The Friendliest & Least Friendly Places I Have Visited Around the World
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2023
- We were recently asked where we found the most friendly people on our travels and where we found the least friendly people on our travels. Some of them may surprise you! Friendly people are everywhere so that is something everyone should know, but here are our top two favorite friendly places and a couple places where we felt our welcome was wore out before we even got there.
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2 of the friendliest places I visited are Ireland and Scotland - You will always find someone to chat with and I keep returning to Dublin and Glasgow because of this.
Being both Scottish & Irish and living in Scotland at the moment I agree we love to carry on a conversation. I'm A talker though and will strike up a convo in any country.
Wow those are my exact choices too, though my experience in Glasgow edged out Dublin just a little, I went alone at the time and everyone was so kind like they were all looking out for me anywhere I went. Even the bus drivers let me ride free when I got turned around once or twice! My favorite place so far for sure ❤️
Agreed!
Glasgow certainly more so than Edinburgh which is far more reserved
That's how most drunk people are ;)
Wow. I have never heard of anyone going to Rwanda , and to hear something positive about it other than the unfortunate history is very impressive
@Anna I’m Not a Banana you know there was a genocide in Rwanda fight that was enacted by a majority of the population?
Yeah, and the few people who have, honestly didn't have anything nice to say about the place and its people, so that one honestly surprised me
@@briantravelman so you know all the few people that went to rwanda then, and you know they all hated it🤔
@@briantravelman I personally know several people who loved travelling in Rwanda. In fact, they loved it so much they're going back this year. To each their own...
@@briantravelman Rwanda is very clean actually and nice country
I have to say that Danes treat other Danes the same way as tourists, if we don't know them. We simply do not talk to strangers. In USA I'm often contacted by people in restaurants or i in the street, who hear me speak another language and want to know where I'm from. That will never happen in Denmark as we consider it an intrusion on peoples privacy, and we don't want to intrude.
I love the Amarican approach though, and the friendliest place I ever visited and still do, is rural western North Carolina, where I have gained a lot of friends.
pretty much the same here in Sweden. at least in the big cities! there is a big difference though, on how people treat eachother in cities, versus in the countryside.
I'm from Kentucky in USA and North Carolina is a great place, but yes in the country and cities here are very different. I'm from the eastern part of Kentucky which is very close to western parts of North Carolina and they're pretty similar. I live in the city in Central Kentucky now and I enjoy it but it's not even close to as good as eastern Kentucky to me. And the people back home in the hills of eastern Kentucky would give a stranger the shirt off of their back, down here in the city where I live now people step over homeless in the streets like they're ants.
That sounds just so lame lmao, just be friendly man
American here. I can confirm they can seem friendly but it's not entirely sincere. American's are just more polite. I've noticed many European and Asian countries don't say bless you after sneezing. Here in America you can expect someone to say bless you. America is not the easiest country to make friends but you can expect to engage in small talk occasionally in public places. It takes time to form a close friendship. I find people from Latin American countries much friendlier and it definitely takes less time to form a close friendship. American's just feel obligated to say hello and goodbye despite if they like it or not.
Hi from an Ashevillian! :)
Italy for sure! Got lost driving in the middle of nowhere somewhere outside Genoa, ( late 90s before gps phones ) asked for directions in front of a farmhouse, they spoke no English I spoke No italian, but they went inside their home came back out with a map, ice cream and wine! Spent a fun hour with those folks and had no idea what they were saying! 😅😊
Ice cream and wine? What a combo! haha! Great story.
Well if you have to listen to a language you don’t know for an hour Italian is probably the one to choose.
Surprised Brazil wasnt on the list. Always had great interactions with Brazilians both in Brazil and outside of Brazil. Extremely polite, energetic, and genuine
I've lived in Brazil for 20 years, and can honestly say Brazilians are ( in general) the friendliest people I've ever met.
no english tho
@@kiviuq3495 I got to learn that Portuguese 😩
noisy and petty too
i have to agree. whenever i travel & i meet brazilians i'm like - "this is gonna be a great night!"
You mean if I go to Denmark people will leave me the hell alone?
Exactly. We don't want to intrude on your privacy.
@@Elatenl I guess people in Italy and Rwanda don't want to be left alone
Yes. Unless you ask us for help or directions. Then we will gladly help you.
@@hinken24 as it should be
People don't bother you in friendly countrys? If someone thinks you don't want to talk they'll leave you alone. You're making it out that everyone should stop being socail and friendly and caring for one another because you're insecure and antisocial. This is coming from someone living in ireland where people are extremely friendly.
As a Dane with a Macedonian wife, she often tells me that Danes are masters at minding their own business, which makes us seem cold and unfriendly.
My response was/is: “I don’t care” 😂❤
Cheers for making awesome content and for being an outstanding lovely guy 🤘🏻🇩🇰❤️🍻
That could be a plus or a minus.
I agree about Italians. They treated us so well, grandmas on trains telling us how pretty our children are, people willing to help you figure something out. One little cafe was excited to make for us "chicken-fried steak!", because we're from Texas (USA). We didn't ask for chicken-fried steak, haha, they were going out of their way to be hospitable. You remember such things. THANK YOU, this was interesting.
grazie !
@@mariacristinaciampi3069 Italians eat cats.
Corpus Christi here.
I wonder if they know how to make carne asada or barbacoa??
