New holiday guide for Germans: How to avoid Brits abroad

Bild reacted with disbelief to the news that a UK court compensated a British tourist who found his hotel dominated by Germans.

The episode revived long-running cliches about German holidaymakers getting up at dawn to reserve sun loungers with their towels.

Bild responded yesterday with a few choice comments about drunken, sunburnt Britons - and a jibe about England's failure to qualify for the forthcoming European Championships.

Letting their hair down: Brits cause a stir in Faliraki

It said: "Dear Tommies, you don't want to be on holiday with us? No problem. We'll play football without you this summer..."

The paper advised German tourists to avoid six European resorts particularly popular with British holidaymakers.

They are: the Bay of Palma in Majorca, San Antonio in Ibiza, Playa de las Americas in Tenerife, Ayia Napa in Cyprus, Faliraki in Rhodes and Malia in Crete.

Bild pointedly noted that Germans were off to Switzerland and Austria this month to attend the European Championships on a "Holiday without Wayne (Rooney)".

David Barnish, of Madeley, near Stoke-on-Trent, was awarded £750 damages last week following a family holiday on the Greek island of Kos.

Crowded:The German newspaper Bild is advising its countrymen to stay away from Ayia Napa because so many Brits go there

A judge found that tour operator Thomson's brochure did not make clear that the hotel's entertainment and activities were offered in German.

Mr Barnish said his family could not understand German, preventing them from taking part in activities.

A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) played down talk of conflict between British and German holidaymakers.

He said: "We have been taking foreign holidays en masse for the last 40 years.

"Over that period our customers have happily shared their hotels with French, Spanish, Scandinavians and Germans without encountering any problems.

"In fact, in terms of hotels providing services in a language apart from their own, we are very lucky that English is the most widely-spoken language on the planet."

Getting friendly: Two British holidaymakers enjoy themselves on the Greek island of Rhodes

Blacklisted: Germans are avoiding Ayia Napa because it is popular with British tourists