The 5 Most Unfriendly Countries I Have Ever Visited 

I"m french : how dare you not to put my country in the first place ? How outrageous 😁

As a German I'm happy we didn't end up in top 5, but I have a suspicion we are in top 6

It brings me much joy and little surprise that Denmark made the list! -Cheers from Sweden

Dane here, can confirm that we are super reserved, but I dont know a single dane who would not help out someone in need.

Telling the truth without being nasty is a skill. You have it. Thanks for this.

most unfriendly place was Antarctica. the penguins just ignore you. 😂

I’m perfectly happy with nobody talking to me .

Lived in Luxembourg for 5 years and I can definitely confirm. Most boring, arrogant and unfriendly people I’ve ever met in my life. I visited 84 countries so i have a pretty big sample size 😅

I had Danish flatmates for six months. Apart from a introductory cup of tea and lunch in the beginning, there was no interaction or interest to get to know me or befriend me. I was not part of their lives, so why bother. I come from the South of Europe so I was expecting a kind of "Friends" sitcom situation but that never happened. I was disappointed and lonely. I am a kind, sensitive person, very quiet and clean, so I didn't do anything to annoy them. They once had a tea party where they invited other Scandinavians and I wasn't invited in the kitchen, not even for a cup of tea. This is all unheard of in my country. Of course, not all Danes are like that but that was an unpleasant experience.

Who else watched this to check if their country is on the list?

I could not agree more regarding Luxembourg and Denmark. You captured EXACTLY what I felt there with my family.

I am French and in Wallonie I found people very polite and friendly.

Mark is so diplomatic; he should be hired by the State Department 😅

I am a Danish citizen, but I am also an American citizen. I have lived in Aarhus Denmark for twenty years. Before this I grew up and lived in the USA for over forty years. Danes are also distant with one another. If you are not a part of their social circle or workplace circle there is a level of indifference when compared to how Americans interact. This is relative and a generalization in comparison to the USA and I must say random acts of kindness do happen here in Denmark as well. On the flip side there is generally speaking no superficial friendliness. Danes mean it when they are friendly, and they do not say friendly things to sound polite and acceptable. Danes are not much for small talk with strangers.

My teacher once said that he doesn't like overly friendly people. They are not trustworthy.

Thank you for your honesty. The people really make or break a place for me. I don’t care how pretty it is, if the people are unpleasant, it’s hard to enjoy the trip. I loved the people in Taiwan. It’s a cool place but the people and the service really elevate the whole experience. They’re just very caring and cool to talk to. I pulled my back out at the hotel and the staff were so hospitable. They found a clinic that could see me right away, they took me there and escorted me the whole time. It was humanity at its best.

One of my favourite stories is of a guy from the UK who went to work in Finland. As he walked by a colleague he said to him "how are you?". His Finnish colleague replied, "You asked me that yesterday". I also got talking to an American who had arrived in the UK. She said to me, "Why do people keep asking me if im alright? Do I look unwell?". "Alright" or "Alright mate/love" is a standard greeting in many less-affluent areas in the South East of England.

I met a guy whose parents are from Romania but he was born and raised in Denmark. He has lived his whole life in Denmark but other Danish people never treated him like a Dane. Sometimes they wouldn't even let him go into a bar because he "wasn't really Danish". He was 40 years old. He had lived his whole life in Denamrk.

i love the nordic people. No one disturb with boring storys

I’m British and Belgian was brilliant!

The most unfriendly place I've been has to be Sweden. I had several experiences where service staff really seemed like they didn't want to get bothered by anyone even though it's literally their job to help people. I got sighs, eye rolls and even got told to shut up. However, the trophee for the world's most unfriendly people goes to American airport and border security staff. American friendliness for some reason disappears as soon as they're wearing a government uniform .

One of the perks of living in Vienna is that everywhere else seems very friendly.

Hey! I’m Argentinian and I’m surprised for being in this top. It’s true that Capital Federal is like another world in Buenos Aires. First world vs third world jajaja. In the capital, they’re used to be with people from other countries, but in Provincia, we’re a little more resistant. I’m sorry for your experience here. I hope next time, you have a nice holidays ! A big hug from here man! Love your videos

Maybe what you experienced in Belgium, Denmark and Luxemburg is the fact that Europeans are usually not so over the top 'fake friendly' as Americans. When you meet someone in the US you are almost by definition their 'new best friend'. Well, for the day that is. And in bars and restaurants you are always their most favourite guest. Well yes, so you will tip them... In Europe people are usually a bit more down to earth and genuine. But that doesn't make them unfriendly. Perhaps you should reconsider your interpretation of 'friendly'?

