hi there . i will visting prague next month . i am an arab american whit ha darker skin. would that be a problem for me there ? and i am also intersted in doing some clubing would that fact that i have a dark skin be a problem?
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If you stay in the tourist areas, you shouldn%26#39;t have much of a problem. you will expect to be questioned at the airport passport control, but it will be positively mild compared to the treatment that foreigners receive when they fly into America. Just remember, walking round saying I am an American in Europe doesn%26#39;t have the same effect that it did a few years ago
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Peb, As an American and avid travelerI do not find your comments very kind. Is this what I have to look forward to in Prague?
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I think Peb7 means there is absolutly nothing novel about Americans in Prague any more - we are just everyday normal there. In two previous visits we detected no animosity except when because of dress and perhaps appearence we were once mistaken for Russians. Of course as soon as we spoke everyone was smiling. Just don%26#39;t be pushy or too loud (Americans and Brits have a rep for that), and remember that Czechs are more formal with strangers than citizens of most English speaking nations are.
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i travel a lot but i never been to prague before . and i%26#39;m very proud american and love my country like i%26#39;m every else love there%26#39;s but i fell if i%26#39;m not gonna be welcomed as an arab american in prague meybe i should look for another more american friendly country to visit.
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I thought Peb%26#39;s comments were very accurate actually. As an englishman who has travelled to many countries I can confirm that the only real hassle I%26#39;ve ever had was when entering the USA.
As far as being made welcome. Being just another tourist and not being lound and brash might help.
Keep up the good work Peb.
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why am i getting this feeling about the nigative attitude towards the united states from people here? if anything the united states did help most of the europian countrys in the 40s and still does . and i do understand about that american need to respect peoples cultures and all that . but when also the other countries should welcome there guests specially if they need there monet to help there economy.
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Hazahdeh,
I think you need to relax a bit, and not take things so personally. The fact is that not only is it no longer novel to be an %26quot;American traveling in Eastern Europe%26quot;, the fact is that the United States are not revered across the world. While it is true that the US has done much good over the years, our government%26#39;s policies of late are not embraced by much of the world, and not even by the majority of the United States. We have put ourselves in a position to be distrusted and disliked as a whole, more so than in recent memory. Not that this SHOULD be any reason to dislike any particular person just because he is an American, but the reality is that people are often, right or wrong, judged by the country that they hail from and thus grouped in with the overriding politics of that country.
I really don%26#39;t think that Prague would harbor any ill will toward you as an American or an Arab-American any more than any other country and I am surprised that you felt that Peb%26#39;s comments reflected that stance. In fact, I would bet you would be more welcome than in a country like France for instance.
As far as changing your travel to a more American-friendly country... if you find one, let me know.
Jay
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Wow, sorry everyone. I commented because Peb made me feel like being an American was like being the village idiot. Fortunately, I am not. However, I get it that our President has really changed the way the rest of the world views us. Sadly. However, half of us did not vote for him and I think the world knows that too. My husband and I always embrace the local custom and try to speak the language to fit in as much as we can, not because we get negative reactions by being American but out of respect for the country. Travel has never been an unpleasant experience with the locals. As for the way foreigners are treated here....most of us are foreigners in some way and have to respect the security protocol after 9-11, otherwise we would be reliving that constantly. Cheers to all of you that travel and experience the wonderful places that are still safe to travel to, Prague being one of them. I for one, am enriched for it.
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I have traveled to Europe ( England, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Rep....Prague and Cesky Krumlov) on both business and pleasure. I must say that I have never encountered any hostility based on my being an American. My wife and I tend to be %26quot;low key%26quot; people and appreciate the fact that the people in hotels and restarants are accomodating us by speaking our language. We used to joke that if we had any problems we would tell people that we were Canadian....not really we would never deny being American. However, it has never come to that.
If I were to rank European countries in how friendly they are to Americans, I would say that based on my experiences in Germany they are tops......Very friendly and interested in us. I do speak a little german so maybe that was a factor.
One side note. It makes sense but I always cuckle when my Italian surmane is pronounced perfectly in all parts of Europe but it gets butchered in all parts of the USA except the northeast.
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I now realise that Americans are well balanced people
they have a chip on both shoulders.
get a life people Peb gave a very good answer to this question.
Hazahdeh will probably have more trouble getting back into his own country than getting into the Czech republic.
In the Czech republic they don%26#39;t ask you haow much money and what credit cards you have when you enter but they sure do in the states.
having a dark skin in Europe will give you less problems than having a dark skin in the states,no matter what your nationality.
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