have been completely priced out of my home state, and can never return. I've had this conversation approximately 3,685 times and I still find myself shouting, "Don't bother with Napa!" at the end of it.

I don't know if there are more German tourists on the West Coast than there were when I moved to Germany, or if I just notice them because now I know what different European languages are. But I encountered 3 different groups of Germans in Monterrey last November! It's fun when they don't realize you can understand them (They were perfectly nice, It's just a rare form of eavesdropping for me. One complained about the hoppiness of American craft beer after a waiter insisted they try a pale ale instead of the pilsner he'd requested).

One complained about the hoppiness of American craft beer after a waiter insisted they try a pale ale instead of the pilsner he'd requested).

I agree 100%, I don't understand the American infatuation with IPAs, it's so bitter and tastes like medicine, but all my American friends swear by it... oh boy...

IPAs are an acquired taste, but then again, isn't all alcohol? No one comes out of the womb liking the taste of alcohol.

For me, people who say they love beer but don't like IPAs are like people who say they love bread, but hate a proper French baguette. It's the Platonic ideal of bread. Hops are the the backbone of a decent beer, having their flavor driven to the foreground is just...more of what makes beer good.

Hops are the the backbone of a decent beer, having their flavor driven to the foreground is just...more of what makes beer good

Too much "back bone" is not always a good thing, I know some like "Big and Bold" flavors, but for me it's all about balance, there is much more to a good beer than just overloading on the hops.

As for bread, I prefer pan de payés to a baguette ;)

But who can afford those prices? I mean there can be only as many IT professionals

As a former IT Professional I can assure you it's not IT Professionals making the money!

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I lived in Monterey, California 30 years. The lower income scale either lived in Seaside (the next town over and not highly praised for security), or if they could scrape up a mortgage and down payment, they bought a house in Pacific Grove knowing they would always have to have room mates in order to have their own home. Salinas is also more 'blue collar' as it is inland in the agricultural belt and the commute to Monterey, Carmel or the coast is about 25-30 minutes.

I grew up in Pacific Grove California, and my mom still lives there, but only because my parents were able to buy their house before property values went up too high. A funny perception that non-Californian's have is that there is warm water along all the Pacific coast beaches. While it can be tolerable in Southern California during the summer, its pretty cold further up the coast all year round (except for that glorious week in September 1984 when a freak warm water current led to me rushing down to our little beach area after school to swim in the water.) I wonder how many Europeans associate San Francisco with images of Southern California beaches.

"But who can afford those prices? I mean there can be only as many IT professionals"

I live 90 miles from San Francisco. There are plenty of people who live in the Sacramento area (inland in the Central Valley) who commute to the San Francisco area. Many of them sold houses in the Bay Area and have come here for more 'affordable housing.' It has driven up our housing prices, making home ownership difficult many people. I totally understand what Sarah means about how she couldn't afford to return to California.

Although I do not live in Europe, as a Canadian I can add that plenty of Europeans do travel to Canada on vacation, primarily from the UK, France and Germany. Direct flights from Europe use the western gateway cities of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Whitehorse.

Living close to the Canadian Rocky Mountains (Jasper and Banff), our region receives large numbers of international visitors every summer (and winter for skiing). Although our history is relatively "young" by European or Asian standards, attractions such as the Royal Alberta Museum and Fort Edmonton Park appeal to those visitors interested in Canada's unique history.

As a matter of fact, CBC-TV in Canada has a program scheduled on March 1 about why German tourists flock to the Yukon Territory!

https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/features/eight-reasons-why-german-tourists-flock-to-canadas-yukon-every-year

@ carlos... Your point is well taken regarding the "infatuation." When a waiter here recommends a craft beer to me, (it has happened a few times), I listen to him, then I repeat the pilsener I ordered originally. I don't drink IPAs either, never touched the stuff.

What I would recommend (if you don't it know it already) to you in Germany is Herforder Pils, the various Dortmund beers, eg, DAB, and that Schwarzbier, Köstrizer. Tons of good beers in Germany without resorting to craft beer.

@Fred - thanks for the tips! So far, my favorite German beers are Märzenbier and Hefeweizen, but I'm always looking to add to the list :)

Hefeweizen is all right but between the two, I prefer Märzenbier. When you are in Berlin, I most definitely recommend the local brew...Berliner Weisse and Schultheis. Of course, the price is going to depend on the location of the eatery/restaurant whether it's located in Mitte or Charlottenburg, or in an area of no international tourists, eg, Köpenick or Karlshorst, or Jannowitzbrücke ( yes, the same place mentioned in Berlin traditional songs, "Berliner Alte Lieder und Gassenhauer."