@@christianoliver3572 haha. 💓 🤗
Thats a funny story about the steak!
Ireland and Canada are so friendly. I got lost in downtown Toronto as a teenager and was surrounded by a group of ladies who walked me back to my hotel and waited to make sure I got back to my parents.
Depends where in Canada. A lot of Canada is super friendly especially the East Coast/maritime but the French Canadians not so much
@@Scottsdaleofficesteve The French in general are known to be very stuck up, arrogant and racist.
You definitely don’t want to get lost in downtown Toronto in the 2020’s
@@Scottsdaleofficesteve I had a completely different experience in Quebec, I found the people there to be the friendliest and warmest, as a tourist in Canada.
@@Scottsdaleofficesteve that sounds like someone who's never actually been to Quebec or outside of Montreal. Québécois people are warm and welcoming, not so much with people from Alberta and Ontario who's favourite sport is to disrespect Quebec's unique culture in North America.
Canada was one of the most welcoming places I've been to, a lot of people willing to help you or just have a friendly chat. Finland was also great in a totally different way: fewer interactions but they were always very genuine and people were really interested in learning more about where we came from and how we liked their country.
Went to Italy last fall. HARD AGREE about Italy. Italian people are some of the most lovely and gregarious folks you can meet! My wife and I absolutely feel in love with the country and cannot wait to return someday for a longer vacation!
Grazie!
Grazie mille!
As long as you are far from large cities and places full of tourists.
Depends on where in Italy...IMHO italians in average are *NOT* that friendly...
I can unfortunately confirm the thing about Switzerland (I'm a Swiss native). It depends of course a lot, there are plenty of Swiss people who are extremely nice and welcoming, but many definitely fit the stereotype of being tense, rather cold, and difficult to get close to in any way. We also have the famous people-gap at bus stations, we stand as far away from the next person as possible when waiting for the bus or similar places. Super weird to be honest.^^
The Swiss are known for being cold and unfriendly. It’s kind of what everyone would say if asked to describe them. There has to be some truth to it
Huh...that's pretty weird. I had a nice time in Zurich, the people were very friendly to me :-).
@@meditationandhealthyliving9602 Yes on an individual basis there are of course super nice and warm people here too, just in my experience living here my whole life Swiss society tends to be overall colder and more distant than pretty much any other country I've visited.
Germanic countries are very friendly to help people who cant prep their journey cant use Google maps don't keep charge in their phone, have time to meander aimlessly in everyones way.
Is there a big difference between the urban and rural Swiss people?
If you ever visit Iran, it'll immediately rise to first place on your friendliest list. No exaggeration. I've been multiple times to visit relatives and as someone who doesn't speak Farsi (nor am I very well-versed on Iranian culture, unfortunately) I'm always blown away by how kind and generous people are over there. Like, it's not uncommon to meet a stranger one day and be dining with them & their family the next. And if you form close relationships, expect to be smothered with cheek kisses upon each greeting lol
True!
True! Incredibly friendly people.
I think they are desperate to prove they are not like their leaders to visitors and seem desperate for a connection to the outside world.
We need to get this man to go to the Middle East.
I live in Canada and there were a lot of Iranians in my high school and I can confirm they are the friendliest.
One example was when I was stuck walking in a storm and an Iranian girl I only knew by sight because we didn’t have any classes together pulled over in her pristine Mercedes and insisted I get in and get warm. I told her I was a muddy mess and I didn’t have far to go, but she wouldn’t hear it.
I'm Swiss and I agree, even as a born citizen speaking the language it's extremely hard to make Swiss friends. I've also been to Denmark several times (Copenhagen x3, Aarhus x1) and the Danes are very kind, but you're correct, they are very communal. The entire country feels like a single community that looks out for each other. It's almost monocultural like a small village, which is interesting and rare to see in a modern nation-state.
Of all the places I’ve been to, I found most people pretty kind except for Switzerland. Money can’t buy happiness or friendliness I guess 😵💫
I lived there and met lots of friendly people but they were mostly farmers and country people. I think city people are weird everywhere but yes def a cold feeling from many in the city! The warmest ones were the immigrants. Many friendly Serbians etc
@Ugandan Special Forces Sorry that happened to you. That's definitely not the norm haha Swiss people may be distant but we are generally not thieves
@@tylermitchell7679 yeah I live near Zurich and people have amazing careers in finance or IT and make ridiculous amounts of money, but then they suffer from burnouts and everything too. We're not all like that though!
@@AletheAce "even as a born citizen speaking the language"... which language?
Having grown up in NYC I can attest to the fact that NYers are very friendly and will go out of their way to be helpful. It is not uncommon for a NYer to not wait to be asked for help, but to offer assistance when they see someone looking either lost and needing directions or in need of help. Sure we can be blunt but don't confuse that with rudeness. We just like getting to the point.
As far as Denmark. I had the opportunity to work in Aarhus for for about a month and really got to know the people I was working with. They were warm and welcoming. Invited me to their homes for dinners, going out at night and in one case was driven to the northern part of the Jutland peninsula and toured seaside towns, split wood and dug up potatoes for that night's dinner. Weekend trips to Copenhagen were also outstanding. Everyone I met were just great. I love going back there.
