What Foreign Visitors Love And Hate About America

Mixed feelings

As a travel destination, the USA is hard to beat. Epic landscapes. Buzzing cities. Fantastic food. And friendly locals who greet international visitors like long lost family. But, it has to be said, there are some things tourists do find a bit strange.

Click through the gallery to discover the things visitors love about the USA. And the things that take a little getting used to...

They love: The national parks

America’s National Parks are considered the country’s ‘best idea’ – the most special places in the nation preserved not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. It’s an idea as unique and radical as the Declaration of Independence and one that foreign visitors appreciate too.

There are 63 national parks all told, many so famous that people come from all corners of the globe to experience them. Indeed, it is a rare bucket list that doesn’t have Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Tetons, Arches (pictured), the Everglades, or the Grand Canyon somewhere near the top.

They love: The cities that never sleep

The USA is home to some of the most iconic metropolises in the world, with each of them luring international visitors with their own unique vibe. From New York’s hustle and Los Angeles’s glitz to Chicago’s Midwestern sophistication and Miami’s Latin energy, America’s big cities draw visitors like moths to a flame.

Visitors love the world class galleries and museums, the diverse dining and cutting-edge theaters, and the neighborhoods buzzing with color and life. More importantly, they know that whatever their interest or passion, they’ll find it here in its best possible form.

They love: The iconic sights

Thanks to the worldwide reach of American movies, TV shows, and music, there’s something very comforting about visiting the USA, a sort of déjà vu that reaffirms that everything is as it should be.

And it’s not just the most famous sights like the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge, a Mississippi steamer, or Mount Rushmore that bring succor. Spotting steam rising from the sidewalks, fire hydrants on suburban streets, or even a pull-down fire escape on the side of a building can be equally exciting too.

They love: The friendly locals

For visitors from more reserved countries, the unbridled enthusiasm and can-do attitude of Americans is like a breath of fresh air. And the impulse to let your hair down and react in kind is almost irresistible.

Scan any Reddit board about what visitors love most about the USA, and it is the friendliness and hospitality of Americans that ranks highest. When you live somewhere where a nod of recognition is the best you can expect, a heartfelt ‘Have a nice day!’ is guaranteed to bring a smile to any visitor’s face.

They love: The theme parks

The United States is the undisputed world champion when it comes to theme parks. Each year, hundreds of thousands of international visitors flock to the country to experience the high octane thrills its epic theme parks provide.

Orlando is the undisputed Mecca, home to 18 theme parks including Disney, Universal, and Legoland. But in reality there’s a park for everyone in every corner of the country, from the chocolate-themed Hersheypark in Pennsylvania and Dollywood in Tennessee to the Wild West thrills of Silver Dollar City in Missouri.

They love: The diversity

One thing that surprises – and delights – international visitors about America is its huge diversity. Traveling from one state to another feels like visiting a totally different country.

Visitors quickly discover that Louisiana with its Cajun and French influences has a totally different vibe to the untamed frontier culture of Montana and the Dakotas. The kaleidoscopic Mexican influences in Texas and California are the polar opposite to the quaint orderliness of New England. The USA is never boring.

They love: The food

That diversity is equally apparent in the nation’s food. As a nation of immigrants, it is just as easy to find the best Mexican food you’ve ever eaten as it is to find the world’s best Polish pierogies. And that’s not to mention the whole food truck culture that has taken over the USA.

The choices are endless, as are the refills on your drinks, and don't even get us started on the portion sizes. As one visitor from Singapore commented, 'Americans cook as if it were the end of the world.' It is rare for a meal here to leave you disappointed or hungry.

They love: The razzmatazz

Everything is bigger, brighter, and bolder in the United States and international visitors love it. Many come from quite reserved nations so seeing a country that proudly, loudly, and unabashedly celebrates itself is quite refreshing.

No more so than at the nation’s iconic sporting events. It’s seen in the peppy cheerleaders at American Football matches, the organ tunes at baseball, even the ‘kiss cams’ at the basketball. Its purest form is the annual NFL Super Bowl (pictured), a dizzying spectacle of fireworks and music (oh, and sport) that international visitors find simply irresistible.

They love: The road trips

Check the bucket list of any international visitor to the US and you’ll see a Great American Road Trip somewhere near the top. When you come from a country that you can drive across in a day, the idea of driving along an endless road through vast, epic landscapes has a seductive appeal.

Route 66, the Mother Road, calls strongest, an unforgettable journey through America’s heartlands to the beaches of the sparkling west coast. But others hold equal allure to visitors too, from following the dramatic coastline of California’s Big Sur to the Blue Ridge Parkway through Appalachia.

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They love: The great outdoors

It’s not just the sheer variety and size of America’s landscapes that appeals to international visitors. It is also the sheer number of things you can do in them. In America, there are endless opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors and visitors are all boots in.

