The most annoying habits of tourists

Are you embarrassed by the antics of your fellow tourists, or guilty of some travel sins yourself? It's hard to get a handle on the etiquette of a new place, but sometimes travellers leave the locals quietly narked. From fumbling at the ticket barriers to walking the streets starkers, here are some top peeves about tourists, as nominated by city bloggers.

London

'Trying to touch in on London’s Oyster system using a paper ticket.
Matt Brown, Londonist.com

Bewildered tourists in Tube stations are a pain for some Londoners. Photograph by Neil Setchfield

Barcelona

'Tourists on [pedestrian mall] Las Ramblas and the surrounding parts wearing only what they had on in the sea.’
David Brydon, barcelonasights.blogspot.com

Bikinis and shorts: perfect for a beach but cover up on Barcelona's streets. Photograph by Dallas Stribley

Copenhagen

'Tourists show up at The Little Mermaid statue and are disappointed at how small it is. Given that she’s called The Little Mermaid, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.'
Timothy Anderson, thecopenhagenreport.blogspot.com

The Little Mermaid: her dainty size is a mighty surprise for some tourists. Photograph by Wayne Walton

Mumbai

‘Calling the Gateway of India "India Gate", which is a different monument, in Delhi. Mumbai already resents Delhi because it gets more government funding. To take our iconic monument and call it by a Delhi name, sacrilege!’
Deepa Krishnan, mumbaimagic.com

It's Indian, it's a gate, but don't you dare call it the India Gate. Photograph by Richard l'Anson

Moscow

'Tourists are easily seen because of their smiles. It annoys most Muscovites.’
Olga Borte, see-you-in-moscow.com

Tourists. Why are they so happy, wonder some Moscow residents. Photograph by Brent Winebrenner

Rome

'They forget it’s a modern city. While  looking for the 'authentic Roman' experience, tourists accept poor service and bad manners when they should say 'basta' [enough]!’
Erica Firpa, http://moscerina.com

Demand impeccable service in Rome, the locals certainly do. Photograph by Will Salter

Want to defend your travel style, or share your own irritations? Let us know in the comments!

This is an excerpt from an article originally published in Lonely Planet Magazine.

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