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Do Europeans feel as excited about visiting the USA as we do Europe?

I just wonder about their anticipation. I was in a shop in a small town in Tuscano and the owner was saying how much she would trade places and be in the USA. I thought, really? ..Italy is such a beautiful country and the people are so wonderful .. I'd trade places with her.

Posted by
2261 posts

I had the same conversation with a taxi driver in Florence-he wanted nothing more than to live in Santa Monica, CA. And I mean, he really wanted it. Go figure. He knew that UCLA was near Santa Monica, when I told him I was born at UCLA hospital he couldn't believe it.

Posted by
3940 posts

When we were in Amalfi, we used Sorrento Silver Star for a car tour and our driver told us of the few years he lived in Los Angeles - he loved it! I always think it's funny because of how many Americans dream of living in Europe - guess it works both ways.

That being said, we are just vacationing in Canada this year (after two lovely vacays last year, we are staying closer to home this year). When I say we are going on vacay (4 days and counting) and people ask where, I say....'only Toronto' because I'm not super duper excited. I'm glad we're getting away for a few weeks, but...it's not Europe. But I do throw in - 'we're spending a few days in Boston' because that seems more exciting somehow than TO...lol.

Oh - we also host lots of couchsurfers from Europe and all over. They are so excited to be visiting Canada! I remember we had a couple Aussie girls a few years back who were cycling across Canada, and they had been biking thru our Annapolis Valley (lots of wide open spaces, farmland and apple orchards) and they said it was one of the prettiest places they had seen as the sun was setting and everything was golden.

To each their own - what is different is exotic and exciting to everyone!

Posted by
8889 posts

Oh, Jim. This is one of those topics that could expand, veer off topic, disappear into name calling and attract the attention of the great censor - the webmaster. But, in the meantime it could be interesting.

My initial answer is no, because from a European perspective people in the USA appear to have an attitude that they are not part of the world, it is the USA and the world. This may have been the attitude of many other countries in the past, not least the British in the 19th century, but it no longer is. Europe is made of many different cultures in a (relatively) small area. If I go 100 Km, I do not expect to be able to understand what people are saying, or them to understand me; I expect to be confused by different cultures and cultural values and I am not surprised by items on the menu I have no idea what they are. This is what is irritating about questions on this or other forums which ask about "Europe", they are unanswerable.

The USA is seen as one country speaking one language, with one culture (Hollywood) and one cuisine (hamburgers). I can cope with foreign cultures, the USA is just one of the 190-odd countries in the world. A very interesting one, but just one.
The flavour I get from some of the posts by new users is not having been exposed to diversity of cultures before. They talk about diversity in the USA, but it is really just an Americanised and sanitised leftover from immigrants.

Yes, I am excited about visiting the USA, Brazil, Thailand or wherever. But I am expecting the unexpected. But, I have lived in two different countries in my life (and spent time working in others), so perhaps I am not a good example.

P.S. Why is this under "Italy"?

Posted by
792 posts

excellent post Chris. It is under "Italy" because that is where I received the comments when I lived there for a couple of months.The local bakery guy who delivered into the small Tuscan town I was staying in, dreamed about going to NYC. I just though, why?

Posted by
1443 posts

We dream of castles, ancient Rome, and beautiful cities. Europeans, for all I know, dream of wide-open spaces, cowboys, and motorcycles roaring up the California coast. People dream of what they do not have.

Posted by
127 posts

I wonder how many people in the US would love to travel to Europe but can't because of the expense, inability to get time off of work, etc. There hasn't been one time I've traveled to Europe where I haven't been appreciative of the fact that I have the opportunity and means to make the trip.

Posted by
15043 posts

Are you talking about 'visiting America' or 'living in America'?
I think a first time European visitor to America would be excited about their trip like most people would be excited to visit any country for the first time.

Regarding the comment you received from the shop owner, that is the result of the way Italians feel about their country and how their views are influenced by the media.

