Steves’ Pet Peeves

Back in the early days of our tour company, a group once made a theme of mimicking me for saying, “This is reeeeely great” (like the chubby nerd in Animal House). Every time I’d park the nine-seat minibus at a new sight, I’d try to pump up the group’s enthusiasm with that declaration. I guess twenty years of trying to make people happy on your tours can turn you into an almost annoyingly positive cheerleader for happy travels.

Young Rick Steves in van

This is reeeely great!

While a key to happy travels certainly is a positive attitude, I do have my pet peeves while traveling in Europe. Just between you and me, here are a few things that I do not find reeeely great:

• Museums that display mostly photocopies of documents and photos — giving you the sensation of reading a book standing up while walking from page to page (as I recently tried to enjoy in a Mozart museum in Salzburg).

• Americans who talk twice as loud as anyone else in a restaurant or public place in Europe, and carry on oblivious to the peace they are destroying.

• “UNESCO sights.” It seems every time a local tries to sell me on a sight I find mediocre, they brag, “It’s on the UNESCO World Heritage list.” While I am a big supporter of the UN, you will not find the UNESCO acronym in any of my 30 guidebooks. I forbid it.

• Concerts that charge $50 for a seat and then $4 for a program so you can know who and what you’re listening to.

• Americans who complain about the heat and lack of air-conditioning. (Europeans believe the typical person from our Southwest consumes more energy to stay cool in the summer than arctic Norwegians do to keep warm in the winter.)

• Museums that post “don’t do this” and “don’t do that” signs in English, but don’t provide English descriptions of their exhibits (even though half their paying public speaks English either as a first or second language and can’t understand the potentially interesting displays).

• Hotels that save a few bucks by serving orange drink rather than orange juice, and skimp on light-bulb wattage.

• Over-earnest British people (especially on British Air) apologizing for something more than once and saying “mind your head” every time you near a low doorway.

• People at security and check-in lines who recognize me from my TV show…and then say, “Can I see your ID?”

• Seeing twice as many (2) as necessary (1) highly-trained TSA professionals guarding exit corridors at US airports.

• People who tell me, “I love your show on the Travel Channel.” (It only runs on public television.)

• Sweating all night in hotels that put rubber mats under the sheets to protect mattresses from “getting stained.”

• The rumble of a herd of rolling suitcases crossing a tranquil cobbled village.

• Getting one meal ahead of my needs when surrounded by a cruel abundance of fine food…and then not sitting down actually hungry to a meal for days.

• Airport and train station kiosk sandwiches that are deceptively packed with lots of good stuff spilling over the bread crusts — with almost nothing actually inside the bread.

• Hotels that put a decorative footboard on their beds, robbing good sleep from guests like me who are over six feet tall.

• Overactive hotel maids. When I follow their “save the world by minimizing washing” request and hang up my bath towel to reuse it, and they change it anyway. And when I try to conserve by reusing the little soap bar, but the hotel maid throws it out, forcing me to open a new one each day.

• European sinks that have separate cold and hot faucets (why on earth?).

• Having to walk back and forth through a long, empty slalom of needless stanchions to get to a security check.

So there…I just had to get that off my chest. What are your pet peeves?

Comments

140 Replies to “Steves’ Pet Peeves”

  1. A lack of water fountains. Travel has taught me how much I love and depend on public water fountains in the US. I miss them when they’re gone and have come to assume that I’ve just grown used to a higher level of hydration than your average European. (Though it dovetails nicely with the presence of pay toilets.)

  2. People who complain about not finding the same food as back home. Enjoy the difference selections, don’t look for a T-bone meal every time you stop for dinner. Try something new that you’ve never eaten before!

  3. No wash clothes is big one for me, but getting stuck in the back room of some restaurants just because I am a tourist is the worst.

  4. On recent visit in Italy, with over 100 tv channels not one in English. This was during the terror attack in Paris. We need to know what is going on while traveling since trains were being canceled,
    Brussels shut down, etc. Not every traveler has an iphone, but I will have one next time.

  5. Things are different in other countries and when you travel you must be prepared for it. What irks me the most are those travelers who think they are better or more important than the rest of the world. When you in rome do as the romens do. Just enjoy the beauty that is presented throughout the world and if you don,t like differences than stay at home.

  6. Lack of washrooms. You have to walk quite a distance to find one to use. Loud mouth Americans like Rick said. American s carrying something with a Canadian flag on it so they get treated better. If they showed alittle respect other countries would like you. PS. Proud Canadian here!

  7. Those deep, very slanting, narrow-bottomed, slippery bathtubs I first encountered in England, and went on to find their counterparts in Ireland, Hungary, and France.

  8. Uneven staircases in France without handrails. Last trip I had 2 bad falls. Still, I had a great trip.

  9. Getting a cup of coffee with 3 sips and no refills in the morning.
    I do love the paper lace under the cup.

  10. 1) Loud, obnoxious, pushy, impatient, rude Americans.
    2) That there are zero toilets for women in the Old City of Jerusalem.
    3) How dirty the train becomes as soon as you cross the border from Austria to Slovenia. Ack.
    4) The way Greeks and Arabs charge Americans way more than anyone else, even when the Americans now how to bargain (I used to adopt a British accent and paid a LOT LESS when bargaining in Greece and Jerusalem).
    5) the way many Europeans stare at fat Americans as though they are all gluttons; they are not.
    6) That you really have to bring your own toilet paper everywhere; it can even be used as currency among non-American travelers.

