This common travel mistake screams “tourist” — and Europeans absolutely hate you for it
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
‘Entitled’ American slammed for trashing ‘overpriced’ seaside Italian town — and ‘loud’ US tourists: ‘Girl, you f–ked up bad’
An American tourist slammed a picturesque Italian town for being overrun by “loud” fellow Americans. Keri vented that the wildly popular cliffside town didn’t live up to the influencer hype. Her video was met with fierce criticism, with many calling her “tone-deaf,” “ungrateful” and the embodiment of the problem she’s complaining about. Several viewers ridiculed the travel influencer for apparently anticipating a beach party scene in an ancient hilltop village in an Amalfi Coast town. “Primarily, YOU are the chief American tourist everybody hates with your tripod out in public,’ one commenter wrote. ‘I’m leaving Positano girl, you f–ked up up up.’ ‘This is such peak of American-and-the-world-should-adjust-to-me’ – one commenter in a scathing takedown of the video. � “If you want rooftop bar hopping, just go to Nashville.”
An American tourist who slammed a picturesque Italian town for being overrun by “loud” fellow Americans is now being virtually tossed into the Mediterranean.
Keri — a travel influencer currently based in Poland — recently shared her gripes about Positano, a jewel of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, in a viral Instagram Reel.
“I already know I’m gonna get absolutely destroyed for this one,” she admitted at the start of the March 30 clip.
And she was right.
Keri vented that the wildly popular cliffside town didn’t live up to the influencer hype. “Positano, you were not what I expected you to be,” she said before unleashing her disgruntled diatribe.
4 An American tourist named Keri (above) documented herself, drink in hand, breezily navigating a charming, coastal Italian town. “There were just so many Americans,” she said in her viral video. “It was, like, the people that weren’t well traveled, like, just loud and yelling down the tiny streets while repping their favorite football team.” instagram/kerimybags
“For starters, there weren’t many authentic restaurants. Like, there wasn’t even good gelato. And there was maybe one good pizza place and one good pasta place, but most of them were fancy and overpriced,” she said.
The content creator wasn’t feeling the nightlife either, complaining, “One good rooftop bar that gets super crowded, and then one club that you have to pay cover for. And bar-hopping just didn’t seem like a thing.”
Beach vibes? Not quite.
“You have one tiny, crowded beach,” she continued. “It’s like you have to do a beach club, but they’re all so expensive. And I felt like the one we went to just didn’t live up to the hype.”
Transportation woes were also on the menu.
“You basically have to hike to get around because you are locked in on the side,” Keri continued, referring to the town’s steep, narrow streets.
4 Coastal Amalfi towns (above) are popular destinations for tourists. Universal Images Group via Getty Images
But the comment that really lit a fire under viewers? Her rant about other Americans.
“There were just so many Americans,” she said. “It was, like, the people that weren’t well traveled, like, just loud and yelling down the tiny streets while repping their favorite football team.”
Even Keri acknowledged the backlash was coming: “This next one is gonna sound so hypocritical, and I know it’s gonna get taken the wrong way,” she said during her rant.
And it did.
Keri’s video was met with fierce criticism, with many calling her “tone-deaf,” “ungrateful” — and the embodiment of the problem she’s complaining about.
4 The content creator’s video (above) criticized fellow Americans who “weren’t well travelled,” for which she received harsh criticism. Numerous people labeled her out of touch and unappreciative — not to mention representative of the very issue she was addressing. instagram/kerimybags
“I get what you’re trying to say, but it’s still tone deaf,” one person wrote. “Primarily, YOU are the chief American tourist everybody hates with your tripod out in public.”
Others mocked her for seemingly expecting a beach party scene from a historic hilltop village.
“If you want rooftop bar hopping, just go to Nashville,” one user snapped.
Another chimed in, “Going to the Amalfi Coast and complaining about the lack of bar hopping opportunities while never leaving Positano … girl, you f–ked up bad.”
“This is such peak ‘I’m-an-American-tourist-and-the-world-should-adjust-to-me’ energy,” one commenter wrote in a scathing takedown.
4 Several viewers of the video ridiculed the travel influencer for apparently anticipating a beach party atmosphere in an ancient hillside village. Pictured is the town of Atrani, which is along the same coast as Positano. JFL Photography – stock.adobe.com
“Don’t come whining about the number of steps you have to climb when you’re literally visiting a town that’s built on a cliffside,” they continued. “Did you think it came with escalators?”
Another viewer didn’t hold back: “I mean, when an uncultured, quintessential American stereotype like yourself goes to these places, it contributes to the ‘lack of authenticity’ that you complain about.”