Italians are the most negative and self deprecating people and the media reflect that mood. The most popular TV shows are talk shows (like Porta a Porta, Di Martedi, Ballaro', Virus, etc.) where in every single program a bunch of talking heads show and discuss some awful aspect that doesn't work well in their country. Italians love to hate their country and think everything is better in other countries, especially the other industrialized countries like the US. For example I worked for health insurance, for Medicare and in hospital administration for decades now, so I know a little about how healthcare works in America and it's one of the most inefficient in the world. The Italian National Health Service ranks 2nd after France's in the WHO statistics, still they think their healthcare system is the worst. However when I tell them some details about the US health care all of the sudden they don't like those details too much. So in the end it's a lot of misinformation and a lot of misrepresentation of reality by Hollywood's media productions.

Posted by
144 posts

I am "exchanging homes" with a Paris couple for a few weeks this summer. They lived in the US for a few years some time ago. Both are very excited about their visit to the Pacific Northwest, referring to it as their "dream vacation". Did I mention they are French and live in Paris! :)

Posted by
1068 posts

Of course this is a skewed response on my part. I think most people are polite enough to not say "Yeeeeccccchhhhhh-- you live in America?" if they feel that way. Several times I met people who traveled here (one English Train Ticket Salesman told me he had visited about 38 of the 50 states) and they told me they enjoyed their visits. A couple of people I have met, a young Italian man we shared a train compartment with, two Turks from Istanbul and a Croat working in Vienna, told me they would love to move to the US. Go figure. I've also met people fascinated by America, who preferred living their own country, kinda like me. Love to visit though.

Posted by
15679 posts

The flavour I get from some of the posts by new users is not having
been exposed to diversity of cultures before

I think that's a narrow generalization depending on where in the U.S. one is from but consider living in a country that covers such a vast expanse that many, many people aren't able to see more than a small part of it during their lifetime let alone leave the borders? This is an interesting visual:

http://mapfight.appspot.com/ch-vs-usc/switzerland-united-states-contiguous-size-comparison

Yep, that little purple splotch is Switzerland. Other than Canada to the North and Mexico to the South, a different country is a long, long way away. It's difficult to be exposed to same diversity of cultures as Europeans who can jump a train, budget flight or car and be in any number of completely different countries within a couple of hours or even less, depending on where they live.

Canada is a huge country too so the same probably applies.

Posted by
19653 posts

I've met on separate trips hotel owners in Zermatt and a jeweler in Bayreuth who both had their bucketlist vacation under their belts: fly to Phoenix and rent a Harley-Davidson and drive it to Las Vegas. The hotelier couple went so far as to redo their wedding vows at an Elvis impersonator wedding chapel and post it on Youtube.
The sales lady at BHV in Paris loved her vacation in Yosemite, but really loved the letter she received from the National Park Service 6 months later suggesting that she should be tested for Hantavirus.

Posted by
8377 posts

Roberto has it right. There's a difference in being somewhere on vacation and living there. Life is good when you're living in hotels and eating in restaurants every day. Most Europeans I've talked to about it, would love to get paid US salaries in our big wasteful homes, but not when they learn about income taxes, health care, and the violence we accept. Of course, we'd all like to live in Canada, if they had better beaches.

Posted by
4324 posts

Everyone wants to visit somewhere else. Don't you think Hawaiians go on vacation? Or Fijians?

Don't forget that until just recently American culture was very accessible and visible, in fact sometimes to the exclusion of local media. Everyone in the world "knows" what Hollywood and New York are like. Oh and Texas.

Posted by
9404 posts

All my friends from England and France are as excited to come here on vacation as I am to go there.

Posted by
14482 posts

My experience in talking to Europeans, specifically Germans, French, is that unless they have studied American life, culture, history, read the US press, etc they don't know the US....period. Certain practices regarded as normal here in southern Calif and other parts of the country were they to take place in towns and cities Germany or France would be condemned as nationalistic or right wing activity.

Posted by
792 posts

I once made a mistake in France. Brittany and the rest of France are two way different cultures. Thus it is in the USA. Brittany was like Charleston SC, Marseilles was like Miami.