  11. The rubber mats is a major pet peeve! It is almost impossible to stay at a hotel that doesn’t have these. When I mention it to my family they look at me like they don’t know what I am talking about-I was beginning to think it was just me.

  12. “Americans who talk twice as loud as anyone else in a restaurant or public place in Europe.”

    Sorry, but Americans are generally respectful and quiet – this is about 20 years out of date. I would encourage you to do some touring around Chinese and see who takes first place in the rude, ugly, loud tourist category.

  13. Not fixed maintenance issues such as bathtubs / showers that do not drain, loud HVAC units, in room refrigerators that are not cold… The hotels assumes the guest will not bother to complain!

  14. A big peeve a pretty young Roma nicely dressed like school girls who “help” older tourists ( I was 76 )up the steps in a train and “help” themselves to your hidden cross shoulder bag under your coat. We caught her and called her a thief in Italian and she and her accomplice jumped off the train while it was moving. This was in the small somewhat desserted station in LaSpezia on the way to Vernazza. Don’t just think they are in the big stations and dressed in rags.

    bag under your coat.

  15. I hate hearing how Europeans hate Americans. They don’t know each and everyone of us yet they generalize because someone somewhere has given them the wrong impression.

  16. Also – lack of washcloths.
    Charges to get into a church, etc. to see something, then not being allowed to take a photo.
    Tour groups being inconsiderate of private travelers.

  17. I hate that all of the restaurants still allow smoking. I’m surprised that the U.S. is ahead of Europe in that regard. At least that was the case in Greece and Italy. Hard to enjoy lingering over a long meal when every table around you is filled with smokers. :-(

  18. The fact that smoking is so pervasive in Europe. Difficult to get away from it in public places. Yuck.

  19. How no one in England EVER uses a napkin with their meal! And the use the BACK of the fork to scoop their food! Mental!

  20. My husband was told to mind his head and a few minutes later, going down the hall, I heard the loud thump that told me his head hadn’t been minded. His pet peeve is the WC which doesn’t have enought headspace for his 6’2″ frame.
    Mine is loud Americans who make no attempt to learn a little of the language of the country, but think they can make the locals understand by repeating the English in an increasingly louder voice. We switch immediately to French or Greek.

  21. When people at the airport gate rush to cluster together near the boarding area, 10+ minutes before their zone will begin boarding. You’re not getting to your destination any earlier by pushing onto the plane first.

    People taking photos in museums and churches where photos are explicitly prohibited. Have some respect!

  22. bathtubs for giants…give me a walk-in shower anytime….NO washcloths (I take my old ones from home & leave them there…gives me an excuse for buying new towels for my house)…..tiny elevators ! otherwise I love Europe !

  23. Attraction, cafe, and restaurant websites that don’t have the street address or hours of operation on their homepage – or anywhere else I can find it. Often they instead have oversize graphics or useless text that the higher-ups probably wanted on the homepage but which is devoid of information for visitors.

  24. The tiny glass wall used in the shower. You spray the entire bathroom, especially when you’re over 6 feet tall.

  25. People who act innocent when they try to sneak prohibited items though security, you slow everyone else down. Those who do not prepare to go through security until they reach the bins for your stuff.

  26. I only have a few pet peeves to add to Rick’s list primarily airline related… 1) people that cheat and enter an airplane before they are supposed to and take all the overhead bin space above MY seat; 2) airlines that take my overhead CARRY-ON Rick Steves officially approved size luggage away upon re-entry at a layover and make me check it after it has already travelled with me to the halfway point (this has happened twice recently and my luggage did not arrive at my destination!!!); 3)screaming kids, farting kids, seat kicking kids and kids with head lice on my flights.

  27. *large tour groups that plow through a space (or, alternatively, block a space) so individuals and families have to just get out of their way.

    *airports that don’t have good queuing systems for security so that the pushy make headway while the polite just get trampled (looking at you, Charles de Gaulle).

    *realizing that using mileage points on a partner airline means no one at all cares about how to get you to your destination when you got bumped off a flight and are stranded in a foreign city.

  28. I am considered fairly tall for a women, 5’8″, and considered thin, therefore I always request an aisle seat. Flying to Europe is a minimum of 6:30-7:00 hours. 95% of the time a portly gentleman will end up in the middle seat. They always open their legs wide, take up part of my floor space or actually physically push into my legs, take up the arm rest on my right side with their arms tending to sneak over into my seat space. I do feel bad for these men stuffed into the small space but I most decidedly do not want to be touched by an unknown male or have my seat space invaded. I don’t complain, I know the flight attendants can’t do anything about it. I just wish men would be more considerate and keep their limbs within their only appointed space!

  29. Not only do I hate loud Americans when traveling, I don’t care much for them at home. Have we forgotten Kindergarten 101? “Inside voices.”

