Whether from personal mistakes or prudent planning, seasoned travelers know that it’s always best to do their own research when it comes to preparing for a trip. And what better resource than the internet to just ask locals directly about what to do and, maybe more importantly, not to do?
This is exactly what one netizen did when they asked Americans about what things tourists should avoid doing at all costs. The crowdsourced answers covered a lot of useful ground for any planning a US trip. We also reached out to veteran traveler Will Tang from the Going Awesome Places blog to learn some other good tips and tricks.
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Go where you want! My country is absolutely gorgeous, especially the national parks. Just 2 pieces of advice:
1. For the love of all that is holy, stay away from the f***ing wildlife. Seriously. The cute fluffy bison would sonner gore you than take a selfie with you.
2. Don't tell us how awful our healthcare system is. We. Know.
Northern WI.
Because that's where I live and I don't like people.
Death Valley in the summer especially if you consider yourself a strong hiker, and live in a cooler climate.
It has that name for a reason.
And Joshua Tree National Park. We're tired of hunting for dead bodies.
Bored Panda got in touch with Will Tang, travel writer, and globetrotter, from Going Awesome Places to get some insights on what travelers should do in general when preparing for a trip. “If there's one big tip I'd provide to anyone that's new to travel, it'd be to pack light as best as you can. It's one of those things that doesn't feel intuitive and is the best thing when you learn that it's quite easy to wash your clothes along the way and you really don't use half the things you initially want to bring.”
We also were curious to hear his take on “travel tips” in general. “Travel is totally one of those things where you end up becoming more comfortable and "seasoned" by just getting out there. There's no better teacher than going through the highs and lows of travel yourself because ultimately everyone has a different style of travel and there's no one-size-fits-all.”
If you’re in a National park, listen to what the caution signs say and don’t venture off of paths. One is because of wildlife and the other is because humans don’t need to ruin everything in nature, just to get a photo.
Also, don’t fall into the Grand Canyon. You will die.
Avoid large chain restaurants. The best food in America comes from small owner operated businesses.
Also don't be afraid of the food trucks. They can be a lot of fun.
If you go to a national park and you disregard the signs you're going to die.
It's not a joke.
Treat buffalo like field puppies? You're going to die. Try to pet the brown bear? You're going to die. See that moose and want to feed it? You're probably already dead. Oh look, a rattlesnake! *dead* Want to swim in Old Faithful? You're going to die painfully and completely dissolve into a soup.
S**t is dangerous here and if you don't respect it you'll be lucky to die quick.
If you are stupid enough to disregard the signs, please disregard the signs, I’m sick and tired of idiots not listening to the rules
“THAT SAID, as someone that has gone through the gamut of travel, there are travel tips that I put under the "I wish someone told me about that before I went". As an example, it's good to know if pickpocketing is an issue in certain cities. You don't exactly want to learn from the actual experience of having your phone stolen.”
Don’t hike into the wilderness of Colorado (especially 14ers) without knowing wilderness survival and responsibilities. Tourists die on our mountains and in Rocky Mountain National Park all the time. Do your research! Altitude is no joke
I only drove up Pike's Peak, and even with no energy expended on my part the thin air up there was impressively ... well ... thin.
Disney. Your life will be wasted away waiting in lines to pay too much. The time spent enjoying the Disney stuff will be nothing compared to the time being suffocated by crowds waiting around to do things.
Unless you came her to stand around ahd bleed money it's not going to be fun.
The deserts of the southwest, unless you're prepared for it and understand the dangers of that environment. It isn't uncommon for us to get folks from Europe--typically Germany for some reason--who decide to go hiking at the worst times of the day without enough water. Some of them die. It's really easy to get dehydrated and possibly die even in "safe" areas, and the danger can sneak up on you.
I am from Germany. I was at the Monument Valley. I did the 4mile wildcat trail. It was awesome, much better than driving around in a car. But I agree with the advice, don't do it unprepared.
Similar to some of the other tips here, we wanted to hear his horror stories, as those tend to be a great way to know what to avoid. “You hear about all the cab scams in certain countries and sometimes you feel like it'll never happen to you - until it does. For most of our time in Istanbul, we used Uber but in one particular case, we figured, "What's the worst that could happen" when we needed to get from our hotel to a hammam we had booked.”
Anywhere south in the summer time. Its too f****n hot.
Even if the temperature isn’t deathly high, the f*****g humidity will drown you in your own sweat—-which will start gushing out of you with the slightest exertion, like talking your first moisture-filled breath outside. It’s like walking through a steam bath.
Avoid going to one location thinking another location across the country is a short trip.
To get from Dallas,Texas to Del Rio, Texas takes about 8-9 hours depending on the route, and that is just one way....
