Worldwide tourism numbers rose sharply in 2022 compared to the first two years of the pandemic. Overall, the United States was the third most visited country, with roughly 50.9 million international arrivals, surpassed only by Spain (71.7 million) and France (79.4 million).
And for good reason. Its national parks, vibrant cities, and colorful culture provide a myriad of exciting opportunities to have fun, explore, and learn. So we decided to see what non-Americans think of the place and compiled a list of things they remember from their trips to the States, both good and, well, not so much.
Continue scrolling to read the stories and check out the conversation we had with Norwegian traveler Lisa Stentvedt.
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To learn more about the outsiders' point of view of this great Northern American country, we contacted Lisa Stentvedt, the woman behind the travel blog Fjords And Beaches. She's an expert on all things Norway but also constantly explores destinations all over the world.
"My expectations for the US all came from movies and TV I had grown up watching," Stentvedt told Bored Panda. "And for the most part, reality had lived up to them."
"However, as I have continued my travels to and in the US (and even lived there for a year), I realized that the impression you get from pop culture is mainly facade-related, and does not go into the true American culture."
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"For example, I was excited to find that streets were lined with identical homes, driveways, and lawns — just like on TV," Stentvedt explained. "There are drive-throughs for everything, even Starbucks (I had never seen a Starbucks drive-through before visiting Massachusetts). I was also surprised to find that it's not just on TV that people don't take their shoes off when they enter their homes!"
Other things that surprised the traveler were the sizes of meals and sodas in restaurants, tipping culture, and not being able to just walk anywhere you please unless it's a city. "I was met with shocked looks when I told security where I lived in Orlando that I was going to the grocery store by foot," she recalled. "They laughed at me when I said it was just a 10-minute walk because that 10-minute walk was along the I-4!"
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Stentvedt is the author of the travel guide Moon Norway which shares the best hikes, road trips, and scenic fjords in her home country, so she's no stranger to putting herself out there. Because of that, she's collected a lot of amazing memories in the US.
"I loved my every visit. From New Orleans to Seattle, there are some epic places to explore there," she said. "I have great memories of road trips through several states, visiting the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville (a bucket list experience), and seeing Hamilton in Chicago."
"However, the lasting impression I have, and that I share with fellow Europeans who want to travel to the US, is that, again, whilst what you see on TV and in movies is a true reflection of certain parts of US culture, this only goes as deep as the facade of things."
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"Yes, schools have football teams and cheerleaders, and yes, the school buses are yellow and stop along the streets to pick up kids that come running. However, the schools don't seem to teach a lot of important information about the world and other countries in their curriculum, and the school buses actually don't have seat belts (I was shocked to learn this — road safety in the US is a fascinating topic). There are still many things about the US I can’t wrap my head around (such as these), that even many of my American friends don’t understand! It is truly a fascinating country for travelers, and the longer you spend there, the more you see," Lisa Stentvedt shared.
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The US is huge. With an area of 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million square kilometers), it is the third or fourth-largest country in the world (the ranks may vary depending on which territories you include or exclude in the calculations).
"Each of the 50 states is unique, so my advice for first-time tourists would differ depending on the one they choose to go to," Stentvedt said. "But generally, I would suggest to prepare to rely on taxis or a rental car, unless you are staying right in the middle of a big city like New York."
"Public transportation is seriously lacking compared to Europe. Take it from someone who tried to travel from Hollywood to Disneyland using only public transport!"
Lisa would also advise you to make sure that your travel insurance covers unlimited costs if needed, as the cost of medical care in the US can seriously damage your bank account.
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"My absolute favorite thing about visiting the US is the diversity," the Norwegian added. "Every time I arrive at an American airport, and look around myself, I see people of different ethnicities, religions, shapes, and sizes, all in addition to hearing several languages."
"It's impossible not to smile there. I love that it's a cultural melting pot and that will always be why I keep coming back!"
