The Guardian· Europe
Germans hogging the sunloungers? Poll finds Italians and French are worse
British and Germans themselves share stereotype but other nationalities are likelier to put out towels – or umbrellasGermans are sunlounger hoggers, or so the longstanding stereotype goes. But not only is that cultural trope mostly confined to British – and, even more so, German – perceptions, surprising new data reveals that in fact Italian and French holidaymakers are the ones most likely to use
Published Saturday, 8 August 2026 at 04:00

British and Germans themselves share stereotype but other nationalities are likelier to put out towels – or umbrellasGermans are sunlounger hoggers, or so the longstanding stereotype goes. But not only is that cultural trope mostly confined to British – and, even more so, German – perceptions, surprising new data reveals that in fact Italian and French holidaymakers are the ones most likely to use their towel to stake their claim to a sunlounger.A poll by YouGov of Europeans holidaymakers found that while many Germans (51%) and Britons (46%) associate Germans with the ritual of waking up at the crack of dawn to mark their spot, the perception barely exists elsewhere in Europe, with just 5-17% of those surveyed in other countries sharing the stereotype. Continue reading...
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