Hey there fellow travelers mark here with Wolters world and today we're in Mystic Connecticut in a beautiful place here in the US and today what we have for you are the don'ts a visit in the US because Anywhere you go in the world. There's things you should do, but there's also things you shouldn't do and this video is gonna Just cover the US In general okay? And our first don't for when you visit the US is don't touch the Americans. Look Americans really like their personal space it's like they have a bubble around them, and if you get too close to them they Feel very very very very uncomfortable, okay, so make sure you give them a little distance when you are there You know cuz I know when I go to Italy and Spain and stuff good mark How's it going on this stuff and my American friends sometimes go wow they're really really affectionate like that's just how it is Here space is key the second don't I have for you is don't count on public transportation look when we were in China And we were in throughout Europe in South America We took buses and trains and planes and all kinds of stuff to get all over the place because public transport has really developed Here in the US you cannot count on public transport to get you a lot of places Yes in big cities like New York and Chicago and stuff like that. You can get around for the public transport It'll take you where you want to go, but a lot of towns small towns Especially in middle sized cities the public transportation networks are not very good and at night sometimes was not very safe So that is kind of a frustrating thing, so yes, you're gonna probably have to rent a car when you come here, okay? So just have a heads up for that and that kind of leads into the next don't I have for you as that is Don't underestimate the size of the US the United States. It's you know continental US is like continental Europe. It's huge I mean
Would you think of driving from I wanna do you know go to from Lisbon to Paris and then go up to Tallinn and then? I'm gonna head down to Sofia. No you're like that is insanely far. It's the same thing when you come to the U.S. I meet a lot of travelers that are like oh I'm gonna fly in it New York grab a car drive down to Miami to see Miami Beach, then head over to LA I'm like dude you get two weeks. Here's from the entire time in cars the distances here are Insane so what I recommend is picking a region so all we're gonna stay here in New England and see New England what we're gonna go in the Southeast you know go to Atlanta Savannah and Charleston things like that or or visit the West Coast you do that to give better idea of the culture there and things like that but also it suggests the logistics things because it's so far between the places and to go along with that for Americans a three to four hour drive. That's a day trip like my parents of three hours away I will literally get up go drive have lunch with my mom and then drive back home Just for lunch six hours in the car. No big deal. It's about seven hours. We start to think hmm That kind of is a long drive, and we drive the entire way through okay This isn't like oh, I must stop every two hours, and have a 15-minute break Oh no. No no no no we drive all the way through okay Now my next don't for you when you come here Is don't think that the sticker price is the end price Look in the US we have sales tax. I know other countries. They have VAT (value-added taxes) They're already put into the price of products so when you see oh, it's one dollar or one euro I only pay one euro in the US it is not like that We have sales tax so a certain percentage is added on to that product And the thing is I cannot tell you what the sales tax will be where you're going to travel because it's different everywhere cities, states, counties... Different products have different sales taxes and some products don't have sales taxes some cities don't have sales taxes some have 10% sales tax It can be different. Anywhere you go, so if you're gonna go get your dollar menu Item at a McDonald's or Culver's or wherever it's not gonna be a buck where I live now There's two cities right by where I live one. It's gonna be a dollar eight the other one It's gonna be a dollar nine so be ready for that and it's not just the sales tax also
There could be the tipping on top and that leads us into the fifth don't and that is don't Forget to tip look in the u.s. You tip fifteen to twenty percent at a sit-down restaurant. Okay, now McDonald's stuff like that No, you don't tip at a fast-food place But it's a sit-down restaurant where they bring you your food and stuff like that you will tip them fifteen to twenty percent if you Are in a group of six people or more sometimes they automatically put the gratuity on there? Which sometimes to be 18 percent or something like that look when you come to the u.s.? There's a reason why the food is like so affordable like wow it's cheap to go out eat in the US It's because there's kind of this Understanding that the service fees and paying for the workers and the waitresses and stuff like that that goes on to you the person eating There with the tips so the food and stuff can be cheaper when you go out to eat And I know a lot of people say I don't believe in tipping another tip it isn't the right thing they should pay their people More, well if you want to pay more for your food they can do that, but they don't okay? So tipping is something we do do here in the US so do tip that 15 to 20 percent Oh, also if you're at a bar and you're buying drinks you're gonna want to tip a couple dollars here and there Otherwise the bartender might not be too quick to come back and get you your next drink So falling off of those tips what you need to realize is our next don't is Don't be freaked out by the over-the-top service and free stuff you sometimes get in the u.s. Look because of tipping and commissions and stuff like that yes There is a lot of over-the-top service here, but the thing is in the US that people actually are pretty nice And they want to help people and sometimes for some travelers if they come from countries Where people don't get a lot of service sometimes it can be a bit much so don't freak out about it Also with that is don't be freaked out with some of the free stuff you get when you go to Restaurants look if you go to a restaurant they bring you