[speakeasy]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/02/04/ame...estically/

[subutai]

Good news. Let's hope it stays this way. More green pastures for the rest of us.

[Irminsul]

Americans don't travel as much because we don't have as much money or as much vacation time as Europeans (northwestern Europeans, at least). We also have a mass media that intentionally keeps us ignorant of the rest of the world to a much greater extent than the European mass media.

[Aliblahba]

(02-05-2011 02:19 AM)subutai Wrote:  

Good news. Let's hope it stays this way. More green pastures for the rest of us.

I agree. It's nice to go to many places and still be found exotic. The biggest problems I've had abroad was with others from the U.S. A few Londoners actually came up and said it was nice to meet an American that conducted their self well, ie. loud, obnoxious, overly drunk, spewing politics, arrogant. It's a crying shame.

[speakeasy]

(02-05-2011 12:46 PM)Irminsul Wrote:  

Americans don't travel as much because we don't have as much money or as much vacation time as Europeans

At first that's what I thought it was, until the article pointed out that Americans don't even use up the pitiful vacation time they DO have! Crazy.

A few American companies are starting to have a more tolerant vacation ethic. I hope this foreshadows more to come. I wouldn't mind working in corporate America so much if policies like this were the norm.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsb...works.html

[kerouac]

(02-05-2011 01:04 PM)Aliblahba Wrote:  

I agree. It's nice to go to many places and still be found exotic. The biggest problems I've had abroad was with others from the U.S. A few Londoners actually came up and said it was nice to meet an American that conducted their self well, ie. loud, obnoxious, overly drunk, spewing politics, arrogant. It's a crying shame.

I was in NYC once with some friends being belligerent, obnoxious, and overly drunk, when an Englishman asked me what language I was speaking and I said "American, fag!" That shut him up

No, but seriously, I find it just as strange that there are people in California who haven't even left the state! Not even to Las Vegas! People are just too overworked and lazy around here. Most people would rather stay home over the weekend and watch some NFL than take a trip somewhere. Also, when it comes to California at least, we have to fly a lot to get anywhere exotic. Whereas a European can take a short train ride from Amsterdam to Paris, for a Californian a 2 hour flight will only get you to Seattle, which isn't very exotic.

[MiXX]

(02-05-2011 02:49 PM)kerouac Wrote:  

an Englishman asked me what language I was speaking and I said "American, fag!"

I'm surprised he did not pull-out a lighter on you. To an Englishman, the word "fag" means a cigarette.

You can imagine the look on my face when a British girl asked me one day at a bar if I knew where she can get a fag.



Mixx

[Aliblahba]

You hit a good point Kerouac. Europeans take for granted the close proximity to other countries. Pair that with the EU agreements and super cheap flights they have no excuse not to travel. Just a flight from ATL to Hawaii is exhausting. And to Tokyo? Shit. Long and expensive. Look at the logistics involved for a family of 4 to go from L.A. to England. A lot of people just can't afford it or find the time.

I was asked by a lot of people in Europe why Americans don't have passports. I explained geographical location was a factor. Also many traveled to Canada and Mexico when a passport wasn't required. I also told them the U.S. a huge place. Even in my travels I've yet to see Hawaii, NYC, Miami, and the N. West just to name a few. We basically have every climate except for jungles. They also seemed to be unaware of the ethnic diversity here. Why go to China when you can fly to San Fran and check out China town? Yeah it's not same but one could get the essence and save a lot of money and time trying to learn another language.

Some European felt like Americans are arrogant and don't see the need to travel abroad. If they got shitty with me about the subject I would remind them many, many thousands of Americans were happy to travel to Europe between 1914-45, and didn't even need a passport....like my grandfathers.

[Irminsul]

(02-05-2011 01:06 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

(02-05-2011 12:46 PM)Irminsul Wrote:  

Americans don't travel as much because we don't have as much money or as much vacation time as Europeans

At first that's what I thought it was, until the article pointed out that Americans don't even use up the pitiful vacation time they DO have! Crazy.

Yeah, maybe that's true, or maybe that's bullshit. Frankly it sounds like propaganda to me. The unstated implication is obviously: "so there's no point in giving Americans more vacation time because they don't want it." Gee, well isn't that convenient.

