The American Tourist - Clumsy Travel Mistakes

[Sigmund]

Ive found that if you master the look of being lost and confused that most things will be forgiven. Just dont act like an entitled jerk and most things work themselves out. There will always be someone who will get pissed off at you just becuase you are a tourist. The overtourism thing is real and a real problem in some areas.

As for la bise. The French know you dont know. Just let them lead. If you are not comfortable with it stick you hand out and shake. Strangers dont kiss one another typically. Now, if you are in the home of a relative and guests come over they probably will offer. Kind of a friend of a friend or a friend of family. There are not hard and fast rules for those occasions.

I think the main thing is always to remember when you are not home. It isnt that much different than going to someone elses home. I imagine you dont walk around in your underwear. Same thing...different day. Its beyond me how some people go somewhere and simply act a fool.

 

[BingBong]

This was one of the things that I didn't care for, as well as bartering. I hate bartering. They usually already want pennies on the dollar, why do they want me to talk them down? It never made sense to me. I would usually just walk away from their "peasant" little negotiation, only to have them running after me with a lower price, exasperated that I would walk away.

Life of Brian, the primer for bartering.

 

[OzPiper]

This was one of the things that I didn't care for, as well as bartering. I hate bartering. They usually already want pennies on the dollar, why do they want me to talk them down? It never made sense to me. I would usually just walk away from their "peasant" little negotiation, only to have them running after me with a lower price, exasperated that I would walk away.

De rigeur in parts of Asia. It’s all part of the sales process.
One I’m not adept at.

On a trip to Hong Kong many years ago, I dutifully bartered hard and agreed on a price 30% less than the ticketed price.
Just as I was about to pay, in walked the mother of a friend who had a shop a few doors away. When the shopkeeper realised I was a family friend, he apologised profusely and dropped the price a further 30%

 

[kcghost]

The biggest mistake Americans usually make is assuming their way is right and any other way is silly. This has greatly improved over the years, but it is still there. Driving on the left and Frenchmen to kiss on the cheeks are prime examples. In Germany they love to flash their headlights at you when they are a quarter mile and further behind you to let you know they are coming and for you to move to the right. It is all a matter of how you are brought up.

 

[BingBong]

I used a minicab in London years ago, driver fresh in from Lagos. In the UK, if you're approaching a narrow road and there's somebody in the opposite and you flash your lights, it means "after you, Claude" as you politely wait for them. Mr Lagos got into this situation, flashed his lights and then gassed it! We didn't stop to explain it was a cultural misunderstanding. I stopped using minicabs, though.

 

[krizzose]

I did a study abroad semester in Dublin in 1995. One quiet afternoon my buddy and I were sitting at the bar in Mulligan’s Pub minding our business. Two very loud (in every sense, from their voices to their outfits) sixty-something American couples walked in and ordered pints of Guinness. The barman did the initial pour and put them down to rest before the finish pour. One of the men immediately grabbed it thinking he was done, stage-whispering something like “at least he could’ve filled the glass…” as he approached the bar . The barman cut him off, and “politely” explained what was going on. That guy was lucky he was at a place that sees a lot of tourists.

At least they didn’t ask where the best place was to find leprechauns.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Fortunately I had a good natured Bartender in Belfast. I ordered an Irish Car Bomb and he happily made one for me without complaint. He then chuckled and said, "I haven't had one ordered in over 25 years." I think he was good natured about it mostly because I engaged him in some innocent conversation first. Still, I don't know what I was thinking. I do appreciate the memory.

Was he talking about the cocktail?
(My bad, I read it as him saying “I haven’t made one in over 25yrs”)

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

When I was 13 I took a trip to UK and France with a group of other kids from my small town. We stayed in Glasgow, Sheffield, London, and Paris... I had never seen a city other than the trip through Atlanta to the airport.

They cut us loose on those cities and my friends and I spent those days on our own time, choosing what to do and where to go. It added so much to our trip having the freedom to do whatever we wanted, rather than be stuck with the group, and go on guided tours only.

That was all good until we forgot which train stop to meet our group at in Paris, and to make matters worse we didnt even remember the name of our hotel, and we didn't have cell phones. I was never really scared, but I knew we'd be in trouble. We decided to just wait at the Arc de triomphe until they found us. Hours later they did, and boy were they pissed. I guess the though of losing someone else's kids in a foreign country had the organizers shook up.

The real travel mistake was the 50 torch lighters I had bought from the Africans, I guess they were Africans... On every corner there were these guys aggressively selling these cheap torch lighters with all kinds of designs, like weed leaves or naked ladies on them. The way they kept dropping the price, it didnt take much to talk 13 year old me into a lighter with tits on it. So I bought a bunch of em. When I went to get on the plane to go home, It really clogged up the boarding process when they found all those lighters in my carry on. I had to leave them behind, but they were worthless anyway.

