6. They always get in everybody's way taking pictures. | The Odyssey Online
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10 Stupidest Things Tourists Do

They don't know where anything is.

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10 Stupidest Things Tourists Do
Emilio M

This may not be the best time to write something like this because it is not for a while that you will have your next vacation.

Nonetheless, I thought writing something like this could be pretty useful to make y'all more aware. In case you didn't know, right now, I am studying abroad and since I left I've been traveling around quite a bit… And throughout most of my travels, I've gotten to see tourists do a lot of very dumb mistakes; or at least mistakes that seem to be very common among all of us. So for this week's article, I have decided to name some of the mistakes I've been noticing so you don't do them doing them too!

1. They don't know where stuff is or don't prepare properly. 

I guess this one is not really a mistake but if you are traveling to a famous country or city, you got to do your homework prior to visiting your travel destination. Here in Italy, I've seen quite a few tourists being completely clueless about what they want to see or do and once they go out and about they oftentimes have no clue of what is happening around them.

2. They don't care of their stuff like they should.

Okay, I hate to be sounding like your mom telling you to do something, but man, y'all gotta take care of your stuff… Almost every time I go out to a place where there are a lot of tourists around, I see multiple people with their purses open or their wallets halfway out of their pocket.

The funny thing is that, after they get robbed, tourists then wonder how it happened. Nonetheless, I must admit that I have this problem at times because I can be very distracted by the beautiful sights and thus, become a little careless, but still, that's no excuse. You always gotta pay attention to your surroundings and to your stuff.

3. They don't get the dress code memo.

So, in Europe, and especially in Italy, the main thing there is to watch besides museums, are churches. And in almost all churches there is, they'll most likely ask tourists to dress properly. That means no short skirts, no tank tops, no shorts or hats.

Tourists, however, always seem to forget they can't see some of the most important sights if they are wearing any of these things. So please, I urge you not to forget or ignore these rules; otherwise, you won't be able to enter anywhere.

4. They expect others to speak their language. 

This particular mistake may be more relevant in tourists from certain countries than others, but if you go to a foreign country where they speak another language you can't speak, it does not mean you shouldn't even try to make an effort to communicate in their language.

Yes, I get that you can't learn a language overnight but come on, you can at least learn the basics like how to say "thank you", "you're welcome", "hello" and "goodbye". If you don't even try to speak the language that is spoken in the country you're visiting you'll most likely come across to the locals as a complete asshole.

5. They are naive and easily fooled. 

Whenever you are a tourist it can be very easy to get tricked by the locals; mainly because sometimes they might use your cluelessness to their advantage. For example, they might overcharge you for buying something, or they might tell you things that are not true in order to trick you or rob you and so on.

As a tourist, you got to be aware that not all people are good and that stuff like this can most certainly happen. So always pay attention when interacting with locals.

6. They always get in everybody's way taking pictures. 

This one may seem kind of unimportant but I'm telling you… The struggle is real. Today, my group and I went to Florence to see the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Duomo's museum. At the museum, it literally took me anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes to take a single decent picture of Brunelleschi's "Doors Of Paradise" because people would carelessly walk right in front of me while being fully aware that I was trying to get a picture. This is honestly common courtesy and people should have a little more respect because it really isn't that hard to wait 5 seconds for someone to take a picture. I promise I'm not triggered but still come on.

7. They can be loud and obnoxious. 

Most of tourists travel in big groups and when they do they can truly be too loud and obnoxious. This can be especially relevant when these groups are in closed spaces. They take all the space there is and if you're not part of a group, it can be really tough to talk over them if you are wanting to talk to someone next to you.

8. They can be truly disrespectful to the places they visit. 

I know, that not all of you completely mistreat the places you visit, but sadly, I've come across some tourists that carelessly throw trash around and leave their stuff laying all over the place without caring about a single thing. Seeing this kind behavior is truly sad and it honestly should be corrected at all costs. Just remember that all places worth visiting have some kind of special value, so please treat those places the way they deserved to be treated.

9. They don't always follow the rules. 

Going hand on hand with the "being respectful" thing, following rules is essential. Sadly, many tourists sometimes absolutely disregard these directly causing problems. Whenever you're traveling please make sure you are attentive of the rules you have to follow and please actually do follow them.

Don't be disrespectful, don't go into places you are not supposed to and please do not do things you're not supposed to do either. Inform yourself and always do what you are told.

10. They get lost very easily. 

This one is a classic and it tends to happen quite frequently when people travel in big groups. When visiting places like cathedrals, museums, and architectonic masterpieces, it can be very easy to be left behind for being too distracted taking pictures or doing other things of the same sort. So please make sure, you're always with your group and know where they go at all times, otherwise, your potentially amazing day can become a nightmare.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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