Posted by
3387 posts

We've exchanged homes with 7 families from Europe over the course of the last 9 years. In their initial contact almost all of them say something like "It's always been our dream to travel to California" or some such thing. We get hundreds of offers of exchange between the months of January and April and probably 70% of these are from Europe. It's fun to watch their trips unfold on social media...all the touristy things that we who live here rarely do! Before the exchange I get tons of questions from them about all of these things and try to give them guidance on how to best see everything they want to see. Best beaches, where to see movie stars, how to hike to the Hollywood sign, Disneyland, shopping, how far is it to Yosemite, Mexican food, etc. They are always amazed at night shopping! Our exchange partners from Switzerland posted so many pictures from Target at night...their kids thought "night shopping" was absolutely fantastic since the sidewalks roll up so early in the place they are from.
Truly...the grass is always greener!

Posted by
19653 posts

From Roberto:

For example I worked for health insurance, for Medicare and in hospital administration for decades now, so I know a little about how healthcare works in America and it's one of the most inefficient in the world.

Driving down the A-4 from Venice to Milan with a friend, I got an earful of Italian complaints, mostly about corrupt politicians. But when I told him what we pay for health insurance, he just about drove it off the road.

Posted by
11247 posts

Our Italian friends love to go to the U.S. and love the U.S., period. And they are not just saying that. They see the U.S. (and Canada but I'm American so I'm rolling with it) as a place where things work and where there is no corruption, no Mafia. They do abhor our situation with violence.

They are enamored with New York, Florida, California and Las Vegas. I have yet to meet an Italian that knows specifically where Oregon is and certainly they see the Midwest as flyover country.

Like Roberto, when I explain American healthcare my Italian buddies are shocked that a country where so much works so well can have such an inefficient system.

As the Italians say "L'erba del vicino Γ¨ sempre piΓΉ verde:" The neighbor's grass is always greener.

Posted by
15560 posts

Of course they do. A vacation is a vacation is a vacation. Visiting places that are so different from your home is exciting. In Europe, visiting other countries is normal, whether it's a long week-end by plane or an auto trip. I find that most Americans not only have no desire to travel, but they don't understand people who do.

I was talking to a woman in her mid-20's and a man in his mid-30's who both grew up in Paris, lived there and loved it, didn't think there was anywhere better on earth. She told me how much she loved to travel and how excited she'd been to visit the U.S. He also loved to travel and could hardly wait for his upcoming trip to Puglia to visit relatives and enjoy the countryside.

Posted by
2393 posts

When I had my B&B in Cape Cod we had guests from all over the world. Europeans were all very excited to be here touring. New England, New York City, Washington DC, Florida, LA, Vegas and the Southwest were among the popular destinations. We had many folks from Australia & New Zealand who would save vacation for a couple of years, come for 3 months and travel all over. One thing that amazed me was how little planning and research many guests had done prior to arriving. Those of us who reseach are indeed a minority.

One thing I kept hearing from most of our guests was their surprise at how friendly & helpful Americans were. Until visiting their views of America were what they had seen on TV - unfortunately the news does not like to air stories about nice & good things they like to focus on the shocking & negative. The TV shows from America are not a real portrayal of America either - especially the so-called "reality" shows.

The US is twice as large as Europe in area and is actually more diverse than most who visit from foreign countries think - the difference is we don't call them "Ugly Europeans" for not knowing all the different cultural customs in every state or region of the US. In the Northeast if you have a business meeting chances are it will be all business - have the same meeting in the south and it will be "come in, sit a spell and visit, we'll get to the business eventually. Don't try & order a grinder in Denver - they'll look at you like you have 2 noses! In the South - if you order tea - it will be Sweet Tea - Tea with a LOT of sugar, or all soft drinks are called Coke - no matter what it is - except for the areas where they are called pop, but they are sodas in the Northeast. And barbeque - one could write a book on the differences of barbeque across the USA!

The world is topographically, culturally & historically diverse and people are naturally curious about the differences. I think it is only natural to be excited about seeing and experiencing distant places.

One young man from South Africa summed it up for me in a story he told. He was visiting his cousin in London - they were meeting for lunch on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. He stood there amazed at the beauty and rich history around him and said to his cousin "I can't believe you get to live among all of this!" She responded "All of what?"!