Yes and no, native New Yorkers were extremely friendly, and being brown skinned was never an issue, in fact they invited my friend and I to jump the line to get into clubs based on the way we dressed, locals would be chatty, and a policeman even radioed in to help me with directions, but a couple of shop owners, who were immigrants, were extremely rude. I've been singled out for refusal to get into a club in major cities like Paris, while all my white friends, drunker, and less well dressed, get in. Always appreciate America and my home London for being a lot less racist.
Once you break the ice with someone from NYC, they're friendly. Before that, however, a New Yorker won't even look your way. In that way, New Yorkers are definitely unfriendly.
I remember a saying about the East and west coast states, particularly NY and CA.
NYers are kind but not nice.
CA-ians are nice but not kind.
Pretty much sums it up.
I did have a New Yorker help me out on the subway when I was clearly on the wrong train. They were sympathetic and kind.
@@TomChenLife That's basically it. In NYC, we will help you out and welcome you, but don't slow down the sidewalk or walk in the bike lane.
Great feedback! Thank you! I truly enjoy the honesty you bring in a positive way. Also that you shed light in ways to reflect those with families of young children.
I was also surprised how friendly New Yorkers are given their reputation. Another surprise for me was Paris… if you know the rules of engagement/politeness, the Parisians are so friendly and helpful.
Yup. I can attest to the Parisian etiquette. Speak English and they treat u with bare minimum. Insert one well spoken French sentence and their faces light up.
Yes, make some rudimentary effort at French and they warm up immediately. Also, it's important to say bon jour or bon soir when entering places.
I want to France for the first time in 2021 and was blown away by how friendly and helpful the French were (except for one subway worker). I did use my very rusty high school French for greetings and simple phrases which I guess makes all the difference.
The reason why New Yorker's are friendly is because almost no one from New York is from New York anymore. There have always been people moving to New York from other places and other countries, but I have personally noticed a huge cultural shift in the past few decades. Consider that almost no one from New York has a New York accent anymore.
New Yorkers and Parisians are similar in some ways. They're not unfriendly or uncaring - they're just busy and direct in their speech. And they both have a rough-and-ready wit that seems rude to outsiders - and sometimes really is rude - but that is often just a form of banter.
As a Spaniard who has been living in the Nordics (NO+FI) for 10 years, I think the experience that you describe about Denmark can be found all across the Nordics.
The concept of "I already have friends, why would I want to make some more?" is very present (as opposed to my home country or Italy, as you mentioned).
However when you do belong to that bubble of friends, Nordic people are much more honest and friendlier than southerners.
I always describe it as every person having 3 friendship layers in their bubble: the outer one (which I call black one) is for total strangers, the intermediate one (gray) is for acquaintances that you hang out with but not really know your problems, and the inner one (white) is reserved for your close friends and people who really know you.
I feel like in the south the black layer is very thin, the gray is huge, and the white is very thin too - we let very few people really know our problems.
However in the Nordics I feel it's the other way around: the black and white ones are big and the gray ones is very small. So either you're a total stranger or you're best friends - and they make sure you know where you are 😂
Of all the places ive been I have to say I found Danish people very unlikable.
True, but that can be off-putting and can make people stop trying after awhile because everytime they try to talk to people with the hope of making a friend, people don't talk to them or share anything about themselves. So they end up being like, "forget it. I give up". Being more open doesn't mean sharing your whole life story in 10 minutes and boom, you're best buds with someone; but rather being more willing to answer whatever questions that a person may have about you instead of giving them a look like, "What do you want?? Why are you asking me this??" It's possible to be reserved, yet open at the same time.
Yup, I'm an expat in Estonia, and it's a bit of the same. They are very friendly though. Didn't have bad experiences. Maybe the waiters in restaurants are a bit grumpy but that's it.
@@cuteladybug8622 That's the point, they actually don't want you to try so are actively off-putting.
I’m originally from the state of Minnesota, which has a lot of people with Scandinavian ancestry, and the major companies there have formed social groups for their employees from other states, because the locals are so insular and don’t expand their social group beyond their childhood and university friends.
Sounds like Denmark is heaven for introverts. I'd probably love it.
It is. As a Dane, no-one expects you to talk to them.
As a very introverted person I used to think like that, until I moved there. Worst few years of my life. Turns out even an extreme introvert needs human acceptance, companionship, a sense of community. As a foreigner there (even though fluent in the language), I have found it very difficult to make connections with locals and join their circles. You're simply not invited anywhere and treated with some kind of mild disdain, with some idiotic ethnic stereotypes thrown in to boot. This is coming from someone who lived in 5 countries on both hemispheres.
But please do not come. We have too many tourist. Please stay away.
As a Dane, I was fully expecting Denmark to be brought up on the unfriendly list. Was kinda happy to not be let down :D
I'm danish and you are spot on. We are very much minding our own business. We usually don't reach out, but if someone reach out to us, we are helpful - and then get on with our lives. It's strange, I'm the same way. It's not that we don't like other people - we just focus a lot on ourselves. I think this is more pronounced in Copenhagen, and less in Aarhus from personal experience, but compared to the rest of the world, I guess it applies to all Danes :)
One last thing - this is not especially towards tourist... it's towards other danes as well. But seriously... we don't bite, come visit us!