bread and water or chips and salsa and all those really good things That's included in your meal. Okay, so if you're gonna be buying something They're gonna give you some free stuff It might be some bread it might be a salad it might be a you know water might be something like that So don't be like shocked with like wait. I didn't order this bread I didn't order this salad oh, no that comes with your meal, okay Now the thing is though you can't just go in and get chips and salsa and walk out all right You actually have to order some food when you go there now. Now, my next don't for you. Is don't smoke cigarettes in the u.s. If you're smoking cigarettes in the U.S. People will look at me like you're trying to kill their, baby Cigarettes is like totally "Verboten" (Forbidden) like people really frown upon it which is funny because when they talk about marijuana and stuff like that people don't seem to care As much, but cigarettes, oh, you're trying to kill my baby with that cigarette two blocks away so if you do smoke make sure you try to find a place where you can smoke because a lot of restaurants or pretty much all restaurants Hotel stuff like that have smoke free its smoke free so you got to go like 15 to 20 feet away from doing things So that can be something so I've come here outside my favorite liquor store to give you the next don't and that is Don't try to buy alcohol unless you're 21 or Cigarettes unless you're 18 or over in the u.s. They will not sell them to you and the thing is don't forget your ID because if you look like you're 40 or under They may ask you for that and don't get mad at them because they don't ask they could get in trouble and get fined So don't be surprised because we've had friends that have come here tried to buy alcohol and like sorry You don't look old enough Oh, I don't have my ID too bad, and the thing is it's not just a person buying they might ask anybody with you So make sure everybody has their ID if they want to buy liquor or they want to but well they weren't buy alcohol Or if they want to buy cigarettes so just FYI on that one Oh, that's also another don't have for you is don't bother with the metric system when you come here We don't use meters. We don't use kilometers. We don't use liters. It is inches, feet, miles, gallons pounds things like that and I'll put a conversion chart here to show you but Honestly you may say how far is it to this next town, and they'll tell you oh, it's like 60 miles You're like what's that? 60 miles? It's about a hundred kilometers Okay, so just do that because the people here won't get it I mean I have people but not some oh, it's 100 meters away like a hundred meters. It's like a hundred yards Okay, so make sure you do know your Imperial system Okay, because metric - We don't do that so much here, so we're next don't is when you do come at the US There's a couple things you don't talk about okay? One is gun control and two is Politics because no matter where you are you will get people on either side of the spectrum And they will have an argument with you, so it's best just to lay off those topics talk about the weather Oh wouldn't it be nicer if it was sunny today. We'll even go sailing yes That would be much better than discussing gun control or politics. Just putting that one out there for you right now Now my next hope for you Is don't assume that all the US and all the Americans are the same, so I know a lot of people say Oh, you're a typical American. What's like saying you're a typical European look the U.S. Has all kinds of different cultures all kinds of different people all kinds of different Topography and scenery and stuff like that and when you come here. Don't assume. It's all the same You will see regional differences in cuisines, and how people treat each other, and how everything looks all kinds of stuff So don't just think there's just one kind of American. They're all fat. Sloppy guys with ponytails No, there's actually a lot of skinny people in America too. Not just fat guys like me and my buddy Jeff There are those so don't assume it's all the same all right, so do go out and explore And that's why I always say is if you're gonna come to the U.S. go and explore different regions because you'll get a really different feel because going to the southeast and seeing the the plantation homes and going to see that the southern towns down there versus going to the northwest and Seattle and Portland or going to San Francisco or go to the Midwest with Chicago and Milwaukee you're gonna have a very different feel Which is really a cool thing to do and you start to understand this Wow the U.S. does have a lot of different cultures within it a lot of different feelings when you go around here and Following on with that. I guess I would say another don't is don't assume There's no culture in the US because there are a lot of Cultural centers out there if you go down to New Orleans you see a very rich culture there you go to New York or Boston Here in New England you have a very distinct culture in the Midwest with Chicago Milwaukee you go to the west coast I mean there's a lot of different culture here Historic culture with the Native Americans or more recent culture here. I mean you have all that here You can really take in and saying there's no culture in the U.S. it's not really true because there are all these different cultural centers with great museums like the artists to to Chicago or the Met in New York the Getty in LA there's all kinds of stuff you can see and do when you are here for a cultural trip It's not just eating beautiful landscapes and seascapes like we are here in Connecticut There's a lot more to it than that now. My next don't for you It's one that I kind of got a lot of questions about we actually have a video on this and then that is Don't think that how are you or? How is it going is actually a question look when we say how's it going? How you how are you these kind of things in the u.s.. It's not a question. It's a statement It's like saying hi, okay Just take it as a hi because a lot of people say this everyone asked me how I'm doing When I try to tell them what I'm how I'm feeling they're like what I was just saying how are you here? How are you is just hi think of it that way it's like in France Saiva say that is it? How's it going? How's it going? We're good to go in Portuguese to the vein everything good you answer back to Devane everything good It's just how are you? How are you you move on okay? So don't think it's an actual All right now another don't I have for you is don't expect a lot at the fancy hotels. You know you're thinking Oh, I'm gonna pay more money for this hotel I'm probably to get nicer stuff like a nicer breakfast better Wi-Fi Oh no No