@Chris F. In one paragraph you contradict yourself:

"from a *European** perspective people in the USA appear to have an attitude that they are not part of the world, it is the USA and the world"* stating a view from all Europeans

then go on to say how Europe is made of many parts and grouping them all together is "irritating"

"Europe is made of many different cultures in a (relatively) small area. If I go 100 Km, I do not expect to be able to understand what people are saying, or them to understand me; I expect to be confused by different cultures and cultural values and I am not surprised by items on the menu I have no idea what they are. This is what is irritating about questions on this or other forums which ask about "Europe", they are unanswerable."

I am assuming you have spent considerable time in the US to have formed the opinion that the US does not think of itself as "part of the world".

Posted by
15679 posts

One thing I kept hearing from most of our guests was their surprise at
how friendly & helpful Americans were.

We do a lot of hiking in the Southwest National/State parks and share trails with more Europeans (and Aussies) than we do with Americans, I swear. That's a comment we hear a lot as well as how easy it is to miscalculate distances. They can't get their heads around how far it can be from one place to another. They sure seem to love our parks (Bryce, Zion, G. Canyon, etc.) just as much as I love their castles, churches and landscapes, though; great trail mates, all.

So what's the fascination with Route 66? I see tons of those posts from foreigners on travel forums for the U.S.

Posted by
11247 posts

I find that most Americans not only have no desire to travel, but they don't understand people who do.

Chani, I don't know about "most" and their desires, but I think a lot of my compatriots lack vacation time and cannot fathom how to afford international travel. AND they fear not being able to function in a foreign language. (Off topic, I know, but this is an interesting thread, isn't it?)

Posted by
15679 posts

Very true, Laurel. Most people we know do travel to some extent but not necessarily abroad. It's simply cost-prohibitive for them and/or they don't have adequate vacation time to be away for long. What little vacation time my husband and I had for many years had to be spent seeing parents/grandparents/siblings who lived some distance away, and dealing with larger tasks at home involving more than a weekend. We both had to work a fair amount of weekend hours as well.

The economic crash did a lot of damage: I know enough folks who had to find new employment due to lay-offs and closings. They're starting all over with little vacation time and making up for savings diminished while looking for new jobs.

Posted by
2393 posts

I find it hard to fathom that anyone can say "most Americans" or" most Europeans" anything. With populations in the US of 300+ million and 400+ million in the EU I could not even begin to speak about the preferences of most of either group. I do try and stick to my own experiences about anything - broad statements from any source are how cultural misconceptions are created and spread. My personal experiences with many of the common cultural misconceptions have found them to just that - misconceptions.

Many American's I have talked with say they travel within the US because there is so much here to see and do. Going from one state to the next is like traveling from one country to another in Europe distance wise. The state of Texas alone is 1/6 the size of the EU and is very diverse with green river valleys, dry desert, the hill country with wineries (settled by Germans incidentally) coastal areas and large urban/suburban cities - so much to see in one state.

Posted by
4495 posts

As a corollary and somewhat of a response to the "one culture" comment above, how many US states deserve "separate country" status? I suggest as a minimum New Mexico and Louisiana.

Posted by
15679 posts

We just got back from New Mexico/Santa Fe (3rd time). It's a fascinating, totally different culture compared to the state I live in so yep, I'd give it " separate country" status.

Posted by
254 posts

Tom_MN muses
'As a corollary and somewhat of a response to the "one culture" comment above, how many US states deserve "separate country" status?'

Ponder the idea from Colin Woodard at Christian Science Monitor that the US is composed of 11 regional cultures that are Nations (his term). See article http://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2011-09-29/real-u-s-map-a-country-of-regions-part-1-commentary-by-colin-woodard and following.

It would also be interesting to see a Native American/Canada First Nations person respond from their point of view to Tom's question.

Posted by
14482 posts

I recall seeing the advertisements shown on TV 10-15 years ago in SF Bay Area on tourism to Texas. After showing natural beauty and people scenes, the voice said in effect this message, come to Texas, "feels like another country." I thought, how true. They were just that for a decade. Luckily, professionally and vacation wise I was able to make it back two more times by 2011.

