Science says: this is why you find it so annoying to encounter Dutch people on vacation

You can go on a backpacking trip through the jungle of India, not encounter anyone for three hours, and think that you have finally really strayed off the beaten path. Everything seems like a dream until you suddenly hear from the bushes: “Do you have a little jar of peanut butter in your bag?” Sigh. There they are again: other Dutch people. We are truly everywhere. At a campsite in France, by an infinity pool in Bali, and probably also somewhere at the top of Mount Everest, complaining that the coffee in their thermos has gone ice cold. How do we know this? Because it has been researched: we Dutch travel the most of all Europeans. But yes, that does mean we keep running into each other everywhere. And secretly, we all find that incredibly annoying.

It's no myth: we really do travel the most

We may live in a small frog country, but we refuse to stay there longer than strictly necessary. As soon as we have a long weekend somewhere or a cheap flight pops up, we massively cross the border. According to Eurostat figures, the CBS of Europe, we Dutch cheese heads go on vacation the most of all Europeans. That explains why you can even meet someone from Gouda on a so-called undiscovered Greek island within a day, who tells you that he ‘has been coming here before it became touristy’. That's great for us, but less fun if you're not in the mood for Dutch people. Because nothing pulls you out of your la dolce vita fantasy faster than a man in zip-off pants starting to talk to the waiter about the fact that the cheese here really does taste different.

Last year, 10.8 million Dutch people went away at least once. On a mini getaway to southern France or a city trip to Athens, for example. Together, we were responsible for nearly 22 million summer vacations. Of those, 12.9 million trips took place abroad. We Dutch go away so often that we take the plane an average of twice per person.

Why you find it so annoying

Look. The problem is not necessarily that you encounter Dutch people. The problem is that you hear them before you see them. You're lying peacefully with a book by an azure blue pool, and three rows over someone shouts: ‘Jeroen, do you have room 312 or 321? Because the air conditioning isn't working again.’ From that moment on, you can't help but listen. Within ten minutes, you know how expensive their rental car was, that daughter Fenna actually preferred to go to Mallorca, and that the rosé at Albert Heijn at home tastes better. That's just incredibly annoying. This is precisely the moment when you want to be someone else on vacation. We want to be the woman who speaks a few words of fluent Italian without looking at the clock and picks fresh figs at the market every morning. That character doesn't hold up when a Dutch person next to you asks if you're also from Amstelveen. Goodbye mysterious vacation woman.

Maybe we find Dutch people annoying mainly because it exaggerates our own least charming traits. At home, we are nice and direct, but in a Spanish restaurant, that suddenly translates to loudly asking why there is no mayonnaise with the patatas bravas. We call ourselves well-prepared, but what we really mean is that we have brought enough sandwiches with cheese to survive the flight. We actually want to leave those traits behind. That's quite difficult when you're constantly confronted with the fact that you secretly are very typically Dutch.

And do you think you are not that bad? Haha. I find that cute. A Dutch person is easily spotted among thousands by our accent, our clothing, our height, and of course our habits. You can't blend in with the locals if you're wearing a linen blouse, hiking shoes that could be in an ANWB advertisement, and carrying a refillable Dopper.

Which countries most Dutch people go to (and which countries you should avoid)

Do you also find it incredibly annoying to encounter Dutch people? Then it becomes quite difficult to avoid them. We spread just as quickly as American trends across Europe. Yet there are certainly some countries where you are almost guaranteed to run into each other. We have put together this top ten for you (with some help from the CBS).

1. France

With 2.15 million summer vacations, France convincingly ranks number one as the favorite destination. Logical, because France it has sun, wine, cheese, and campsites where you can install half your household for three weeks without shame. Some of us feel so at home there that they order ‘deux stokbrood’ at the bakery and then think their French is quite good. Are you going to a campsite in the Dordogne? Then you might as well go on vacation in your own country, with that high Dutch content.

2. Germany

For me personally, Germany there is no country I would want to go to in the summer, but last year, Dutch people still made 1.73 million trips to the land of glühwein and bratwurst. It's not so strange, really. It's close, clean, well-organized, and perfectly accessible by car. Germany is actually a bit like the Netherlands, but with mountains and larger schnitzels. Speak Dutch with a strict German accent, add the word ‘bitte’ a few times, and you're good to go language-wise for that vacation.

3. Spain

Look. That's more of a summer destination. Going to the Costa del Sol? Sign me up. My getaway to Barcelona was one of the 1.35 million vacations that we Dutch spent in Spain Here you are guaranteed sun and plenty of terraces where the sangria comes in pitchers. Especially along the coasts, it's almost impossible not to encounter Dutch people. We are so integrated there that there is always a fry shop somewhere where you can just eat your frikandel speciaal.

4. Belgium

Belgiummm, Belgiummm. You're going to sing that because our other neighboring country is also a place where you will definitely encounter Dutch people. Personally, I would go for those amazing Flemish fries, a Belgian beer, and the friendly tone in which everyone speaks. Moreover, Belgium it is far enough to say that you are going abroad, but close enough to drive back if you forgot the charger for your electric toothbrush.

5. Italy

That we at Amayzine love Italy, is no secret. With no less than 1.11 million Dutch vacations, Italy certainly earns its fifth place in this top ten. Here we come to pretend to be part of a stylish Italian family. During the day, we order an espresso at the bar, say ’buonasera‘ to the waiter in the evening, and after three days, we call the village ’our regular spot‘. Only to complain in the morning that the hagelslag is gone.

6. Greece

Whether you're going to Athens, Santorini, or Kos: we love all those white houses, the blue sea, and of course the tzatziki. It all sounds perfect until you suddenly have to pay for a sunbed. Then the Dutch person is suddenly done with Mediterranean hospitality and starts negotiating as if the entire Greek national debt needs to be resolved on the spot.

7. United Kingdom

For 560,000 vacations, we crossed the Channel. London attracts us with all its shops, musicals, and pubs. Taking a moment to relax in the British countryside and then enjoying the busy city life. But yes. Just when you think you are finally a real English local, you hear someone next to you say, “Can I have the steak well done, but not too well done. Just... well done.”.

8. Austria

We also liked to go to Austria . Last year, we booked a total of 460,000 summer vacations to yodel. In winter, we come for skiing and schnaps, and in summer for the breathtaking lakes, mountains, and hikes for which we specially bought a completely new wardrobe at Bever. Nowhere does the Dutch person look more Dutch than on a mountain path in a technical hiking shirt, with two poles and a sandwich with peanut butter for safety.

9. Portugal

If you want to go to a popular place where you don't run into Dutch people on every corner, then Portugal is a better option. To Lisbon, Porto, or the Algarve. We all love that we pay less for a glass of wine here than for a bottle of water at Schiphol. Only to then all go to the same three brunch places we saw on TikTok.

10. Croatia

The real underdog is Croatia. Or rather, underdog. We chose the country where Game of Thrones is filmed. That's not as much as France, but we do like to go there. With the caravan by the water and wandering through old towns where it feels like you're living in the Middle Ages. I love it. But don't be surprised if you hear Gerda with a selfie stick saying “Cheese” out of the corner of your eye while you're on top of an ancient tower.

We might as well make peace with it. We Dutch are everywhere. On a large French terrace, in a remote village in Peru, in a desert camp in Jordan, or in a cabin complex in the Norwegian wilderness. We’ll be there. Keep quiet, don’t make too much noise, and they will walk past you without making small talk. Really.