30 yrs ago I was in Denmark for a week. God, it was unfriendly. It felt like how the movies show Russians. (I'm a white American guy, so it wasn't race)
@@GUITARTIME2024 well we can find American's a bit in your face and loud. Plus a lot service trades in the US depends on tips, Danes don't, you'll get your food on time and usually we are not in hurry to get you to leave, so we can make more tips(because it's not needed). So if people stare at you on the train or in a public square, it's probably because they find you and your friends loud.
This is why I loved visiting Denmark as an autistic person. Nobody expected me to small talk with them and it made everything so much easier. There weren't any social rules that I didn't know about it was great. If you ordered food you got food and your server doesn't keep trying to talk to you in order to get tips (or because it's a cultural thing). If i had more money i would go to Denmark all the time.
Must be hard to meet women in Denmark as a bloke then. Luckily I last visited Copenhagen with my then girlfriend lol
@@Drescher1984 greeting someone with a smile when they walk into a shop, or restaurant isn’t difficult. It doesn’t have anything to do with “tips”, and just seems so much more human than coldness and an ignoring attitude. As an American walking in certain European countries, one can’t help wonder if the people there are not actually robots posing as humans.
I've been to about 20 countries. The friendliest people were from Montserrat in the Caribbean. While sitting in our car a group of woman walked by who had been out picking fruit on a small farm. They came up to us with big smiles and without us asking, they just started handing us all sorts of fruit asking nothing in return.
I heard it's very safe, affordable & beautiful! I'm looking into retiring 🤔
The people in Italy, to us, were very helpful and kind and it almost felt like home away from home: (I live in the U.S. in a small, Southern town) On a city bus in Rome one night, an elderly gentleman gave up his seat for my wife and then proceeded to show us pictures of his local church as he was so proud of it. He was kind as to point us to the street we needed to get off at for our hotel. He waved and smiled as we got off the bus like we were his life-long friends. A simple gesture, such as his, can make or break one's opinion of a country as a whole.
As a Dutchie I totally agree about what you said about the Danes, it's the same mentality we have towards tourists in the Netherlands. Especially in the Randstad region (western Netherlands)
Not unfriendly so much as indifferent and mind their own business without even thinking about it.
I think this depends on age, in my experience, in the Netherlands. I visited from the US in my 20s and people my age were very friendly, but when my parents visited they agreed that middle aged people were more apt to mind their own business. We were mostly in s'Gravenzande and Delft though visiting friends, so I can't comment on other parts of the country as a tourist.
I’m a Londoner who lived in Copenhagen for 18 months. Danes keep themselves to themselves most of the times, much like other NW European cities, but they’re friendly underneath the surface. Much like London really.
I find my American accent brought out the friendly side to Londoners (not always but often).
The Irish and Italians are 2 of the largest migrant groups in the world. Some fled because of Famine and others because of Unification. I am glad to know that they are spoken of so well. Greetings from Uruguay
Love this! You are so fun to watch!!
I've recently been to Amsterdam twice and found the Dutch people there incredibly friendly. The way they speak to you with direct eye contact is unlike anywhere else I've been - everyone comes off as very laid back and happy to help.
Strangely enough, I found people in Iceland extremely friendly and warm. They are quirky, maybe a bit shy, but when you talk to them they are extremely kind and funny and willing to help.
I met an Irishman in Istanbul a few years ago and I still think about how cool he was.
I am an American. When I visited Switzerland many years ago, I had two good experiences with the Swiss within minutes of each other. While waiting for friends, a Swiss woman asked in Swiss German for help with her stroller with the steps. I understand some German, but not Swiss German-- it is a completely different language in my book. I soon realized what she wanted to do. I helped her carry the stroller down the stairs and she was very thankful. Seconds later, an older Swiss gentleman was trying to place all his change into his pockets of his suit pants. There was either a hole in the pocket or he just missed the opening. Either way, the change hit the ground and began to roll everywhere. I notified him in German that his money was on the ground. He looked at me stunned at first. I then pointed toward the ground and his whole mood changed. He kept thanking me in German and French. I found out later that Swiss Germans tend to use the French word Merci instead of the German word Danke for thank you.
When it comes to money they'll talk to you it seems like
The Swiss speak Swchezer Deutsche, a German dialect. They learn Hoch Deutsche in school, in order to read papers or comprehend what is spoken on television .
Thanks for the video Dr. Wolters!
Been to Paris twice. First time was a meh! While in the second visit, we were engaged in conversation with the friendliest small bar/restaurant owner/staff, she asked us what kind of food we liked and asked her cook (in French) to cook some dishes that we would like. Ooohh she's so lovely... 🥰 She and other staff in that restaurant have changed my perception about Parisians. So, yes, can't really judge from just 1 visit. Cannot sum up the whole city after just 1 or 2 bad encounters.
I’m currently in Ragusa, Sicily and the people here are amazing. I’ve learned enough Italian (level B2) to communicate well and it has opened so many doors.
