Appreciate and understand – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Americans are notorious for not understanding foreign cultures that come to our country. We sometimes use tacky and thoughtless phrases — such as, “Speak English!” — or we question foreign cultures’ parenting practices. However, after doing this, we venture to foreign cultures and expect everyone to conform to our ways and language.

Before leaving home for your trip, grab a book about that country’s culture and practices. You won’t be an expert, of course — and the locals don’t expect you to be.

However, demonstrating that you respect and admire their culture goes a long way to getting along with the locals. I’ve found in most countries I’ve visited — even ones that “Don’t like Americans” — people would love to talk to you as long as you come across as appreciative and understanding.

Pick a dish randomly – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

It’s always great to research restaurants beforehand. But sometimes it’s also fun to leave it up to chance. Be adventurous! Don’t be afraid of picking a restaurant without an English menu… the waiter and other patrons can always help. Or, maybe they won’t. So what?

During your vacation, pick one item randomly off the menu for your meal. One of the most memorable meals we had was in a little restaurant in Japan that didn’t have an English menu. We blindly picked several items, and I ended up with one of my favorite Japanese dishes that I would’ve never ordered if I had an English translation: ochazuke, or green tea with rice!

Pro tip: If you’re concerned about picking an unfamiliar dish, be sure to do it on a night you’re “venue hopping.”

Know the numbers (and the currency) – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

The meal was delicious, and the atmosphere was divine, but then it comes time for the bill. As long as you know numbers in the native tongue, dealing with the bill should be no problemo. Perhaps you know your basic, uno, dos, tres… but try learn more numbers in the native tongue.

Parts of Italy are especially notorious for using some fast-talking to try and overcharge for even your basic bowl of penne. Make sure you have no problem asking for correct change or asserting that your meal was trece (13) euros — not treinta (30).

Pro tip: When you arrive in-country, look carefully at the money from that place. Learn what the different colors or sizes of the bills indicate. Later, when you’re feeling rushed — perhaps you’ve been drinking? — you want to feel comfortable with the cash and not throw down the equivalent of $100 when all you ordered was two beers.

Don’t get ripped off by taxi drivers – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Here are three tips for avoiding getting ripped off by taxi drivers in foreign countries:

1.) Before getting in a taxi that doesn’t use a meter, make sure you agree on the fare with the driver so you won’t get a surprise at the end of the ride.

2.) To avoid misunderstandings, have the hotel staff write the addresses of your destination and the hotel in the local language so you can show it to the taxi driver. Also, carry a map with the locations circled to show the driver in case they are not in a popular area.

3.) Carry bills in small denominations and change to pay; drivers often don’t carry change for large bills… or say they don’t.

Make a game of sampling the specialty – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

When we travel someplace, we like to try the area’s specialty in multiple places and then decide which establishment did it the best.

For example, on a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we tried a regional specialty, the pasty (potatoes, veggies, onion and beef in a pastry), at three restaurants during our stay. On a vacation to Maui, Hawaii, we sampled mai tais each night at a different place. We made sure to visit the site of our self-proclaimed “winner” one more time for a farewell mai tai before our enjoyable vacation came to an end.

Making a game of sampling the specialty is a great way to make sure you see lots of a particular destination and enjoy the various “twists” that destination offers.