When you visit a foreign country, there are certain social and cultural norms you should try to abide by, so you don’t look like a jerk. We listed a bunch of them here.
Besides this list though, there are a bunch of things you should, or shouldn’t do, to keep yourself safe, to stop you from looking stupid, you name it. Someone on Reddit asked their fellow Redditors, “What should tourists NEVER do in your country?” And this is what they said (comments have been edited for length and to remove adult language):
Argentina
- Don’t ask for coffee to go. We don’t have paper cups. If you go to a cafe, you’re expected to sit and drink your coffee -kimnoslice11
Australia
- DON’T GO NEAR THE CROCODILE, DON’T TOUCH THE SNAKE, AND DON’T TRY TO EAT THE RED BACK SPIDER. These are all true things stupid tourists have done here, including some American picking a fight with a kangaroo. (The Kangaroo won) – Rumplestiltskin1254
- I’m just gonna add in, can y’all please stop throwing lit cigarettes into the unique and beautiful bushland that you obviously traveled to see? The same bushland that is only now just recovering from catastrophic bushfires? The amount of ciggie butts I see on bush walks is disgusting and y’all could be ashamed. – Anonymous
- In Australia, don’t say “mate” unless you have had intensive lessons on correct usage. You will be forgiven because you will have an accent, but bear in mind that “mate” has probably seven or eight connotations and they go all the way from very friendly to very unfriendly. -princhester
- Don’t order Fosters. No one drinks it here. Try Coopers, Little Creatures, Stone and Wood, White Rabbit. There’s a whole world of awesome Australian beer. -deleted
Canada
- If in Quebec, don’t speak English to a stranger unless they speak to you in English first. French is the language of commerce there, and English is seen as a grave threat to Quebec culture. (You’re more likely to see English-only signage in France than in Quebec) -yyz_guy
- Don’t: Put ketchup on your poutin -deleted
Germany
- Some guy one of my friends know went to Germany and did the Nazi salute as a joke, he ended up getting arrested spent the night in jail and got a fine. – Anonymous
- Concentration camps are not a place for you get your stupid selfies for your “influencer” profile. Those tracks you’re standing on transported many to their death. It’s okay to take pictures for pictures for memories that you came here. But those people who come here to take “sexy” selfies have no place being here. – Anonymous
England
- Respect the queues and do not cut. We will stare at you passive aggressively with the fury of a thousand suns. -Thatweasel
Finland
- Don’t get too close to strangers. We really value personal space.- manabreak
France
- In Paris you should always say “bonjour” when entering a shop or restaurant and “au revoir” when leaving. Even if you don’t purchase anything or walk right in and out.” -france_throwaway21
Germany
- In Germany, you pay for refills -imverykind
India
- don’t say “NAMSATE” to locals. You cannot pronounce it right and it sounds ridiculous. Also, locals rarely say that when greeting/meeting friends. It’s more of a formal greeting, usually directed at elders. -talkaboom
- Do not kiss in public. In India it is okay to p*ss in public but not okay to kiss in public. -Kamalnathan
- Don’t pass things with your left hand. Don’t eat with your left hand. -MournDay
- Don’t eat street food. It even makes the locals sick. -talkaboom
Israel
- Never shout “Allahu akbar” in Jerusalem as a joke, you will be shot. -Pikalika
Ireland
- Don’t ask for an Irish Car Bomb or a Black and Tan either. Some bar staff will find this grossly offensive. -deleted
- If you want a Black and Tan ask for a Half and Half. It’s the same drink. -hobowithabazooka
- Don’t learn Geailge/Irish, hardly anyone uses it here. Unless you plan on going to the Ghaeltacht, it’s a waste of time. -deleted
Japan
- Don’t ask people about the panty vending machine. It doesn’t exist, and everyone will think you are a creep for asking. -capnhist
- Don’t leave your umbrella unattended if you’re attached to it. Most things aren’t likely to be stolen in Japan, but umbrellas and bikes are. -TheLastBeast
Portugal
- don’t say “gracias”. Ever! Say “obrigado” or “thanks”. Here everybody speaks English, but many tourists think that speaking to us in the language of our sworn ennemies is not the most offensive thing in the world. -888mphour
Malaysia
- It’s absolutely normal for someone to ask you what race you are, so don’t be taken aback if you are asked. It isn’t meant to be offensive. It’s just curiosity. – Hedgehog_amputee