About Denmark. My daughter is an American, married to a Frenchman, and they live in Copenhagen with their two elementary school age daughters. Danes seem to be introverts. So they make friends and they're great friends within their circle, but they don't do the chatting with strangers that so many Americans do. My son-in-law is also an introvert and he loves that about Denmark. I've been to Copenhagen several times and have experienced no unfriendliness at museums, restaurants etc from the people who work there. They're just not chatty. On a city bus it's usually totally silent except for my younger granddaughter who is a natural chatterbox. My daughter and S-I-L have made friends at their jobs, and friends with some of their neighbors and with the parents of their daughters' friends. So pretty normal. And the Danes are not snooty when people don't speak their language. My daughter's family has lived there for over 5 years and while the girls are fluent in Danish and attend a Danish school, my daughter and her husband are still struggling (Danish pronunciation is difficult). Everyone they know happily speaks to them in English if it becomes apparent that they're not following the Danish. Danes speak very good English. For an English speaking tourist you can get around fine in Denmark with just English. Although my daughter and her husband both work for Danish companies the companies operate in English - because both companies have international staff and English is the common language.
I visited Denmark last year for the first time (loved it) and a tour guide told us that Danes have a very hard time understanding Danish when spoken poorly or with an accent, so actually prefer to speak to foreigners in English (or what have you). She even joked that sometimes people from the western part of the country switch to English when they're speaking to people from the eastern part, because the accent makes understanding each other's Danish difficult. I don't know how true that is, but I found it amusing.
Whatever the case, I enjoyed the heck out of my time in Denmark and I hope to return. Our only bad experience was from a lady who was likely unhoused and mentally unstable, who became verbally abusive (in excellent English) when we didn't have any cash to give her. But that's not exactly something I'm unfamiliar with. My home town in Maine and where I live now, near Washington D.C., both have plenty of unhoused people and virtually no help for the mentally ill members of that community.
I live in Italy and I agree with you about Italians.I found the people of Newfoundland to be the kindest friendliest and most honest people I've ever met.Went into a few shops to get stuff and ended up spending hours talking to the people there.I also found really great people in New Orleans and Cusco in Peru.
Newfoundland is an outlier for being very friendly even for us Canadians, which I guess says something XD
Great, now learn how to use the space key after a period 🙃
Peru is awesome! and imo, one of the South America's best tourist secrets, once the civil unrest settles of course. The hospitality was amazing, a lot of locals were eager to casually chat to practice their English. Also knowing broken Spanish and (knowingly) say weird things about yourself is a good way to flirt and make the young ladies laugh.
@@ghostassoc They are mostly Irish!
On our trip to Italy, we stayed with friends, and met up with people we knew, so we experienced lots of local hospitality. We stayed with my friend's Mom in Milan - she was an editor for a major Italian food magazine "Sale e Pepe." So the meals she made for us were spectacular. My friend drove us around Milan in his tiny town car - he rode it on the trolly track and his wheels fit the tracks so he didn't have to steer. In Rome, we had a friend who was a priest, and he took us to visit St. Frances' private chapel.
One day we hope to get back for a genealogical tour of Calabria, Potenza, and Sicily.
I totally totally agree with Italy, they were so lovely to us there
Italian here. Thanks for mentioning us for being friendly😊 this is particularly true if you head to the South.
thank u so much! u guys are welcomed here anytime 🇮🇹💓
Excellent and informative as always, Mark!
..happy that you listed Italy as a friendly place....I agree..people may not be speaking your language but they will do their best to help you and make you feel welcome and at home....
I've done a good deal of travelling, and I agree about Italians being very friendly! I've been to Italy on three occasions, and their hospitality helped make my visits memorable! And yes, I find New Yorkers very friendly, too!
I personally had the opposite experience in Demark. We went to some sea baths and the man let us in for free and was super friendly since we didn't have coins on us. At these baths a wonderful woman went out of her way to see if the local bistro was open just to help us out for food. Also sat on a bench at a street food market in Copenhagen, starting chatting to an older Danish woman who was delighted we were visiting rural areas outside of Copenhagen and was praised my Danish pronounciation efforts. Not a single issue with anyone there, obviously people aren't going to talk to you on the subway, the culture is different but by no means unfriendly.
Man I spent 3 days in Denmark and they were so friendly to me. I remember one particular moment when I was walking in Copenhagen late at night with my luggage on my way to the my hotel. A group of guys holler at me from across the street, “Hey! Are you American?” And I felt cautious and said “Yes, I am.” They hollered back, “Welcome to Denmark bro!” Put a smile on my face.
@DenisDk111 or drunk. Or both.
The place where I'm most often engaged in conversation by random strangers (in a nice way) is the U.S. I've had so many great conversations with people, accompanied by a generally well-maintained decorum. Even in NYC, locals will strike up a chat, even if it's just to comment on the weather or the length of the queue. It makes me feel part of the city's fabric in a way that I don't even feel in my own home city most of the time.
That's cool
Lots of people in these comments acting like that’s abuse for some reason. Lame to be outgoing and try and meet cool people and have a cool experience I guess
I haven't spent a lot of time in New York but they tend to be way more helpful and considerate than you would expect. It's just that living there is more or less a sport. I find it kinda cute that it has that reputation for cruelty, especially having spent time in London. Nothing quite like getting yelled at for now knowing some obscure local rule when you literally started the conversation with "excuse me, I'm not from here. May I ask you a question?" and had the answer be yes.
Thank you for the shoutout! As an Italian, i always try to make tourists feel welcomed, i ask about where they come from cause i love learning about other people's culture and how it differs from my own. If they are looking for information, i'm always happy to provide it, or to suggest to them to talk to someone specific who might help them.
I was in Florence for a concert last year and i ended up meeting two american tourists who wanted to know how to get to the Chianti area and i told them some tips and locations i knew.