  30. After 30+ years of traveling as air crew and as a tourist, I recommend leaving home with an open mind, an empty suitcase, and leave your expectations at home. Embrace the unexpected!

  31. We like to think of pet peeves as experiences that promise to make for a funny story later. In all our decades of Euro-travel one of our most memorable experiences was similr to a “peeve” on Rick Steve’s list. We took an Halstatt Salt Mine Tour in the company of a local school group. The entire tour was in German (we speak almost none). The nuance and universal tenor of the tour guide in dealing with the kids led us to understand exactly what was being said. The clear displays and gestures of the guide helped us to fully appreciate the sights within the mine. It was clear when to laugh; awestruck needed no language. It was a language adventure that sadly is disappearing with the homogenizing of Europe.

  32. Being asked often if I like a certain fast food chain, and people who brag about how worldly they are just because they’re travelling in exactly the same place I am. Also, lots of European cities now charge city taxes but provide no public toilets or water fountains.

  33. PAYING XTRA 4 PREMIUM ECONOMY SEATS ONLY GUARANTEES U XTRA LEGROOM, NOT SCREAMING, SICK KIDS. VERY ANNOYING ON A TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT !

  34. My pet peeves:

    Tourists speaking English under the assumption that the local they are speaking to also speaks English without asking first. (Actually I’ve seen this more with non-Americans in a foreign country, such as Dutch tourists in Italy.)

    People reading signs out loud.

    People taking selfies in front of something, or each person in a group getting a picture of the group standing in front of the thing, and making it difficult for others just to see the thing.

    I also miss big coffees, ice in soft drinks, free refills, and getting the check when I’m done with my meal. But these aren’t pet peeves, just things I have to acknowledge and (try to) celebrate as different from what I’m used to.

  35. I’m cheap, I admit it. My wife and I always stay in the older part of town and that means old buildings with old bathrooms. I get it, but…

    European hotel bathrooms are always somehow defective. And even if they work as designed, the design is still poor. For example, there’s never a a soap dish in the shower, so my shampoo and the bar of soap is either on the floor or balanced on the top of the glass wall. Bad design. Do middle income people from Spain get cranky when they stay in a cheap German hotel?

    And then there is the European Toilet. Water in a North American toilet is wide and shallow and Euro toilets are narrow and deep. I suppose if I lived in Europe I would learn to improve my aim, but I have to use the brush every time I poop in Europe. Sigh. Keep On Traveling (travailing?).

  36. Tour groups in museums standing directly in front of a famous painting while the tour guide gives them 15 minutes of history on the painter. Tour groups that take up the whole sidewalk as they amble from sight to sight.

  37. My pet peeve is the lack of places for the traveler to wash clothes in Europe. Laundromats are hard to find, and those that exist are very expensive.
    In Japan, the budget hotels have little onsite laundromats for guests, a feature that I wish European hotels would emulate.

  38. Bathrooms that have the lights behind you instead of in front in these fancy concept bathroom designs which don’t seem to have been road tested by women, plus the absence of hooks in bathrooms.
    The silly strip of fabric across the bottom of the bed…what’s that about?
    And, sorry Rick, but when listening to Rick’s audio shows I’ve noticed that, in his enthusiasm for the topic, he frequently cuts off his guests’ sentences during the interviews, interjecting what his own assumption is, and several times I’d have really liked to have heard where the person was going with their idea because it sounded like some fresh info might have been forthcoming.

  39. Chinese tour groups being loud and elbowing to the front in a museum so that they can take a selifie with the artwork. Sign for a handicapped restroom on the 5th floor of the Musee de Orcy directing you up a flight of stairs to the 6th floor. (No elevator in sight.)

  40. Item labels with small fonts and at handicap height in crowed museums and galleries. With trifocals I’m disadvantage.

    One electrical outlet across the room (or behind the bed) as we both sleep with CPAPs as well as needing to charge camera, phones and pads.

    We should join the women in India with their “Pee for Free” movement. Thank you McDonalds. Food places with no restrooms.

    Ditto to all the bathroom woes. Why not shower curtains?

  41. The person in the airline seat in front of me that thinks they’re entitled to “recline” into my personal space. Someday you’ll read about me going too far in reacting to this boorish behavior………

  42. The way Americans dress when traveling. I wish there was fashion police to catch them at the first customs check point.
    Also, how Americans complain about the later dinner hours. If you want to eat at 6 just stay home or grab something from a market and eat in your room.

  43. Not being able to find a trash can anywhere on the streets.

    The no toilet seat thing bothers me too.

    I hate constantly hearing how people ‘hate the French, especially Parisians”! We found them very nice and have been to Paris twice now.

  44. People who crowd around the luggage conveyer belt waiting for their luggage to come out. If everyone stood back a little, things would go much smoother.

  45. Selfie sticks.
    Also, people taking photos of every item in every room of tourist destinations (castles, chateaux, royal residences, etc.) Just buy the book in the gift shop!The photos will be 100 times better than the ones you are taking with your phone!

