No, you can’t order a cappuccino after lunch. You might wander around the city searching for a trash can for hours. If you need to use the restroom, be prepared to pay. And if someone tries to kiss you on the cheek, don’t freak out. They’re just being friendly!
When traveling internationally, it’s a given that you should mentally prepare yourself for some cultural differences. But no matter how many times they visit a place, some Redditors can’t seem to get behind all of the local customs. Below, you’ll find some of the quirks of various countries that travelers sometimes struggle with, as well as a conversation with travel expert Alex Miles from offMetro!
#21
The amount of food on a plate in most US restaurants, and how much leftovers of it go to the garbage, along with the exaggerated use of single use disposable cutlery.
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96points
#23
For me, it's in Mexico where the septic system can't handle toilet paper, so there are small trash cans next to every toilet for the.. um.. used paper.
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87points
#24
People clapping after a plane lands. This is done in several places but I’m most familiar with it in Russia. Men squatting in public, as often witnessed in Central Asia. People in Bulgaria shaking their heads to mean yes and nodding to say no.
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75points
#25
Women being hissed at as they walk down the street. A method of catcalling in many countries. I experienced it most in Latin America.
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74points
#26
Idk how to phrase this but the absolute disregard for noise pollution in Manila. It's almost impossible to escape the noise. There's loud cars and beeping everywhere. Also, nobody uses headphones. People will play videos at full volume and nobody seems to mind and so many of those videos have these really annoying sound effects. I feel like I developed some disorder there lol.
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72points
#27
I’m Filipino. Brought my Canadian husband home, he had a hard time adjusting his appetite because we eat 5 times a day. 😅
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67points
#28
For me it's the chronic car dependency (US, Canada and the Gulf are particularly egregious). Also I love Iraq but always find it somewhat unsettling how disproportionally few women you see in public (federal Iraq anyway, Kurdistan has is much better in this regard)
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67points
#29
I learned in Italy if you see a shop you want to visit and it’s open, go in right then and there because they’re bound to close with no notice at any time during the day without explanation. I don’t think I could ever get used to unpredictable business hours.
58points
#30
The lack of public trashcans in Japan. I realize it's Japanese custom to take your trash with you / dispose of it at your own home, but having trashcans at least in heavy tourist areas would be appreciated!
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56points