I remember i was on the Circum-Etnea line (it's a light rail you can take from Giarre to Catania in the morning that takes you all around mount Etna, i wholly recommend the experience) and i met a group of Polish and German tourists and i basically did a whole tour guide experience for them, explaining some facts about the areas and towns we were passing through.
And i have lots more stories like these. As i said, i love making tourists feel welcome. I love my country and wish everyone could see it at least once.
We are Americans hoping to visit Italy in the next few years and this is lovely to hear but not surprising. Italians seem very friendly and you have such a beautiful country. I think we could spend a month there and still we would have much to see and do (and eat!).
☝️👏👏👏👏
I remember getting lost at night in Florence. It was like the city transformed at night I got totally disorientated. Anyway, every single person I asked for directions back to my hotel were so kind and friendly telling me how to get back to my hotel. I'd love to go back.
I was in Salerno recently and I had to tell someone my name, which is a very Salernitano/Napolitano one. She said, "(last name)! You're Italian!" I speak pretty well, perfect accent but advanced grammar needs a little help. I always say, as a first generation American CITIZEN, "the stork took a wrong turn" because I am not an American CULTURALLY. I can use the idiom well, but the culture? I really don't and never did get it. A total misfit. When I'm in Italy I'm not a tourist. I just hang out. I actually found some cousins this last trip so now I have a real connection and am waiting on my citizenship.
I seriously love your honesty.
Enjoy how you give us information in a good way. You're always positive. Sometimes really funny no matter where you're at
Plus that y'all travel with the kids, totally love that.
Stay cool ... 😎
I'm so excited! I haven't seen your content in a long time.
Glad we popped up in your feed again!
My mom was born in Denmark and I've been back many times to see relatives. It's so true! When I'm out and about shopping, etc. I feel like I'm invisible. When I'm back within the circle of Danish loved ones, it's the warmest experience ever!
Exactly. And it's not a bad thing. It'd just how it is.
@@woltersworld Hey Mark. I'm Danish and I agree with you. But I feel like there are 2 "Denmarks". There is Copenhagen and there is the rest of Denmark. And it's not the same. 🙂
Going to Italy and Switzerland thus summer. Now I'm even more looking forward to Italy and interacting with locals. And looking forward to Switzerland. For the Scenery.
Great to hear your tips about this!
Cheers! Thanks Eliz
I rarely make friends during my travel because I am an introvert. However, during my first trip to Switzerland I've found one. Went back last month to meet him and we had a nice dinner and drink
So far the Brazilians stick out for me. Gregarious, curious and don’t mind how bad your Portuguese is.
Ireland and Costa Rica for me. They are both just the nicest people.
I live in Ireland and I don't think it is friendly but I am not white. I have been called the c word for accidentally bumping into a cyclist. Then I have been called stupid by an old Irish man.
@@smithhbea Why don't you move to somewhere else then? You're spamming with this comment.
@@jackieblue1267 dude chill. It's just an opinion it's not that deep
@@Enne_esse Why spam though? If you made even just a couple of comments but you spammed. I am chill but spamming is annoying.
@@smithhbea you keep repeating this
New fan here, great video! Keep em coming!🇨🇦
Great video, Mark!
As someone who has been in Denmark for the past 10-days for work, I was expecting the Danish ambivalence, however I got more smiles and hellos than I normally do in the US. Granted this was in West Jutland and not Copenhagen or a major city.
That's awesome!
this friendliness vs unfriendliness thing is really more a question of big cities vs small cities/countryside
Paris was the absolute worst for us. They had me in tears. We had just come from all the Greek Isles, Turkey, all over Italy meeting friendly people before we got to Paris and it was horrible. Normandy France they were super wonderful to us.
I can relate to Parisians having you in tears. Back in the late 70s I was an exchange student in Chantilly and took the train into Paris frequently. Wow is all I can say. After that exchange student experience, I also lived in Belgium, Italy, England and Scotland over the next 10 years. I learned to find the Parisian temperament (and disgust with people who speak French badly) funny instead of irritating or, sometimes, infuriating! I had a pretty unfortunate time with the Chantilly family I was living with and finally took off to be an au pair in Brussels. When I got on the train from Paris, the conductor started giving me a really hard time (making me go back across the width of the whole station to get a blank cover for my ticket before letting me on the train, trying to charge me more money for a ticket I had already paid for with some crazy excuse, etc. What was going on is that he was Flemish and thought I was French! Ha ha. He became the kindest person possible after he suddenly figured out I wasn't French. (I had some really good friends who were Parisian, by the way, but the rudeness of strangers towards non-French speakers really was quite theatrical.)
Why ?
Rural French hate Parisians as well, super nice people in rural Brittany.
@@deanfirnatine7814 no we dont.
Most people don't like Parisian people (In general, not everyone, obviously) because of their arogant, standoffish ways. Paris itself is a lovely city, the people, non.
I had the opposite experience in Switzerland. Everyone was so nice to my child. They seemed super welcoming to children where I went. I agree with Italy. They will go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable.
I think it also depends which language area one goes to. French speakers, German speakers and Italian speakers have different attitudes overall
I've seen a lot of your videos, but only subscribed now. Love documentaries. Almost 1 million subs!
The friendliest place I've ever visited is Ireland. But I'm totally biased because my mom came from there. That said, I loved my time in Switzerland so much that I went house hunting there. But then a job opportunity took me elsewhere.