- Don’t bring drugs here. It can get you hanged. -deleted
Mexico
- Don’t take a cab before making sure it has a visible sign with the driver’s id and a meter. Also you might want to turn on your GPS and let the driver know so he won’t drive you around in circles. -Porfinlohice
The Netherlands
-
Please don’t walk on the bike lanes. For the people who are surprised that we get angry at this, walking on the bike lanes here is roughly equivalent to walking in the middle of the road in a major U.S. city. You’re obstructing our main mode of transportation, it’s dangerous for both the people for whom the lane is intended as well as the person wrongly using it. You”re derailing traffic because you’re not paying attention. Hope this helps in understanding our attitude regarding our bike lanes. – languagepotato
Norway
- Never go on a hike unarmed when visiting the Svalbard archipelago. You are required to always have a firearm with you to protect against polar bears when traveling outside the populated areas. -Lick_my_balloonknot
Portugal
- Don’t speak to us in Spanish. You are not in Spain. We speak Portuguese. -fabz_martins
- When you sit down to eat in a restaurant, the waiter will bring you bread, olives, or someother snacks. If you eat it, expect to pay for it. If you don’t touch it, they’ll take it away and pretend like it never existed. -BaiRuoBing
Singapore
- In fast food restaurants and food court there’s a common practice called chopeing where one can reserve a table by placing a packet of tissues on top. Tourists who haven’t heard of this and take a reserved seat will often get dirty looks from the local who choped the table. – RadioactiveNewt
- Don’t ever go to Sim Lim Square OR Lucky Plaza to buy electronics, no matter how good the prices seem! You will get screwed! -oonikly
- Do NOT do/bring in/carry drugs. They’re not kidding about the death penalty. Even carrying drugs is an offence as it’s presumed that you’re carrying it for the purpose of trafficking. -pyroSeven
South Africa
- When you go on a “safari” (we call it a game drive), you must never ever get out of your vehicle or get close to any big animals because that is how there are stories of people dying to animals here. Just please stay safe and obey the rules to save lives. – the10starpotato (NOTE: This was replied to by homarjr, who said, “The animals believe the car is a giant animal. Once they see a person outside of it, they realize they’re much smaller prey.”)
- Don’t wear khakis and hiking boots. It screams tourist and makes you a target for criminals and that sweet camera you bought for your trip is going to find a new home. -deleted
South Korea
- The eldest person at the table should start eating first. Don’t pick up your chopsticks, spoon or whatever utensil you’re using until the oldest person has started eating. -waynefoolx
United States
- Yellowstone is not an amusement park the wild animals are extremely dangerous and will kill you in an instant. Do not step into the hot springs they will melt your flesh completely off your bones and you will die an agonizing death. – hhr577ggvvfryy66rd
- Washington DC. Do. Not. Leave. Trash. At. The. Monuments. Also, get out of the water. It’s not a pool. – WatchTheBloom
- stand on the right, walk on the left on the escalators, please.- Steakleather
- We have a tipping culture. We don’t care if you don’t tip where you live; you’re here. Tip your servers appropriately. -stephwithstars
- Arizona – Do not eat Oleanders, or anything that’s touched their sap, in fact, just don’t touch them at all. They’re crazy poisonous, but they look so green and pretty that we plant them everywhere. -ThisIsMyFatLogic
- Pennsylvania – In Philadelphia, don’t ask if we prefer Pat’s cheesesteaks or Geno’s cheesesteaks better. They’re both mediocre tourist locations and the employees are d*cks. If you want a good sandwich, go to South Street or even a street vendor in Center City. -JoeyTheHuman
- Georgia: Please don’t call Atlanta Hotlanta. Ever. We have a huge Asian, black, Hispanic, and LGBT population here. Please don’t assume we’re all racist and homophobic. -ElpanaChevere
Venezuela
- Don’t show $ in cash on the streets or any kind of smartphone. -DropItToTheFloor
Vietnam
- Commit to crossing the road. It looks scary with the endless scooter stampedes, but if you just cross at a steady pace, they’ll avoid you. Do not try to dodge or make sudden movements. Just simply walk across. – ricehatwarrior
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.