How To Be The "Proper" Tourist

The etiquette of being a proper tourist is surprisingly a widely studied topic. People from the United States usually come across a certain way when they visit other countries. We are seen as rude, obnoxious, and arrogant, even though in very many cases this is not true.....it is just another stereotype. Americans could also be scrutinized for their behavior more than any other tourist is because we seemingly travel more to other countries. On the contrary according to a recent Yahoo news article...they stated that the french are actually the worst in the world (surprise, surprise), they come across as arrogant and tight-fisted. On the other hand, the Japanese, British, and German are among the top-rated tourists.

Now, what separates the best from the worst?........why my dear Watson, simply proper etiquette, of course

Here are just a few tips on how to be a great traveler...yes, I said traveler and not tourist because when you master how to become a great traveler you learn how to be a great tourist, and there is a key difference between the two.

~*1*~ Be informed, learn everything you can through guidebooks, internet searches, etc.......here are the basics you should know: basic geography, local currency, language (know some basic terms), customs especially the unique ones. And do not say you have no time to learn anything beforehand because you always have the lovely, exciting (sarcasm) plane ride ;).

~*2*~DON'T STARE AT FOREIGNERS, even if they are participating in a unique/unusual custom, yea I know that's easier said then done, but that's sure to get you a bad tourist title right off the bat. Also, put an effort in learning at least some basics of the language, natives really appreciate effort.

~*3*~Really immerse yourself in the different cultures. The best ways to do this is become one of the locals, almost like blending in. Instead of staying at a big chain hotel, why not stay at a quaint local hotel/inn. Talk to some locals (if you can) get their view of the country, city, area, ask them what they think is the best thing to see, they will most likely be more than happy to suggest something. Oh yea, and check out a McDonalds if they have one..surprisingly every countries burgers have slight or major differences and it's really fun to compare and contrast.

The best example of horrible tourists that I can think of is the family in National Lampoon's European vacation..if you have not seen it be sure to at least watch the trailer on youtube. If you behave like this I highly recommend psychiatric help.

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