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21 Mistakes And Traps To Avoid When Visiting These European Countries, Revealed By This TikTok Account
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Traveling is known to be one of the most interesting, exciting, and popular ways to explore the world, learn about new cultures and make some unforgettable memories. However, sometimes not knowing things or not being prepared properly can spoil the trip and cause some issues that can even end it. Having this in mind, TikTok account @efultimatebreak decided to reveal some of the mistakes that tourists tend to make as well as tips on how to avoid them.
The travel company EF Ultimate Break is known among young adults who like to travel but don’t really want to plan the whole thing by themselves. For such travelers, the company offers packages where every aspect of the trip is already taken care of, so all you need to do is to pack your bags and get ready to have the time of your life.
The company’s TikTok account is full of entertaining and useful information for all kinds of travelers. A lot of videos are based on people’s requests to talk about certain cities they would like to visit but are curious to find out more before the trip.
Do you know any useful tips when traveling abroad? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
More Info: TikTok
Image source: EF Ultimate Break
This post may include affiliate links.
Drinking Water In Iceland
In Iceland, there’s really no need to buy bottled water. Just bring a refillable bottle and fill it up anywhere, and it’s gonna taste like bottled water. You can even fill up at the bathroom sink and it’s gonna taste better than bottled water in America.
Bored Panda contacted Arielle Mulgrew, who is a social media manager at EF Ultimate Break, to find out more about their process of creating useful and interactive content for their followers. Arielle shared how these traveling tip videos became interesting for so many people. “There are a lot of creators and brands that offer travel tips, but no one makes a name for themselves by bandwagoning. Instead, we took our travel knowledge in a different direction: all the mistakes our team members have made as American travelers on EF Ultimate Break trips.” The social media specialist revealed that once you find a unique way to provide people with valuable information, it is important to listen to their questions and requests and provide them with answers.
Greeting A Shopkeeper In Paris
A tourist mistake is to not greet a shopkeeper. A lot of tourists don’t know this, but if you walk into a store and don’t greet the shopkeeper, it’s considered extremely rude. You should always say “hi”, “hello", and “goodbye”.
In Korea it's normal not to. It's also not weird to greet them either, but if they didn't greet you first, they might think you're asking for help. Neither is rude, however, and greeting them can be appreciated. Personally, I go with the flow of the situation. If they greet me first, or if our eyes meet, then I greet them spontaneously. Otherwise, I don't bother and only greet them if I'm approaching them for help.
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Out of sincere curiosity: anyone in know if a place where you don't greet shopkeepers?
the US. Customers don't talk to the shopkeeper unless they have a specific question or are greeted by the shopkeeper. It's pretty rare for Americans to greet store employees and many of us can get annoyed when they greet us. It's because some cases where store employees greet you end up as a sales pitch, and no one likes that.
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I was walking up the shopping street outside my air base in Japan one afternoon and TRIED to greet a shopkeeper I knew--but I only got "konnichi" out before my throat locked up on the "wa" for some reason. Instead of clearing my throat and correcting myself I pretended nothing was wrong...and he looked at me like I had lost my mind. It's bothered me for decades.
Unless they are helping someone or on the phone I do this here in the US
That would be the polite thing to do, I agree. However, that should be the other way around. It's my money they want spent in their store, I can shop anywhere. You want customers? You make them feel welcome.
I was raised in the south this was drilled in from the moment i was born to always be polite lol
No, if you really want to be polite you don't say "hi" or "goodbye", even if every shopkeeper in France will understadt it. When you're going in, you say "bonjour" or "bonsoir" , if it's the evening, and "bonne journée" or "bonne soirée", when leaving. You may have to say it twice, one to nobody in particular just entering the premises and then again to the person who will be attending on you. Accent doesn't matter, foreigners are expected to have one but the effort of speaking in French is taken into account and matters more than a bad accent. Accent doesn't matter, foreigners are expected to have one, but the effort of speaking in French is taken into account and valued, it matters more than a bad accent.
No, you don't say "hi" "hello" and "goodbye" even if every shopkeeper in France will understand you. If you want to be polite you say "bonjour" when going in, and "bonne journée" or "bonne soirée" if it's in the evening, when leaving"
I would do that to anyone anywhere regardless of where I am or what I’m doing. It’s called basic manners.
I do that everywhere anyway, that wouldnt bother me. Most times you get a grunt, or a look of acknoledgement. There's an Asian newsagent in my local town that always greets me when I come in, I've been going there for decades so im comfortable with it now.
I live in SW France. When we enter any shop we say Bonjour, as does the shopkeeper. They say au revoir when we leave, even if we have not bought anything.
