What do foreigners get warned about when traveling to the U.S.? (Photo: Michela Ravasio/Stocksy)

Being topless is outlawed, even for small girls. - German government

Avoid walking alone in less vibrant areas (parts of the Bronx in particular) and parks (including Central Park). - French government

Don’t make flippant remarks about bombs or terrorism, especially when passing through U.S. airports. - British government

These are just a few of the warnings issued by governments abroad for anyone planning to travel to America. You can see what the world has to say about us via government websites (with a little help from Google translate) — and it’s pretty eye opening.

The foreign views about our government (“During Obama’s time in power, America’s global power position eroded”), our laws (“The American authorities are extremely vigilant”), and our culture (“Breastfeeding of babies in public is indeed now the exception in [al]most every state of ‘indecent exposure’”), provide invaluable insight on how we, a reigning superpower, are viewed (or stereotyped) around the world today.

From insulting to spot-on and some even “seriously, WTF?” — here are a few of the most memorable bullet points from other countries’ ministries of foreign affairs about traveling to the U.S.

Related: Are Americans Really the Worst? 5 Other Countries Whose Tourists Make Us Look Good

France

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This is what France thinks of America. (Photo: Jessica Lucia/Flickr)



“It is recommended to adopt a reserved attitude toward persons of the opposite sex,” when in the U.S., at least according to the French government, which implores its citizens to basically, behave. Americans as a people are very respectful of the law, says France, which is why possessing narcotics, going topless in public, or inappropriately joking with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are all actions that come with consequences. “In many States, the possession of firearms is permitted and common. Visitors must therefore, in any circumstance, keep their calm…” say the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.

Germany

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If you want to run around sans clothing, find yourself a nude beach. (Photo: iStock)

A credit card is “indispensable,” repeated harassment known as “stalking” is punishable by law, and if you want to parade around in your birthday suit, you’d better find a nude beach, Germany tells its people about the U.S. Also, regarding: parking tickets (“Please pay!”), high medical bills (“Often it is cheaper to fly back to Germany and to deal with [it] here”), and cases of child negligence or solicitation (“The borders between harmless family photos and punishable ‘sexually suggestive’ photos are blurred in the eyes of investigators,”) the country says about our legal system.

Sweden

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