Your European vacation is almost here? Great!
You’ve followed our tips to boost your Cultural IQ, and you’ve reached new understandings of the places you will visit on your trip? Fantastic! You are ready to connect with the locals, make new friends, and travel deeply and richly.
Here are some tips to bring along with you to help you fit in when you get there.
1. Hang back and observe when you find yourself in new or uncertain circumstances. Watch how the regulars order, how they pay their bill, if they seat themselves or wait to be seated, even what they order.
2. Dress in muted, dark colors. All black works and doesn’t show the stains or dirt if you re-wear it. Consult street fashion blogs if you are headed to big cities like Paris or Florence and care about such things.
3. Keep your voice down. Lower your volume in shops and restaurants.
4. Eat when the locals do. In Italy and France this can mean dinner at 8 or 9 pm. In Spain or Greece it could be 9 or later. In tourist centers, you will find restaurants that will serve you earlier, but they are not where you want to dine.
5. Greet the staff in the local language when you enter small shops. In places like a bakery or butcher shop, this is common among locals. Aside from being polite, this will set you apart from other tourists.
6. Drink responsibly. Enjoy the wines of Italy and France and the beers of Germany, but pace yourself. Never drink and drive. In many countries the legal blood-alcohol level is lower than in the US.
7. Remember afternoon closures, especially in small towns in southern Europe. Siesta tradition closes many shops, churches, and banks for a couple hours in the late-lunch time zone. Plan accordingly or linger over a long lunch.
8. Do what the natives do. Visit smaller galleries. Go to an opera or rock concert. Golf. Hang out in a pub or find happy hour. Do the things you enjoy at home. Just don’t expect them to be like they are at home, and relish the differences and the contact you make with local people who share your interests.
9. Exercise as you normally do. With a little research, you can find a local yoga or Zumba class on site. Jog or walk where the locals do. Rent bikes and explore popular local routes.
10. Seek out off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods and small towns. In major cities, get out of the historic center and visit outer neighborhoods and residential areas. Where do the artists live? In the countryside, favor smaller, lesser known villages.
11. Talk to people. Ask for help, advice and directions. With so many tech tools at our disposal, it is easy to become self reliant, but we miss out! Engage as much as you can with those who speak your language, and be sure to speak clearly and in simple sentences.
12. Be outgoing and optimistic. Always assume the best in people, even and especially when you cannot understand them.
13. Become a regular. Go to the same cafe every morning for your coffee or to the same bar each night for a nightcap. Making a local routine, especially if you stay a week or longer, will make you known and appreciated. In a tourist center like Venice or Rome, you will stand out from the others and be welcomed.
14. Shop in small specialty stores. You’ll see chain stores and supermarkets abroad, but skip them when you can patronize smaller merchants. And never miss an outdoor market, especially in smaller villages.
15. Ride the trains and public transit. Be sure passes and tickets are validated properly. Ride in second class on trains. Use local apps to help you navigate city transit. Your Untour includes a pass and good local instruction to get you started.
Have a great time on your European vacation! We wish you happy travels with lots of local connection.
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