As a chinese, I confirm that people are always "racing" to get there first. Edit: Thanks for 420+ likes

I am Dutch and left the Netherlands first time in 1998. After living in Asia, I may consider my people to come across as unfriendly and rude. They are direct and honest, but these days, their fuses are also rather short, and they have become more aggressive, like many people in the West. I have lived in South East Asia for 13 years. India, Thailand, and now in Cambodia.

Very interesting video! Thanks for sharing

Thank you for the enlightening list! I'm sorry to hear about your students' experiences.

I love how the Americans are nowhere in the comments (or list). Americans get such a bad rap around the world, but I have found them to be some of the nicest people in the world.

As a Brazilian, we like to joke about argentinos being arrogant. But top 5 in the world? Doesn't seem fair! They're not thaat bad!

Very well articulated Wolters, and thanks for this. From my travel experience, "friendliness" can vary based on several factors and can be classified further. How you speak and where you're from can also influence how you're received. Also, some countries have a noticeable difference between the friendliness at their airports and the friendliness of people inside the country. For example, the United States has friendlier citizens than what you might encounter at their airports. Poland is similar. Germans can seem cold to visitors, while UK airports are quite friendly once your papers are in order. Overall, it's not a straightforward matter, but it's interesting to observe.

The least urban, the more friendly. People in overcrowded cities behave like overcrowded people: stressful, always in a hurry, and so no time for kindness. The country is irrelevant.

i cant imagine anyone being unfriendly to you, professor!!!

I (an American) used to live outside Brussels and was never in love with it. Then I moved to the Netherlands and it was like "Oh, so this is what it is supposed to be like!"

I had a ball in Buenos Aires. I speak a bit of Spanish so maybe that helped but I found people really friendly.

Thank you so much for your honesty! Some tough love is needed sometimes, and that doesn't come easy to friendly people.

The Capital vs Anywhere else is in nearly every country.

Just came back from a fantastic one week vacation to Denmark. I’ve travelled to many countries and I found the Danes to be very careful not to invade your privacy. This is not be construed as unfriendly or uncaring. Whenever I respectfully requested any assistance, the locals where very helpful in a quiet caring way. Once I was just trying to see if a famous landmark building was open, a Dane walking by actually stopped (unsolicited by me) and offered a tremendous amount of assistance. We always expressed our appreciation in a sincere and calm fashion. If one is over gregarious or loud, you may not have a similar experience. When travelling, you may want to try, “When in Rome, do as the Romans”.

I truly appreciate your frankness. Thank you!

Agree about Lux. A little mixed about Belgium. Haven't been to the others. My mom and I went to the 1958 world's fair in Brussels. She really booked too many days so she looked in the local paper,(her French was fluent) and found a public pool we could go to. We had a great time but a storm came up suddenly and there was no real shelter. Mom was terrified of storms. She had had a couple of close calls. The pool people were great. They called a cab and made sure we got taken first. Then in 1994, my husband and I had to connect thru Brussels but Delta put us up in the Metropole. There was a seperate American group as well. They were all terrified something terrible was going to befall them and the hotel staff responded in kind. But DH and I spoke French and the concierge became our best friend. That made the tour group sure we were shills and they were going to be robbed😅🤣.😅😅

Denmark sounds like heaven, they don't bother you and they don't care. Solo tourist introverts heaven.

I had an experience getting lost in Switzerland and needing to use a phone - a local demanded 50 eurocents to use his mobile phone to make a call. Something like this is hard to forget.

I work in Hollywood and had two Danish tourists ask for directions. They were super friendly and fun to talk with.

As an Argentinian I am very impressed that we are on the list! Sad to hear that

i’m asian living in Denmark. if you’re in copenhagen maybe it can be less friendly especially with youngster but if you go to country side people still say hej, God dag and smilling. especially elders or older people. when I moved to denmark i was bringing these 2 heavy suitcase and a danish approached me giving help. I’m living 30 minutes away from cph my neighbors are danish and they’re friendly. actually because of the friendliness i feel, it encouraged me to learn danish.

