Perhaps it's because I've never had to deal with US customs and being Dutch being spoiled with Schengen¹ that my perspectives are skewed, but all my experiences

Perhaps it's because I've never had to deal with US customs and being Dutch being spoiled with Schengen¹ that my perspectives are skewed, but all my experiences with British customs and security to date have left a bad taste. I've been to South Korea and Japan, and have never had any issue whatsoever, and no rudeness at all, but a layover at Heathrow? Rude security folk and depressed looking staff. Eurostar? Same thing over at St Pancras (the actual staff at the French customs point is mostly British). It's not likely to have gotten better now post-Brexit either. It's such as a shame, because Britain really does have its upsides and genuinely nice people too; not to mention a wealth of culture. 1: As you say, travelling to Germany (or Austria, Italy, Belgium, even Switzerland) by train is just great.