Top 5 things Americans can learn from the Europeans while traveling.
By: Sandy Parten
I always like to let my European clients know that it’s best to keep their minds and hearts open while traveling. As you have a chance to experience other cultures, it’s good to keep in mind that there are some ways Europeans do things differently than Americans, and sometimes these things can jump right out at you. As always, travel is nothing if not a learning experience, so I'd like to introduce you to the "Top 5 things Americans can learn from the Europeans while traveling."
1. Efficient and Reliable Public Transportation – On a typical European vacation, you can experience airplanes, regional trains, subways & metros, busses, taxis, funiculars, chairlifts, High-Speed trains underneath the English Channel, ferry boats, private motor boats, row boats, sightseeing boats, scooters, a hijacked Rolls Royce Phantom limo (long story) and, yes, the dreaded manual transmission rental car! For the most part, when relying upon public transportation, everything runs remarkably on time and is clean, affordable, efficient, and reliable. When you do rely on public transportation, you may walk a lot…I mean A LOT…but most survive just fine. As an American who spends way too much time behind the wheel of a car, I always welcome some transportation options and an infrastructure that actually has the public’s best interests at heart.
2. “Slow Food” and the high quality of local ingredients - The Europeans are in the middle of a “Slow Food” boom…a Farm-to-Table movement. Most Europeans shop locally, seasonally, and often (sometimes daily) from their neighborhood markets for fresh ingredients, and there are strict government rules banning certain chemical additives, pesticides, and GMO products. Cuisine can be pretty simple but delicious because they start with fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients – most locally grown or artisan produced. Olives are harvested in November….Grapes in September….Asparagus in the spring. If you eat with the seasons, your food will taste better, be better for you, and you might actually find yourself a little bit more connected to how Mother Nature intended us to eat!
3. “Family First” – European families tend to spend a lot of time together…the majority of adults work reasonable hours, and many school districts release the kids for lunch and a post-lunch rest. Houses and Apartments are also much smaller in European cities, and children live at home with their parents much longer than here in the US…especially those Italian boys who don’t want to leave their mamas until they find a wife to take over!
4. Wine, Beer, and Alcohol are not “taboo” - The Europeans have a much more relaxed attitude towards alcohol – in fact, wine (and beer to an extent) is a part of the everyday lives of most people. However, it is a very different part of the experience. Having an “aperitif” such as a glass of Prosecco or an Aperol Spritz before a meal, followed by a glass or two of wine with your meal and possibly a shot of limoncello after (just to settle your stomach, of course!) is very common. European children are brought up on wine (usually diluted with water) with meals and taught the proper ways to enjoy it in moderation.
5. For many Europeans, what you are is not necessarily “what you do." - When you are introduced to a new person here in the US, one of the first questions asked is, “What do you do?” Europeans tend to care more about who you are….where you are from, your family, what you stand for, your hobbies, and your history. Sure, your job or career is a vital part of your daily life, but not the headliner. So, when you meet a new European friend, don’t be surprised if you talk more about who they are, not what they do.
Happy Travels!
Sandy Parten, International Travel Specialist, Immersion World Travel
info@immersionworldtravel.com | www.immersionworldtravel.com