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105 thoughts on “International and Local Vacation Etiquette in 9 Simple Steps”

  1. I am not a seasoned traveler, but my husband is. He has been to over 30 different countries and almost every state. The tipping part was what surprised me. I had stayed in hotels with my parents as a kid, but they never tipped the cleaning staff, so I didn’t know it was a thing. My husband did it on our first trip together – but he usually tips a $20 for a 3 day stay.
    Thank you for the other tips as well. We are planning a trip to Iceland in December. It’s my first out-of-the-country travel and I want to do it right.

    1. Hey Alicia,

      Thanks for sharing your experiences. Imagine you wre the cleaner in a hotel with hundreds of rooms, Your back, kills, your hands are like lead, your feet are tired and you arent even half way the process…Guess what will lift your spirits and give you that extra motivation…A great tip. So yes do leave one that you are happy to. $20 for 3 days sounds like fair dos! 🙂 Happy vacation!

  2. #7 is so true! Strong colognes and perfumes while traveling is not a good idea, but neither is not taking a shower! I have dealt with both of those situations and it made for a very uncomfortable start to our trip.

  3. Shannon sawicki

    Great tips. We are planning a family trip to Europe this summer with 3 kids. I will put these to use.

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  6. Very amusing and educational post Julie. Yes, I have encountered some of these situations which can be extremely unpleasant to say the least. Some of it is just rude spill-over from the way people behave anywhere. But no need to join those situations.

  7. Respect is a big thing where ever you go! I think the reason that many people look down on US citizens is because of their lack of respects for other places and other cultures.

  8. The way you broke down this post is excellent Doing research so that you’re well informed can save a lot of possible headaches, and being respectful of all people are the two most important tips I took away from this post.

  9. Good tips and things to think about before you travel somewhere new. You would think that a lot of these things would be common sense and how you act but apparently it isn’t. I really like doling out hotel tips throughout your stay. That’s a great tip!

  10. Great tips! I do want to say, that as an American, it is not considered rude to blow on your food if it’s hot. Feel free to blow away, that’s what I tell my little ones. 🙂

  11. Great tips! I do want to say, that as an American, it is not considered rude to blow on your food if it’s hot. Feel free to blow away, that’s what I tell my little ones. 🙂

  12. Travel etiquette is sooooo important! Doing the research and preparing before going to another place is an absolute MUST, especially if you haven’t been to that place before.

    Thanks for this AWESOME post Julie!

  13. I Thoroughly Enjoyed this Article about Travel etiquette. especially having grown in a tourist destination and Been on the serving side of Much of whats entailed to Make vacations Amazing. i Do want to point out, When traveling to the US, Servers in your Restaurants Should be Tipped 20% as Its Part of their actual Pay and not a gratuity persay. Restaurant Employers are allowed to pay FAR below minimum wage as Servers are expected 20%. I have had this issue being tipped 10% or less because of what was customary in the travelers country verses what boils down to default of services here.

  14. [ Smiles ] Learning a countries custom is always important; you may end up embarrassing yourself if you don’t.

    Great blog post!

  15. Thanks for the tips. I will refer back to these when I travel next. Thanks for playing the Pinterest Game.

  16. What great tips and information Julie! You really shared the gold here when it comes to travel etiquette. Makes for a great resource to check out before taking that next trip. Thanks for sharing!

  17. Hey Julie,

    Great post, I’m about to jet off next week, my baby’s first time flying. Love your tips and your humor, thank you! xo
    Areefa

    1. Hi Areefa,

      Aww absolutely enjoy your trip and baby’s first as well. take mob pics, Insta-travel of course, shoot quick vids of the trip..Lifestyle baby, you know what am saying 🙂

      PKJW~

  18. CourtneyLynne

    Omg great advice! I always Google etiquette when I’m traveling over seas! You would be shocked at what other cultures find rude so I want to make sure I don’t do those things lol

  19. Thank you for this post as well as the reminders and steps. I will save this. Thanks for this!

  20. katrina gehman

    great tips. it’s so important to do your homework before going on a trip.

  21. Sonny Lanorias

    Hello Julie,

    Enjoyed reading your post! Good reminder and lots of useful tips. Thanks for sharing.

    -Sonny

  22. Dr. J. L. Mierzwa

    So true, love these tips as they are practical and makes sense. Thanks for sharing.