You’ll find them kayaking the nation’s picture-perfect lakes and surfing its glorious golden beaches in summer, skiing its magnificent slopes in winter, or hiking its trails and experiencing their changing moods all through the year.

Not sure about: The toilet doors

The first visit to a public toilet stall in America can be quite disconcerting for international visitors. You see, they’re not quite as private as the rest of the world is used to.

The huge gap at the bottom of the door is bad enough. But it’s the half-inch gap around the door that disturbs visitors the most. Designed to allow you to quickly see if a stall is occupied, it also encourages visitors to move along quickly, and get on with enjoying everything else the US has to offer.

Not sure about: The lack of public transport

Outside of its big cities, the US is not well served by public transport. Well, not compared to the home countries of many visitors, particularly those from Europe. Americans tend to get from Point A to Point B by car, with 92% of households owning at least one vehicle.

Having said that, the public transport that does exist is amongst the most iconic in the world. Riding the New York subway, crossing the country on a Greyhound bus, or catching the Amtrak Empire Builder service tops many visitors' bucket lists.

Not sure about: Tipping

Tipping is a custom all around the world, of course. But it is nowhere near as ubiquitous – or expected – as it is in the States. A recent survey found that 79% of visitors feel more pressure to tip than in their home country, with one in two feeling scrutinized when they do.

Most understand that tips are a vital part of a service workers’ income and are happy to pay it. Rather, it’s the uncertainty of how much they should tip that causes consternation. Pay too little and they risk appearing tight. Pay too much and that’s money they could be spending elsewhere.

Not sure about: All the pharma ads

Another thing that bemuses visitors to the USA is the preponderance of ads for pharmaceutical products. When they switch on the TV in their hotel room, they are immediately bombarded with advertisements for treatments for all kinds of ailments, common and otherwise.

It’s not something you see much of outside the USA and to be honest, has little to no impact on a visitor’s enjoyment of the country. Other than planting the thought that maybe they’re suffering the symptoms of a disease or syndrome that they’d previously never heard of.

Not sure about: The vast distances

When you come from a country where the next major city, or even the next country, is only an hour or so away, the vast distances in the USA can be quite daunting. If a Parisian traveled the equivalent of New York to Chicago in Europe, they could end up in Milan, Prague, or even Madrid.

Most visitors quickly discover that those wide-open spaces are part of the appeal of the USA. Lower gas prices in the US mean that hiring a car and embarking on an epic road trip is the most practical and unforgettable option.

Not sure about: Portion sizes

Again, not so much a complaint as just something that takes a little getting used to. Portion sizes can be up to 100% bigger in the States and having a huge plate of spare ribs and greens plonked down in front of you can be a little, shall we say, daunting.

Of course, once you discover the corresponding ‘box it up’ culture it all makes sense. The pressure to finish it all diminishes. And you get to enjoy the meal all over again the next day. All for a fraction of the cost you’d pay back home.

Not sure about: The insistence on personal space

Whether it’s because of culture or the fact that things are a little smaller and more closely packed in their home countries, many first-time visitors to the USA are a little thrown by how fiercely Americans protect their own personal space.

Indeed, a study found that while people in many countries are happy with a personal bubble of two to three feet, Americans would ideally like up to 10 feet. Rather than fight it, visitors are encouraged to throw back their shoulders and luxuriate in all that space. It’s the US, there’s plenty to go around.

Not sure about: Sales tax

One of the biggest bugbears expressed by visitors is the ‘surprise’ addition of a state sales tax at the till. Used to taxes being included in the sticker price back home, visitors get annoyed when that cheap burger at Burger King suddenly costs more than the coins you’d just counted from your pocket.

It becomes even more complicated when you consider that each state imposes a different rate, ranging from a base rate of 7% in Mississippi to 0% in Delaware. Most visitors take heart that even with the sales tax added, nearly everything is much cheaper than back home anyway.

Not sure about: The enormous amount of choice

The USA is a bountiful land, where its citizens are offered a vast range of products to choose from. No matter how particular your need or want is in the United States, you’ll find the product you’re looking for. And probably available in nine different colors.

Again, for first time visitors, the sheer amount of products to choose from can be a little overwhelming. The upside? If they close their eyes and just pick something, it’s sure to be something they’ve never tried before. Most American breakfast cereals are only available in the US.

Not sure about: Drip coffee

If you’re a European, conditioned to a morning jolt of high-grade espresso, American drip coffee comes as something of a culture shock. And don’t get them started about how it sits sitting on a heated stand in a glass pouring jar, waiting to be served. That said, every visitor to the USA is beyond delighted when a diner waitress comes to their table to pour them a (free) refill, just like in the movies. No matter whether they like the taste or not.

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Now see how we've ranked the 50 things visitors love most about the USA