Posted by
792 posts

forget Texas .. my post was asking if Europeans see the USA as a dream vacation or a country to avoid.

Posted by
755 posts

Jim - when I meet people in Europe I love to ask them if they have visited the US or if not , would they like to, and every person has said YES! It is indeed a dream for many people and the number one answer when I ask them where they would want to go is New York City.

Posted by
792 posts

indeed rachele ..NYC was the answer I got back from the many Italians I talked to.

Posted by
250 posts

I think Europeans are just like Americans regarding overseas travel. They are excited about visiting a completely different country and what it has to offer. We want to see historic buildings, art, and monuments. They want to see many things that are taken for granted in America like Broadway plays and national parks. Meanwhile Americans don't feel this way about going to different states because the language, culture, etc. is very similar outside of Hawaii. Americans just think, "California is a beautiful state" or "I want to see this park." Italians, OTOH, want to experience the American culture and learn it goes far beyond Hollywood.

Posted by
14482 posts

"Forget Texas" ...unheard of! They would no less forget Texas than Calif.

Among Europeans (to use that general term), I've only talked to some French, not British or Germans, or any other nationality, if you want to identify which, who said that they saw no need to leave France for vacation since France had everything, however one defined "everything." That was after I had read somewhere that the French have the high percentage wanting to stay in their own country rather than go abroad.

Posted by
2393 posts

""Forget Texas" ...unheard of! They would no less forget Texas than Calif."

I know! Everyone we spoke with knew about Texas! We'd say we were from Texas and invariably get a big smile back and some reference to cowboys or Cowboy's or Everything's Bigger in Texas or Don't mess with Texas!

BTW - if you ever want to annoy a Frenchman just remind them there's a little Texas in most every French wine! Grafts from native Texas grapes saved the French vineyards during the great wine blight in the mid 19th century!

Posted by
4495 posts

This is an interesting article from several years ago. http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2009/08/touristic_bias.html

It's hard for frequent visitors from the US to Europe to not notice how similar European and American lives are in what are physically similar places (i.e. post-war suburbs), and how many of the quaint villages and historic urban areas are becoming non-native Airbnb-type areas populated with foreign tourists, foreign students, etc. Venice is really not that different from Disneyworld's Magic Kingdom, only tourists living there and then some locals who commute from elsewhere to serve them.

Posted by
14482 posts

Yes, how true...when ones goes to Texas, one sees T-shirts and coffee mugs plastered with "Don't Mess with Texas" just as I saw in my favourite city in Texas, San Antonio.

Posted by
448 posts

The taxi driver who drove us from Heathrow to Fulham was absolutely in love with America. He talked about how much he liked to travel to the US and especially Las Vegas. He mentioned he goes there at least twice a year.

I was thinking, "You live in this AMAZING nation and you want to go to Las Vegas?!" -- I wonder if he was thinking, "You live in that AMAZING nation and you want to go to Fulham?!"

I think travelers are a breed apart, be they American, African, Asian or European: they want to see new things and explore new places and expand their horizons. A New Yorker wants to see Paris and a Parisian wants to see New York. I'll bet you they both get there and go "WOW! This place is SO cool!!"

Posted by
250 posts

I don't understand why anybody would say, "Forget about taxes." LOL. Travelers have to pay sales taxes on everything they buy, cars, hotels, souvenirs,, food, you name it. How can they forget about taxes?

Posted by
15043 posts

DonnyBee, Umberto Bossi is basically an unrepented drunkard who doesn't count much anymore in the Italian politics.
His successor at the helm in the Northern League, Mr. Matteo Salvini, is just a younger and poorer version of Donald Trump, with whom he shares the anti-Muslim and deportation policies. The only difference is that Salvini hasn't found a way to build a wall in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Posted by
15560 posts

anywhere than being home is an adventure

It's largely a mindset. As I sit at my computer reading this and dreaming of exciting European jaunts, past and future, I realize that I could get in my car, drive for an hour of two and be a tourist in Jerusalem or Roman Caesarea or Crusader Acre. Maybe that's a little sparkly, but I'll bet just about all of us can think of great places that are no more than a couple hours from home. When I visit my (well-traveled) friends in the U.S., about the only time they do "tourist stuff" is when I'm there (or other out-of-towners).