In Copenhagen, twice on the same day, I was approached by local residents who thought I looked lost and needed help finding my way around

Back in 1970 myself and 2 friends hitch hiked around Europe (we are Irish). We experienced wonderful hospitality and friendliness in Belgium ( we did not visit Brussels) maybe it has changed over the years. Germany was very very cold and unfriendly. I’m sure if I visited today I might have a different experience and it’s probably a bit of “ the luck of the draw “ in what kind of people you meet.

Just got back from France, our third visit. Once again, we found the people of France to be extremely nice and helpful. Lovely country, lovely people, cannot wait to go back. Our experiences may be influenced somewhat by the fact that we spend most of our time outside of Paris, try the best we can to follow French customs and attempt to speak the language. Unfortunately, I do agree about Luxembourg and Belgium.

As an Austrian, I feel personally offended that Austria isn’t included in this list, we’re definitely the unfriendliest nation on earth!

I am French and I am utterly choqué ! How dare you not mention us ???

Went to belgium when i was a full-on hippie and were unironically called "sir" everywhere. Plus good beer and fries etc.

so detail, very interesting content .. 😊 .. thanks for sharing and greetings from 🇮🇩 Indonesia ..

As an Austrian, I'm genuinely surprised that you didn't put Austria on that list. Edit: over 300 likes and over 80 comments!? You really like Austria🇦🇹😄

I’ve been to dozens of countries and I found Belgium to be the least friendly, in relation to China I travelled throughout the country with my sister. Everyone we met were friendly and helpful. Some of the friendliest people I’ve met were in Cambodia and Papua New Guinea

Argentines are extremely friendly people!

I met nothing but friendly people during my visit to Belgium! A man literally drove us to the airport at 5 am just to be nice

Even your unfriendly list is nice. I respect your work a lot ! Keep it up.

As a Dane, I can comfortably say that you are 100% correct about us. Now, the funny thing would be to just say bye-bye and never come back to this channel again, but I have an addendum: We are also like this among ourselves. -It isn't necessarily about us not liking you. There is a reason we still have dialects in this tiny country where one person might not be able to understand the other at all. We just don't talk to strangers very much and people remain strangers for a much longer time than in other places. I honestly don't know why that is, but maybe it has something to do with everyone descending from very tightknit farming or fishing communities, and then everyone moved to the cities and just stayed within their own communities while being around others, and so a norm of not interacting with the people around you developed. The last part of that would explain the differences with Finland or Norway, for instance, where people still live in smaller communities, so they still greet strangers. I don't know man. Thanks for the video.

I only have experience with Denmark and Belgium out of the five countries mentioned but can find nothing unfriendly about either.

I'm with you on Denmark, my other two choices would be Austria and Switzerland.... they are just arrogant and rude. I had no issues in Argentina though, great people....which surprised me a little as I'm from the UK and we had a bit of a difference of opinion over the Malvinas 40 years ago.

Luxemburger here, I agree with your arguments, especially in the capital city people are snobbish, arrogant and reserved. In the countryside we are a bit similar to germans

Some years ago, I visited an English friend in Salisbury. Every time my friend introduced me to her friends they ignored me. Being a Portuguese I found it quite rude.

The way you described Luxemburg can also be applied to Denmark. People are so well paid and situated that they genuinely don't care how bad their service is. In cafes they don't serve you at all once you walk in and take a seat. You're supposed to get up and order a drink, and if its something that takes a bit of time to prepare, you're supposed to get up again and pick up the drink yourself from the bar. And as for the stores, they have no problem renovating them or having empty shelves, while the store is still running. They just don't care. They get well paid and if they get fired they have plenty of places to get a new job + the unemployment money they get is great

I lived and worked in Copenhagen. It was fine, they don't hassle you and they respect your privacy but they are open when they know you and understand what it is you want. That is a good survival instinct

Many Scandinavian countries can come off as cold because they don't see the need to smile and say hello to strangers. What Americans see as polite banter, they see as fake. But during warm weather, if you run into "Summer Swedes" they'll generally be much warmer and outgoing.

