Connecting with Locals: 2005
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
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Connecting through a local English class
In May 2004 I traveled with my daughter to the Czech Republic. We spent a few days in Prague visiting all of the sights highlighted in Rick’s books. Then we traveled by train south to Cesky Budejovice (about $4 USD each!) where we were picked up by distant relatives. We communicated with short phrases, pantomime and drew lots of pictures. The next day we met Linda, our interpreter, whom we had hired for about $15 per day. One of the best parts of the trip for my daughter was when Linda invited her to join her English class in the evening. Her class had never heard a native English speaker before. At first they were a little shy and conscious of their English skills. Then my daughter broke the ice by saying that she didn’t normally drink beer but she found the Czech beer wonderful. That prompted an idea and the class adjourned to a local bar where they continued well into the night. It became one of her fondest memories.
Marv Vikla <email>
Maple Grove, MN USA Sat 12/24/2005
Challenge/Task to complete: TRAVEL GAME
Fill in the blanks - Preferabley in Italian - This is for a travel Game for four couples traveling to Italy.
When in 1. ________________(Rome, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre)
make your way to the 2._________________ (use your favorite places)
take a picture of the 3.___________________. (person, place or thing)
Purchase a 4. _________________________. (ex: postcard of...., food item from specific deli or cafe)
Drink some 5.______________________ (be specific, but also deceiving, use italian or manufacturers name)
Eat some 6.__________________. (local treat, specialty)
Julie Murphy <email>
Lynnwood, WA USA Sat 10/22/2005
Lots of Ways to Connect
The best way to meet locals is to talk to them, preferably in their language but often in English, as it has become a nearly universal 2nd tongue, spoken by most younger people ( who are more likely to need it for work). We saw a large group of people surrounding telescopes set up on the seawall walk in Cadiz,Spain- we asked what they were viewing and members of the local astronomy club invited us to look at Jupiter and its moons!!!
Parents are always glad to have someone smiling at and talking with their babies- that can lead to unexpected dividends of all sorts.
Sports fans love to talk about their teams. You neednt know much about football ( we call it soccer but nobody else does), just cheer em on.
It also never hurts to use a word or phrase in the local language and to ask if you used it correctly.Virtually nobody fails to smile and either congratulate your effort or chuckle with you.
Paul n Sara <email>
Newburyport , MA USA Wed 10/19/2005
England and Netherlands
I recently returned from my first adventure in europe with my girl friend what a wonderful place. We spent 7 days in Amsterdam in the southern canal belt away from all the tourists and found a wonderful brown cafe that Rick speaks about. The first night in town and we met so many local people it was amazing they would tell us where to eat what to see and i have a couple people that i have been corresponding with I found that being myself an american which i am proud of was the best way to go, these people took us out to dinner on Sue's birthday bought us drinks and just simply tried to be our friend i feel so blessed for the experience i hope everyone could enjoy what we experiencd just be yourself what did it for us was asking the bartender what the local drink was and after that they embraced us just thought i would share with everyone.
john
Kentucky USA Tue 10/11/2005
tobelocal
Some guys just started a website to make it easier to connect with locals:
www.tobelocal.com
Off course you are yourselves a local for your own place and you can contact other locals for your own trips.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
Sipko <email>
Utrecht, NL Sat 09/17/2005
We all have dirty laundry!
I think one of the best ways to meet locals is to do your laundry at the local self serve. While in London this spring, I met a lovely older lady who told me stories about the blitz and what it was like as a young girl to live through air raids and being sent to "the country" to wait out the worst of it when her Mum got too afraid of losing her darlings. This is real history and an additional benefit of packing light. I would never have met this woman at a tourist sight.
Terry
Pleasant Hill, CA USA Mon 06/27/2005
Recent England trip
Meeting people in the UK is easy. They love Americans for the most part. I suppose it helps that I have half my family there. US/UK politics is not such the touchy issue that people make it out to be. Many people just want the troops back home. You do sense a bit of apathy and resignation when amongst Brits when it comes to UK politics. Britons are a reserved people by nature. They generally will not initiate a conversation. But, if you are the outgoing sort, do not be afraid to strike up a conversation in a pub. Watch yourself on the streets though!
happs01
USA Fri 03/25/2005
It's cliche but it works
When travelling in the U.K., you can always strike up a conversation by mentioning the weather.
Liz
USA Sun 03/13/2005
Take your dog!!!
My husband and I just got back from two weeks in Paris and I cannot say enough about how the French love dogs. We took our three year old Cavalier King Charles spaniel with us and we would never have met so many wonderful people without her. One morning we were having a bite of breakfast at a cafe on the Ile Ste. Louis and a parisian couple who also have a cavalier came over and started talking about the breed, etc. etc. We were invited to their place the next night for dinner so our dogs could meet and play together and it was a spectacular evening. They live in the 7th arrondisement in a beautiful house, the meal was fabulous, they were absolutely charming and hilarious and luckily, our dogs got along famously. And it is absolutely true what gets said about allowing dogs in restaurants and on the metro.
We took Tess with us everywhere! We got better service at restaurants and waiters absolutely doted on her, in addition to bringing her extra food. To take her was a last minute decision because the house sitter we had lined up bailed out on us and so we scrambled around to get her shots and make a reservation for her on our United airline flight for her to be in the cabin with us. The air hostesses even let us take her out of the carrier and sit on the seat between Doug and me. From beginning to end, the quality of our trip was enhanced by our dog's presence. So if possible, take your dog if you are going to a country without the quarintine. Rick should organize a dog lover's trip. And the hotel we stayed at couldn't have been nicer about her.
Trudy
Princeton, NJ USA Mon 01/17/2005
Meeting locals in Frankfurt
One great place to meet English speaking locals or expats in Frankfurt is MacGowans on Berger Str. in Frankfurt-Bornheim. But don't try to find it yourself!! Take a taxi. But you'll love it!
Andreas <email>
Frankfurt am Main, GER Tue 01/11/2005