It was a great trip, but I'm sure there were many faux pas that we never knew we commited.

 

[JOHN72]

In Spain, there are some road service areas, which I do not recommend. Focused on Moroccans, thousands of them cross Europe, to embark in the ports of Spain, in Almeria, Motril, Cadiz. Now in July and August, they make a massive exodus.

 

[kcghost]

Probably the biggest problem Americans have when driving in Europe is the plethora of traffic circles (roundabouts) that are there. Those things freeze an Americans find unless they have had experience with them. I spent 2 years in Germany in the later 60's and have no problems with them. Americans hate them as a general rule.

 

[JOHN72]

Probably the biggest problem Americans have when driving in Europe is the plethora of traffic circles (roundabouts) that are there. Those things freeze an Americans find unless they have had experience with them. I spent 2 years in Germany in the later 60's and have no problems with them. Americans hate them as a general rule.

It is true. Here we could not live without traffic circles. It makes traffic flow more agility. In addition to the speed bumps, and those iron pins embedded in the asphalt, to reduce speed, before reaching the traffic circles.

 

[Sigmund]

No, the big problem with driving in Europe is that (at least in the South) Drivers are simply awfal. Ive lived all over the US and other countries. Ive not seen such a complete disregard for the law in mass anywhere else.

People who will stand in line at the grocery store for 15 minutes or more cant wait 2 seconds for each other when they drive. The fatality rate is extremely high, especially given how low the speed limit is in most areas. Tailgating is the normal way to drive. One would think its the indy 500. There is a lack of defensive driving. Frequently people will pass when they dont have a clear line of site. Instead of presuming a car is there (the assumption when you drive defensively) they assume there is no other car.

Americans would also be amazed at what is almost a complete lack of traffic enforcment. Im not sure how it is in big cities but in any other area there is nearly a complete lack of law enforcment. When the cats a way the mice will play!

If you are traveling to the EU dont drive. It doesnt matter if you have lived in major cities. You are not prepared. I do enjoy living here but I dislike everything about the driving situation. That said, up north its different and much more orderly. Im not sure what happens as you move south but there is a huge difference. In the south everything is legal if you dont get caught.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Probably the biggest problem Americans have when driving in Europe is the plethora of traffic circles (roundabouts) that are there. Those things freeze an Americans find unless they have had experience with them. I spent 2 years in Germany in the later 60's and have no problems with them. Americans hate them as a general rule.

So true. The first traffic circle here several years ago caused all sorts of confusion and errors. Now, after about three years, it's working well.

Except some planner wants to put 8 traffic circles inside of 5 miles.... They are great in some cases, poor in others.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

So true. The first traffic circle here several years ago caused all sorts of confusion and errors. Now, after about three years, it's working well.

Except some planner wants to put 8 traffic circles inside of 5 miles.... They are great in some cases, poor in others.

We just got a couple in my town and nobody knows how to use them. It's pretty funny to watch.

 

[warren]

Never underestimate the stupidity of some American drivers. Circles are easy to navigate by just foollowing the rules of the road. Nothing arcane about them at all.I will admit though that may circles are ill designed. We have some that are down right dangerous when slick and this is in the North with plenty of icy months. Traffic engineers when lifting designs from other areas often do not factor in local conditions.

 

[mortonbriar]

Circles are easy to navigate by just following the rules of the road.

They are intuitive; in a roundabout way; you could disagree with me, but that would be a circular argument.

 

[telescopes]

I am starting to take extended stays abroad. Courtesy, as a way of living, always makes for a better stay.

 

[jbfrady]

I've very much enjoyed this thread. Not only for the great stories, but for what it teaches me about myself. 1 - Damn, do I need to travel more. And 2 - Turns out I'm still young after all!

 

[Sparcdude]

Probably the biggest problem Americans have when driving in Europe is the plethora of traffic circles (roundabouts) that are there. Those things freeze an Americans find unless they have had experience with them. I spent 2 years in Germany in the later 60's and have no problems with them. Americans hate them as a general rule.

“Roundabouts”…silly name. Here in the northeast US, Massachusetts in particular, they’re called “rotaries”. And they’re not little. There are, however, a few rules to keep in mind:

1. Do not make eye contact
2. Do not stop - it’s your rotary and the other guy is trespassing
3. Use one finger when going through

Oh, and don’t use a turn signal (‘blinkah’ up here) - we don’t believe in giving aid and comfort to the enemy!

Yes, i’m in NH now, but I’m a born and raised M***h*** and proud of it!