The Kensington area of North Philadelphia. Don't. Just don't
And here's why.....read about this myself a couple of weeks ago https://nypost.com/2023/05/27/horrific-footage-shows-devastation-of-philadelphias-tranq-epidemic/
“Tracking the route on my phone, the route he took didn't seem too crazy so it didn't ring any alarm bells but things got sketchy when we had to pay. They hand him a 50 TRY bill and he comes back and says we owe him more money even though we were expecting change. What he did was pull off a sleight-of-hand move and switched the 50 to a 5 TRY bill. There was a moment of hesitation but we were pretty sure it was a 50. Yelling ensued and we refused to give more. Despite overpaying, we decided to just walk away. The cab driver still got the last laugh though because when we looked around, we weren't close to where we wanted to go. We made sure we used Uber for the rest of our trip.”
Area 51 seems the obvious answer
I see no one has said it, so I’m going to: HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood has like a single block of its area that’s actually worth a visit- it’s the one with the Chinese Theater. But the rest of the city is a complete opposite of the rose-tinted glass view it shows itself as.
It’s not even the fact it’s crowded that’s the issue really, but it is definitely a root issue too.
- it’s filthy, there’s not only garbage everywhere but it’s never clean. You could make a game out of how much vomit, p**s, booze, and cum stains there are.
- the people are scary. Not just the homeless people who are in a depressingly large number, but people in general seem to have a screw loose. There’s also a lot of… “entrepreneurs” trying to sell their businesses, and they aren’t afraid to be in your face about it
- don’t expect any decent eating either. Unless you bleed gold and c**p diamonds, and make reservations a month in advance, there’s no food to be had here.
Overall, it’s just not worth the visit. You want to see an entertainment capital worth your time? Visit Universal Studios theme park. Now there’s an ACTUAL good time to be had.
Edit: I am talking about Hollywood Blvd specifically.
Hollywood is disgusting. When go to LA I spend most of my time in Long Beach, Compton and East LA. Better food and less crackheads.
In Alaska, please don't go close to the wildlife the bears will kill you along with the moose. Just no period. -_- I've seen so many tourist get attacked by bears and moose, it ain't pretty.....
And remember that bear spray is not applied like mosquito spray. Not at all.
“A contrasting story would be from our time in South Africa where we decided we would drive ourselves from Johannesburg to the Sabi Sands Private Reserve next to Kruger National Park for our safari. Luckily, we were able to speak to a friend knowledgeable about the area beforehand where she warned us about the police catching people speeding and then expecting a bribe. This put us on high alert throughout our drive and made sure we followed the speed limits to a T. We never encountered any speed traps along the way and arrived at our lodge without a hitch. Feeling pretty good about it, we then heard from other travelers that we met there that had the opposite experience and actually had to deal with the bribing sadly.”
If you wouldn't go there in your home country, don't go there in a foreign country.
What I mean is, every city has a 'bad neighborhood'. Either research before you go, or ask around while you're there.
Every country has a backwoods rural area known for being a bad place for foreigners. Learn where it is and avoid it.
Every tourist destination has tourist traps. Learn what kind of traps to look out for in your destination.
If you go somewhere and purposely try to trigger the locals, you deserve what you get. Research places you plan to visit. Read the news from those places too. Be polite and gracious, and avoid ruffling feathers. Most people who live in rural areas or even down South. aren’t MAGAts, bumpkins, or illiterate. Believe it or not. They’re just not as loud about it as those other people are. People aren’t stereotypes or caricatures. So don’t go lumping them in with their embarrassing neighbors, as it would insult them. In fact, avoid those topics entirely. Every country—-and I mean EVERY COUNTRY—-has its embarrassing citizens. If you wouldn’t like Americans to insult you by lumping you in with them, don’t do it to us.
Look up current sundown towns. I know truckers who absolutely get the f**k out of those places before dark for fear of racial retaliation.
Me and my sis stopped to get gas in a small southern town last year...got out went into the store, 2 Black women traveling alone, all eyes fell on us and it got quiet. We turned the h.. around and drove to the next larger town. NNNOOOPE!
The bottom line is that it never hurts to be prepared, even if the location is as “well known” as the United States. After all, it’s a pretty huge, diverse country with a lot to offer, so ask around, Google your destination and make some notes. And if you want to see more of what Will Tang does, you can find his blog here, his Instagram here, his YouTube here, and his TikTok here.
New Orleans during Mardi Gras and Manhattan, NY during New Years. If you like the smell of p*ss, sh*t and vomit, ignore my advice.
Honestly, when it comes to nature, please visit everywhere you're heart desires. Just respect Native lands, and plan according to seasons.
