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.
Post Office in Dutch
Just back from a trip to Netherlands, Belgium & Switzerland. Not the first time for any of them, but first time I noticed the Dutch term for Post Office and had to laugh at my first thought. TNT is where you buy your stamps and mail your cards, NOT what might occur to a safety/security saturated and jet-lagged American tourist these day.
Barbara Wolfe <email>
Lutz, FL USA 04/15/2008
Festivals
Wherever you are, try to find out if there are any folk-festivals going on, usually the kind with tents. Small towns are typically better than large cities for meeting and hanging out with locals. Many towns will have some kind of festival or tent-party around spring and summer holidays like May 1st, Penecost, or St. John's Day (Summer Solstice). They usually have some kind of religious or pagan connotations to them, but that doesn't keep them from throwing a good party with live music, plenty of beer or wine, and street food, and sometimes these things go all day into the wee hours of the morning.
I've been to several on my travels throughout the EU and have always managed to get along very well with locals. Some remain my friends several years later.
Bryan
Atlanta, GA USA 04/02/2008
Camping friends
A great place to meet Europeans is at campgrounds. We have camped in France, Greece, Germany, and Italy and were usually the only Americans. Many campgrounds have swimming pools, restaurants, and bars. I've met locals while washing my car, doing laundry, eating in the restaruant, walking to the loo, swimming, etc. Most of the campgrounds that we've stayed at have campers from all over Europe. We traveled in an old VW camping-van on one trip and with tents, blankets, and a rental car on another occasion (with our then high school-aged kids). Our daughter played soccer and brought a ball, leading to some impromptu fun with other kids. Many campgrounds also have bungalos for rent. Campgrounds are sold out during July and August so plan ahead.
Charles A. Robinson <email>
Lodi, CA USA 02/09/2008
Rent A House
Last September we went to the Champagne Ardennes region and rented a cabin that was on the owner's property. It was a great experience. We went to dinner at their home and they ate with us in the cabin. The owner even made a tart one day. It was a great experience and I learned more about the French than I have in any of my many trips there. We learned about the economic problems first hand. We still email them.
Sue
Springfield, va USA 01/11/2008
Witch burning
We arrived in Laarne, Belgium, which is near Gent, the last night of our vacation. I had reserved a bed and breakfast in the village so we could enjoy Gent but still be close to the airport. We arrived and found the town was CLOSED--all the roads were blocked--we couldn't get to the B&B and the people we found couldn't speak English to help us. We finally found someone at a restaurant and he informed us that the town was closed for a Witch burning (a recreation of course). We found our B&B, went to the witch burning (it was the 400th anniversary of the event) and enjoyed the people, music, dancing and fireworks. A local man explained the whole event to us. It was a great end to a great vacation in Holland and Belgium.
Julie
Provo, Utah USA 09/04/2007
Italian Spirit
Just recieved an email from my son whom is traveling in Europe with his girlfriend and two other friends from school. They went out of their way to meet and try and talk with a young Italian guy on their train trip from Venice to Florence. In Bolonga, his girlfriend left her passport and train tickets (a lesson to make sure your always actually wearing your moneybelt when on the trains)as they transfered trains. This young man went out of his way to actually get off his train, and chase them down in the staion to give her back her passport and tickets. What a wonderful gesture this gentlemen displayed. He saved their trip! Unless they are playing the US team, I'm always rooting for Italia from now on in football!!! Molto Grazie!!
Tim
Orlando, FL USA 06/16/2007
Staying with Family
The best way to conect with the locals is by staying with your family. Whenever I travel I always make it a point to stay with my family. Everyday I can explore the town. This works well in the US and abroad. The family knowes where the best restairant is, where the best theater is, the best museums to go to and their hours. If you send an email you may be invited to a relatives hourse for a day where you can swim with the locals in the community pool, share a dinner together and have a good time. It is also nice to stay at the home of your relatives as you can truely relax and unwind. Be sure to offer to buy groceries,help with the chores etc. You will feel like a temporary local meeting friends and seeing the sights as if you lived in the city.
Rick has empjasized to try and contact as many family members as possi ble as it adds to the travel experience. Just imagine being abel to spend a week at your relative's house midway through a trip staying at hotels. It's a luxry that won't cost you much and you can taste the local foods as well.
Daniel <email>
Saratoga, CA USA 06/10/2007
making jokes, making friends
On a train from Cologne to Amsterdam, my friends and I, some American college kids, had to sit in the aisles because it was a busy holiday weekend. A few middle-aged couples on holiday were in the seats surrounding us. Since my friends and I had to keep standing up to let people pass, I leaned over to the gentleman in the seat next to me and said "es ist wie eine katholische Messe!" ("it's like a Catholic mass!"). Apparently that was hilaaaarious...my joke was a hit! We ended up playing a game with them where we tried to name a town in Germany that began with each letter of the alphabet. We laughed all the way to Amsterdam. Amazing what one little joke can do!
