This common travel mistake screams 'tourist' — and Europeans absolutely hate you for it
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.
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.'
'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.'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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