And then there was this ultimate roast: “It sounds like you wanted to go to Nashville, not a 900-year-old town on the side of a Mediterranean cliff,” a critic wrote.
Some pointed out the irony of blaming influencers for seemingly misleading her when she is one herself.
“What a concept: Influencers influence mass tourism in an area not built for the volume … and then complain about it being crowded and commercialized.”
Still, Keri tried to strike a diplomatic note in the caption of her video.
“Don’t hate the messenger,” she penned. “It’s a beautiful place and worth a visit obviously. I feel privileged to have experienced this! Just brace yourself for these things. Not trying to be negative, just transparent about my views and experience.”
She did note a few highlights — including a boat day and cooking class — but those got lost in the sea of online backlash.
“Girl,” one person summed it up, “you are not ‘well-traveled’ if bars are your top priority.”
This common travel mistake screams ‘tourist’ — and Europeans absolutely hate you for it
Travel experts say overpacking can put a target on your back when traveling abroad. Many historic European hotspots simply weren’t built for boxy Samsonite spinners. So unless you want to sweat through your sandals and draw side-eye from seasoned locals, maybe swap the mega bag for a carry-on. An American woman tried the so-called “European way” of eating in a viral TikTok last month — and wound up sparking an international food fight. It’s not just hulking luggage that has locals shooting daggers — Americans abroad have a knack for setting off side-eyes while dining. So if you’re heading overseas this summer, experts say to pack light, leave your mind at home and maybe leave the TSA-sized ego at home. The Post previously reported that an American woman had tried the “continental” dining style — you know, the one where your fork and knife don’T do the cha-cha.
When it comes to traveling abroad, nothing says “I don’t live here” louder than a tourist dragging a jumbo rolling suitcase across ancient cobblestones — like they’re wheeling it through JFK.
While exploring a new country should be something to be proud of — culture! carbs! cappuccinos! — travel experts say clueless behavior can quickly put a target on your back, especially when it comes to one rookie move that irks locals and delights pickpockets: overpacking.
Advertisement
In a viral TikTok video, travel creator Sandy Papas of Greece Travel Secrets shares a montage of tourists wrestling with luggage through narrow alleys and up endless staircases, warning viewers that “large suitcases are a big mistake.”
Suitcase too big? Prepare to roll with public scorn on your next European vacation. Valerii Honcharuk – stock.adobe.com
“You’ve got the ferries to contend with and the gangplanks and all the stairs in the very high villages,” she says in the clip. Her advice? “Leave the big suitcase at home.”
Advertisement
And don’t say she didn’t warn you — the caption reads like a packing PSA: “Big suitcases are not suitable for ancient cobblestones, the many many many steps, ferry gangplanks and subways. Pack as light as possible!”
The struggle is real. Many historic European hotspots simply weren’t built for boxy Samsonite spinners — think steep hills, uneven pavement, and no elevators in sight.
Advertisement
Athens, Rome, and Mykonos, for example, aren’t made for the overloaded, with their endless stairs and cobblestone chaos — just ask ex-cruise performer turned travel pro Melissa Cabey, who spelled it out in a recent Parade article.
She noted that in cities like these, she’s noticed there are many instances where “hotel guests can only be brought to a certain point via taxi, and they have to carry their luggage up a good amount of stairs to get them to the hotel entrance.”
She advised opting for packing cubes to prevent bringing an “excessive amount of clothes” or other items.
So unless you want to sweat through your sandals and draw side-eye from seasoned locals, maybe swap the mega bag for a carry-on. Your back — and fellow ferry passengers — will thank you.
Advertisement
Historic European gems weren’t exactly designed for your bulky, wheelie beast — think thigh-burning hills, ankle-breaking cobblestones, and elevators that exist only in your dreams. DragonImages – stock.adobe.com
As The Post previously reported, it’s not just hulking luggage that has locals shooting daggers — Americans abroad have a knack for setting off side-eyes while dining.
An American woman tried the so-called “European way” of eating in a viral TikTok last month — and wound up sparking an international food fight, with critics slamming her manners as straight-up savage.
User Amy Gordy (@amygordy1) served up a clip of herself testing out the so-called “continental” dining style — you know, the one where your fork and knife don’t do the cha-cha.
Gordy gave the Euro-style a whirl — keeping her fork in the left hand and knife in the right, instead of the all-American cut-‘n’-switch routine that looks more like a dinnertime do-si-do.
But her Euro etiquette crashed and burned — with viewers roasting her “knife skills” and questioning if she was holding a utensil or defusing a bomb.
