Raising the Bar: 11 Cities Where It Pays to Be an American

I personally have never had a problem while traveling. For the most part, people are excited to meet an American. I would say that at least half the time, I am the first American they have ever met in their lives. Of course, there are some places in the world where being an American has paid off better than others. We have all heard the stories that start, "I walked into a bar, ordered a beer and I had all of these foreign women flocking to me... just because I was an American!"  I travel -- a lot -- and I have to tell you that these are some of my favorite stories to tell.

I devised this list based on my experiences and the stories I have heard from other travelers. Not surprisingly, of the cities I have here, a majority are from the old Eastern Bloc. Even though I am going to talk about ratios for some of these cities, I have found that this is not as important as the following criteria:  

1. Don’t go in the summer. Americans travel in the summer so if you head to these places in the fall or early spring you have a better chance of being the only American representative around.

2. Ask the people that work in your hotel/hostel where they drink. The tourist bars are great, but the local bars will have fewer travelers in them, so you will seem like a oddity.  People love to try new things, and you can be that new thing.

3. Travel by yourself or with one friend. A group of loud Americans is going to turn off even the most interested of foreign women.

4. Stay in Hostels. Sign up with Hostelling International. You can book online, see pictures of the places. All their member hostels are clean and affordable. The best thing about a hostel is that you meet other travelers that you can go out with. There is a sense of community that you do not find in a hotel. Also, you might never have to leave the place to find a nice young lady who wants to check an American off her list of things to do.

5. Don’t go to the American style bar more than once during your trip. Sometimes you can find women here, but mostly it is other Americans. Did you really just fly half way around the world to hang out with people that you could see down the block? Me neither.  

On to the list; these are in the order that I thought of them, not necessarily a ranking.

 

1. Moscow, Russia -- Why would I start with the most expensive city in the world? A couple of reasons spring to mind. There are 10 million more women in Russia than there are men. Add to that a crumbling economy, vodka (lots of it), the Russian tradition of single women being looked down upon in society and you look like the proverbial knight in shining armor. You are looking to have some fun and all she is thinking is that you might take her to America with you. The other thing you have going for yourself here is that not many Americans travel to Moscow, so these lovely ladies do not get to practice their English -- I am sure that you'll be more than happy to help them out. Head over to Gorky Park or the GUM department store during the day to try and find some Russian beauties. At night, go to whatever bar or disco looks like there are people in it.

 

2. Stockholm, Sweden -- Swedish Bikini team? That was really all I knew about Sweden before I went there. Stockholm is another crazy expensive city, but well worth it. The great thing about the Swedes is they have always been a very progressive society. So the women are not only beautiful, but they are liberated. They will buy you a drink in order to talk to you; they make no pretenses about giving into their carnal desires. Head over to Old Town and the surrounding neighborhoods. If you are a music fan, there is live music every night of the week in Stockholm so you might be able to find a Swedish rocker chick. English is not a problem here; they have to take around six years of English in school. You really have not lived until you have been hit on by a six foot tall blonde woman that could have walked right off the Swedish Bikini team. Ask her to ride bikes around town and don’t be surprised if she shows up on her bike in a little skirt.  Good luck taking in the sights.

 

3. London, England -- I am not purposely picking the most expensive cities on the planet; it just happens that these are places it pays to be an American. Unfortunately, with the state of the dollar in London you are going to pay double what you would anywhere else. But you know how you feel when you see a marginally hot woman from England start talking? She goes up two notches on the scale, no? Well, our accent has the same affect on British people. The good thing about the Brits is that they love to drink and love to talk. So head into any pub in London and just start talking to people. Be ready to talk a lot about Pop Culture and politics. I know it is weird, but people outside of America can have civil conversations on the subject and they want to get a Yank's point of view.

 

4. Dublin, Ireland -- This one surprised me a little as well, but hear me out. If the English love to drink, the Irish live to drink. I was drinking with a couple of people from Dublin. We were drinking until... well, the sun was coming up when I got back to my hostel. Then I got a call the next day and the message said, “Its 1 pm, we are in the pub, where are you? We started drinking again an hour ago. Get your ass down here.” I fancy myself a drinker; that was the first time in my life I have ever been drank under the table. Dublin has passed Stockholm as the “Casual Sex Capital of Europe.” Now you love me. I read a survey that 1 in 3 Irish would have casual sex with a foreigner. The advice for England holds true for Dublin. Head to a pub and just start talking, you will be surprised how much people want to know about America. Just check you ego and realize that the women are going to drink you under the table.