AND do not make the mistake so many do by looking at a clerk in a store (yes big box stores included) and just say "DUCT TAPE?"
I thought it's normal to say "good morning" when you enter a store :v
Well I am French, from the countryside, and used to greet everyone. Moved to Paris to go to Uni, kept saying hi when entering shops. 80% of the time I would not even be acknowledged. Gradually stopped saying hi when entering shops because it was useless. Eventually my mom pointed it out to me. Paris made me rude lol. Thank god, I moved out.
Greet every person with whom you interact with. It’s that simple.
Haha yeah right, totally forgot about my stay in Japan. If it's a shop that fits more than 5 people, they won't greet. Whereas when I was in Chicago it was mixed. Some didn't say anything. Some said Hi how are you. Which confused my German brain back then bc shitty school English never taught us that How are you in English is not meant literally...(where as on Germany it is indeed meant literally. Whether you lie about how you are is up to you but you do answer the question.)
I already do that! Except for one manager I've heard abusing his employees.
Or..hear me out,..how about you understand people from other countries are not custom to your culture and way of life. Let's not play dumb and act like every knows what you want. Like Damn you humanity for following the bullshit division tactics. With said, cultures, etc. We are just pooping, peeing, humans. Everything else is MANFIESTED
Are American really so bloody awful that they don't know that they need to say hello to shop keepers, servers, assistants in fact anyone that is serving them from Check in clerks to taxi dreviers..
No Pictures At The Red Light District In Amsterdam
Getting pictures of the girls in the Red Light District. You get in trouble with security but also these are working women, not zoo animals.
Receiving A Bill At A Restaurant In Paris
Waiting for a bill at the restaurant. The bill won’t automatically come just because you finished your meal. They’re not trying to rush you out the door, so you have to ask for the bill when you’re ready for it. So don’t wait around for an hour just wondering where it is.
If you’re curious to know where the knowledge for these videos comes from, Arielle was glad to share this. “The material is inspired by stories from our team’s travels! There’s nothing quite like living through a cultural faux pax or not packing something crucial to learn a valuable lesson, but since we want travelers on our trips to have the best experience possible, we’re giving them the ‘cheat codes’”.
Wine Tasting In Italy
Always give the house wine a try. No matter what restaurant you go to, it’ll always be super local, super great quality, and super unique to that specific location.
Ordering Coffee In Italy
In Italy, if you try to order a latte, they will hand you a glass of milk. Latte means milk in Italian. So let’s not do that.
Opposite story here: I was in Italy with my husband couple of years back ( we are American). And I ordered latte (glass of milk, because I can't drink coffee and just wanted milk with my brioche bun) and my husband ordered cappuccino, to my surprise they brought me a latte( as a coffee drink. They thought that I wanted American version of latte and not a glass of milk.
Avoiding Strangers Giving Free Stuff In Italy
In Italy, sometimes someone will come up and tie a bracelet around your wrist and insist it’s free or a present but then later on demand money for it. If somebody offers you something for free, it is not free. Don’t take it.
Now that people are aware of some of the mistakes that tourists tend to make, the social media manager also shared one of the most valuable tips that she wanted other fellow travelers to know: “Put the phone away whenever you can. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in these beautiful places, and the people around me are looking down at their phones or taking a million pictures. We’re such an overstimulated generation that we feel the need to fill silence and downtime instead of embracing them. So put the phone away until you need it. Bring a polaroid or disposable camera to remember a moment as it was. Soak in where you are, for real.”
Learning Italian Before The Trip
Definitely learn some basic Italian phrases before you get there. Locals are very appreciative when you at least try to speak their language. And they’ll be a lot of friendlier towards you, I promise.
This is true of anywhere I've been, but the Germans are by far the nicest about mistakes, in my experience. Italy is probably second?... Even my 20 basic phrases are a huge help, since one is "I'm sorry, I don't speak your language"!
Taking An Escalator In London
Always stand on the right of the escalator in the tube. Brits take this very seriously and are not afraid to be rude if you’re standing on the left. The left side is the fast lane for walking, the right side is the standing lane.
Knowing The Difference Between Café And Coffee Shop In Amsterdam
The first tourist mistake is not knowing the difference between a coffee shop and a cafe. If you walk into a coffee shop in Amsterdam for coffee, you’re going to be pretty surprised. All I can say is that if you’re looking for coffee, go to a cafe.
Having in mind that for the past couple of years, the circumstances around the world have changed because of the pandemic, it's interesting to know whether people’s traveling habits have somehow changed. Arielle noticed that people now are “more cautious during the actual process of traveling", but it hasn't made an impact on their “desire to explore and experience new places." The woman shared that “travel can be overwhelming during the best of times and now more than ever”, this is why their company is ready to take care of some of the logistics so that people could fully enjoy their travels.
