Why don't Americans travel abroad?

clive bradbury · 02-26-09, 07:14 AM

First up, I don't want this post to become an 'insular nation ignorant of overseas matters' political post - I am merely curious as to why so few Americans travel abroad. I don't particularly believe that travel 'broadens the mind' anyway - somehow I don't see British youngsters spending a fortnight drunk in Spain as a culturally fufilling experience!

Anyway, back to the point. Items on the web postulate lots of different reasons - size and diversity of the US itself, cost of foreign travel, no 'backpacking' culture, lack of holiday time, etc. As there are a fair few Americans on this forum, I would be interested in your own personal experiences - if you don't choose to travel abroad yourself - why not? If you do go abroad - where?

I have heard this lack of holiday days in the US before - how many do you get? I would guess that a typical UK citizen gets roughly about 4 weeks pa plus 'statutory days' such as bank holidays, christmas, etc, which probably add up to an additional 10 days or so. Call it about two months off altogether. This is pretty much the same at all levels of employment.

I know that the argument that foreign travel from the UK is easier than in the US simply because Europe is closer, but be careful, I think this theory is a little misleading. Britons frequently travel all over the world - not just to cheap 'local' destinations. As I write, my wife is in India, by brother-in-law in the Maldives, and a friend is on his way to Tasmania. Most Britons I know not only travel abroad most years, they often go several times.

Anyway, will the US guys please let me know your foreign travel patterns, I am interested - and let's keep politics out of it.

02-26-09, 07:14 AM	#1
clive bradbury Captain Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: stoke-on-trent, UK Posts: 492 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	Why don't Americans travel abroad? First up, I don't want this post to become an 'insular nation ignorant of overseas matters' political post - I am merely curious as to why so few Americans travel abroad. I don't particularly believe that travel 'broadens the mind' anyway - somehow I don't see British youngsters spending a fortnight drunk in Spain as a culturally fufilling experience! Anyway, back to the point. Items on the web postulate lots of different reasons - size and diversity of the US itself, cost of foreign travel, no 'backpacking' culture, lack of holiday time, etc. As there are a fair few Americans on this forum, I would be interested in your own personal experiences - if you don't choose to travel abroad yourself - why not? If you do go abroad - where? I have heard this lack of holiday days in the US before - how many do you get? I would guess that a typical UK citizen gets roughly about 4 weeks pa plus 'statutory days' such as bank holidays, christmas, etc, which probably add up to an additional 10 days or so. Call it about two months off altogether. This is pretty much the same at all levels of employment. I know that the argument that foreign travel from the UK is easier than in the US simply because Europe is closer, but be careful, I think this theory is a little misleading. Britons frequently travel all over the world - not just to cheap 'local' destinations. As I write, my wife is in India, by brother-in-law in the Maldives, and a friend is on his way to Tasmania. Most Britons I know not only travel abroad most years, they often go several times. Anyway, will the US guys please let me know your foreign travel patterns, I am interested - and let's keep politics out of it.