I wonder how many Europeans associate San Francisco with images of Southern California beaches.

I never associate San Francisco with beaches. For me it's the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Bullitt, the cable cars, sealions and hippies! When I think of Californian beaches my immediate response is Venice beach.

Ah, yes, Fred my absolute favorite is "Berliner Alte Lieder und Gassenhauer." I sing it every morning in the shower.

That's a two CD set by that title...classic songs.

I came from Dubai a couple weeks ago, great city, there are many places that may surprise you. I knew that it is a modern city, but I was very surprised when I arrived and saw it with my own eyes. On the first day I rent a Ferrari at renty and rode through the night Dubai, it was great!

I lived in Sweden for two years and got a generous 5 weeks of vacation. Swedes are entitled to take four consecutive weeks of vacation and many people do this in the height of summer. I don’t blame them as the Swedish summer is glorious. It seems to be a dream of many Swedes to own a sommarstuga (summer cottage) in the countryside where they can spend time in nature. Picking berries and mushrooms, swimming in lakes, and walking through the forest are popular activities. These summer houses are often pretty primitive, so this would not be my ideal vacation. In winter, Swedes often go skiing or head somewhere warm. Many of my friends in Sweden are very well traveled and have been all over the world.

I chuckled at the comment by Sarah about getting quizzed by Germans about why she would leave California. In the late 80s, I spent a few weeks traveling through Germany with a friend. I remember that we struck up a conversation with a couple young German guys at a bar. One of them wanted to know why we would want to come to Germany on vacation when we could have gone to Texas. It seemed that he had recently vacationed in Texas and thought it was fabulous, To each his own.

When I was in Germany in 1971, ie, the first time in Europe traveling 7 weeks out of the 12 week charter flight in Germany, one particular pupil in a Gymnasium (the university tracked kids) asked me why I was spending the time visiting Germany, which by the time I met her class in the Munich hostel I had been in Germany for 7 weeks. No other German asked me on that except for her, along with another German tourist I met in SF in the mid-1970s.

As Finns are the most traveled country in the world, I just follow in their footsteps. In the winter, the Finns flock to the Canary Islands, as they have done since the 1960s, and now they also spend time in Thailand. Many have second homes in either place to enjoy several months there, this is their 'Florida'.

The most frequently traveled destination from Finland is Estonia, a two and a half hour boat trip from Helsinki to Tallin. Finns go there to have their car tires changed, have their car serviced, go to the dentist, to the hair dresser, have a spa mini vacation, go to the theater or a concert, and to buy liquor.

The second most popular is Sweden. As I live in Turku, we have four daily ships doing 23 hour mini cruises between Turku and Stockholm. These boats travel 365 days a year, and the Turku Stockholm route has only 90 minutes open sea so it is perfect even in the stormy winter time. Normal price for a window cabin is about 44 euros (1 to 4 people, same price, I get my own cabin even if alone), but my Club membership gives it to me at 15 euros. As a retiree I do as the Finns do, and travel this every few weeks to get a mini get away. The Turku boats have the largest tax free afloat anywhere in the world, so why not! I stock up on Iittala, Marimekko, my vitamins, buy clothes, enjoy my favorite artists perform, eat fabulously well, and enjoy the lovely archipelago. In Turku, the long distance trains and buses come right to the harbor, as do local city buses which makes it so easy.

A few years ago I was planning a trip to Germany, and I connected via Facebook with someone originally from the small town my husband wanted to visit. I asked her about other places in Germany we also wanted to see, and was amazed that she hadn't actually been to many of the large cities. She had spent some time in USA (in the midwest) for work and visiting family, and her boyfriend who came along fell in love with it, wanting to move there. Normally, they vacationed on the coast of Belgium or somewhere not too far from home. I guess they just weren't especially interested in travel. If I lived there, I'd never be home!

oh my gosh VEGAS. Why is this place so popular with Brits?! Some British friends told us their son-in-law celebrated his 30th birthday in Vegas with 4 or 5 of his mates. And we've heard of numerous other Brits having stag or hen parties there, or just vacations. When I drive to Utah I try to get through Nevada as quickly as possible. I hate walking past slot machines at the rest areas.