  23. sandra copeland

    Soo enjoyed your post !!~~ must always be considerate and know what is expected according to where you are going I Love theses rules of etiquette !!~~ thank you !~

  24. Julie, great stuff! I really believe that you need to be polite to others and not act like seats belong to you. I travel SouthWest Airlines a lot and they have open seating. So we cannot save seats for anyone!

  25. I love these tips, but moving a child!!!! that i believe is rude. Researching where you are going is a good idea.

  26. Jessica Harlow

    This is such a good, comprehensive list of behaviors to consider while you’re traveling. I’m glad you spoke to the woman about her behavior towards your daughter too. People are much more apt to act inappropriately if they get away with it. 🙂

  27. These are some great tips to make sure you have a wonderful vacation to enjoy with peace of mind. We do a lot of research as we travel with our kids & better planning always helps. I love that travel pillow that will be so helpful to avoid disturbing someone.

  28. These are excellent tips. It has been a long time since I have traveled on public transportation.

    I can’t believe that woman had the nerve to try and tell you that her seat was assigned.

  29. I have encountered some rude tourists when I traveled to Hong Kong a few years back. Thankfully, during my last travel to Korea, the locals and tourists that I met along the way were all nice and congenial.

  30. research is definitely key! and if people don’t want to lose their selfie sticks it is easy to look up places your visiting to see if they are allowed

    1. Hi Michelle,

      You would be surprised how many dont ever check and lose the dang selfie to a bin nearby where the local street vendor grabs the lot, repackages them in his back garage and sells them on the cheap. We got a Selfie stick for less than 5 Euros from a street vendor in Barcelona and when we asked for the box & Instructions he looked askance..Makes you wonder lol!

      PKJW~

  31. Great tips and list. Thanks for sharing this etiquette for international vacation.

  32. Wonderful tips for travel. I have friends from other countries and they tell me cultural practices that I never would have known

  33. Etiquette outside of your country is so important especially when you know that there’s going to be a language barrier. It definitely all starts with the first tip, which is to do your research! Make sure you research on common courtesies too.

  34. Such a great and insightful post. Also really love the photos of you, especially in outerspace.

  35. Phew! I felt my blood pressure rising. People can be so rude! I’ve never traveled but this is some great tips!

    1. Wow Baha,

      Thats a strong reaction yet in many cases the things we have shared here are just the tip of the iceberg to what some people get up to when away from home!
      Hope it hasnt put you off traveling abroad!
      PKJW~

  36. I have always been bothered by “out of place” tourists who dress like they are back home when it’s completely inappropriate in my home country and even dangerous. How can they not do some research before flying and be considerate of the local society? :/

    1. Absolutely Ronnie,

      Many tourists tend to misbehave on a vacation like they left their manners at home…Considerate is not on their mind when they get on that flight most of the time its All about them! Thats why we wrote this post!

      PKJW~

  37. It can be so easy to get grouchy when traveling, but everyone should have the decency to be civil. Unfortunately, we encounter all kinds during travel and it’s a great teaching opportunity for children.

    1. Travel is the one thing that adds value to you outside of a class room indeed Rochelle. We learn so much when we travel…from home t work, from home to business, pleasure, vacay etc! So we gotta learn to be more tolerant. Its why I always say I am taking my children on a cultural educational trip when we go on a holiday say during term time coz they learn way more about the country than they ever do in a classroom 🙂

      PKJW~

  38. Valerie Robinson

    Fantastic post! I chuckled through some of these tips because they resonated so well.

  39. As much as the economies around the world could benefit from tourism, some people should stay at home! At least until they have read this article and learn to respect themselves first – then they will be better able to interact properly, despite differences and respect other people’s cultures. Great post.!

  40. We do look up etiquette and customs when we travel out of the country. Things can be so different in other countries and we might be considered rude to do things we may do here or think they are rude if they dont do things the way we do in the US.

  41. Great post!! But the first part really annoyed me. Like what the heck was her problem??!! I would have not gotten up..tssss…move on sister!!! Thank God you had a pleasant vacation. Keep enjoying them.

    1. Hi Huub,

      Ahhh you made my day, I imagine she is a bully by nature that woman coz bullies always pick on who they consider weaker ad to her a kid was fair game.
      Ahh well, we had a blast, didnt give her a second thought 🙂 Thanks for your support 🙂

      PKJW~

  42. Enjoyed this post big time as someone who is constantly traveling it’s important to know the rule of the land before you go there and just basic manners go a long way

  43. Stephanie D'Laroy

    Great post Julie as always. Great tips to keep in mind on my next holiday. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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