  46. The lack of ice in any beverage anywhere. I didn’t realize how much I enjoy my drinks ice cold until I’d spend some very hot summers abroad. There really isn’t any substitute.

    My biggest pet peeve is definitely SMOKING EVERYWHERE. (Diesel exhaust is awful as well.) I have asthma and had more attacks on my European travels than ever before or since. It is so inconsiderate that it actually makes me angry, especially when I see people smoking around children. Grr.

  47. Canadians are the rudest travelers I have met in Europe. Bar none. I talked to them. Two different couples in Italy, one one hike and one at a shared table in a pizzeria. They were Canadian They hated Americans. I am a low to ground traveler and was shocked at how rude they were. Canadians, please keep wearing your maple flag and sports shirts so I can avoid you.

  48. When everyone crowds right up against the luggage carousel and you can’t see the luggage or get to it. If everyone would stand back a few feet, people could spot their luggage and and then walk up and grab it as it comes around.

  49. Those toilets in Amsterdam and Germany with the siphon hole in the front of the bowl instead of the bottom of the bowl.

  50. My pet peeve is groups of tourists that congregate in the middle of a passageway- blocking a walkway or the entrance to a museum, shop or sight. If it’s a tour group, they often seem to feel entitled to be there blocking the path. Clueless!

  51. Whether European or domestic, Airports need to consider the perspective of the first time visitor. Does signage MAKE SENSE? Can you find baggage, ground transportation & even your airline ticket counter. I”m continually amazed at how good some airports are & how bad others are.

  52. Lights on a timer in some Italian restrooms. I would be in there for just a few minutes and then it was PITCH BLACK! I could not see a thing as I tried to zip, flush, and open the door!

  53. 1. Tourists who go to the Louvre or D’Orsay in Paris, get in front of me as I am looking at a painting, take a photo of the painting, and then walk away. Seriously, why not just buy a book of paintings and stay at home?

    2. Selfie madness.

    3. Museums that don’t enforce their “No Selfie Sticks” rules.

  54. People making generalizations about Canadians, or Americans, or any nationality – I peeve upon that kind of stupidity ever so much!

    I also peeve strenuously upon the few waitstaff who dared attempt to deceive or be dismissively rude to me because they assumed I was a hapless tourist, which I am not. It’s not worth the disrespect guys. I will always find you out, and will call you out and there’s more of us decent folks in the world than you guys… so watch out!

  55. enormous tour groups that trample you, push you, or break in line ahead of you in the toilet

  56. I agree with your over zealous maid, it happens here in the states as well.
    One of my pet peeves when traveling with a group is people who don’t respect others time and arrive late for getting on a bus or plane.

    Americans who expect foreign countries to be like America and complain loudly about it.

    Americans who expect American food in a foreign country. That’s one of the reasons to travel, to try different things including food.

  57. While in England, I failed to duck to clear a low beam and bumped into it, knocking down a brightly colored sign warning me to mind the low clearance. I believe I am the reason that Steve gets an oral warning about low doors!

    I find German women on bus tours to loud and aggressive. In restaurants, Italian coperto and Austrian roll counters are be annoying. On the other hand, I appreciate the professionalism of waiters. I am quite happy to put up with travel annoyances to obtain the benefits of travel. Many of the travel annoyances make great stories.

  58. – People (any nationality) who ignore rules about no flash photos in museums, jumping the queue, etc.
    – “Good” traveling Americans who wear Canadian flags or pins. Just be an example of a decent American, and maybe our reputation will improve.
    – Travelers who refuse to adapt to the place they’re visiting and get upset that they are not being catered to. Stay home if you want the food to be the same, everything to be in your native language, and are culturally insensitive.
    – My husband insists on tipping 20% even in places where tipping is not the norm (and even frowned upon). He worked at restaurants for a long time and can’t really believe it’s unwelcome. Maybe that’s a husband peeve, not a Europe peeve. :)

  59. Museums that allow photography. It’s so hard to enjoy artwork when several people are clicking away.

  60. Rome : Taking the Sheraton Bus 3 days in a row …it stops at a city bus stop not the Sheraton bus stop that is 60 yards away .this happened 2 days …this created problems people running to the wrong stop … a nasty French couple in the late 50s push my 6yr old son out of the way to get in the bus ..no manners …On our final and 3rd day just made it back from train day trip in Florence with 15 minutes to spare …the Sheraton bus arrives Is in the wrong lane and driving bye us …so my wife is screaming at me to flag it down so I’m running waving my hat ..driver sees me ,ignores me w…keeps going….so I throw my baseball cap .i hit the passenger side corner of windshield …he stops at the Sheraton bus stop 60 yards away! Gets out his bus and starts screaming at me …grabs me around the neck both hands …then I managaged to side my arms up between his and he loses his grip I felt my Sony mini a camera slip out of my hands with 1200 pictures …I back away he grows ,runs and kicks me in the crouch with my wife and kid watching …my wife screaming what’ are you doing the guy looked at her ..my adrenaline was flying …I kicked in in the crouch…then tried to get police ..taxi took us back to sheraton Golf hotel ..he told the taxi not to go anywhere cause he called the cops ? What on himself !i told him I fear my safely get me back to the hotel NOW…Back at the hotel the manager took his side no matter what I said ….the mng thought he was Clint Eastwood staring at me …I wanted the police …he said I have to go to the police station and so does the bus driver with our witnesses .we had no witnesses …I was told my wife could lose her Starwood priveledges …I went and took a shower then had another meeting same mng…gave this manger A a piece of my mind ..I never blinked or took my eye off his eyes…sat next to each other ….We got a ride to the airport complimentry …but our whole stay should have been taken care of …I should have gone to the U.S. embassy and filed a complaint …if this happened in USA I would own some of star wood by now…..lack of customer service !
    …I talked to another manager second in charge a British woman who’s been there 30 yrs my wife is British thought we could get our point across ….she said bus driver was driving 20 yrs ,but a 3rd party company ran the bus…I knew they were all friends. And covered each other like a blanket ..never heard backdrop her like she promised …

