Reply #7: A pretty common practice is to put a little Canadian flag [View All]

[Lautremont]

on your bag or pack or jacket or whatever. I don't know if that still works. But you know, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Just don't act like you own the place and that everybody should speak English. In fact, I'd use as much German as you can muster.

The funny thing is that, in those few places where Americans still fear to tread (I can only think of Cuba), Germans seem to have taken on the role of proxy Americans - they roam the streets loud, boisterous and drunk. So don't let them intimidate you with their continental suavity - it evaporates after a stein or two and a couple of plates of weisswurst.