Carlos, I'm sooo jealous that you met Stephen Fry! He must have been filming "Stephen Fry in America," which we've watched several times. I agree that the Wild West is more popular with foreigners than with natives. Death Valley is über-popular with Germans. If you see someone posing by the temperature display at Death Valley and it reads 134ºF, I GUARANTEE you it's a German LOL.

I got to practice my German with some German tourists in Seattle last weekend ;-)

My husband gets 5 weeks of vacation, so we have the luxury of taking 2 or 3 weeks at a time for our overseas vacations. Many Americans don't, of course, plus they think of a Europe trip as a "once-in-a-lifetime" thing (while dropping big bucks on, say, numerous Disneyland trips). Many don't even have passports, since until recently we didn't need passports even to go to Canada and Mexico. Since my father is an immigrant I've had a passport since I was a baby for travel to his home country. I lived on the European Continent for almost a decade and LOVED being able to take, say, an overnight train to Italy or a one-hour flight to Scandinavia and not have jet lag. Spend a few days, come home. Some British friends recently spent a weekend in Berlin. Jealous!

We did notice that Germans and Brits often go somewhere warm and cheap for vacation.

Sorry I've only managed to wade through the first half of this thread so far. Very interesting!

edit: I've just clicked on the Telegraph article about American tourists, and cannot believe that only 3% of Americans had a passport in 1989. I mean, I suppose that's true, but wow. As I am part of an immigrant family and studied overseas while in college, it seemed to me that everyone had a passport ... But it's true, we lived near the Canadian border when I was growing up and frequently went to Canada just to visit a museum, etc., and never needed to show passports, even for my father, who looks "foreign" and apparently has an accent (I can't hear it). Simpler times ...

In 2007 (thereabouts) CNN reported that 25% of Americans had the US passport.

I've had one since 1971, there were some months when the passport had lapsed after its 5 year duration and I didn't renew it prior to that date or soon afterwards. Very interesting looking back at all the passports and the stamps by US Immigration, which now you can only get by asking...I always ask.

As an American, the answers so far about trips to the US have been fascinating to me. I wonder how familiar most Europeans are with places that I would consider good vacation spots (Key West, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco, Blue Ridge mountains, etc).

@RobbyRob - in a general sense I would say that Europeans (myself included) would only go to San Francisco and to a lesser extent New Orleans on your list, I am not even sure where exactly is Key West (somewhere near Miami?) or blue ridge mountains?

@ RobbyRob....Nashville is worth going to, especially if you are interested in the music. New Orleans is fascinating, went there a few years ago to attend a conference with added visiting days to see the city and museums. .

While I was attending the conference workshops, lectures held in the convention center, etc, the Mrs went off to explore the French Quarter etc...fascinating, enlightening, if you want delve into the history (cultural and political) of the French in the 1600 and 1700s in North America.

@RobbyRob - in a general sense I would say that Europeans (myself included) would only go to San Francisco and to a lesser extent New Orleans on your list, I am not even sure where exactly is Key West (somewhere near Miami?) or blue ridge mountains?

I don't think we're all or mostly restricted to those locations. Orlando has to be, by far, the number one tourist destination for Europeans primarily because of Disney and the other parks. Our family visits to the US have included, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Cincininatti, Atlantic City (and wider New Jersey area), New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Hilton Head Island, Savannah, Dallas, Austin, Washington DC, Williamsburg VA (including the Blue Ridge Mountains), the Everglades, San Francisco, Three Rivers, Sequioa National Park, Lodi, Lake Tahoe, Driggs Idaho, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park and The Tetons National Park, West Yellowstone, Salt Lake City and Park City, By the age of 12 my eldest could name every US state, two years later he could pretty much recall every state capitol yet despite this extensive travel to the US we only visited York for the first time last year and The Cotswolds. We've taken the kids to Edinburgh and Glasgow a few times as we have relatives there and they only visited Newcastle, Hadrian's Wall and the surrounding area a few years ago as my wife was working there and we took the opportunity to visit during half term.

We have never taken the chidlren to Wales other than the brief incursions across the border when visiting their grandmother in the Forest of Dean and none of us have ever been to the East Coast, Anglia etc. As a result we've decided to opt for a summer holiday in the UK (much to the eldest's consternation who had his heart set of the Carribbean!) to exlpore more of what is on our doorstep, however we have booked a Christmas/New Year break in Malaysia and Thailand.

