Pushy French are world's worst tourists: study

[Randi]

I've never been to Portugal, but Portuguese people are supposed to be really friendly. Come to that, some friends of mine visited New Zealand a few years back - I believe that was the height of your journey "around the world" - well apart from Western Samoa. The place they hated was Mexico.

I learnt a bit of Spanish - good to know when you're stuck out in nowhere and there's only this old man to ask for directions.

How tragic with that Danish woman, I hope she is doing better now!

Sirrahsim, I agree that German is difficult. In my case it's because of the grammer. I do understand a lot, though.

[K9karen]

Well, I consider myself pretty well travelled, having been a travel agent. On the way to Monaco for an award ceremony, 3 friends and I took an extra week off and went to Paris. We were looking at a map on a busy street, when the most sophisticated woman stopped and asked us in English if we needed help! Then when we got on the bus in the wrong direction, the poor driver was so upset he couldn't get through to us. A passenger in the rear of the bus, walked toward us and apologized for his poor English but he would try to help is! Sorry, our week stay in Paris was lovely (except for April rain). We were shocked at how well we were treated. Maybe we were just so cute.

I never did remember about the tipping customs in certain countries. I always left a tip.

I enjoyed everywhere I went (except one country which will remain nameless).

My main complaint, are line breakers and shovers. I was at a very old hotel in Vienna, that had an old elevator with a pull open/close gated door. My friend (very tall) and I were waiting to get on, when a large group of foreigners raced down the hall, shoved us away and closed the door since there was no room for us. The next day, same thing, and my friend stood in front of the door and being a lot taller than the other group blocked the door with her arms and pulled me in and closed the door. It was hysterical. Those short people were dumbfounded and probably terrified. But lesson taught.