8 tips to have a memorable trip abroad

When you travel, it is required that you understand and respect the culture and laws of the people of the country you are visiting. Some may be religious, some may just be for convenience. All the same, an understanding of the same will go a long way in having a memorable trip.

1. First in, First out

On trains, buses, trams or any other mode of transport, let the people who are already inside get down first. When everybody who wants to get off at the stop have got off, you climb. The same thing applies for elevators as well. It is a very important thing you should remember and follow always.

2. Don't waste a driver's time

When you want to travel by bus, tram or train, first check whether you can buy a travel card instead of buying individual journey tickets. It is much cheaper and much more convenient. Don't waste the drivers time on the bus asking him questions, because, in most countries drivers double up as ticket issuers as well. Do your own research before you get on to the bus/tram/train.

3. Stand the 'right' way

When you are going up or down on an escalator, stand to the right, one behind another, even if you are in a group. That way you will leave space on the left for people who are in a rush. Most tourists do not understand this and end up standing in two's and block the way for someone in a hurry. In the UK, the locals hate the tourists for doing this. So a little help from our side when we visit their beautiful country will go a long way.

The perfectly 'wrong' way to stand on an escalator 

Next time, a beautiful girl is looking at you on the escalator, it may be a sign that she wants you to move out of her way.

4. Learn some basic words

While this may not be a necessity, learning a few words in the local language definitely helps you make new friends and get liked by the locals. For example, when I was in Spain for 2 weeks, I learnt to say Hello (Hola), Goodbye (Adios), Salude (Cheers), I could order in a restaurant in Spanish and also ask how much something costs. It's also fun to learn something new, so give it a try.

The only country where I could not learn to say 'Cheers' was in Hungary. I tried for 3 days and gave up as it was too complicated. By the way, try saying Egészségére :)

To make your life easier, use the Google Translate App. It has a super cool camera translation which lets you translate menu cards, signboards and products in a supermarket in real-time. You will have to download the offline language translation if you don't have internet.

Download it here https://goo.gl/c1zaJo

5. Don't hesitate to talk to strangers

In India, we are often told as children not to talk to strangers. It is so deep rooted in us that we forget to smile at the guy who makes way for you at the mall (a Smile with a Thank You is nice) or a kind driver who lets your car pass first in a narrow lane (a simple thumbs up or a wave is awesome).

When I was walking around in Barcelona, I smiled at a guy trying to attract customers to his restaurant. He smiled back and struck a pose. I took a picture of him and asked him for his email so I could send the picture to him. He took me into his restaurant and introduced me to his Manager who offered me a complimentary glass of Cava (Spanish Sparkling Wine). Smiling and talking is free so go ahead and invest in it.

Striking a pose for me in Barcelona

This guy actually tried to type his email address on my phone!

6. Queue up

You do not have the birthright to skip a queue. Yes, even when your bladder is full after 10 beers and your liver and kidneys are overworked. The UK is notorious for its queues, so much so that even if you are the first customer at a shop, you wait for someone so you could form a queue.

7. Sample but buy

You visit a wine stall at the local market and you are unsure about what you like. The kind stall owner offers you a taste of the various wines he has. It's an unspoken rule, but after he has extended the courtesy of offering a sample, please extend the courtesy of buying something from him, however small or inexpensive it is.

8. Tip with a smile

While leaving a tip is a personal choice, I would recommend leaving a tip, however small, to the person who served you at a restaurant or a cafe. If you can afford to go abroad, you can definitely afford to leave a token of gratitude.

If you found the article useful, share the article or comment with your thoughts

Gaurav Rajaram is a photographer from Bangalore who is passionate about travelling, teaching and writing.

He teaches Accounting and Direct Tax to students pursuing the Chartered Accountancy (CA) Course. You can read more about him and what he does for a living here