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The best thing about visiting the US, to me, was the sheer variety of landscapes. Within one country, you'll find deserts, mountains, rainforests, tundra, plains, swamps, rocky ocean coasts, white sand beaches, and almost everything in between. There are so many beautiful placesThe national parks. Their landscapes and size are astonishing. Yellowstone in particular blew me away so much that it’s one of the first places I said I’d love to return toI loved the mom-and-pop little restaurants, coffee shops, and specialty shops. I avoided the big chain–type places. Do the same, and you will find new cool things you really enjoyWhen I visited New York City for the first time, I was fascinated by how much Manhattan looked exactly the way it does the movies. Same with LA. I loved that everything felt so different from home (Austria), but at the same time, it was really familiar.I'm Swedish, and I've found Americans to be very helpful, friendly, and approachable. This helps a lot when you're a tourist and feel a bit lost with local customs or directionsI didn't love the overwhelming number of American flags. It seemed to me as if there were flags everywhere: on storefronts, on lawns, all over public property, on people's cars...just so many flags. It was all very 'You're in America, and don't you goddam forget itThe sandwiches. In America, there are so many glorious sandwiches, like the Reuben, piled high with delicious corned beef on nice artisan bread. Philly cheesesteaks, thin-sliced rib-eye dripping with salty, gooey provolone, and even the po'boy, a stunning creationBest: I do like the food, even though it is unhealthy. Cracker Barrel is my favorite chain restaurant.Worst: very little public transportation, everything is far away from everything, you need a car to go anywhereI found that Americans seem to talk a lot louder in public than Germans do. It always irritates me that they talk as if they're giving a speech to everyone around. Back home, we feel that public space is not to be polluted, and that includes loud voicesHollywood was so disappointing. I thought it would be glamorous, but in reality, it was depressing and dirtyThe US has some of the greatest dive bars on the planet. And some of the best intimate venues for live music, tooThe air is so clean in the United States. When you come from a place with massive amounts of pollution, like I do (Beijing), you really appreciate the blue sky and fresh airDon't get injured while you are in the united states. The medical bills will ruin your lifeI didn't love that you can't really get around without a car. Within many cities, you can use public transit, but most often it's not that great. Outside of the big cities, you definitely need a car; otherwise you'll be spending a lot of your budget on UbersI don't love the big cities. But the national parks and nature are so much better than any city In the US. San Diego is my favorite city, but just beyond it in California, you have Big Sur. I wish I'd known this about the US soonerBest: the sheer variety of landscapes—deserts, mountains, rainforests, tundra, plains, swamps, rocky ocean coasts and white sand beaches and almost everything in between. So many beautiful places.Worst: binary political division. And/or privatized healthcare and insurance that are almost exclusively tied to being employed and those employers give very little if any right to time off. Those were so bad that actually felt I to leave.I don’t think I was prepared for the sheer number of people who straight-up approached me asking for money. My sympathy wore out quickly, so just be ready to politely say, 'Sorry, I haven’t got cash,' and quickly walk away. As a solo traveler, I think I was seen as an easy targetLoved the RV culture. The US is the most ideal place to own or drive an RV. The country is huge, the scenery is always changing, and the campsites are very well organized. What's not to love?Forget everything you think you know about the US from movies/TV shows/TikTok. We're not aliens and we're probably more alike than you may think. It also helps to set expectations in that if you're expecting wacky zany adventures...well, that may not happen.
Jaywalking is more of a regional thing than a hard cultural norm. What I will say is the locals know their own area, but you don't. You probably should follow the rules, even if you see others not doing so.
Receipts/bills will total the tax for you, you don't have to worry about it. You already know about tipping, so just add 20% to the total for services like sit down restaurants and taxi/rideshare. Its okay to use your phone to calculate if you need to. I do it all the time
A month in the US isn't long enough to see the whole country. You can kind of touch upon a lot of it in a month, or really get to see one area for a month. But there's a lot to do and see. Check out local subs and their FAQs/Wiki, usually a good resource
Not sure ages but alcohol and tobacco is 21+ here and yes, that's an actual law and no, they won't make an exception for you.
You can use your credit card most places, but having some cash is handy especailly if you want to hit up food trucks or other low dollar amount businesses. Like donut shops and bagel places or cheap pizza slices? They may be cash only, or offer a cash discount.
I know people love to hit up our fast food joints but please don't just eat fast food and 7/11 and think that's all there is to the US. We have some of the greatest food cities in the world and even outside those huge cities, there's a lot of good food form coast to coast. Just hop on Google Maps and explore. If you see a place with a lot of reviews from locals, or if you're walking around and see a line, then get in that line. I had the best taco of my life by following that rule.When you pay for a bill at a restaurant with a card, the servers will usually take your card and run it at the machine. They don't bring a card reader to your table as they do in Germany. This caused a lot of confusion when a friend visited from Germany a few months back!I was alarmed by the alleged danger in US cities. I checked into a hotel in New Orleans, and the receptionist drew on a map and then handed it to us. She said, 'If you stay within this area, you'll be safe.' What!?The best: The cuisine variety, even when the similar dish can be prepared differently depending in the country, so you have Mexico that maybe makes it more spicy or Surinam that adds fruits. To not talk about each country delicacies.The worst: How some countries can be very dicey to visit I guess, for example Venezuelan right now is very chaotic, Canada can be hard due to its cold, USA well Statunitians are infamous for how they treat foreignersI have European friends and it’s not horrible but it is a cultural difference: they say we smile too much and sometimes it makes them uncomfortable.I’d be prepared for a ton of people to either ask you about your accent or, assuming you’re Australian, make a corny joke about Foster’s or shrimp on the barbee.I've spotted an American yesterday in a grocery store. The stereotype that Americans can be loud seems to be true.
He wasn't shouting or anything, he was asking someone for help, just a normal conversation, but his voice was unnecessarily loud ;)Think we want to small talk with strangers
