Traveling to another country is an exciting experience. You get to discover new cultures, meet new people and even find out a thing or two about yourself in the process. But if you’re not a regular world traveler, it might be difficult to know what is ok to do in other countries and what is frowned upon.

Unfortunately, Americans are common offenders and often make mistakes that offend other nations, willingly or not. Some of your seemingly innocent comments or gestures could even get you thrown in jail! To prevent that from happening and make sure your foreign experience is trouble-free, check out these 12 common mistakes Americans make when going abroad and stay away from making them too.