what country was the least hassle to get around? everything worked smoothly, people were competent etc.

>>2794655 (OP)
Switzerland has the best national transit network in Europe by light years, and among the best in the world. If there isn’t a train station in the little mountaintop village you’re visiting, there’s a bus station attached to the railway station down the hill, and buses are timed to integrate with trains, so if it’s not already waiting for you when you pull in, it’ll be just a couple of minutes. Similarly seamless integration with trams, boats, ski lifts, and gondolas.

So at least as far as getting around, this place is as easy as it gets.

A great majority of things a visitor is likely to encounter work flawlessly or close enough to flawlessly.

Switzerland’s biggest shortcoming among the items on your list is probably competence/general customer service. Most people are at least 85% competent. But when things go wrong, whether due to service provider error or visitor fuckup, fixing things may require a lengthy scolding about how the problem is your fault (whether or not it is), and a detailed description of the standard operating procedure that must be followed at all costs.

Most of this BS isn’t likely to impact tourists—a lot of people working in explicitly tourism-facing roles are friendlier and more helpful than the surly average. Railway employees are often unusually nice, and almost always good at their jobs. But there’s a universe of microtyrants who seem to take joy in both their inability to help you and their disgust with you for asking.

Still more good than bad.

Japan