Maybe the next question should be: what are the top tourist attractions near you . . . and when's the last time you saw them?

Posted by
1929 posts

OK Chani, I'll bite--

Besides the 'normal' tourist attractions in Chicago--the lakefront, Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, the downtown 'Loop'--I would consider around the lake to southwest Michigan, specifically the New Buffalo area, as a destination within a couple hours. Beautiful resort area in mindset as far away from Chicago and its environs as one can get. Also, about 90 minutes north is Milwaukee, another clean lakefront city with great breweries. I travel to downtown Chicago from my home in the far northern suburbs regularly for business or to visit family, and hit the other areas at least once a year.

But...nothing in this country--and I've visited a good 45 out of the 50 states--compares with traveling abroad, specifically to Europe. My heritage is Italian, but I got just as much of a charge being in Paris, or Switzerland, as my homeland in Italy, because it was someplace different, out of my comfort zone but tempered by exhaustive research in advance, which I love to do. And as stated upthread, just traveling from point-to-point on an efficient, reasonably-priced train system is a thrill in itself. Will be branching out on our next trip, possibly next year, to Munich, Austria and the Dolomites, before basing somewhere in central or southern Italy for a few days before returning home. And I can't wait!

One more thing, Chani--my neighbor across the street is Israeli, her husband Greek. And they visited both areas I believe three years ago with their three children. And the stories of daily runs to the bomb shelters in a Tel Aviv suburb were fascinating but quite scary, and their childrens' acceptance of these happenings--they didn't appear affected in the least--was unsettling.

Posted by
2393 posts

So true Chani - many people I talk to rarely tour in their own back yard. I know Americans who have been around the world but have never seen the Grand Canyon or visited our nation's capital.

The recent trend in "staycations" I think has increased the number of people visiting tourist areas near home.

Posted by
15560 posts

Okay, Jay, you've opened my particular can of worms. I'll be in Chicago for a few days in July and again in August, western 'burbs with a rental car. The things on my list right now are: Field Museum (mostly because of the Terra Cotta Warriors), Second City and the Art Institute (perennial faves), and lots of pizza. Don't like zoos (animals in jail), been to most of the tourist stuff, always looking for new or off-the-beaten. Care to add? Or meet up to talk travel and eat pizza?

One of my best trips from there was 2 nights in Galena (the land the glaciers forgot). Another memorable 2-nighter was to Madison. None planned for this trip, though I might go down to Springfield/Salem for an overnight - huge Lincoln fan and haven't been there in decades.

Been to 30+ countries on 3 continents, and my favorite place in the world is Zion Nat'l Park in Utah. I've been there almost a dozen times and my soul calls to return.

You wrote: my neighbor across the street is Israeli, her husband Greek. And they visited both areas I believe three years ago with their three children. And the stories of daily runs to the bomb shelters in a Tel Aviv suburb were fascinating but quite scary, and their childrens' acceptance of these happenings--they didn't appear affected in the least--was unsettling. I was in Chicago then!! I left Israel 2-3 weeks into that little war. Honestly, it wasn't that big a deal in Tel Aviv, though extremely scary and stressful for people closer to Gaza. There were some funny stories. There wasn't really enough warning to get to shelters in Tel Aviv if you lived in an apartment building, as most people do. The safest was simply to run into the stairwell and a couple flights down if you were near the top. So how do you greet your neighbor that you've had a nodding acquaitance with for 10 years, but have no idea what their name is? It's 6.30 am, your hair isn't combed, your make-up isn't on, do you rudely turn your back on them or let them see the real you? Then there was the neighbor who rushed out (honest, this is a true story), dripping wet and wearing only a shower curtain. If I didn't live on a top floor with no building opposite and facing due south - the direction the missiles were coming from - I probably wouldn't have left my apartment when the sirens went off.