Advertisement
One viewer wrote, after the video was reposted on X (formerly Twitter): “Americans are so primitive for world leaders!!! Hold your knife in your right hand! It’s your dinner sword. Watching Americans eat is worse than nails down a blackboard.”
So if you’re heading overseas this summer, experts say to pack light, mind your manners — and maybe leave the TSA-sized ego at home.
Weekend getaway: The 9 best luxury spas close to NYC
Shou Sugi Ban House is a beautifully balanced Zen oasis in the middle of the Hamptons. The former estate of poet-naturalist and farmer Myron B. Benton has played host to Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The Ranch is the new steward of the historic Table Rock Estate. The Mayflower Inn & Spa is famed for its spectacular interiors and its state-of-the-art thermal pool in the fern-fringed Forest of Kemble, N.Y., with a canopy of trees for indoor botanical bliss, in the Orrens Forest. The Barns is an airy movement studio and spa offering fitness classes, yoga, meditation, Kinesoma, acupuncture and massage. The Carrara marble-lined hammam, featuring cleansing, purifying and traditional Turkish rituals, is not to be missed at the Glenmere Mansion in the Hudson Valley, New York. The Bachelor was filmed entirely at the Versailles-esque resort, located 90 minutes outside Pittsburgh.
SHOU SUGI BAN HOUSE; WATER MILL, NY
9 Shou Sugi Ban House Shou Sugi Ban House
Shou Sugi Ban House is a beautifully balanced Zen oasis in the middle of the Hamptons with 13 guest studios. The retreat has a Japanese-inspired focus on intuitive wellness and nature, and self-care options include everything from craniosacral therapy to body wraps, shamanic healing, yoga and laps in the salt pool. Meals developed by Michelin-starred chef Mads Refslund — who recently opened the rapturously reviewed Ilis restaurant in Greenpoint — are locally sourced and “plant-forward.” There are no TVs in the serene residences, just space for contemplation. Rooms from $595 (single occupancy); Shou Sugi Ban House
Advertisement
TROUTBECK; AMENIA, NY
9 Troutbeck Troutbeck
The former estate of poet-naturalist and farmer Myron B. Benton, Troutbeck has played host to Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The historic Tudor manor is set on 250 leafy acres in Dutchess County, with a pool, tennis courts and opportunities for fly fishing and nearby horseback riding. Last year, the hotel unveiled the Barns, an airy movement studio and spa offering fitness classes, yoga, meditation, Kinesoma, acupuncture and massage. Want to brush up on your Benton? Peruse his verse in a riverside hammock. Rooms from $240; Troutbeck
Advertisement
9 Nemacolin Nemacolin
If Nemacolin’s opulent chateau looks familiar, it’s because Season 25 of “The Bachelor” was filmed entirely at the Versailles-esque resort, located 90 minutes outside Pittsburgh. There’s much to do at the palatial property, from paintball, zip-lining, golf, Jeep off-roading and more, but the Holistic Healing Center and the Woodlands Spa and Salon are its crowning glories. Treat yourself like a queen with the latest modalities — float therapy, whole-body cryo, infrared sauna and red-light therapy — or energy-centering practices like acupuncture and ayurvedic massage. Rooms from $1,000; Nemacolin
GLENMERE MANSION; CHESTER, NY
Advertisement
9 Glenmere Mansion Kim Sargent
A Glenmere Mansion getaway is the Hudson Valley’s answer to a Tuscan villa idyll. The magnificent Italianate manor, set on 150 rolling acres overlooking Glenmere Lake, has richly decorated rooms, notably fine food, romantic gardens (the site of many proposals) and a pristine spa with a full menu and a Duet suite for two. Fans describe the massages (choose from six types) as “sublime.” The Carrara marble-lined hammam, featuring cleansing, purifying and traditional Turkish rituals, is not to be missed. Rooms from $750; Glenmere Mansion
THE RANCH HUDSON VALLEY; SLOATSBURG, NY
9 The Ranch Ellen McDermott
Advertisement
Iconic luxury health brand The Ranch is the new steward of the historic Table Rock Estate. The lakefront mansion built by J.P. Morgan to celebrate his daughter’s marriage to Alexander Hamilton’s great-grandson has been transformed into a gorgeously appointed retreat. Located one hour from New York City, the property offers four- or five-day fitness and wellness programs, fortified with organic, plant-based cuisine. Guests can enjoy deep-tissue massage, yoga, mountain hikes, strength-training classes, as well as indoor and outdoor pools, with extras like energy healing and IV therapy. To the manner born. Rooms from $3,275 per person (three-night all-inclusive program, double room); The Ranch Hudson Valley
9 Mayflower Inn & Spa Ben Rosser