Galicians and Asturians from northwestern Spain remain my friendliest people on earth. I've done the camino a few times and have been all over Spain, but i find the green northern coast and mountains to be so warm and inviting and feel at home. I've literally had a little 80 something year old grandmother in a farming area outside of Sarria stop me and insist I share merienda because i was looking a bit worn out in the rain. In ponferrada I was literally invited to join in with a group of local guys watching a futbol match at a pub and they insisted on covering the cañas y tapas. Every time i go, i have several interactions like this, but i think it can be found nearly anywhere on earth, outside the large cities.

Haven’t watched yet but France has GOT to be on the list!

My dad was cursed out in Rome, Italy for having a backpack on inside the car. It was our first day trying to get from the airport to our hotel. The uber driver cursed him out in Italian, and we have no idea what was going on. He then pointed it to the backpack and then to the back of the seat. We're not even rude or anything, but it was so off-putting.

The most unfriendly place I have been so far is Aruba. The slogan is one happy island, but the locals were unwelcoming, rude, unhelpful and really didn't seem very happy to see us. Life is too short to travel to places that are unfriendly. I will never go back.

Sometimes I like people who are reserved. Maybe because I am reserved myself.

Thank you for your honesty.

Drew Binksy: “I found that Chad was probably the least friendly country I went to as I almost got murdered twice”

As a Dane I definitely don't disagree about Denmark. Danes are standoffish towards everyone, not just foreigners but also other Danes. However I will say that the key to bypassing it is to just go up and talk to them regardless, most Danes will be happy to have a chat or help out. However do not expect to make Danish friends because most Danes already feel they have enough friends, acquaintances and so on. Don't be discouraged by the initial appearance of confusion or even "disgust" when you talk to a Dane, it's just that talking to strangers is so uncommon in much of Danish culture that Danes first response to it is to be confused about why someone is talking to them, after that confusion goes away we tend to be friendly. To foreigners who don't understand the Danish mentality, I can only compare to it the more well known Japanese social customs of not being in the way of others. Danes consider talking to strangers to be imposing yourself on them and it is generally seen as rude, because you are taking up their time against their will. Danish social interaction is in large parts non-verbal because verbal communication is seen as imposing, and as a foreigner you will not understand or know the non-verbal cues. Sadly for foreigners the Danish customs in this area are not nearly as codified as the Japanese ones and are much harder to teach, I think. The perfect example of Danish nonverbal communication is communal travel. You do not ask your seat neighbor to get up to let you out. You start making certain movements which indicate its time for you to get out, and then the person next to you stand up to let you out. If words are exchanged then a minor "breakdown in communications" already occurred in a way, and there is a risk of either party being annoyed at the other for failing to follow the social rules. Combine nonverbal social cues when dealing with strangers with Danes generally feeling like they have more than enough social interaction already, and you get that feeling of a wall of unfriendliness or lack of interest. Many tourists are also confused and put off by service in shops, bars and restaurants due to the same issues. Danes will expect waiters to not talk to them unless the waiter has been signaled over, it is considered imposing or even rude often if the waiter just comes over to ask if anything is needed. Danes want the service to be swift, efficient and invisible and are put off by the service staff hovering around them or contacting them "needlessly." Danes are warm and friendly once you penetrate the shell of social customs, which is why you see some people come away from Denmark thinking it was horrible and a country of rude and mean people, while others come away feeling like everyone was friendly, warm and amazing. TL:DR Danish "rudeness" isn't about a lack of care as much as a different social ruleset to many others, and neither Danes nor visitors have enough knowledge about this to be aware of it existing and needing to be worked around, unlike say how most people going to Japan already know Japan have a lot of rigid unwritten social rules in place.

I'm from the U.S. My mother was from Schweinfurt. She was exceedingly charming and friendly! I found the people of her homeland very friendly and fun while visiting there.😊

Peoples in Luxembourg are great. Communication was easy - it didn't matter if we communicated in French or German, with no exeption everybody was friendly.

I've always found Americans to be very polite and friendly when I've driven through some states (mostly in the north -- New York, Vermont, Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan). Nice people.

I met a lady in Copenhagen who went out of her way to help us find our way, but I also met the most terrible Danish attendants at the Copenhagen airport. So it is true, in every country there are nice and terrible people.

After this video Mark you should expect an even worse "welcome"!😂

I have opposite experience with Luxembourg, it was really nice and friendly

I think us danes are just really private. We wont get in your face, but if you ask us for help, we will help the best we can and we speak very good english. But totally understands if people find us a bit cold and unfriendly. Being in Paris, not speaking French is probably the most unfriendly I have experienced myself.

