Americans have earned quite the reputation when it comes to international travel, and not always for the best reasons. Whether it’s our volume control issues (spoiler: we’re loud) or our unshakeable belief that credit cards work everywhere, we sometimes make choices that have locals rolling their eyes. As someone who’s both witnessed and, yes, occasionally committed these travel faux pas, I’m here to break down the most cringe-worthy behaviors we need to stop. Consider this your friendly wake-up call to be a better traveler.
1. Assuming Everyone Speaks English
Learning a new language is tough, and nobody expects you to become fluent in Croatian overnight. However, research from Haverford College highlights the importance of making an effort to speak the local language. After all, it’s particularly grating watching Americans loudly repeat English phrases as if increasing the volume will somehow transform them into the local language. The worst part is that many of us don’t even attempt to learn basic phrases like “please,” “thank you,” or “excuse me” in the local language, which locals consider the bare minimum of respect.
Most people around the world actually appreciate when you make even a small effort to speak their language, even if you butcher the pronunciation. They’re not expecting a TED Talk—they just want to see that you care enough to try. Plus, carrying around a translation app or pocket dictionary shows you’re making an effort, which goes a long way in building goodwill with locals who deal with tourists all day.
2. Over-Tipping Or Not Tipping At All
Americans seem to have a special talent for messing up tipping protocols abroad, swinging wildly between extremes like a pendulum on caffeine. In countries where tipping isn’t customary, some of us insist on leaving 20% because we feel guilty as CNBC notes, inadvertently creating uncomfortable expectations for future tourists and even messing with local wage structures. Meanwhile, in places where service charges are included but an additional small tip is expected, we sometimes stiff servers entirely because “it’s included.”
The reality is that tipping customs vary widely across cultures, and what’s considered generous in one country might be insulting in another. This isn’t about blindly applying American tipping standards everywhere you go—it’s about doing your homework before the trip and understanding local customs. A quick internet search or chat with your hotel concierge can save you from being either the overly generous American who makes things weird or the stingy one who gives us all a bad name.
3. Dressing Inappropriately Or Culturally Insensitively
You’d think “dress code” would be a simple concept to grasp, but somehow we’ve managed to turn it into an art form of getting it wrong. There’s nothing quite like watching an American tourist stroll into a sacred temple wearing booty shorts and a tank top that says “Sun’s Out, Guns Out,” completely oblivious to the horrified looks from locals. It’s as if some of us pack our suitcases with the express purpose of offending as many cultural sensibilities as possible.
The thing is, dressing appropriately isn’t about cramping your style—research in tourism studies has shown that appropriate dress is a key factor in cultural respect and acceptance and, honestly, it’s also about not making a fool of yourself. Many religious sites and formal venues have specific dress codes that aren’t suggestions but actual requirements. And no, wrapping a sheer scarf around your waist over your swimsuit doesn’t magically make it appropriate attire for a mosque. A little research goes a long way in avoiding the walk of shame back to your hotel to change.
4. Assuming Everyone Is American
There’s something hilariously cringe about watching an American traveler ask someone in Tokyo where they’re “originally from” because they speak English, or assuming that a random stranger in Paris is also a tourist because they’re wearing sneakers. This particular brand of American-centric thinking leads to some truly awkward moments, like loudly comparing everything to things “back home” or asking locals if they celebrate Thanksgiving.
What’s even worse is when we express genuine shock that people in other countries have modern conveniences or know about American pop culture. News flash: the rest of the world doesn’t live in a time capsule, and they don’t need us to explain who Taylor Swift is. They have internet, smartphones, and probably better public transportation than we do. Many locals are incredibly well-versed in global culture and current events, often more so than we are.
5. Talking Loudly In Public Spaces
Americans are loud. Like, really loud. We have this ability to make our presence known in any space, whether it’s a quiet café in Vienna or a peaceful garden in Kyoto. It’s as if we never learned to use our indoor voices, or we think everyone within a five-mile radius needs to hear about how the pasta in Rome is “totally different from Olive Garden.”
The volume issue becomes especially problematic in places where quiet and restraint are valued parts of the culture. While we might think we’re just being enthusiastic or friendly, locals often interpret our booming voices and loud laughter as disrespectful and intrusive. The concept of shared public space means different things in different cultures, and our inability to read the room (or adjust our volume) makes us stick out like a sore thumb.
6. Expecting American Standards And Culture
Nothing screams “entitled tourist” quite like throwing a fit because your hotel room doesn’t have an ice machine, or the restaurant doesn’t serve free tap water with endless refills. Some of us travel thousands of miles only to complain that things aren’t exactly like they are in Cincinnati. We demand air conditioning in historic buildings, get frustrated when shops close for afternoon siestas, and act shocked when we can’t pay with dollars.
The beauty of travel lies in experiencing different ways of life, yet some of us treat these differences as personal affronts. Yes, the bathroom might be smaller than your walk-in closet at home. No, the coffee might not come in a 32-ounce cup. These aren’t flaws—they’re cultural differences that make travel interesting. Yahoo Finance notes that embracing these differences rather than viewing them as inconveniences can greatly enhance the travel experience. If you wanted everything to be exactly like home, you could’ve saved a lot of money by just staying there.
