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November 28, 2023 Miscellaneous

Things tourists like and dislike about the US

Millions of  visitors come to the US from aborad each year. Most find the United States to be a friendly, beautiful place and go home with great stories to tell. However, not everyone love all things the US has to offer. Here are some of the things they like, and some they dislive!

The Things Tourists Like About the US

Photo Credit: Deposit Photos

  • Nature. Raw, wild and untouched, and – most of all – VAST. The sheer vastness AND variety of nature and pure wilderness here are definitely unmatched in Europe. Specifically, the little nature we have in The Netherlands is laughable compared to the USA.
  • People are generally approachable and friendly. Yes, I do like Americans, at least their overall demeanor. I would be greeted and asked where I’m from even by someone at the 7-Eleven. In general, Dutch people are quite rude.
  • Free refills! This is a small thing but really unheard of in the Netherlands. In my country, you pay the same price for just one tiny cup of coffee. In fact, all the drinks you order are tiny in The Netherlands, and you pay for each one.
  • Traffic lights across the street. I can’t for the life of my understand why we still have to lean over the steering wheel and get a sore neck looking straight upward at the traffic lights in Europe.
  • The doggy bag. You MIGHT be able to get to take your leftovers with you in certain places in The Netherlands, but it is really not the norm, and would surely raise an eyebrow if you ask. Here it is normal, and I find it very good not to let the food go to waste. Besides, I did pay for it, so it’s nice to be able to take it with me.
  • I’m so jealous of the magnificent nature you have in your country, I saw so many beautiful sights! Please treasure it.
  • I disagree with the low-quality food, I had both really good meals and really poor ones. The best Thai food I ever had was in LA. Also, so many places sell drip coffee just the way I like it, not some watered-down espressos. Loved that!
  • Another like were the many (mostly) clean and free restrooms, Having to pay for using a dirty restroom in a rest area along the highway in Europe sucks. That being said, some restrooms in the US really didn’t care about my privacy with one-inch gaps everywhere.
  • Driving was so convenient, being a pedestrian not so much. I biked through SF but couldn’t say I felt very safe.
  • sports culture
  • general enjoyment of life
  • being encouraging of people that are willing to try something or hustle
  • low barrier to entry for someone starting a business
  • online shopping
  • gas stoves diversity across the different parts of the country
  • super friendly
  • most people are big on values
  • pride in keeping towns tidy.

Things Tourists Don’t Like about the US

Tipping in the US and Canada

Photo Credit: Depositphotos

  • Tipping! Why the heck do I need to be partly responsible for a proper salary for these people? Also, it is just annoying to have to calculate the tip every time. It is also irritating that listed prices are almost exclusively without tax. In my country – and across most of Europe, as far as I’m aware – you pay exactly what is listed as the price. No hidden surprises.
  • The food, especially breakfast. Almost everything contains sugar. Breakfast is never with fresh bread and fresh good meats and cheese. In fact, American cheese is awful, but maybe I’m spoiled living in cheese country. For dinner, the food isn’t quite as bad, but it’s still nowhere near the quality and variety that you find in Europe.
  • Plastic! Too much plastic is a problem in Europe also, but the amount of plastic (and styrofoam or other disposable crap) used here is bizarre. I also find it really bizarre that in every hotel breakfast it’s all disposable cutlery and plates also. You really NEVER see this in Europe, not even in the cheapest hotels.
  • Imperial measurements. Gallons, miles, feet, and especially Fahrenheit are so bizarre. Also, because the conversion factor to metric is odd, almost all the world, as well as the scientific world, uses metric which makes so much more sense in every way. Why does the US hold on to such an archaic system?
  • Dislikes were the tipping culture and prices listed pre-tax. I mean, I ordered food or drinks to go a couple of times where I often had to tip in advance only for something to go wrong with my order. Not getting my tip back am I?
  • treatment of indigenous history
  • lack of consumer protection
  • level of poverty
  • strange policy making that reinforces lack of trust in government
  • occasional respect for road rules
  • hard to access to good quality produce at a reasonable price
  • no ring-pulls on tinned food.

Do You Agree with these Tourists?

photo credit: travels with the crew

Many tourists agreed about what made the US great, while the things that bothered tourists about the US were varied. What do you agree with?

Source: Reddit

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