A New Survey Reveals What Europeans Think of American Tourists

More than 15 million Americans visit Europe each year, and it’s easy to see why. The continent is home to fascinating culture, centuries of history, and some of the most famous tourist attractions in the world, from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the Colosseum in Rome, the Acropolis of Athens, and the canals of Venice. While many in Europe welcome American visitors (not to mention their tourist dollars) with open arms, others may not be as happy, considering Americans don’t have the best reputation abroad. Indeed, we’ve long been known for speaking loudly and expecting everyone to speak English. But how accurate are these stereotypes? And perhaps more importantly, do our friends on the other side of the Atlantic even believe them? We have new data to answer these questions, thanks to a recent study.

Methodology

The website Upgraded Points, which offers travel, points, and miles advice, conducted a survey in July 2025 to find out how American travelers are perceived when visiting Europe. “European countries are hotter than ever as destinations for American travelers, but popularity doesn’t always equal praise,” said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points. “We wanted to see if Europeans still see the stereotypical loud, overly patriotic American tourist, or if that’s just part of a common misconception.”

More than 2,200 residents of 22 countries in Europe were asked to share their thoughts on tourists from the other side of the Atlantic, with questions drawing on general impressions and the current political climate alike. The survey also included more than 1,000 Americans who travel abroad frequently to see how they believe they’re thought of by Europeans — and how closely the two groups’ responses align. 

The conclusions might not be what you’d expect. Interestingly, 54% of American respondents worry about their reputation during international travel “at least a little,” and 73% believe they have a bad reputation overseas. On the other hand, 27% of Europeans surveyed said they do indeed hold a generally negative view of American travelers, and 36% believe Americans behave worse than tourists from other countries — as do 40% of apparently self-aware Americans.

Perception vs. Reality

As for which states produce the most annoying tourists, according to the Europeans surveyed, Texas landed in first with 33% of the vote, followed by Florida (21%) and California (14%). Americans answering the same question had similar results: 23% felt that Florida was responsible for the worst tourists, with Texas close behind at 21%, New York garnering 19% of the vote, and California getting 15%. 

The reasons are unlikely to surprise: 64% of European respondents say Americans are too loud, 61% believe we expect everyone to speak English, 33% call us overly friendly, and 30% feel we have an unfortunate habit of ignoring local customs.

Certain spots (dis)like Americans more than others. In the survey, France stood out with 15% of respondents saying they believed their country was unwelcoming to Americans. Following France were Hungary (8.7% said their country was unwelcoming), Norway (8%), Denmark (7.5%), and Spain (6.9%). 

On the other end of the spectrum are Belgium and Italy, which consider themselves quite welcoming to visitors from the U.S., with Estonia, the Netherlands, Finland, and Poland close behind. Then, there were the countries that feel mostly neutral about it all: Respondents from Poland, Spain , the U.K., Greece, and Latvia were all “relatively unbothered” by tourists from the U.S.

So while anti-American sentiment is less common than you were probably expecting, there are certainly ways to make a good impression on locals when you visit Europe — perhaps by using your inside voice and attempting to learn at least a little of your host country’s native tongue, for starters. 

Featured image credit: LordHenriVoton/ E+ via Getty Images