Americans work long, hard hours and look forward to kicking back on the sand or slopes for some much-needed R&R. But, unfortunately, a few fellow travelers are utterly clueless in the deportment department—and their behavior can ruin a carefully planned vacay. Yup, the facts speak for themselves: People have some annoying travel habits. That’s according to a new report by Saily, a company that offers mobile data plans for travelers, and their survey reveals just what irks Americans and people around the globe too.
“Nobody wants to start a trip by becoming someone else’s travel horror story,” says Vykintas Maknickas, CEO of Saily. Wondering if you commit some of these sins yourself? (Yikes!) Ahead, we reveal the top rude habit that annoys travelers, break down the rest of the survey results and take a look at all the icky behaviors people actually fess up to. Keep reading to see if you agree with the findings.
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How did the survey determine the most annoying rude habit?
To figure out exactly which habit annoyed travelers most, Saily polled nearly 7,000 adult travelers over a two-week snapshot from Nov. 17 to Dec. 2, 2025. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 74 and were from seven countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and Japan.
Travelers answered questions in three categories, opening up about the less-than-polite habits they practice, the kinds of touristy behavior they just can’t stand and whether they’d likely speak to a stranger across the plane aisle to get him or her to stop what they’re doing.
What is the No. 1 rude behavior that annoys travelers the most?
This is actually a trick question, as there were two egregious habits that tied among Americans: coughing or sneezing without covering your mouth (ugh!), and leaving trash on the beach. Each of these tacky behaviors annoyed 52% of poll respondents.
And lest you think you can’t possibly be among this cohort, guess again. According to Saily, 89% of U.S. travelers commit annoying acts while vacationing that irritate the people around them. (Even if you’re not sneezing, you might be doing something else!)
I contacted the Saily press office for more details, and it turns out this is their inaugural report about annoying travel behaviors. It was conducted right in the middle of this year’s busy holiday travel season, and while the poll queries weren’t open-ended to allow for elaboration, one lesson can be learned here: how to be a better citizen of the world.
What else rounded out Americans’ annoyances?
After the sneezing and littering, there’s a very clear theme to the list. In short, it’s all about noise—as in, keep it down, people! No one wants to hear Adele blasted without a pair of ear buds.
Take a look at the full list of behaviors that drive Americans crazy, and the percentage of travelers who dislike the behavior:
- Coughing or sneezing without covering up, and leaving trash on the beach (tie): 52%
- Arguing loudly: 47%
- Listening to music or videos without headphones, and speakerphone calls (tie): 44%
- Talking too loudly: 43%
- Talking loudly in quiet spaces specifically: 42%
- Reclining airplane seats too far: 41%
- Eating stinky snacks: 40%
- Seat-hogging: 36%
How do these annoyances compare around the world?
It seems the English-speaking world has a lot in common, as both British and Australian travelers report the same top annoyance as Americans: coughing and sneezing without covering your mouth. But we’re also aligned with the French, Germans and Spanish in our love of the shore. (Yup, these three nations also list trashing beaches as their top pet peeve.) Spain is particularly incensed when you litter your churro bag on the sand—64% voted for this annoying behavior, the most of any other nation. This makes sense, as Spain boasts lots of coastline and some of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
While all seven countries included noise complaints on their list (music violations, arguing, yakking at top volume), some nations stand out in an, um, not so great way. Sorry, we’re looking at you, U.K. The Saily data found that Brits are the most likely to remove their shoes when flying—nearly a third (32%) admit to kicking off their kicks. And if clapping upon landing vexes you to no end, don’t fly with anyone from Germany. The folks from this European land are the most likely to applaud when the plane touches down (34%).
When it comes to facing up to a person and asking them to cease and desist, it’s probably no shock that brash Americans are the most likely to do so. Indeed, 17% of us would ask a stranger to stop playing their video without headphones, while only 4% of Japanese respondents would engage in the same type of confrontational behavior.
Which rude behaviors topped the global list of annoyances?
Next up, the rude behaviors that top the global list of annoyances, and the percentage of respondents who agree it’s awful. Read on and see if you recognize your fellow tourists!
- Leaving trash on the beach: 54%
- Arguing loudly: 47%
- Having phone or video calls on speakerphone: 46%
- Coughing or sneezing without covering your mouth: 46%
- Talking at full volume: 45%
- Playing music or videos without headphones: 45%
- Reclining your seat too far: 45%
- Talking loudly in quiet places: 43%
- Taking up extra seats with bags or belongings: 40%
- Bringing and eating smelly food: 40%
On the flip side, what annoying things do people admit to doing themselves?
Saily also rounded up the top annoying things that travelers actually admit doing themselves, and some might leave you speechless. If you see yourself below, take a moment to reconsider your past actions, and then change your ways (you can do this!).
- Talking to strangers while traveling (on a plane, for example): 46%
- Taking off shoes in a plane or other transport setting: 29%
- Only speaking one’s own language: 28%
- Browsing a phone instead of enjoying the view: 27%
- Overeating at an all-you-can-eat buffet: 26%
- Urinating in the sea, lake or ocean: 22%
- Standing up immediately after landing and preparing to move: 20%
- Clapping when the plane lands: 18%
- Using both armrests when taking an aisle or window seat: 18%
- Reclining one’s seat a little too far on a plane: 17%
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Source:
- Vykintas Maknickas, frequent traveler and CEO of Saily
- Saily: “The most annoying tourist behaviors (by country)”
The post 52% of Travelers Say This Rude Behavior Annoys Them the Most—And Truly, It Is the Worst! appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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