7 Innocent American Behaviors That Offend People Around the World!

When “Being Nice” Isn’t So Nice Abroad

Why Your ‘Politeness’ Abroad Might Get You Glares Not Gratitude and How to Stop Accidentally Insulting Locals When You Travel

Have you ever come back from a trip abroad wondering why the locals seemed cold, standoffish, or just plain off?

It might not have been them.

It might’ve been you.

Americans aren’t out here slapping waiters or flipping tables, we’re offending people with smiles, small talk, and good intentions.

And half the time, we don’t even know we’re doing it. 

That’s the scary part.

When I first moved to Ukraine back in ’99, I thought I had charm. 

I smiled at strangers. I cracked jokes with waitresses. 

I even patted a guy on the back at a bazaar after haggling for a leather belt I didn’t need. 

He did not smile back. In fact, he looked at me like I’d just insulted his grandmother’s borscht recipe. 

That was the first time it hit me.

I wasn’t being friendly, I was being American.

And not in a good way.

France, Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, it didn’t matter where I was.

Every time I tried to inject a little good ol’ American enthusiasm into a conversation, the room temperature dropped ten degrees.

Meanwhile, a former teaching colleague of mine in Kyiv told me he also once got side-eyed for asking “How are you?” too cheerfully to a shop owner.

The guy thought he was either mocking him… or trying to sell him life insurance.

For years, I treated travel like a performance, smile big, talk fast, tip well, connect instantly. 

But somewhere between the cracked windows of a summer dacha in Ukraine and the slow, silent service in a French café, it hit me.

The more I acted like a tourist, the less I actually “experienced” the places I was in. I wasn’t connecting… I was performing.

In this article, I’m going to break down 7 seemingly “normal” American behaviors.

Things we do without thinking, that can make us look completely rude overseas.

Not malicious.

Not mean-spirited.

Just… culturally tone-deaf.

If you’ve ever left a restaurant abroad wondering why your server avoided eye contact, or why the couple next to you suddenly got up and left mid-conversation… this might explain why.

1. Interrupting People Mid-Sentence

In the U.S., jumping into a conversation can feel like excitement. We overlap, interrupt, and finish each other’s sentences like it’s some kind of verbal group hug.

But in France, that same habit reads more like, “Shut up, I’ve got something better to say.”

A former colleague of mine, a German teacher I met while working in Ukraine, once sat through a roundtable discussion with American expats.

By the end, she looked like he needed a cigarette and a nap. “Why do Americans argue like they’re in a courtroom?” she asked. “It’s like you’re all trying to win a debate, not have a conversation.”

Reality Check: In many cultures, especially in parts of Europe, pauses are intentional.

Silence is space to think… not an invitation to pounce.

If someone’s talking, let them finish.

You’ll look more respectful, and bonus… you might actually hear something worth responding to.

2. Smiling Too Much at Strangers… It Creeps People Out

In Ukraine, I once made the mistake of smiling at every passerby like I was running for mayor. After all, that’s what we do in the States, it’s called being polite, right?

Wrong.

In Kyiv, I learned that unprovoked smiling can make you look mentally unstable… or suspicious.

A woman actually furrowed her brows at me, clutched her purse, and quickly crossed the street.

In her defense, I was wearing cargo shorts and a baseball cap, so I probably looked like the kind of clueless American who’d ask where the nearest McDonald’s was, in perfect English.

Reality Check: In much of the world, especially Eastern Europe, smiling is reserved for people you actually know.

Want to blend in? Save your megawatt grin for when you’ve earned it.

3. Speaking Loudly in Public Spaces… Your Voice Screams Tourist!

Americans love to project. And not just emotionally, we literally speak louder.

On a tram in Strasbourg, I once overheard an American couple debating whether a croissant could count as an actual breakfast.

The entire car did too, silently of course, but with the kind of collective judgment only the French can pull off without saying a word.

In Greece, I was tucked in a corner of a quiet café when an American tourist practically shouted his breakfast order across the room.