    Another bus problem is in Positano the locals lerk across from the bus stop where all the touring wait patiently …when the bus arrives the local dash infront of everyone in line …bus drivers turn their heads the other way …gets very ugly ….

  61. For those complaining about lack of ice in Greece: I frequently order an iced coffee with a scoop of vanilla gelato. Very refreshing on a hot afternoon. The ice cream makes up for the solitary ice cube.

  62. Bath tubs (with or without shower curtains) that don’t also have a shower head. Or, worse yet, same tub with a handheld shower head but only a 1′-2′ hose.

  63. Elizabeth Bock,I am Canadian I love Americans have no problem with Americans at all please don’t lump all of us in with the rude Canadians you were unfortunate to meet every culture or rather nationality has some rude travellers

  64. Scenic churches/cathedrals that have collection bins scattered about, with signs asking for donations from tourists … right next to signs that explicitly forbid you to sit in their pews for even a moment to rest and peacefully take in the atmosphere.

  65. Third world countries it seems it is always hard to find a trash can when you are walking the streets. Paying for the bathroom and as someone else said squatting….get’s tiresome.

  66. Museum guards in Greece who yell at you for posing with the objects. People on planes who complain if you recline your reclining seat. Hotel beds in Greece are so hard I had to ask for extra pillows to sleep on. Lousy bathrooms, and in Greece you’re not supposed to flush the toilet paper so they have bins full of smelly paper next to the toilets.

  67. Pet peeve? Generalizing about specific nationalities. Feeling superior than others because you’re more cosmopolitan.

  68. I absolutely loathe Americans wearing the Canadian flag on their packs or garments. Or being lumped into being called and “American” by a European just because I speak English. I will always miss ice in my drinks and soft drinks in Europe.

  69. The selfie stick loving, living life through a lens, tourists who are blocking my view of a masterpiece. A life well lived is not about how many “likes” your post gets, be in the moment and take in the beauty in front of you!

  70. Public transit strikes! I’ve run into a lot of unannounced one-day strikes my last few trips to Europe. We did a one hour forced march through the streets of Milan one morning to get to our (prepaid) intercity train. It was not fun.

  71. Tour groups of any nationality. Turns normal decent people into loud pushy jerks. I’ve pretty much given up on traveling in Europe.

  72. Showerheads that require you to crouch to wet your head and wash your hair!
    Flyers who stand around and unapologetically block your path to the gate when their boarding group has not been called. It’s an even bigger peeve when they block the main walkway through a terminal.

  73. Italian showers. Generally two feet by two feet, clearly made for the average 5’4″ Italian guy, all 98 pounds of him.

    People anywhere who are oblivious to the space and people around them. How can one couple take up an entire sidewalk that is eight feet wide? Or the group that stops at the top of the stairs, middle of the sidewalk, right inside the door because they want to take photos/smoke/talk on their phone.

    Europeans who still use fax machine instead of scanned email attachments. For anything.

    The American tourist complaining to me in the middle of a cafe, how nobody in that country speaks English and he was so glad to run into me and at the same time how none of the immigrants to the U.S. bother to learn English when they come…

    The French and Italians who, when realizing the limits of my language skills, repeat what they said, only faster.

  74. Agreed on all, except I’m only 5’3″ so never thought about footboards. One of mine is no outlets, or only one working outlet, or an outlet that is so worn no type of plug could possibly stay in. I love your show, but I live overseas so had no access to it for years. Now it’s on HULU, which I have illegal access to and when your show popped up on my menu, I was so excited!! I love to watch the outtakes as much as the show.

  75. I can’t stand people that believe every stereotype they hear or base all their thoughts and feelings about a particular group of people on one or two negative interactions. So to add to that, I can’t stand people that think they are superior to others because they come from a particular country.

    People that stand in the middle of the walkway, staircase, doorway, obliviously blocking other people from passing.

    Smokers. So rude and disgusting! If you must smoke please walk away from the crowd of non-smoking men, women, and children because we do not enjoy your smell or second hand smoke!

  76. Small signs in museum exhibits, selfie sticks and their users, poor translations on menus and museum curator cards (overuse of Google Translate), stylized maps that are cute but impossible to navigate by, and Italian plumbing which is so often weird if not dangerous.

