If you’re an Indian travelling abroad, bookmark this expert-approved etiquette guide for navigating customs and cultures on your journey — from airport to the destination.
People who love to travel also want to ensure they travel right. While we all check local time zones, weather, and travel distances, our travel experience will significantly depend on how much we sensitise ourselves to the destination’s environment.
Parul Masand Sharma, a Hospitality, Behavioral & Etiquette Coach and Training consultant at ‘ALL’ of Finesse gives tips to make these journeys easier. She is also an avid globe-trotter in luxury travel and teaches high-end hacks and off-the-wall tips to travellers worldwide.
Expert’s Etiquette Guide to Travelling Abroad
At the airport:
- Dress well for your flight. Your attire can impact your experience and set the tone for your vacation. Looking sharp could earn you perks and perhaps a better seat!
- If you are compelled to carry home-cooked food, be discreet about it. Draw the line at messier, heartier times that could have leaks or are heavy on the aroma. Bring along things that could be packed neatly into wraps rather than spreads.
On the flight:
- Wear a subtle perfume to avoid discomforting fellow passengers. Strong fragrances can even trigger migraines and incapacitate those with scent sensitivities!
- Connect with the crew by greeting them as you board the aircraft. The flight attendants at the door quickly observe your attitude upon entering the plane.
- If your aisle seat neighbour wants to exit, stand up rather than squeezing yourself to the back and let them pass as many times as needed without irritation. It is their right!
- Flight attendants are expected to be nice, but being polite to them can earn you extra kindness. Use “please” and “thank you” and remove your headphones when they speak to you. Be specific about your preferences when ordering, such as milk or sweetener for coffee or tea, and ice or lemon for cold drinks.
- Alcohol is free during the flight, and having a drink or two can help alleviate the discomfort of being in a narrow chair for long hours. However, flight crews prioritise safety and will cut off passengers who cause trouble. A polite passenger who makes eye contact with the crew is more likely to be served than a rude and intoxicated passenger. A drink will hit you harder at 35,000 feet altitude than the ground. Being one short of your sweet spot definitely will keep you at bay with trouble.
At the hotel and restaurant:
- Ensure you have deciphered all the hotel norms of your destination. For example, flushing the toilet after 9:30 pm is prohibited in certain countries.
- In remote places, quiet hours may be observed to keep the site’s tranquillity. Don’t turn on loud music in your hotel room in a calm city. Norway shouldn’t be treated as Ibiza!
- If you rent an Airbnb, you will often have a list of chores to complete before leaving the properties that one doesn’t do in hotels.
- Be aware of the tipping policy of the hotel and at local food and beverage outlets.
- Take a few moments to fathom the buffet layout and practice. Certain hotels provide only beverage service at the table, and the rest is laid out at the buffet. At such places, you are expected to self-serve.
- The overseas buffet includes a separate section for gluten-free, nut-free, and lactose-free food items. If you are not mindful, you end up picking up these items and, in turn, wasting them as you may not have a palate for those.
At the location:
- When travelling, it’s essential to remember your destination’s laws and customs. For example, E-cigarettes are banned in Thailand, tobacco in Bhutan, and chewing gum in Singapore. Headlights always stay on in Scandinavian countries, and many countries have no honking rules.
- While exiting doors, check if someone is behind you, and extend the courtesy of holding the door.
- Walk on the correct side of the road. Many countries yield to pedestrians, make sure to do that while driving. Cross quickly if yielded.
And lastly, Sharma says that “being mindful and sensitive is the guide and mantra for people travelling abroad.”
Featured image: Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Hero Image: Photo by Erik Odiin on Unsplash
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