Being Italian and having visited NY several times, I can say that I've found lots of friendly and helpful New Yorkers.
Thank you for a great video!
I agree about Italy! I’ve been there 3 times already and fell in love with the country and its people!
I love Italy, hope I can go back sometime. That said, in Switzerland ( we stopped en route to Italy), my Mom's PJ's were stolen out of her suitcase when we stayed in a nice hotel. Well, not so nice.
Friendliest in my travels: Scotland. Every small town we drove through, people would say hello and wave with smiling faces!
Which city in scot?
@@jhonysmith2628 Many small towns I can’t name as well as St. Andrews and Pitlochry
Most small towns in Scotland are dead with empty streets
I agree Scotland was friendliest played golf at St Andrew’s and super nice people. Greece is number 2.
Wolter you are the best. I love your videos and attitude!
Thanks Brendan! That's really nice of you.
We just got back from Vienna and they were one of the unfriendliest folks even when we approached with a smile and attempted to greet in German to them. Cold shouldered to tourists.
Wonderful you could visit Rwanda and great the locals enjoyed it too! Looks like fun. Watched your videos for 2 years now Mark and finally I will go to US (Midwest region) next April. I will have enough leave by then. My Mom's side is from US but we live in Australia. Thanks and hope you all are well!
I live in the Midwest USA (Michigan) Hope you have a great time here in the US.
I’m also from Michigan and I hope if you’re near enough you will find time to come see our Great Lakes! I’m partial to Lake Michigan but they are all lovely.
@@stevevash4772 Thank you, might get up to there, not sure yet. I'm researching stuff to do in States around Ohio as I know that I will go (have family there). Am happy to go to any nearby states. Michigan has a lot of good natural beauty I hear!
@@tiffinyharrington9307 Thank you. The lakes would be good to see for sure! Hopefully in April they will be somewhat warm enough to row and jet ski in? Seems like it gets very cold in Michigan haha. In Australia our lakes are very small, not like the Great Lakes at all! They are bigger than some countries!
I can’t wait to go to Italy 🇮🇹 Thank you this is great
Very interesting video, about a subject you seldom hear travel bloggers about.
Ireland
Portugal
Orange County, USA
Colombia
Brazil
So friendly!
Orange County? Really? You think they're friendly?
Not sure I get OC, but Ireland, Portugal and Brazil for sure.
I found NYC very friendly too! I found the Danish aloof but friendly. Some of the least friendly I have met have been older Australians (especially if you have a Canadian/American accent). The younger generations over there are good, though.
Italy is the friendliest. I went to Germany and they were super rude and mean. Switzerland also!!! Then I went to Italy, and got lost, and asked for directions, and the young couple interrupted their evening, got on their scooter, and took me to where I was going. People put their arm around you, Italians are so good. Serbs are also very nice and welcoming.
@@jameslynford8295 They just don't like foreigners. It's a sign of incredible internal insecurity
The way you describe the Danish is the impression I got in the Netherlands...Still would go back tomorrow!
Very interesting video. I have met friendly and unfriendly people in every country.
I guess you could have said the same about us Norwegians as you said about the Danes. In our opinion it is actually being polite and respect other people's private sphere and not being intrusive. Neither of us are used to start a random conversation with a stranger on the bus or on the street. No matter if it's a tourist or a local, if you don't know them. But we are normally quite kind and really willing to help when asked 😊 So please try again 😉
@@Elatenl 😄 There are exeptions, but we mainly keep to ourselves if no-one else starts a conversation, or asks us about something. But if someone does; most of us are happy to help and to communicate 😀 Most of us also speak English pretty well.
Interesting perspective. You made me realize there are important differences between being friendly and being kind.
@@texasflood1295 thank you for understanding 🙂
Actually ALL NORDIC/SCANDINAVIAN countries are reserved and seem really cold . If you go to southern European Portugal, Italy Greece you get a meal when invited to one's home .
@@georgevavoulis4758 If you are invited to someone's home in Scandinavia, you'll normally get a meal.
Spot on about Italy. Denmark must be a lot like Germany, so not friendly! I don’t need to feel like an intrusion in someone’s life. Kindness can go a long way.
Kindness is always the right answer. 😀
We’ve just got back from Morocco and everyone was so friendly and helpful there
We've experienced friendly people in many places. Rwanda was excellent, as were Eswatini and Bhutan. Anguilla is also exceptional. In Barbados, a road was closed by a crashed coach. A lady gave us instructions how to get around it. Seeing us glaze over, she lent us her 9-year-old son to show us the route. In Jordan, a family invited us to share their picnic lunch.
Friendliest country I’ve been to is the United States, and I’ve only been to the big cities. In the NY subway I was looking at the map to find my way (which is no problem as I’m from Paris) and an old lady explained to me the easiest way to go where I wanted to then we chatted for a bit. Met very nice people in Washington DC too. I’ve never been to Brazil but the Brazilians I met in the US were great too.
On the other hand the less friendly countries in my experience are Germanic Europe, Germany, Switzerland (French and Italian parts), the Netherlands and Denmark to a lesser extent.
The nicest people are the old American ladies (or they can be evil, no in between). When I first moved to the US, I got lost in Maine, in the middle of winter, thought I could walk back to my house. Asked a lady in this Christmas tree/coffee shop for directions, it was getting dark, she closed her shop, kicked everyone out and drove me home, didn't accept any money.