  77. Europe isn’t the US and that’s fine with me. But absence of air conditioning in otherwise decent hotels has become a considerable irritant for me. I’m striking some Rick Steves-listed hotels in which I have enjoyed many nights in the past from my personal approved list for July and August travel because of lack of air conditioning. So absence of air conditioning is now on my European grump list.

  78. This stuff about loud Americans is really nonsense. I have lived over here half my life and absolutely there are obnoxious Americans. There are plenty of loud and obnoxious Germans and Brits and French and Italians as well. Had an Italian just about run over a handicapped skier today in the Dolomites and we were just in line for the lift. This stereotyping of Americans is every bit as bad as the stereotyping of Europeans. No one nation has a monopoly on rude people….or nice people.

  79. Americans (I am an American, and so were my previous 400 years of ancestors)….we are almost always the LOUDEST, both here in the states and overseas. I can forgive almost anything else, save the real sins…but why do we have to talk at NFL game volume ?

  80. People everywhere smoke. I used to be a smoker, so I understand, but if you sit outside a nice cafe in Paris, there is bound to be someone smoking right next to you. There is no breathing fresh air when there is second-hand smoke filling your lungs.

  81. My pet peeve about Europe? Having to leave to go home. Everything else is just part of the journey.

  82. I only have two – large tour groups that block access to everything for everyone and Americans who expect things to be like they are at home. From the size of the coffee to the amount of ice/refills/portion sizes and air conditioning. You’re not at home, try to enjoy it. If you can’t then don’t leave home but definitely stop whining.

  83. How airlines gouge Americans flying to Europe. Round trip from the US (HOU to AMS) is $1,134 while trip to US (AMS to HOU) is $630. Same airline and same flights. That’s an 83% increase in cost.

  84. Tourists (many are Americans but others, too) who stop at the top/bottom of escalators or stairs trying to get their bearings. People behind them are forced to step around or bump into them. Move off to the side! Thank you.

  85. My biggest pet peeve by far is the pervasive smoking in Europe and Balkans. We love the outdoor cafe culture and would make a point to sit off by ourselves or at less popular cafes to avoid the smoke… inevitably a chain smoker would sit down right next to us.

    UNESCO designations are so important to some smaller nations, Croatia for example. They are very proud that aspects of their history are being recognized on an international level. You don’t have to include every “mediocre” site, but I think it is a bit elitist to “forbid” mention of this designation in your books. Your Croatia TV episodes for example are basically a laundry list of their UNESCO sites anyhow — The old town centers of Dubrovnik and Trogir, Diocletian’s Palace and Plitvice Lakes.

  86. I once asked a British friend, who is something of an expert on British culture and tradition, about why they continued to use separate hot and cold faucets even though the technology of mixing faucets has been around since the first half of the 20th century. I expected a dissertation about British tradition and the history of plumbing in Great Britain and instead got a blank stare which pretty much said everything.

  87. The shower MECHANISMS in England b&bs. They all seem to be different from one another, often backwards, sometimes just inscrutible.

  88. I didn’t read all the comments, but so much of what I read was just plain ol’ untrue. I’ve been living in Europe for the last 13 years. I travel extensively. Europeans don’t hate Americans. They don’t! I’ve had such great experiences — I guess it all comes down to managing your expectations. I do agree with Steve about the eating too much so that you’re never hungry. Happens to me all the time. Too much great food!

  89. Those 1/2 shower panels that allow water to go on the floor. Just put up a shower curtain or a full door.

    And big mouth Americans are irksome.

  90. Pet peeve the 1st: Jamming 9 people in a tour vehicle meant for 6 at most. Guided overnight tour groups are awful, you miss as much as you gain and often get the least best offering of whatever is available, and at the slowest person’s pace.

    Seriously, I’ve traveled around the world most of my life (I’m 58). Many people are kind and decent, but many see tourists as fair game for abuse and theft. Some cultures treat women horribly or else ignore them. All countries have rude, loud and/or drunk boors as well as nice folks. Educate yourself as best you can – social media is awesome for that – travel lightly, keep humble, keep a sense of humor, and be flexible. Remember that even the worst day can lead to an awesome story later on. If no ice is your worst complaint, perhaps you need to be a bit more daring in your explorations.

  91. pay toilets (esp. ones that require specific coins), tourists who chatter during museum presentations or events (like changing of the guard), negative assumptions about me because I’m an American, transcontinental overnight flights in which noisy flight attendants and guests do not respect other people’s need for sleep (Aer Lingus attendants walked up and down the aisles selling stuff and shaking metal coin containers for a collection the entire second half of the flight), parents who allow their children to run up and down the plane aisles during a flight, and travellers with an entitlement attitude who cannot handle the unexpected or problems without getting loud and rude in their complaints. Problems occur, and a polite, respectful manner will get things resolved more smoothly (and if not, well, then at least you haven’t created a scene that negatively affects the emotions of everyone around you.)Oh, and my latest pet peeve–that Rick Steves does not produce a guide for countries outside Europe (particularly South Africa).

