Not all the places we’ve been have been friendly (Image: Getty)
As travel journalists, we get around a fair amount. Members of the team have been all over the world, but there are some destinations that weren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Across Europe, certain places have a reputation for being rude – London and Paris among them – but our writers have experienced rudeness in Germany, Marrakesh and in my own personal experience, Naples. Here are four of the top rudest destinations our writers have been to, in their own words.
Germany was one of the rudest places Steffan had been to (Image: Getty)
Germany
Steffan Rhys, Content Hub Deputy Director
“I experienced a phenomenon in Germany I’ve not experienced since. I was a student there in the early 2000s and relied heavily on the bus network to get around. Being Germany, of course the public transport was flawless. I remember people coming to visit me and being stunned at how the trains and buses ran like clockwork and were a joy to be aboard.
“But there was one other thing about the bus network that stood out and I still remember to this day, more than 20 years on. In Britain, the orderly queue is sacrosanct. Even on the insanely-crowded London Underground, the queue is strictly adhered to and anyone who doesn’t feels the wrath of the crowd.
“In early-2000s Germany, it was not. And it was given particularly short shrift by women aged over 60, who would get in front of you using any means possible, no matter how much longer than them you had been standing at the bus stop. They were getting on first and that was that.”
Marrakesh, Morocco
Sophie Law, Content Hub Deputy Editor
“Marrakesh is a beautiful city with colourful markets and delicious food. However, it’s also one of the rudest places I’ve been as a female traveller. From the catcalling to the unwanted attention, it was a really stressful (and sometimes scary) place to be. In busy tourist areas, sellers and touts will follow you, insist you buy something, and get angry when you don’t.
“Every interaction feels like a transaction, even when you’re just asking for directions. That said, in other places I visited in Morocco, I found the people to be warm, generous, and genuinely friendly.”
Paris is famously unfriendly (Image: Getty)
Paris, France
Chanelle Georgina, Content Editor
“Paris is spectacularly romantic, especially during the twilight hours along the Seine River as the Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour, every hour. However, there’s the cliché that Parisians are fairly rude to visitors; and, in my experience, it’s true. While making my way back to the Airbnb after a full-on day visiting major tourist attractions, my phone had – inevitably – run out of charge; the issue was, the access code to the accommodation was saved on my phone.
“Now, back in England, I can walk into any pub or bar and politely ask to put my phone on charge and the staff would be more than happy to help. Yet, in Paris, it was a different story. Not only did I buy a drink when signalling the need to charge my phone, the waiting staff simply said no – even though I was in the eyeshot of a working charger behind the bar. After basically pleading with the staff, and having to explain my situation, the answer was still no.
“Solemn, I sipped my glass of wine on one of the tables outside, facing the reality that I would have to try again elsewhere. Then, just as I returned my empty glass to the bar, they decided now would be the time to offer me the use of the charger – and, yes, I did order another drink.”
Naples, Italy
Vita Molyneux, Travel and Audience Writer
“I loved Naples unconditionally. The hustle and bustle, the amazing food, gorgeous markets and incredible history and scenery all made my visit one to remember. However, there were a couple of incidents that did make me pause.
“The first happened within an hour of arriving in the city after my flight had been delayed. I was trying to get to my accommodation, and because the Airbnb host had graciously offered to pick me up himself I was waiting in the car park of the airport. When a car flashed its lights, I assumed that was my ride and headed over, but instead a burly taxi driver got out and was trying to make me get in the cab.
“As I explained I was waiting for a ride, my host pulled up and immediately it kicked off. Unbeknownst to me, there was a rivalry with the taxi drivers around the airport and the taxi driver and my host began to furiously argue in Italian while I tried to get my bags in the car. When we finally pulled off, my Airbnb host explained that the taxi driver had been threatening all kinds of things to get him to back off – not exactly the best welcome, but the generosity of my host for picking me up in the silly hours more than made up for it.
“The second incident was inside a small shop while I was trying to move past another man inside to get to the drinks fridge, I accidentally bumped into him and immediately was profusely apologetic in my terrible Italian but the look on his face stopped me in my tracks. This man was absolutely furious, took a deep breath, looked me up and down and very menacingly said in English, ‘Don’t be sorry. Be careful.’
“While Naples overall was very welcoming, these two interactions definitely made me think about how I was talking to people!”