I got robbed in italy on my 3rd day. My clothes and laptop was stolen from my room , and on my 5th day my wallet and passport was taken by pick pockets in a Milan metro. And to this day i couldnt figure it out how he or she took it out of my front jeans pocket. Real bad experience of europe.

I honestly never thought that you’d ever been to Asia in general. China for example, my favorite city there is Qingdao in Shandong Province and for a remote place is LiJiang in Yun Nan province. Absolutely breathtaking. People are super nice and helpful in both places

The two most unfriendly places I've been were Paris and Rome. Paris because I'm French Canadian and they look down on our accent and the fact that "you have no history" (a real quote, talking to me about Canada). Rome, because there are zillion of visitors and the Romans can't be bothered with you if you need help. They're not unfriendly, just exhausted, mentally and physically. There are many, many places where the locals are friendly, nice, helpful and overall positive. Even in nuts Barcelona, people are smiling, generous, and helpful. I found that the Spanish and Italian, overall, are the friendliest people ever.

My nephew and friends toured Ireland, England, Scotland, and Scandanavia. They said overall Scandinavians weren't friendly. They said Brits mostly were but they were very blunt at times when they found out they were Americans. Good video. Enjoyed it.

I'd add another dimension to this. For some of the countries you talk about, I'd describe the locals as disinterested or dispassionate. Those are different from unfriendly or unhelpful. The same description can be made of New York City--where there are about 10 million people every day, none of whom will just stop and strike up a conversation while rushing to work. However, if you ask a New Yorker for directions, don't be surprised if they guide you to your destination. I'd say the same probably holds true in Belgium or Denmark, where they will go on with their lives despite you--unless or until you ask for help.

I drove from the UK to a festival in Belgium a few years ago & stopped in a bar for mussels & beer on the way. Literally everyone in the bar talked to me and I ended up not paying for a my meal or drinks. I guess experiences may vary?

Argentina?? I was in boarding school in Buenos Aires during my high school years. Not only is the city absolutely beautiful and reminiscent of Paris, the people in general were friendly. Heck, I still have close friends. I'm going back in August. When I went in 2022, 20 of my school friends came to a get together at the home of one of the girls who offered her home for the gathering. Another friend is already organizing an asado (BBQ) for me this time around. I love the country and its people.

I really appreciate how you @woltersworld are so positive and find nice things to say about people in every situation.

I have often found that if one tries to learn the language and tries to speak the language, being humble and curious about the country, people tend to be pretty friendly.

Belgium sounds like a country i want to live in

Thanks, good advice

I found the folks in the Czech Republic to be icy cold. The opposite was true next door in Slovakia where they were warm and friendly. No wonder they split.

I'm glad you have the ability to see how other groups are treated by the locals. Most people either lack that ability, or are afraid to talk about it.

I can absolutely relate to everything you said. Greetings from Germany ❤

I found France to be rather unfriendly. Sadly, I didn't speak the language and they had no patience with me. Happened multiple times.

When i lived in Hong Kong, the running joke was that getting on or off an elevator should be an Olympic sport.

I always find this topic to be funny/interesting because people can have such vastly different experiences and opinions depending on 1) the specific people they interact with while in a country and 2) the norms of their own country Also starting a conversation by saying hello in the local language vs. English gets a friendlier response at least 90% of the time haha

I am American born and bred. Years ago I had gone through Navy boot camp and got 2 weeks leave before going to my A School assignment. I flew to the airport and then had to get a bus home. Like an idiot I got on the wrong bus and ended up about 37 miles away from home. It was daytime and I was in dress blues carrying my seabag and standing alongside the road trying to hitch a ride home. People were driving by me and no one slowed down or offered me a ride. As it was getting dark I started walking figuring that it would be a long slog to get home when a local police officer picked me up and drove me all 37 miles to my home. So I pick my own damned country as being the most unfriendly from my perspective.

We visited Belgium, my wife and I are very Latino-looking. We had a very pleasant stay and human experience, from customs to restaurants, including a gentleman who returned my wallet after it fell off my pocket on a bus stop. Both in Brugge and Brussels, we had nothing but good human experiences. We actually fell in love with Brugge, we will return as soon as we can

Argetines may be unfriendly to Argentines in some instances, but they are incredibly welcoming to most travelers