I am shocked that Hawaii and Alaska are not high on the list

It is very rare to encounter Europeans in Hawaii. Just too far, most likely. Foreign visitors to Hawaii are, in this order, from Canada, Japan, China and South Korea. But the Asians go mainly to Oahu (Honolulu) and skip the other islands. Many Canadians have a time share in Hawaii or own a condo there, but even if they are retired, they have a time limit on how much time they can be there, I think because of their health insurance.

When we did a road trip in Alaska one September, we saw tons of German RVers there. I got the impression that German vacationers are very interested in adventurous outdoor natural destinations, and Alaska certainly is unique in that respect. Makes sense that they would flock to Yukon also. For us, Yukon and Northwest Territories, where we drove up to the Arctic Circle, were even more interesting to us than most of Alaska. Dawson City was my favorite place on that whole trip.

in a general sense I would say that Europeans (myself included) would only go to San Francisco and to a lesser extent New Orleans on your list, I am not even sure where exactly is Key West (somewhere near Miami?) or blue ridge mountains?

@Carlos - In the grand scheme of things it's near Miami. The keys are a chain of islands off the south tip of Florida, Key West is the most famous. It's a tropical paradise like other well known Caribbean island -just have a scroll down google images to get an idea

Blue Ridge is a beautiful stretch of the Appalachian mountains. It crosses a few state lines but mainly in North Carolina near the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Great place to rent a cabin and unplug.

As Americans we have enjoyed multiple trips to Italy (my family's heritage) and Great Britain & Ireland (my husband's heritage). When younger we backpacked all around New Zealand and car camped all around Scotland. But without a doubt we have met more citizens of the world as volunteers in our own American parks.

We've volunteered as camp hosts for months at a time at Grand Canyon National Park (both rims), in Utah's Canyonlands, in Big Bend National Park in Texas, as well as state parks in Florida, Arizona, and southern California. Additionally, we've done a fair bit of traveling in between. In each place we've met wonderful people from around the world who love outdoor experiences. I'd have to guess that the gorgeous vastness of America is part of what draws the world's travelers.

I'm always amazed at where in the US the bulk of Europeans with whom this topic comes up when I speak with them are drawn. They are to cities/locales that I feel are less interesting than many others. Boston never seems interesting until I mention it. All want NYC, LA, Las Vegas. I can understand NYC, but don't understand LA and particularly Las Vegas. But that's just me. My brother spent most of his adult life living in LA (or environs: Westwood, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach) and loved it. Me, no. However, recently I've been wondering what influences me (or others) to pick the areas that we visit. In this order my basis was my art history studies in college; ie, Netherlands, France, Italy. Then my daughter's interests: Pompeii & Florence Italy, London & France. Then my daughter's married family: UK. Now, as I cross items off my bucket list I find my own background and readings: genealogy brings more UK and Sweden; history has Berlin on the list...although I see it falling lower on the list. So, basically, we are all different and have different interests and families, and these interests restrict or expand our knowledge...hence smaller, but maybe nicer US cities/areas don't make the lists as they aren't known as well. Boston is my favorite US city and that is why I live here, but others' interests bring up other locales, but I don't know what I'd do without New England...

PS. Most people I know don't run from one European locale to another so I don't think that has to do with vacation time. Most I know want to get to know one area better than knowing none. I think this forum might attract the runners as Rick's tours run through areas quickly, yet people don't separate what you can learn from a fast running tour rather than fast running on your own. And many people don't enjoy their vacations, IMO, but rather use them to try to show other people how what a great time they had when they didn't. My observations. YMMV

I'd have to guess that the gorgeous vastness of America is part of what draws the world's travelers.

You have that conclusion spot on, at least with me. My first trip to the US was with my fiance at the time and we went to Atlanta, Las Vegas and Cincinnati (Vegas was the primary aspect, Atlanta and Cincinnati just happened to be the best routing for two travellers on a budget) I can't say that I'd return to any of them, least of all Las Vegas. My favourite part of Las Vegas was the flight over the Grand Canyon and a horse ride through the desert. After hitting the major places, NYC, Orlando, San Francisco, Miami, Washington DC etc we've decided (or rather I've decided) that I don't really enjoy American cities, it's the national parks, the wilderness and the small town America that attracts me the most.