  92. I agree with you about loud Americans. I especially noticed it in Paris. We were having a quiet dinner in a Paris bistro until fellow Americans came in. They were talking so loud and laughing we couldn’t even carry on a conversation. How can they not be sensitive to their surroundings — it’s so embarrassing.

  93. Lisa, faucets are called taps in the UK, maybe that’s why your British friend looked blank. But it is a mystery – inertia in the plumbing industry is my best guess. Also why do Americans require so much ice? There is hardly any room for the drink! We don’t do this in Europe, plus we drink coffee that tastes of coffee. If you Americans drank large coffees that tasted of coffee you wouldn’t sleep for a week. Also plumbing, size, electrics issues, Europe is old, and has been a lot poorer than the US for a long time. That’s why.

  94. Americans that order something off the menu without having a clue what they ordered….the refusing to accept it when it is brought to them. This actually happened in Paris when a woman behind me ordered Steak Tartare. When it arrived she didn’t want it. I turned around and offered her my plate of chopped steak in exchange(fancy word for hamburger patty with gravy). I happen to love Steak Tartare and had no problem switching with her. She thought I was making a sacrifice.

  95. This is a reply to the washcloth peeve: Many Europeans regard the washcloth as a very personal, intimate item, and they travel with their own washcloths. So they expect you will, too. So bring your own.

  96. *No elevators in metro/tube stations. Stairs and steps everywhere-tough with luggage. How do people with physical disabilities navigate Europe?
    *People who complain about “rude Parisians”. By and large, we have always found the French to be polite and helpful. There are a few jerks everywhere. Don’t generalize. Be polite guests.

  97. Generally, I enjoy travel, but I have a few peeves to add:

    The fact that almost everything seems to expect you to be part of a couple. Business is better, but pleasure traveling as a solo woman (with a tour or not) is often uncomfortable.

    Airports that require you to walk through thick “clouds” of duty-free perfume in order to reach your gate. For those of us with odor sensitivities, it is just torture. You can’t run fast enough to get through them without taking a breath. Also, of course, the prevalence of smoking.

    Airports that are designed only for shopping (which I do not enjoy) while you wait for your flight gate to be listed — no places except overpriced and crowded restaurants (or the floor) to sit.

    Poor airport signage, leaving tired travelers confused and vulnerable.

  98. If you travel, expect that things will be different than what you’re used to. My dad once told me that if you want everything to be the same as home, stay home! After a trip, I tend to come home and think about the things I appreciate having on a daily basis. And at the top of that list is being able to drink tap water! After several weeks in countries where the water might cause intestinal problems, it is always so nice to be able to brush my teeth without a bottle of water!

  99. As an American who just recently traveled to London and Paris, I hope we were not loud and offensive to anybody. What I found irritating was that every European person who realized we were Americans immediately asked us, “What’s with Donald Trump?” All we could say was, “Don’t blame us, not everybody in America is an idiot.” But I suppose that says more about America being a place where Donald Trump could actually be a serious contender for President, than it says about Europeans being scared to death it might happen.

    I also agree with whoever else it was who said “MIND THE GAP.” My goodness but that gets tiring after a day riding about the city.

    PS – we encountered no rude Parisians and never felt like we were being slighted for being unable to speak the language.

  100. I agree with many of the peeves. But for those who generalize about other nationalities, bear this in mind:

    Not all people who speak French are from France.
    Not all people who speak German are from Germany.
    Not all people who speak English are from the US, Canada, Australia or the UK.

    I’m sure the same could apply to other languages, too.

    Happy travels!

  101. I can understand Rick being annoyed at separate faucets in the UK for hot and cold water, but I’m afraid that being annoyed at people who recognise him and check his ID (he could be someone who just looks like Rich Steves, and then trades on it) is ridiculous, and as for complaining about people apologizing too much on British Air (does he mean mean British Airways?): see it as a charming quirk of the local culture.

  102. #1) Men who PURPOSEFULLY slip into the restroom on a plane and don’t latch the door and then look up from the toilet at you with a “you know you want it” look on their face when you open the door. Gross! This has happened twice in business class. #2) When men sit next to you on the plane and immediately open their legs as wide as possible and also hog the arm rests. I may be small but my seat was purchased for ME and is not communal property. #3) Lack of public restrooms. #4) People spending all of their time documenting their trip instead of experiencing it.

  103. Wow. First, for everyone complaining about either being categorized as or being offended by rude Americans in Europe: Americans can be pretty rude in America also, but many times it’s just their cultural differences or idiosyncrasies. Which leads to Second: If the local idiosyncrasies and cultural differences are your “pet peeves” then perhaps you should not venture out. Reading this list certainly reinforces the stereotype of whining, rude Americans. Things are different away from home. You can let it be a pet peeve, or you can see things from their point of view. (You might also look at your own habits and wonder how many of them are pet peeves for visiting Europeans.)

  104. Wow, this opened up a can of worms! It brought out quite a few of entitled ‘loud’ Americans who need ice and washcloths and ‘American’ toilets. For those that can’t handle the differences you will encounter in other cultures, please stay home. You will make it so much more pleasant for the rest of us who embrace difference and a desire to learn about a new culture.