Getting Gelato In Italy
If the gelato looks piled up and fluffy, don’t get it. I know it’s really tempting, but all the fluffiness means that there’s a lot of air whipped into it. Always look for gelato that’s in lidded containers. Lids are always a good sign because it means that the gelato is being kept at the right temperature and that the store owners know that they have a really good product and they don’t need bright colors or flair to get customers in.
Finding A Place To Eat When Abroad
If a host or hostess is trying to lure you into a restaurant, my advice is not to go in and instead ask a local where they like to eat.
No Walking On Bike Lanes In Amsterdam
Walking in the bike lanes. Everywhere you go you’ll see bike paths just like this one next to the sidewalks. And you might be tempted to walk in it but please don’t. You will get run over and nobody wants that.
Also, Dutch people can sense bicycles coming, even if they can't hear them. This is an evolutionary trait, which means Dutch people can cross a road without too many problems, even if there are millions of bikes on that road. Do not try to emulate them. You don't have the genes. (;))
Using Toilet In Greece
Flushing toilet paper on the Greek islands. Greek sewage pipes are about half the size of American plumbing and clog very easily. Instead, place your toilet paper in the little bins next to the toilet.
Comfortable Footwear When Traveling In Greece
Bringing the wrong shoes. A lot of the streets are cobblestone or dirt or lightly paved, and not super ideal for heels. I’m not saying don’t bring heels, I’m saying bring something comfortable too.
Currency Exchange Abroad
Exchange rates. Don’t use the currency exchange at the airport. Just don’t do it. Those companies usually take advantage of the fact that tourists don’t know any better, so they offer really bad exchange rates and have really high withdrawal minimums. Find a bank branch when you get to where you’re going and use the ATM inside instead.
Trying Local Food In London
A lot of people come to London and they try to find fish and chips because it’s what they see in the movies and TV shows. Fish and chips are great but it’s not the only thing people eat there. England is actually really well known for their Indian food. Chicken Tikka Masala is even one of their national dishes.
Also worth noting that the posh up market looking fish and chip shops are going to absolutely rip you off, find a dated, greasy looking place that looks like its been there years, it'll be half the price and twice as good
Overpacking When Traveling To Greece
Overpacking, which I know sounds like a cop-out, but in Santorini, you could be walking up hundreds of steps with your luggage, so you wanna pack lightly.
Traveling Around The City
If you’re going somewhere new for the first time, definitely check how late public transportation stays open. If you’re still out and public transportation closes, cabs are going to charge you 3-4 times their normal fare because I know they can get away with it. And when you’re super tired, it’s that late, you’re just gonna pay it.
Eating Street Food In Paris
One of the tourist mistakes is eating at restaurants and cafes. The best thing I ever ate was a crepe from a food cart just on a random street.
No no no. I am parisian and the best crepes are the ones you get from actual creperies (restaurants specialized in crepes). There are lots of them in Montparnasse area. Paris doesn't have street food culture. The street food in Paris are for tourists, sorry!
Joking Around In London
Don’t make jokes about the American revolution. No one else will think they’re funny.
OK. This totally depends on who you're with. I play a word game tourney on a team mainly consisting of Yorkshire folk. We tell LOTS of American Revolution jokes. Nothing insensitive. The war was over 200 years ago, for heaven's sake! I had relatives die too, but time moves on.
If you are not used to drinking spirits, do not try to keep up with Slavs in pubs/bars. You will regret it. BUT, if someone offers home-brew spirits, drink it and appreciate it, then refuse another one if you are a weak drinker. (Slovakia)
I can affirm this and upvote a hundred times. (Trust this. One shot, and you're done. This stuff makes tequila look like water.)
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#9 that is not an escalator in London!, That image is a moving walkway type thing in either China or Japan,FFS
These are always such rubbish posts. Often written by a person who has travelled for the first time ever and think they're woke
If you are not used to drinking spirits, do not try to keep up with Slavs in pubs/bars. You will regret it. BUT, if someone offers home-brew spirits, drink it and appreciate it, then refuse another one if you are a weak drinker. (Slovakia)
I can affirm this and upvote a hundred times. (Trust this. One shot, and you're done. This stuff makes tequila look like water.)
Load More Replies... #9 that is not an escalator in London!, That image is a moving walkway type thing in either China or Japan,FFS
These are always such rubbish posts. Often written by a person who has travelled for the first time ever and think they're woke