7. Taking Photos Of Everything And Everyone
We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that every moment needs to be documented, every meal needs to be photographed, and every local going about their daily life needs to be captured for our Instagram stories. It’s like we’re on a mission to turn every destination into a personal photo shoot, complete with impromptu modeling sessions in front of annoyed commuters just trying to get to work.
The problem isn’t just about taking photos—it’s about how we do it. We block sidewalks, disrupt religious ceremonies, and treat local residents like props in our vacation slideshow. Many of us don’t even bother asking for permission before snapping photos of people, apparently believing that carrying a camera somehow exempts us from basic human courtesy. And let’s not even start with the selfie sticks in inappropriate places like memorial sites.
8. Ignoring Local Etiquette And Customs
It’s almost impressive how some of us manage to bulldoze through every social norm and cultural custom with no grace. Whether it’s wearing shoes inside Japanese homes, touching someone’s head in Thailand, or using our left hand in certain Middle Eastern countries, we have a knack for inadvertently offending people simply because we couldn’t be bothered to learn basic cultural etiquette.
What makes it worse is our tendency to dismiss these customs as “silly” or “old-fashioned” when they’re pointed out to us. Local etiquette isn’t a set of arbitrary rules designed to confuse tourists, it’s an important part of cultural identity and social harmony. These customs often have a deep historical or religious significance, and dismissing them shows a level of disrespect that’s hard to forgive.
9. Appearing Unprepared And Ignorant
Nothing says “I didn’t bother to do any research” quite like showing up to a cash-only market with nothing but Apple Pay or arriving at a conservative religious site in beachwear. Some of us seem to think that planning ahead means checking the weather forecast and nothing else. We rock up to places without knowing basic customs, opening hours, or even how to say “hello” in the local language.
This lack of preparation often leads to frustrated locals having to deal with our confusion and complaints. It’s not their job to explain why your credit card doesn’t work everywhere, or why you can’t enter a temple in your flip-flops. A little preparation goes a long way in showing respect for the places we visit and making life easier for everyone involved.
10. Taking Up Too Much Space
Americans abroad often treat public spaces like they’re starring in their own movie. We spread out our maps on busy café tables, block narrow sidewalks for group photos, and somehow manage to take up three seats with one backpack on crowded trains. It’s like we never got the memo that shared spaces are, well, shared.
Our spatial awareness seems to decrease exponentially the further we get from home. We’ll stand in doorways having lengthy conversations, create human roadblocks on escalators, and turn quiet corners into impromptu conference rooms while checking our maps. Many cultures have a much different sense of personal space and public courtesy, making our space-hogging habits particularly noticeable and annoying.
11. Misunderstanding Humor
American humor doesn’t always translate well abroad, yet we keep trying to export it anyway. We’ll crack jokes about serious cultural matters, attempt sarcasm that gets lost in translation, or use casual American banter that comes across as disrespectful or just plain weird in other cultures. Our tendency to use humor as an ice-breaker often backfires spectacularly when we don’t understand local sensitivities.
The problem gets worse when we can’t read the room and continue with our comedy routine despite clear signs of discomfort. What might be a harmless joke in the States could be genuinely offensive elsewhere. And let’s be honest—responding to confused looks by speaking louder or explaining the joke rarely makes things better. Sometimes humor is best left untranslated.
12. Not Respecting Quiet Hours
We seem to have this ability to forget that people actually live in the tourist destinations we visit. Nothing demonstrates this better than our complete disregard for quiet hours, whether it’s loud conversations in hotel hallways at midnight or early morning FaceTime calls in thin-walled buildings. We act like the whole city runs on vacation time—our vacation time.
The concept of siesta, early closing times, or Sunday rest days often throws us into a tailspin of confusion and complaints. We’ll loudly protest that “everything’s closed” during normal rest hours or create disturbances in residential areas because we’re still operating on our home time zone. Local daily rhythms exist for a reason, and our inability to adapt to them is a constant source of frustration for residents.
13. Treating Everywhere Like A Tourist Resort
We’ll wander into local neighborhoods like we’re on a safari, treat working fishermen like they’re part of a cultural show, and act surprised when locals don’t want to stop and pose for photos with us. Some of us seem to forget that these are real places where real people live real lives.
This mindset leads to all sorts of inappropriate behavior. We need to remember that we’re visitors in someone else’s home, not customers at a tourist resort. These destinations existed long before we arrived and will continue to exist long after we leave, they don’t owe us an “authentic experience” on demand.
14. Complaining About Everything Being “Different”
There’s a special kind of irony in traveling halfway around the world only to complain that things aren’t familiar enough. Some Americans have managed to find fault with everything from the size of the bread slices to the fact that people eat dinner at “weird” times. We act shocked that other countries have different customs as if the entire world should have consulted us before developing their own cultural norms.
The constant comparisons to how things are done “back home” not only annoy locals but also completely miss the point of travel. Yes, the pasta is served in smaller portions. Yes, everything might close earlier than you’re used to. No, you can’t get ranch dressing with everything. These aren’t inconveniences to be complained about, they’re exactly why you traveled in the first place. The world isn’t a theme park designed for American comfort.