As warm and inviting as an English country home, the Mayflower Inn & Spa is famed for its spectacular interiors by designer Celerie Kemble and its state-of-the-art outpost of The Well. With an integrated holistic approach and focus on both Eastern and Western healing practices, the 20,000-square-foot spa offers acupuncture and integrative energy work along with decadent facials, bodywork, massage and mindful movement. Try the mystical outdoor Forest Craniosacral treatment under a canopy of trees. Or for indoor botanical bliss, laze in the fern-fringed thermal pool. Rooms from $750; Mayflower Inn & Spa
MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE; NEW PALTZ, NY
9 Mohonk Mountain House Courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House
The impressive, 155-years-young, family-owned Mohonk Mountain House continues to innovate. Nestled on Shawangunk Ridge overlooking Lake Mohonk, the bucolic setting inspired the resort’s Wellness in the Wild activities: boating, biking, hiking on 85 miles of trails, and yoga under the stars. The award-winning spa offers more than 80 treatments and salon services, along with private mindfulness sessions with author and Oprah favorite Nina Smiley, Ph.D., held outdoors in the clifftop Lakeview Summerhouse when weather allows. That’s peak programming. Rooms from $1,245 for two adults (double occupancy, inclusive of meals and most activities); Mohonk Mountain House
Advertisement
9 The Lodge At Woodloch The Lodge At Woodloch
There’s something for everyone at this all-inclusive, top-rated Poconos resort in the scenic woodlands. The daily activity calendar is jam-packed with more than 35 classes for all interests: cooking demos, watercolor painting, chakra bead design and every imaginable type of indoor and outdoor exercise. The famous spa is equally comprehensive, featuring the latest tech and treatments from ayurvedic joint therapy to prenatal massage, not to mention an Insta-worthy soaking pool and heated Hydromassage WaterWalls, plus a new Snow Room, Tyrolean bucket shower and Himalayan salt sauna. Packages (inclusive of group classes and three meals per night), from $548 per person; The Lodge At Woodloch
WILDFLOWER FARMS; GARDINER, NY
9 Wildflower Farms/Thistle Spa Courtesy of the hotel and spa
Advertisement
Named for its lush meadows and working farm, Wildflower Farms resort makes the most of its idyllic Hudson Valley setting. Guests can partake in outdoor adventures like rock climbing, fly fishing, hiking and cycling, or unwind at the picturesque pools and hot tubs. The wood-lined Thistle Spa has a revolving menu that spotlights local ingredients and the seasons. Forest Immersion — a personalized walking journey involving conscious observation, inner contemplation and silent and guided meditations, followed by a Reiki healing session — is one of many pastoral pleasures. Rooms from $999; Wildflower Farms
Ballsy tourist slammed for grabbing tiger by testicles for zoo selfie
The woman, Waraschaya Akkarachaiyapas, had been visiting Tiger Kingdom zoo in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The Bangkok resident got a more intimate wildlife encounter than most after cupping the tiger’s testicles and posting pics of her dirty deed on social media. The zoo’s head zookeeper promised to “make sure that no visitor will ever be able to touch this part of a tiger’s body again.”
A handsy tourist outraged animal lovers after uploading selfies of herself brazenly holding a tiger’s genitals at a Thai animal park.
The woman, Waraschaya Akkarachaiyapas, had been visiting Tiger Kingdom zoo in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, a hot spot for tourists looking to take selfies with the massive cat.
However, the Bangkok resident got a more intimate wildlife encounter than most after cupping the tiger’s testicles and posting pics of her dirty deed on social media on Aug. 26, Newsflare reported.
Needless to say, the bozo’s privacy-violating photo op did not sit well with the online masses, who accused her of “humiliating” the tiger.
“This is so rude,” wrote one critic about her risqué pic, according to The Daily Mail. “The tiger did not allow you to touch his privates. You have no right to do that.”
Another added, “This is dangerous. If the tiger had reacted angrily it could have attacked you.”
Others reportedly felt bad that the big cat had its testicles exposed online.
In response to the the backlash, Waraschaya claimed that she’s an animal lover.
Upon learning about the shocking incident, Tiger Kingdom’s head zookeeper Pirom Cahntama maintained that visitors are closely monitored to ensure that their photo ops are conducted safely for both the sake of tourists and the animals.
He added, “We do not allow tourists to grab the tigers’ testicles but they are allowed to touch any part of the animal’s body as long as our specialists are present.”
Previously, Thai zoos have been accused of sedating the animals to make them more docile for tourists’ selfie sessions.
To prevent other handsy tourists from copping a feel, Pirom promised to “make sure that no visitor will ever be able to touch this part of a tiger’s body again.”