One question I’m increasingly getting from my less peripatetic friends is about anti-American sentiment abroad. “Are people … friendly?” they ask, imagining scowling waiters, surly guides and combative questions from taxi drivers.

Fears of such experiences have lately come more to the fore, but anxiety about locals looking down on “ugly Americans” has a long history. I remember backpacking around Europe more than three decades ago, and even then, my fellow countrymen sometimes hid behind Canadian-flag pins. It was unnecessary then, and it’s unnecessary now.

In fact, on a recent trip to Montréal, where many residents now refuse to travel to the United States, I received a universally warm welcome. Over and over, I hear guides say how much they enjoy working with clients from the U.S., who tend to be good-humored and curious about the world (and good tippers).