  105. My pet peeve involves a handful of my fellow US citizens. Of course the tables in Europe are often quite closely placed in restaurants. There was the woman at the next table in Florence that loudly asked the waiter if the tripe her husband wanted to order would make him sick. There was the same couple who had to explain (in loud American voices, of course) who the Medici’s were because the other couple with them had no idea,as they sit in a nice restaurant in Florence, Italy! Head slap. This table was speaking so loudly that my table of three could barely converse and were forced to listen to their every word. Read up a little, open your mind, open your heart, speak in library voices when packed in with other people, pack a washcloth, and enjoy your travels.

  106. I agree that shower curtains or full glass walls/doors would be a big help. As for washcloths, I buy a couple of 6- or 12-packs of washcloths at a discount store, wash them and cut each one in half with pinking shears. Then they all go into a baggie to conveniently pop up as I need them, to be discarded as I go.

  107. My pet peeve is people who drive the Ring of Kerry in 4 hours! I’m American, but live on the Ring…. I’ve lived here 2 1/2 years and STILL haven’t seen it all, or as well as I would like. How can someone drive drive drive on the “wrong” side of the road, not looking out the windows at the views (I hope they’re not looking out the windows!) and spend 85% of their “Ring of Kerry day” in a car. STOP! Get out! Walk! Get rained on!!!!

    Oh – and Rick, about those European sinks with hot and cold faucets. I live in a converted water tower from the transatlantic cable station built around 1899. Trust me, the sinks are old! I asked a pub-owner why they don’t update the faucets and he told me how much it would cost to do each one. EXPENSIVE! (or, as they say here: “dear!”)

  108. Travelers taking photo with their iPads and blocking everyone’s view. And…travelers insisting that their kids/family be in every shot! I am so tired of trying to get a photo only to have someone’s kid shoved in to the middle of it.

  109. Europeans travelers of any nationality who complain versus try to understand why some things are the way they are. There are reasons for the lack of lifts (hard to retrofit into those great old buildings), lack of air conditioning (utilities are more expensive plus same retrofit problem); tiny bathrooms (they’re used to living in much smaller spaces); lack of garbage cans (sometimes a security precaution); etc.

    Most of us can’t conceive of shared heating systems which are regulated BY LAW what months they will be turned on and when they will be turned off. Welcome to ‘living like a local!’

    But strikes do make me a little crazy.

  110. If you would like to know why the hot and cold water taps are separate, search YouTube for this clip ” Why Britain Uses Separate Hot and Cold Taps “

  111. If you would like to know why the hot and cold water taps are separate , go to YouTube and search for this clip ” Why Britain Uses Separate Hot and Cold Taps “.

  112. Americans who don’t even bother to learn how to say “Hello, Goodbye, Please, and Thank you” in the language of the country they are visiting.

    And yes – watch out for the “helpful” college students at the train/subway stations in Rome. Almost got my purse too.

    Still, won’t stop traveling until I die……

  113. People who dress like slobs for air travel, dressing in their pajamas and fluffy slippers like they just rolled out of bed and then stink up the enclosed space with a greasy bag of smelly fast food, take their slippers off and then stick their bare feet on the arm rest of the people in front of them.

  114. Places that I’ve loved for decades getting “discovered” and losing their appeal

    Tour groups.

    Something better now – in places where going with a guide is required having headphones for different languages so you don’t have to listen to one loud guide talk over any rude tourists.

  115. • As for the separate hot/cold taps, they even put them in new construction! Verruckt!

    • No trash can in the WC. Or even, often in the bathroom. Huh? What do you do with a tissue full of whatever, or the ball of hair from my brush, or my none-of-your-business? Leave it on the counter? Flush it? Carry it out into public for all to see?

  116. Lack of shower curtains! Why oh why must we be doomed to either contort ourselves or get water all over the bathroom when showering?

  117. Usually in England (and occasionally in Spain), duvet covers are the ONLY bedspread to be found, and they’re way too warm for us. No top sheet either–only fitted sheets! We are currently living in England too, so I’m not only talking about hotels. We finally found in one store a top sheet for our double bed, and they only sold one brand and color. We never even found a bedspread in any store here that sold bedspreads that weren’t duvet covers. We had to order one on Amazon!

  118. 1) Hotels, B&B’s, posting misleading pictures on line.
    2) Hotels that say they have wi-fi without saying it only is available in the lobby not in the rooms
    3) Having to pay more for a rental car if I rent it in Europe, than if I made the reservation from the US.
    4)The vultures in the Paris metro trying to sell tickets for €20
    5) The security at the Paris airport who took my carabinier saying it could be a weapon. That carabinier had been attached to my carry on bag for dozens of flights all over the world, including the one that landed me in Paris.

  119. Let me first say that I travel every chance I get and always find it ~90% bliss and joy. But on several European trains lately, when I just can’t wait to sink into a deeply contemplative mood and enjoy the scenery, I’ve been seated near groups of women who erupt in peals of raucous laughter every minute or two. Nonstop. For the whole, two to four hour train ride. I’ve tried to convince myself to be happy that they are happy. Doesn’t work. It really grates on my nerves.

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