I always think about her. This was within 1 week of being there, I was told Americans were cold, racist and mean. But experienced nothing but amazing people (with occasional rude Karens out there), but that's just being human.
10 years ago I went to Cambodia and while there asked a guy who was a local guide where the worst tourists were from. I expected him to say Americans. I won't say which country's tourists he maligned but when I told him I thought he was going to say Americans (I'm one), he said "Oh no, they are the friendliest." (Too bad we can't say that about our atrociously corrupt and violent government!)
Taking public transport is probably the smartest idea when you're traveling here.
It's not as much of a hassle.
@@MarriedWithPizza I think you lucked out. Maine is probably one of the better areas of the country.
People here who are already established in life. It's a pretty easy transition for them. Because you're around people with the same values.
But if you're somebody who isn't at that point yet, it can be competitive. I had to leave my rural, hometown because of it.
But when you're in a decent area: Yes, it is a friendly atmosphere. Because we're all kind of here for the same reasons.
@eksbocks9438 I have been living here for over 10 years now, and have moved to several different states. Maine is definitely one of the nicest people, but have mostly met very pleasant people, even now, living in a very very small town of 5k population.
Visited Sweden last year and maybe it was because it was a work trip and I was meeting with Swedes, but I encountered none of the coldness or aloofness they are known for. Would love to go back there! Also visited France on vacation and got both friendly and rude interactions. And yes, starting your interaction with a "bonjour" helps.
I met some people from Denmark in London and they were really friendly at least!
I spent a day in Copenhagen last weekend. Asked a dude where to find local beer- he legit gave me a 10 minute lesson on local beer and where to find it.
I'm Danish and agree on that point, but it's most widespread in Copenhagen. I moved from Jutland to Copenhagen 8 years ago and there I was also shocked how people in Copenhagen are kind of cold. Danes are reserved, but it's definitely most widespread in the Capital Area.
One tip to talk to Danes is to meet us at a bar with a beer and have chat, there we seem to open more up.
As a Finnish person I was thinking it's probably that way: people are colder in the capital, but in smaller towns they will come talk to you. I live in an apartment in Helsinki and I wouldn't know any of my neighbours if I saw them on the street, but if I lived in a village, I would know the whole village.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised with New Yorkers after hearing so much bad press about them ,they were actually very friendly and helpful! A couple of times we were trying to work out the correct subway train to ride and we always had a local offering their advice ! Lovely people . Same with London , I have always found Londoners to be very friendly and always willing to help. The friendliest place I have visited has got to be Cyprus , absolutely beautiful people , very warm and genuine ! I loved the Italians and Dutch too ! Least friendly has to be the French , I have only been to France once and a lot of people were very rude and unfriendly. I am sure there are many nice french people and I have only been once so I maybe being a bit harsh but that’s the impression I got .
wht i ahve got from every corner of world is good music thank you so much for that
I've never been to Rwanda, but you're on point with Italy. They are very friendly.
Especially to women! Everywhere we went people were shouting things at my wife, following us around!
Great reactions 👍🏻 greetings from Austria 🇦🇹
Ps: ciao signori 🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
I agree about Italians. We met a group of 3 guys who were on a "reunion" in a steak house in Lucca. They didn't speak much English, and we didn't speak much Italian, but we struck up a conversion via Reverso or one of those Apps. We ended up closing down the restaurant and having the BEST of times with our new Italian friends. The Italians are i migliori
It really depends on the personality. As an introverted person, I love Switzerland. To me, it is the most friendly country. Swiss people are very polite and respectful. I find it weird when strangers talk to me in some other countries.
Switzerland was also my first thought of least friendly, they were all so grumpy and angry at our presence!
Central Asia and Philippines very friendly too.
great video thx. from my own experience, sometimes the friendliness are not genuine, like they just want to scam you or something similar (had a lot of these experiences in Thailand).
Friendliest country I have been to is Malta, love the people, food, history and culture there. Much love and greetings from Ireland! 🇮🇪 ♥️ 🇲🇹
Agreed Adian. Lovely people. 👍
G’day Mark, you should bring your family “down under” for a holiday. We Aussies are very friendly and look after our international visitors. We also have a love of travel for many destinations around the world. Thanks for your great vids. Take care and safe travels. From tropical North Queensland, kind regards, Mark Wilson 🌴🐠🏖️
I HAVE MOSTLY GOOD MEMORIES FROM MY TRAVEL IN AUSTRALIA 25 YEARS AGO! I STILL MISS IT VERY MUCH.
SHAUL
ISRAEL
When I went to italy as a child they were very kind. Many people called me beautiful and gave me free things.
These videos are addicting. This guy rocks.
❤no one can beat Scotland..... Scottish people when it comes to nicest coolest lovely 😍 kindest funniest charming laid-back caring people ❤ handsdown 🙏.
One of my bucketlist wishes is visiting Scotland some day. I would love to speak to the locals and visit the highlands
I've always wanted to go to Italy. Now I want to go even more.
Eastern Sardinia I heard is stunning& Turkey, haven't been yet & am looking to move abroad! So many beautiful people & places ,how does one cope🥸
I love the way you ended this video. New Yorkers are super friendly, if you're polite!