A non-local or foreign pilot is going to get a bit of a "cockpit workload increase" otherwise...
Just say "unfamiliar" and they'll give you vectors, or a published VRP, or whatever.
I've had this on a number of occasions and it was never a problem. On the other hand, I've also had (and used) non-published VRPs in airspace where I'm very familiar and it really helps with situational awareness and getting the route you want.