 

5. Tokyo, Japan-You have all heard the saying, “I am big in Japan”. Well, that is true. I am 6’2” and whenever I am in Asia I feel like a giant or a NBA player. The Japanese are a little tougher to get through to than say the Irish or the English, as the language barrier can prove difficult to overcome. They also have a lot of customs that I am not going to get into. But head to a Karaoke bar and all pretense goes out the window. (Just don’t sing “My Way” by Frank Sinatra -- trust me.) I put Tokyo on the list for two reasons. Japanese men are enamored with blonde American women; conversely, Japanese women need some variety, also. What better way than with a big strapping American? Also, you know how weird the Japanese are, think of all the freaky shit that these little women have experienced. There is nothing that you would not be able to do with them. Think of the possibilities. I will give you a minute.

 

6. Kiev/Odessa, Ukraine -- Ukraine (I have been told recently that it is politically incorrect to say “the Ukraine” now) has the most beautiful women in the world. More supermodels have come from Ukraine than any other country outside of the US. This is another place the ratio comes into play: 54% of the population is female. It is cheap; they are not on the Euro. The people are extremely friendly. This is another place where not a lot of Americans frequent, so when you walk into a bar and order, people are going to be instantly drawn to you. I know I cheated a little by naming two cities here, but one, Kiev, is the capital and the other, Odessa, is a port and seaside town. It would be worth it to check out both while you are there. This is a discothèque culture so be ready to go and dance to weird thumping beats. Who knows, you may end up hooking up with the next big thing in modeling, or her mother. Head to the Andriyivsky Uzviz neighborhood in Kiev to try and find your hottie.

 

7. Prague, Czech Republic -- I know, I know. Prague has become the place to go simply to say you have been there. But I love this city. I fell in love every five minutes. My buddy who was with me actually walked into a street sign because his head was on a swivel. The women here are gorgeous. The Czech’s can party. You can have some Absinthe and let the green fairy lead you to the arms of a Czech princess. Supposedly, the Czechs have a custom of infidelity, so if you see a hot woman with a wedding ring on, that does not mean she is off limits. Like the rest of Eastern Europe, they are enamored with America. So head to a dance club in Old Town and have at it. They are not as forward as in Sweden, so you are going to have to put a little effort in. Trust me, though, it is worth it. Be ready to be out all hours of the night. Prague has become such a destination that you never know who you are going to meet. I met girls from Croatia, England, Texas, Germany, Russia and, of course, Czechs. That is why Prague is still on this list.

 

8. Budapest, Hungary- Just a hop, skip and a jump from Prague are the two cities of Buda and Pest which form the capital of Hungary. Budapest is what Prague was 20 years ago and is an unspoiled, sparsely-traveled-by-Americans wonderland of strikingly beautiful woman. While it is starting to get more popular, you can probably still be one of the first people you know that has been there. They are just dying to show off their city. Head over to the pedestrian only Vaci Street and see if you can get one of the beauties to give you a guided tour of her fair city. It is a city in which 53% of the people are women, so you have got a good chance. Hungarians can party as well, so be ready to tie one on and go with the flow. You are going to be bouncing from one dance hall to the next and then to a small bar to end the night.  

 

9. Sydney, Australia -- I love the Australians. They are who they are and they love it. Australia is a place where our accent pushes us up the hotness scale. Also, it is so far away from us that most of them have never been here, so you have a lot to talk about. The Australians drink and party like it is their job. There is a mix of pubs and dance clubs and casinos have started springing up. Just imagine meeting a cute, golden brown tanned cutie that can teach you how to surf, take you diving on the Great Barrier Reef (which I realize is not near Sydney) and then drink you under the table. The girls of Australia make the 20 hour flight each way worth it.

 

10. Copenhagen, Denmark-Most Americans head to Amsterdam instead of Copenhagen, but most Americans are stupid. While I do like Amsterdam -- I have been there six times -- I feel like it is not a place where being an American sets you apart. But head over to Copenhagen, an equally sexually and socially liberal capital city, but with women that look like Helen Christensen walking around, and you have set yourself apart. This is where not going in the summer is key; the cruises that run through the Baltics are only there in the summer, so go in the fall and you might be the only American there. Copenhagen is a café culture, so be prepared to do a lot of sitting around, smoking, drinking and talking. Head over to the Norrebro and Vesterbro neighborhoods for the best bars in the city. Very different vibe than Eastern Europe.

 

11. Riga, Latvia -- How about heading to an 800 year old thriving city that most of your friends can’t find on a map? Riga is a city that mixes Latvian and Russian cultures. Under the Soviet regime, all the artists were ‘encouraged’ to live in Riga. You also know that artists are usually more liberal in their thinking and now you know where I am going with this. This place is a killer for being an American, because they are not used to seeing Americans. You have a built in conversation, because you know nothing about Latvia. That is, except for the fact that Riga has the largest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe. Imagine a  Latvian beauty ready to find out if everything is better in Americh.  It does not stink, my friends. It does not stink.

 
 

Now that you have an idea of where to go, get out there. Hit these cities and use the fact that you are American to your advantage. I can only give you the blueprint; you now need to execute the plan. Travel to these cities in good health, you are going to need it. Trust me.