Five Things You Really Shouldn’t Do in Europe

No. 1: Leave The Loud At Home

 

So tell me. Where are you vacationing this year?

If you’re like the record-setting 73 million U.S. citizens who traveled abroad in 2015, you might be headed overseas, perhaps even to Europe. If so, here are a few of my favorite recommendations for things you shouldn’t do while you are there.

Don’t be loud

I learned this lesson early during the many summers I spent in Europe growing up.  My father, who was born and raised in Germany, was the first who revealed to me how Europeans joke about how easy it is to identify Americans. They’re the ones who bust into a quiet restaurant, laughing and carrying on in loud voices as if they owned the place.

We Americans love having fun, getting rowdy, and enjoying ourselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that. To us, a loud restaurant means it’s full of energy and excitement.

But the first secret to being treated well in a foreign locale is to show respect for their culture. In Europe, being loud doesn’t accomplish that goal.

Unless they’re in a bar, club or other clear party atmosphere, Europeans tend to be more reserved than we are, especially in restaurants, museums, and other quiet public spaces. If you smile and speak to them in a courteous low voice, they will consider you to be a refreshing exception to the American tourist stereotype and treat you very well.

Don’t assume everyone speaks English

While many Europeans do speak English, given that it’s a requirement in school, they still consider us impolite for assuming the whole world should cater to our language and forgo their own.

At the very least, learn a few choice tourist phrases, as well as the numbers from one to 10. Then, demonstrate how you respect their language and are trying your best to participate. Seriously, how hard is it to raise two fingers and say “deux cafés, s’il vous plait” instead of “two coffees, please”? After that, your waiter will probably let you off the hook with an appreciative smile and continue in English, if not enthusiastically help with your French.

Don’t dress like a tourist

When it comes to American stereotypes, our fashion choices garner the most attention. If you see someone strolling through the British Museum or Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice wearing shorts, a T-shirt and (egad!) athletic shoes, it will be an American tourist.

Europeans dress more conservatively during the day than we do, especially when visiting cultural, artistic and sacred religious venues. Wearing informal, excessive skin-revealing or sports attire is considered an insult to these important sites, many of which are centuries old with important historical significance. Think of it like showing up for dinner at Le Cirque in cutoffs and a tank top.

Most Europeans believe shorts and athletic shoes are for running, hiking, biking, etc.  So if you wear those items while touring the sights or stopping for a glass of wine at a sidewalk café, expect to be treated (or ignored) accordingly.

Don’t travel everywhere by taxi

Our mass transit systems have come a long way in the last decade or two, but with the exception of New York and Chicago, most people in the U.S. still rarely use mass transit. But in large European cities, the majority of people walk or take the subway, if not a combination of the two.

Walking is healthy exercise, and it allows us to slowly take in the sights as we make our way from one place to the next. If the weather is nice, Europeans will walk for 30 minutes or more to get somewhere. And you wonder why you’ve never seen a fat Parisian?

For longer distances or during inclement weather, mass transit is used by everyone. Subway systems in Europe are generally clean, safe, fast, efficient, and do a great job of canvassing the city. They also cost a fraction of taxis, especially during peak travel hours, and they give us extra cultural exposure. For example, this is where you are most likely to experience a city’s talented street musicians.

Don’t spend all your time in the Big Ones

The Louvre, National Gallery, and the Athens National Archeological Museum (to name a few) are all amazing and famous for good reason, so I would never suggest skipping them. But make sure to leave time in your schedule to visit some of the more intimate museums, away from the throngs of tourists.

A few great examples are Musée Rodin in Paris, Museo di Palazzo Doria Pamphilj in Rome, or the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London.

The best part about spending time in Europe is experiencing the culture, which you can only do by detaching from prime tourist areas and spending time acting, looking and mingling like a native. Don’t get trapped into a narrow sightseeing experience, diligently checking famous places off a long list, overloading your schedule to the point where the richness of the experience passes you by.

Instead, make time each day to relax for an hour or two in a random sidewalk café, watching the people walk by, listening to the language and intonations of the people at neighboring tables, and getting a sense of how everyone spends their day. Find a nice area away from all the tourists to stroll the streets, feel the energy of daily life, and perhaps even grab a fresh loaf of crusty bread with a bottle of wine at a neighborhood shop to share on a park bench.

Go ahead. Be decadent. You’re on vacation, after all.

Kevin Streufert is a Park Hill-based travel advisor and an Amazon #1 bestselling novelist. He has traveled the world since age 3, with a particular focus on Europe. He can be reached at kevin.streufert@cruiseplanners.com.