UK - USA do we travel to different countries?

I wonder why it seems to be that I rarely see people from the USA in many countries I visit. I've seen Americans in Italy, where they love Florence in particular. I have met only one American in Greece, and what an engaging old chap he was too. I met no Americans in Turkey, and I can really recommend that country. In Malaysia, I did meet only one group of Americans, four boys who were hiking south to north on the Southeast Asian peninsula. And I met no Americans during my trip around Scandanavia.

So, I wondered if we tend to visit different countries. If so, then maybe Americans can recommend places that we might not consider. Do Americans see Brits in the countries they vist? We have a joke here that wherever we travel in the world, we will always meet a Scotsman. I don't know if it's true.  

I went to Tunisia recently and noticed the same thing. I'm almost positive I was the only american there.  :-/ Everyone else was either German (or Austrian), or Scandanavian. Even the Brits were few and far between. I will say, that for someone to come from America to the places Brits seem to frequent such as Spain, Turkey, Greece etc.. it would cost ALOT more to get such a trip. A luxury trip to Tunisia would cost less than an airline tickets would for Americans to even get to Africa. Most Americans don't even know where Tunisia is.    

Can I ask how resently all this trips happened?  Since 9/11 I think that many US citizens have decided against traveling to anywhere outside the states.  There's is even definitely a decline in the one's who are in England and on holiday.

Definitely before and during the newest Gulf war there was a decline in people from the states going anywhere abroad.  And definitely Turkey is going down towards Africa and the further away from their mother country they go the more unsafe they will feel.  I know that I'd feel like that if I was going to an African or southern Asia country.

Elle and I went to Paris and we only saw a few US people there at all.  And they were coming from the airport on the train to Paris.

I visited Malaysia last December. I've visited Greece many times throughout my life. I went to Turkey in 1999. I went to Scandanavia in about 1994, when I was 9 or 10. I travel to Italy many times a year.

my husband and i cruised down the norway coast for our honeymoon, it was wonderful. would love to go back. since money is tight we tend to holiday in the old eastern bloc countries. we've been to prague, i loved it so much i'm going with my motherinlaw this summer. we did budapest last summer and had a wonderful time. i'm trying to talk him into going to krakow in the fall.

I think the Americans on this board tend to be more broad-minded than many others. The US is such a huge country, most haven't even visited all 50 states. I know I'm still avoiding North Dakota and a few other states.

While I can't say that any of my friends are like this, I have heard just so many Americans say 'Why' should I travel out of the country? Many are scared, ignorant of other cultures and other races (outside metropolitan areas). Most Americans who do travel to Europe tend to travel only during the warm months and then anything longer than a 7 day tour is considered extravagant (because of our 2 week vacation alotment).

Just my 2cents.

On another note, I highly recommend All-inclusive 4/5* hotels in Tulum Mexico sooooo beautiful and a short drive to happening Cancun. I also think Brits need to try some other place other than Barbados.... I've been to Barbados and it simply does not compare with Dominica (not the Dominican Republic) or Aruba or parts of the expanded Bahama Islands, Fiji or Tahiti (for beach trips) . For local east coast US trips from NYC I recommend Newport Rhode Island, Mystic Seaport Connecticut, Nova Scotia (Canada), Boston Massachutses, Maine (Hilton Head), Morristown/Madison, Edison, Atlantic City New Jersey, Atlanta Georgia, Hersey Pennsylvania, Lehigh Rivier PA, Philly Pennsylvania, Amish Country Pennsylvania,and many many others... there are so many places within 3 hrs driving distance!

If it wasn't for the fact that I've lived in foriegn countries, my family wouldn't leave the US. In my families case, it's fear of travelling outside the safety of the government. My mom is terrified of me living here since I'm so much closer to the Middle East and such. But she'll come visit me. My sister is coming in July for the first time. She's never gone further than Los Angeles by herself. It's a really big step.

My family are by no mean small minded people, but they're resisting, slightly, the knowledge I give them through my experiences. It's a comfort zone thing. And who enjoys being outside their comfort zone?

Consider yourself lucky, Ashley...my family is frightened of the same things, but so much more so that they have yet to come visit.   :-/

Still, I hold out a glimmer of hope.  Maybe someday!

I think another difference that plays a role in where we consider a 'vacation spot' is what we were taught about the world as kids.  My hubby was amused to hear my surprise at people actually *choosing* to visit Cuba....on purpose!  My ignorant and tainted image of Cuba directly stems from what I was lead to believe about it as a kid.  HEre in the UK though, people think of it as a very good holiday spot.  

Also, i think Brits live closer to family than many people in the US do.  When in the US, I had family in three different states spread across the whole country, so seeing them was usually what I did when I had vacation time.  Otherwise I wouldn't have seen them at all!  Since families see each other here more on the whole, they don't have the guilt we might have back home to spend our vacation time traveling to see family.

And I think the whole 2 weeks vs 4 or 5 weeks time off is seriously part of it too.  Makes a huge difference.

Hello Everyone,

Maybe my family is different.  My Mother and Father traveled all over the USA as well as the world due to work.  If my Mother did not have me and my sister she would have moved to Argentina; she loved it there that much.  My father lived in Brazil for several years.  I have lived in Finland while attending university.  I traveled a great deal through Eastern Europe and Russia.  Durring all my travels I met a great deal of Americans...mostly Texans.    While in Paris in October 2002 I did not meet any Americans...a few Brits.  

I'm an Amer.living in Kuala Lumpur, so if you need advice about coming here or almost anywhere in SE Asia I can help.

I've travelled to Thailand,Indonesia,Singapore,Malaysia-duh ,Maldives,Hong Kong even Bangladesh!
I know what you guys mean about Amer. travelling to other countries...partly scared,partly no interest, and partly due to expenses or distance.
I have 3 brothers- one lived in HKG 10 yrs.and travels everywhere,one never goes anywhere but the caribbean and the other lived in China 3 yrs.,speaks fluent chinese and loves to travel anywhere...even with his 4 little kids! My parents on the other hand never go anywhere. To busy working and spending the extra cash on fixing up the house.
My husband and I are passionate about travel...ok obsessed! We're always planning the next trip. And i am the queen of finding THE BEST DEALS!