6 Tips For Your Cross-Cultural Travels
Photo by Yaroslava Borz from Pexels
Looking for a travel experience that goes deeper than collecting selfies for Instagram? Consider a more intentional route. Traveling doesn’t have to be only about seeing sites or relaxing in a place that is not your home. Traveling has the potential to alter the way you understand the world. It can be a transformative and enriching cultural experience that expands our horizons. Here are some cross cultural travel tips on how to facilitate this kind of experience.
01 | Language.
This is my most valuable piece of advice, particularly if you are from a majority native English-speaking country: don’t make the mistake of assuming that everyone knows English. Language is such a vital aspect of culture and will give you a better understanding of the country you are traveling in.
Make an effort to memorize, “Do you speak English?” in the local language. Write it down if you have to. Ask this phrase whenever you address a local, even if it feels embarrassing. You get extra points if you try out a few basic phrases in the language. Your posture toward the foreign language reveals your respect for the culture and the locals will appreciate the effort. It also increases your chances to make new friends and open up fun conversations about language and cultures.
Duolingo is a free and easy way to gain some familiarity with new languages. Use it before every trip. My husband and I recently traveled to the Netherlands and worked through level one of Dutch the weeks before. It made a big difference in travel experience.
Fluency doesn’t have to be the goal of language learning. It was rewarding to recognize words while grocery shopping, make simple requests at restaurants, and understand some traffic signs.
02 | Food.
Visit food markets. Most big cities (and even small ones) have outdoor or indoor markets weekly or even daily. They are a quick and easy stop for lunch or a spontaneous picnic. They are also a great way to explore the local community.
You can observe where locals shop and what kind of food is commonly sold. You can usually find information on food markets on the official city website, generally listed on the events page.
Be aware of holidays that may change the regular meeting location or time. Once traveling in Brussels, we frustratingly realized that grocery stores were closed, due to a holiday. Later in the afternoon, we decided to go for a walk, and stumbled upon an international food market. Let’s just say that our feast that night was delightful.
Also, be intentional about what new foods you try. Ask a trustworthy server for local cuisines worth trying. My husband does this at almost every restaurant, and it’s enriching to literally taste the culture.
03 | Events.
Plan a mix of events. Alongside visiting historical and cultural landmarks, see if there are any community events that pique your interest. Check for posters near train stations or at coffee shops. Check the activity schedule on the website of local museums. There may be art workshops or special exhibitions that coincide with your travel schedule.
Once in Amsterdam, there was a children’s art workshop that we missed out on at the Van Gogh Museum because we didn’t check the activity feed early enough, and I still regret it. Don’t be afraid to visit events like poetry slams or concerts, even if they are going to be in a different language.
While historical and cultural landmarks are wonderful to visit, there is much to be said by also observing the culture. I could spend hours at a local coffee shop, watching people and listening to the language and body expressions. Leave room in your schedule to slow down and have some time to enjoy the community.
04 | Transportation.
Keep an open mind about how you travel. The best transportation for your trip may not be the way you typically get around at home. Try out public transportation or rent a bike for the week. If possible, walk instead of driving a car. Learning new modes of transportation like the subway and bus systems can be stressful, but also rewarding.
My family and I try to walk as much as possible whenever we visit a new city. We are a lot more tired by the end of the day and have to carry our things around, but at the same time we are able to stumble upon hidden charms and feel like we have a deeper understanding of the city better than we would if we traveled by car.
This is not to say that renting a car isn’t a good idea. We’ve also discovered more about wider regions by doing this, as it enables us to make stops and see places off the beaten path. Make sure to research transportation ahead of time, in order to adapt to local conditions.
For example, when traveling in Prague with a two-year-old in a stroller, we were surprised to find out that not all subway stations had an elevator. We had to become inventive with our way around the city, and something we always take into consideration now.
05 | Technology.
Smartphones are a wonderful tool for traveling. You can use GPS, download an offline map on Google Maps, keep a translation app handy, or use an app for the local public transportation system. However, phones can also be a barrier to being fully present. Take a few pictures, but be aware of the discontent that social media can sow, and make boundaries.
As a college student studying abroad, I was thrilled to finally be out and about in the world. These were the early days of digital cameras and the high days of blogs. Not long into my semester, I realized that I was too concerned with taking pictures that I could post online, and not enough about enjoying where I was at the moment.
While traveling, use technology for its benefits as a tool, but make sure that it doesn’t become a barrier to truly soaking in the experience.
06 | Accommodations.
When choosing accommodations, avoid commercial hotel chains, and look for hosts that will give you a more personal experience. While hotels may have a shelf of outdated tourist brochures to look through, local hosts are connected with the local community. Doing something like a homestay or Airbnb will offer another layer of cultural experience.
Once on short notice, I needed a place to stay in Oxford. Another traveling friend invited me to stay with her and the local host that she found on Airbnb. It was the first time I booked a room in someone’s house and was hesitant. However, during England’s most severe heat wave, I learned how this local woman woke up at dawn to swim in the Thames River every morning, and what she grows in her garden allotment, and how these allotments date back to WWII.
Look for a host that is used to travelers and cultural exchange. They are full of great tips and usually go the extra mile to personalize advice. After searching for weeks for a place to stay in Paris, we finally settled on an Airbnb apartment on the top floor of the host’s house. She brought her son up to welcome us and our children got a chance to play with him. They walked away from that experience interested in learning the French language and still practice the words that they learned.
In short…
Although many of these tips apply more specifically to traveling in European and Northern Mediterranean countries, I hope the general principles of this article will inspire you to experience more than just landmarks—wherever you are in the world. When you strive to engage with the local community, you will walk away with a deeper understanding of the culture and yourself.
