Practicing Travel Etiquette Can Prevent Potential Problems or Misunderstandings
Regardless of your reasons for traveling, understanding and practicing the proper travel etiquette can minimize hassle and reduce your stress. While businessmen will likely want to know the proper etiquette to facilitate a deal, those traveling for pleasure are more likely to need to know travel etiquette to help them get around in a foreign city.
For example, if you don’t know how to hail a cab or call a restaurant server, you may get extremely frustrated as you endlessly wait. Similarly, you may inadvertently insult someone because you don’t know their particular way of saying something. Or you could put someone off by using hand gestures that are offensive in that particular area.
As a result, familiarize yourself with some of the basic customs of the region to which you plan to travel. Because keeping track of various cultures and their norms can be quite challenging, particularly if you're traveling to a dozen different countries, here are a few helpful guidelines:
- Clean up after yourself. Don’t leave trash behind, nor throw it on the ground.
- Don't take anything without permission, not even a rock or a flower.
- Don't assume that people around you can’t understand what you are saying. Many people have some understanding of English.
- If a host or new friend offers you food or drink, accept the offer. In many countries, a refusal is considered quite rude.
- If you're not sure how things are done, ask politely. The concierge at your hotel can be a qualified guide in either providing answers or directing you to people who can give you them.
- If you're traveling with others, introduce each person formally. Introductions are very important in some countries.
- Take along a reliable guidebook that includes good advice about public behavior that is particular to your destination.
A general rule to keep in mind is that, as a tourist, you should behave in the same way that you would expect (and want) a foreigner to your neighborhood to act.
In this section, we will lay out some basic rules of travel etiquette. By knowing some of these basics, you are sure to make friends with locals and enjoy some of the most unique and valued memories on your trip!
Hotel Etiquette
Although the proper etiquette for hotels depends on the country to which you travel and the type of hotels in which you stay, there are some fundamental rules of etiquette you should always practice. While you should never take anything from a hotel room, you should also never intentionally destroy anything in it.
Similarly, always treat the hotel staff with respect. Whether you are dealing with the hotel manager or the maid, a little respect can greatly improve your stay. Not only with staff be more apt to provide you with good service, but they can also give you some good tips for places to go in the city.
Restaurant Etiquette
Another important place to exhibit appropriate travel etiquette is in restaurants. However, because food and the dining experience is so culturally ingrained, be sure to brush up on dining etiquette that is specific to your destination.
For example, if you are going to France, you may become really confused when the server brings you a salad at the end of the meal if you don’t know that the end of the meal is traditionally when salads are served in France. Similarly, don’t be offended if the Japanese pick up their bowls and slurp their soup. This is also the tradition, according the rules of Japanese restaurant etiquette.
Tipping Etiquette
Like other rules of etiquette, tipping is highly unique to the area you visit. In fact, although tipping is a standard part of many service industry jobs in the U.S., it is highly insulting in some countries.
To prevent insulting servers abroad (either because you didn't tip adequately or because you shouldn't tip at all), be sure to check out the tipping guidelines for your destination. Keep reading for an outline of tipping etiquette around the world.
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