Connecting with Locals
Good travel requires connecting with people. Get creative: bring a Frisbee, look up a bridge club, assume a fake last name and get out a phone book. Connecting with locals puts a shine into your travel memories. How do you make sure you connect with the locals in your travels?
Read the Distillation: Connecting with Locals, 2005
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Through digital photography
I like taking pictures, especially of the fruit markets. Since I've been to Italy, where there are plenty. I've usually asked permission and showing my camera. Now, with digital photography, I've also offered to show them what I've taken. They seem happy that I've offered.
Louis Manna
Scottsburg, Indian USA 10/08/2009
Pictures of locals - send them a copy
While in Romania we visited a elaborately painted village church. The caretaker was there with her grand daughter. After asking permission I took their picture and then had her write her address on a piece of paper. When I got home I had a print made of the two (and some neighborhood kids) and mailed them to her. I copied and printed the address she wrote and taped it to the package. That way I was sure of having the correct address and not making a mistake in "translation" as European writing sometimes looks very different from ours.
Mary Small <email>
Waikoloa, Hawaii USA 07/07/2009
Nice People Everywhere
I want to echo Barbara MacPherson's sentiments below with a similar and simple experience. While taking train in Italy during my first trip to Europe, my friend and I were seated across from an elderly man. He spoke with a noticable accent though I couldn't place where they were from. We offered them some of our biscuits seeing as how we're just facing each other and the old man says, "...there are nice people everywhere.." This simple comment was at once kind yet terribly uplifting and encouraging. It spoke volumes to me in terms of how such simple gestures can spread friendship and peace between complete strangers from complete difference places.
KC <email>
San Leandro, CA USA 06/12/2009
Meeting people
By far the best part of our trip to Italy was meeting people along the way. Several times we struck up conversations with fellow travellers...and this was how it happened. To be honest, it was awkward and uncomfortable to be sat SO close to other diners in restaurants...and this was the case in Vernazza. We were inches away from a husband and wife tourist and deliberately avoided looking at each other through our entire dinner. But,after the waiter had removed our plates, we realized that we would never finish the bottles of red and white table wine my daughter and I had bought. My daughter whispered, "Shall we offer them some wine?" I said why not...and the rest is history...They were a recently retired physician and his wife from Holland who spoke 6 languages and had travelled extensively. We talked about the upcoming presidential race, the recession and he expressed appreciation to American troups in WWII. The four of us finished both bottles and had to say good night and goodbye when the waiter removed our table cloths and closed the umbrellas... well after midnight! We will NEVER forget these dear people and the conversation that was started by a simple gesture of offering to share our wine.
I will also remember the young middle eastern gentleman, seated by us on the train, who INSISTED on sharing HIS box of cookies with us...(that were wrapped in cellophane). No words were spoken, just hand gestures and big smiles. (Who needs words?)
I think this is a travel tip worth sharing. I am not kidding, it MADE our trip!
Barbara MacPherson <email>
Santa Rosa, CA USA 06/04/2009
Get to know your hosts
Get to know your hostel/B&B/Pensione hosts! They're a wealth of information. From practicing the language to finding laundry detergent or a good cheeseburger, these are great sources. And now I have fabulous pen pals from around the world too.
Gina
Denver, CO USA 06/01/2009
Sit at the bar!
The best advice we received from the Rick Steves' guide book was to always sit at the bar, rather than a table. My husband and I just returned from Ireland and met so many fantastic locals at the local pubs. The amount of history and culture we received by talking to them was mind boggling. We'd also use the opportunity to ask, "Where would YOU stay if you were on holiday?" We saw a ton of small towns- some on the map and some not. This allowed us to see a side of Ireland that we never would have seen. Great advice!
Jennifer <email>
Portland, OR USA 03/16/2009