The waiter flinched like he’d just been handed a subpoena.

Reality Check: Volume is culture-specific. Abroad, loud voices can signal aggression or entitlement.

Want to avoid the side-eye? Lower the volume.

You’re not narrating a documentary.

4. “Being Too Nice” with Staff or Strangers Can Backfire Abroad

In the U.S., we bond with our baristas. We joke with cashiers. We ask waiters where they’re really from.

It’s not just friendliness, it’s a sport.

But in Spain, when I asked a grocery clerk how her day was going, she stared at me like I’d asked for her bank PIN. “Is everything okay?” she finally asked.

I think she thought I was hitting on her. I wasn’t.

A Spanish Airbnb host once told me, “We don’t talk to strangers unless we have to. It’s not rude. It’s respectful. People have lives.”

Reality Check: What Americans call friendly, others call intrusive.

Start formal. Observe.

If locals warm up, great. If not, it’s not personal.

5. Rushing Service… Think the Waiter’s Ignoring You? Think Again

“Can we get the check?” I asked in a cozy café in France.

Then again.

And again.

Bueller… Bueller… Bueller… (in reference to the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

It never came.

In the U.S., restaurants rush you out before your appetizer is cold. But in France, Spain, and Georgia, dining is an event.

There’s no passive-aggressive hovering or check-dropping before you’re halfway through your coffee.

The waiter finally brought the check after we’d been sitting for what felt like a season of Stranger Things.

And he looked a little offended when I apologized as I smiled awkwardly and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take up your table this long.”

He looked genuinely confused. “But, you are supposed to stay,” he said.

Reality Check: Abroad, service isn’t slow… it’s intentional.

It’s designed to let you relax. If you’re in a hurry, go to a fast-food place.

Otherwise, slow down and savor the moment.

6. Oversharing Personal Information Too Quickly… Too Much, Too Soon?

In the U.S., sometimes it seems like it’s completely normal to trauma-dump on someone five minutes into meeting them. “I had a rough childhood, my ex just ghosted me, and here’s my therapist’s number, just in case.”

But try that in Ukraine and watch people edge away like you’re contagious.

I once went on a first date in Kyiv and made the mistake of oversharing.

She nodded politely, then said, “You know… we just met.” Fair.

I had, in fact, led with a story about being stopped on the street by the police for a random “You look foreign, show us your ID” check, at the time.

Not exactly romantic.

Reality Check: Not every culture prizes vulnerability as an icebreaker.

Abroad, emotional intimacy takes time.

Don’t rush it.

7. Treating Cultural Norms Like They’re “Weird”

Mayonnaise on pizza. No dryers. No AC in July.

These were the things that once had me emailing friends and family back home like, You’ll never believe what I just saw.

But then I realized, I, was the weird one.

I was the guest.

And loudly mocking someone’s way of life just made me look like a tourist who couldn’t adapt.

In Italy, when my sister visited, she nearly lost her mind at the lack of air conditioning. “Do they want us to die?” she said.

The Italians? Unbothered.

Just fanning themselves like the heat was part of La Dolce Vita.

Reality Check: Curiosity is good. Judgment is ugly.

If something surprises you, ask about it. Don’t mock it.

You’re there to learn, not compare Yelp reviews with your home country.

You’re Not Rude… You’re Just Unaware

The truth is, most Americans abroad aren’t trying to be rude. But intention doesn’t erase perception.

I’ve embarrassed myself in enough countries to know that cultural faux pas aren’t about being “bad”, they’re about being unaware.

And awareness is fixable. It starts with watching, listening, and dropping the assumption that our way is the right way.

So next time you catch yourself demanding the check, cracking jokes with strangers, or giving a TED Talk about your childhood trauma to a server in Ukraine… pause. Breathe. Adjust.

Travel isn’t just about where you go. It’s about how you show up when you get there.

Now it’s your turn!

Have you ever done something abroad that you thought was normal… only to find out it was wildly rude? 

We’ve all been there.

And if you haven’t yet… you will.