City wise, every city has its problems. Do some research and learn the areas to avoid at night and you'll be fine.
Edit
Don't forget, private lands here are private. Take no trespassing and keep out signs seriously.
Anywhere with a Rainforest Cafe and a Wax Museum on the same street is a tourist trap.
Edit: i love how many people keep guessing what city im talking about and no guess has been the same.
Gas station sushi.
No matter how fresh they say it is. . . *Never. Ever. Eat it.*
Gary, Indiana. Americans should avoid it as well
OMG. Went to Chicago from SE Michigan and got off in Gary to get cheap gas before hitting Chicago. I am from Detroit and that was still the most desolate place I have ever seen. The gas station was closed, the on ramp to get back on the freeway was closed... so here we are driving in the dark trying to find gas before we run out and a way back on the road. (Before Google maps) My wife's BFF wakes up in the back seat, looks around, and asks "Where the hell did you bring me?!" Gary isn't an exaggeration...
As a native Californian, I'd definitely say the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That place is so dirty and grimy and all the people and street performers there are sketchy and aggressive. Definitely not worth it if you ask me
Not American but if you ever find yourself in East Texas and think ‘I’m going to drive to New Orleans’ DON’T DO IT.
Rural Louisiana is like the f*****g upside down.
I live in rural louisana and can tell you it isn't any more of a freak show than east fricking texas.
Times Square. As a native New Yorker I highly recommend going to Chelsea, the Village, or anywhere in Central Park over this overrated monstrosity dedicated to capitalism.
Was there. It was okay. But the Hot Dogs are c**p. Even Ikea does better.
Right now.... Vermont.
Vermont homeowner here. We had a double whammy last week and it has been brutal.
Avoid swimming in Lake Superior. People read the name “Lake” and get excited. What they don’t realize is they’re (Great Lakes) inland fresh water seas. It’s cold af and it can be fatal.
Edit: too many people missing the point here
- I know that are some decent beaches around LS where you can go and swim and do stuff, I was talking about the lake as a whole.
- For those who can swim in it, it’s good, I myself have been fortunate enough to have swam in it a few times, however, my point being, that the Great Lakes in general are a powerful entity and unlike your regular lakes, moreover, except for a couple of months, the weather can be erratic and can change multiple times in a day, so, if someone’s planning to swim, they need to be careful.
- It’s great that if you can swim there all the time, doesn’t mean everyone should. It’s a general advice, not a specific one.
There are ships that have gone down in the Great Lakes due to weather conditions and rogue waves. The most well-known is probably the Edmund Fitzgerald, listen to the advice of locals, if they don't swim somewhere then you shouldn't either.
Steaming Acidic hot springs in Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is fascinating if you learn the geology. And follow Park Ranger instructions.
Not American but as a visitor trying to travel on the cheap, I made the mistake of booking a greyhound bus ride. There's a reason why it was cheap lol
unless something has changed recently, i dont see why. Did several Greyhound trips. Its the same as bustraveling in Europe. Usualy nice, can be bad.
Note: this post originally had 54 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I would say the Idaho panhandle. Full of neo-nazis and other creeps and not worth it especially if you are a woman.
Southern Idaho is nice though. I know a few people from in the panhandle, and they're tough people, but not bad. I haven't been up there much though so I'm not really sure.
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Instead of doing the negative thing, how about a post on places you should visit? Starting with Mt Mitchell in NC. Head to one of the barbecue places on the NC Barbecue Trail. Okracoke Island
I would also just like to reccomend Detroit. Several teenagers came together and used technologies on phones to kind of call the community to report and slowly cleared out Detroit. It’s much better now, just my moment of pride for my city. Also, I would reccomend mackinaw city, it’s beautiful, no cars but you can walk, it’s also very safe, and smells of horses and fudge. You can bike around the whole island if you are a good biker, or take a horse carriage tour knowing the horses are treated well.
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I would say the Idaho panhandle. Full of neo-nazis and other creeps and not worth it especially if you are a woman.
Southern Idaho is nice though. I know a few people from in the panhandle, and they're tough people, but not bad. I haven't been up there much though so I'm not really sure.
Load More Replies... Instead of doing the negative thing, how about a post on places you should visit? Starting with Mt Mitchell in NC. Head to one of the barbecue places on the NC Barbecue Trail. Okracoke Island
I would also just like to reccomend Detroit. Several teenagers came together and used technologies on phones to kind of call the community to report and slowly cleared out Detroit. It’s much better now, just my moment of pride for my city. Also, I would reccomend mackinaw city, it’s beautiful, no cars but you can walk, it’s also very safe, and smells of horses and fudge. You can bike around the whole island if you are a good biker, or take a horse carriage tour knowing the horses are treated well.
Load More Replies... 