[Irminsul]

Proximity to other countries is definitely a factor. But I would bet that even if we defined "international travel" for Europeans as having left Europe, you would still find that Europeans had traveled overseas much more than Americans. E.g. if you go to Southeast Asia you will probably find more people from the Netherlands or Sweden than from the US, even though these countries are much smaller.

I also don't buy the idea that Americans visit ethnic communities in America as a substitute for international travel. First of all Americans generally do not visit ethnic neighborhoods at all, except for a few heavily touristed up areas like San Francisco's Chinatown. Second of all these areas are generally nothing like actually visiting the actual countries. You think visiting the Thai part of East Hollywood is anything like going to Thailand? This is a joke.

[azulsombra]

Yeah, i frequently get asked this question by europeans when i encounter them overseas. SO why don't americans travel internationally.........? Who cares? I travel internationally as much as i possibly can. The less americans traveling, the better reception i'll recieve.

[kerouac]

(02-05-2011 03:21 PM)MiXX Wrote:  

You can imagine the look on my face when a British girl asked me one day at a bar if I knew where she can get a fag.



Mixx

Easy, West Hollywood in LA and East Village in NYC, and if that doesn't work out for her tell her to walk around South Beach ;P

[Brian]

I love to travel and have done so internationally at every opportunity but there are many reasons Americans dont go abroad

- Unless you are on the east coast Europe is a ridiculously far trip. it is on the east coast but not as bad.
- culture - most americans are lazy
- its also not fun for some people to go somewhere where you dont know anyone and dont speak the language
- once you start having children its pretty much game over as far as distant vacations

[oldnemesis]

(02-05-2011 01:06 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  

A few American companies are starting to have a more tolerant vacation ethic. I hope this foreshadows more to come. I wouldn't mind working in corporate America so much if policies like this were the norm.

For every company I worked for, or got a job offer from here in US I was able to get a four week vacation. While it is not very typical here, you can still get it as long as you have negotiating power (i.e. skills they're interested in).

[DanDeLaCruz]

Bad news, as the value of the dollar keeps falling even less Americans will travel because it will become too expensive... Could be good news for those that are prepared.

[Moma]

(02-05-2011 03:24 PM)Aliblahba Wrote:  

You hit a good point Kerouac. Europeans take for granted the close proximity to other countries. Pair that with the EU agreements and super cheap flights they have no excuse not to travel. Just a flight from ATL to Hawaii is exhausting. And to Tokyo? Shit. Long and expensive. Look at the logistics involved for a family of 4 to go from L.A. to England. A lot of people just can't afford it or find the time.

I was asked by a lot of people in Europe why Americans don't have passports. I explained geographical location was a factor. Also many traveled to Canada and Mexico when a passport wasn't required. I also told them the U.S. a huge place. Even in my travels I've yet to see Hawaii, NYC, Miami, and the N. West just to name a few. We basically have every climate except for jungles. They also seemed to be unaware of the ethnic diversity here. Why go to China when you can fly to San Fran and check out China town? Yeah it's not same but one could get the essence and save a lot of money and time trying to learn another language.

This is the key. A lot of Europeans travel because their climate usually is crap and the people that make up the country are often largely homogeneous.

For example, I didn't see what all the hype was about hispanic women until I came to Miami and then suddenly my scope was largely expanded. There are mixes and women that I had never seen in my life and now I understood why a lot of guys will trick their money away on these hos.
For instance, a European will not use his vacation time to travel to another country that is experiencing winter while it is summer for the European.

America has every single climate available so why travel? If you want to ski go to Montana or Minneapolis, if you want it hot, go to Texas or Miami etc.

I used to live in Europe and I have family that travel extensively i.e Switzerland, Prague, Czech Republic because it is very affordable and it is a mere hop, step and a skip away.

I hosted a friend at mine over one summer and he mumbled and grumbled about the distance from the dot to Montreal and I told him that long hours of travel is STANDARD in North America.

If I am correct, four or five hours should get one from London all the way up to Scotland. Four hours won't do shyt in North America.