No for some reason in the US it seems like the nicer the hotel the more you have to pay for the things you think Would be free like Wi-Fi and Breakfast So don't feel like you have to stay at the fancy hotels because honestly if you're gonna be going out and exploring You just need a couple beds right so stay at the hotels in the US and the cheaper ones will give you free Wi-Fi Free breakfasts all these kind of things which is really nice, so don't Expect that from the fancy hotels another don't I have for you is don't skip out on the local food look We're here in New England Connecticut. We've been having Lobster and clams and oh my god No England clam chowder. Oh my tummy is just like no Mama, it's fantastic when I'm in the South man southern fried chicken mac and cheese barbecue. Oh my god The food and the different regions in the US are great So don't just go to chain restaurants when you go to your hotel ask them Hey, put some local restaurants around here with some locally owned and operated restaurants So you can go there and check out those places because they really give you a great experience And I find a lot of times those ones actually have better service than the chain restaurants because it's a mom-and-pop Place where the owners the ones helping you out And that is really kind of a cool thing now my next stone for you. Is don't get sick look health care in the US is Insanely expensive and just because you come from another country doesn't mean they're not gonna find you for the bill alright So if you're gonna be coming here make sure you get travel insurance or trip insurance so in case you do get sick or you Do break an ankle or you do break an arm or something happens to you your insurance will cover it now you might have to pay it first near insurance pays you back, but least you'll get something back because Health care here in the U .S. Is insanely expensive Okay So make sure you prepare for that and I guess by last don't I'm gonna have for you is one that People actually got mad at me for where I lived in other countries when I told them the U.S. Has 50 states and they said no the US has 52 states look don't think the US has 52 states the US has 50 states okay, just just a heads up on that one I'm sure people got a comment dang down below that when I was in school. They told me 52 no There's 48 on the mainland and then Alaska and Hawaii are 49 and 50 all right So those are our don'ts for visiting the US. What are some of the don'ts you have for the U.S. Because I know there's more out there. I just want to get some of these out there to help out travelers Heading to the US just so we can get things going anyway If you like videos like this we have stuff on what the don'ts of going to Russia The don'ts of going to Germany the don'ts of you know going to Brazil and things like that and we really like helping travelers with Honest travel advice so if you like this video do click that subscribe button it means a lot to us And we put new travel videos out every Wednesday and Saturday to help great travelers Just like you so I'll say bye from Connecticut and have a great time in the U.S. Because don't worry, you will. It's a fantastic place
TL;DW:
1) Don't touch Americans.
2) Don't rely on Public Transportation.
3) Don't underestimate size of USA.
4) Don't think price you see is the price you pay.
5) Don't forget to tip.
6) Don't be freaked out by over the top service and free stuff.
7) Don't smoke cigarettes.
8) Don't try to buy alcohol unless you're 21 or without your ID.
9) Don't bother with the metric system.
10) Don't talk about politics or gun control.
11) Don't assume all Americans are the same.
12) Don't assume there's no culture.
13) Don't feel bad if someone asks you, "How are you?" but they don't wait for an answer.
14) Don't expect lots of free stuff at nicer hotels.
15) Don't skip out on local food.
16) Don't get sick, it costs too much.
17) Don't think the US has 52 states.
Swedish dude here!
Been in the US a lot of times and love it, but this video is pretty much spot on. Same goes for the Swedish videos he has made!
I remember the first time i went to a restaurant and the waiter topped up my coke all the time, i was think i had to pay extra for it until i found out it was included!
Good video expect the "how far is something" American response, most of the time we respond in time, not measured distance.
Example:
"How far is the store?"
"About 5 minutes away"
and yes we are assuming you are driving!
I'm really interested in where they think we are hiding the extra two states
I didn't know America had Primark. This changes everything.
On a sidenote Americans are absurdly friendly. Almost uncomfortably so if you're a Brit. Especially service workers and their boundless helpfulness, energy and friendless I am not entirely sure they're not taking the piss.
Mario Batali's twin brother seems nice well travelled
We installed some equipment for a doctor a couple years ago and since it was new and we had no experience with the product line the manufacturer flew a guy out to assist...from Germany. I picked him up from the airport and he wanted to go have breakfast..fine. He wanted to go sit down and order a meal. I explained that we had three hours of drive time ahead of us and he thought I was mistaken. He sulkily accepted mcdonald’s For breakfast and I don’t think he actually believed me about the drive time until we were halfway into the trip. Some people really struggle with the sheer size of the place.
The whole Americans are oblivious to the metric system is also exaggerated. The metric system isn't official, but it has made it's way into our daily life anyways. I bet most Americans can eyeball a gram. I sure as hell am not getting skimped on a gram.
Here’s my big “don’t” about the US: Don’t litter.
I know that many European countries feel the same way, but many other countries seem to feel that throwing garbage out the car window is not a big deal. It’s a BIG DEAL here.