Lori <email>
Winston-Salem, NC USA 05/02/2007
French
Neither my high school French nor the dim memory of my mother's side of the family speaking Quebecois French was much help in Paris; so I alternated 2 badly accented expressions that got us through our wonderful week: 'Je ne parle pas Francais; je tue Francais' and 'Votre pauvre oreilles!'. (I don't speak French; I kill French, and Your poor ears!) These at one point turned a distant waiter into an old pal and we left calling 'l'ange de nourriture.' (the angel of food).
Carla
San Francisco, CA USA 03/18/2007
speaking about Karneval with locals
Being in a town in Germany still celebrating Karneval can be a rewarding experience. For instance, I was able to ask a couple in Stuttgart, dressed in clownlike outfits visiting a local pub/snackbar, how they celebrated Karneval, or if they called it in Fasching which is the other word in German. For instance in Cologne one says "Kölle Alaaf!". In Stuttgart on the other hand, they say "Stuttgart Nari Naro!". No matter what part of Germany Karneval or Fasching is celebrated, it seems that the band "Die Höhner" are the best known performers nationwide. We even compared the songs from that group - our favorite somehow was "Die Karawane zieht weiter, der Sultan häät Doosch" (the caravan goes on further, the Sultan is thirsty). This is one of the times to forget whether one is from Germany, Austria, France, Spain, or even the USA. As they say in Cologne during Karneval "Mir sin alle Kölle"
Josh Hanz <email>
Frisco, TX USA 03/10/2007
Ireland friendliness continued
continued from below: 7 or 8 of them took turns singing solos, and their buddies all joined in on the chorus. A couple of them came over to our table and had a quite lengthy visit. We had a great time!
Dan
WA USA 10/14/2006
Ireland friendliness
It's true folks! Everything we found posted here about the hospitlity and friendliness of the Irish people was right on. The best experience was in a pub in Dungarvin during a "session" A group of about 15 guys from Cork walked in about 10 PM. They had been golfing, and had stopped in for a couple of pints. 2 were drinking cola....must have been the drivers
Dan
WA USA 10/14/2006
Theading a needle in Europe
Mike, relax, you will find more people who want to have a friendly conversation, willing to help you, etc., then you find trying to scam you.
USA 09/10/2006
threading the needle in Europe ...
reading the graffiti wall and the book "Europe Thru the Back Door" I alternate between terror and anticipation! I'm going to Europe soon, and to me one of the attractions of the methods Rick advocates is the chance to be (as he says) a "temporary European", taking part in their life and culture. The terror comes from the multitude of warnings both in the book and on the Graffitti walls of all the scams that befall unwary tourists.
So if a charming person invites me into a bar for a drink have I made contact with a local or am I part of the scam where I'll end up buying a $200 beer? Is the stranger helping me find my train really helping me or trying to make me miss it? Is the stranger showing me the way a person taking pity on the lost foreigner or a scammer sending me down a dark street where his pals lie in wait?
Both scenarios (friendly contact and complete ripoff) are amply described in the book and in the multiple warnings on this site. So how do I know which play I'm in? I'm no idiot, but if I wanted to play it safe I'd stick to American travel and American culture where I know a bit about the scams and what is normal and what isn't. As they say, in a card game if you don't know who the patsy is within 5 minutes then it's you. But in a different country, with a different culture, people speaking a different language ... How does one tell?
If I walk around paranoid and suspicious of everyone and everything, I'll miss out on the adventure and fun I'm looking for. But if I'm trusting then I'm the easy mark every con artist has waited for.
So how do you, the experienced traveler, thread the needle? How do you stay safe but at the same time make contact with the real people and culture?
Mike <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 09/04/2006
Fly a foreign airline
Start connecting with locals on the flight over. You are more apt to find a foreigner on a foreign airline. I try to fly KLM or Lufthansa instead of Northwest or United. The flight attendants will definitely be locals. I have recently had pleasant conversations with a German/American woman who was just starting a job in Berlin and with a couple of German girls who had finished a short exchange visit in Michigan.
I have to force myself to be an extrovert. Instead of just raising my eyebrows and pointing I speak. "Excuse me. I have the window seat. Sorry. Thank you."
The most successful icebreaker questions for me are, "Where are you from?" and "Where are you going?" Be prepared to pull out maps of Europe of the United States to find home towns and then proposed travel routes.
Sharing a minor treat like a Lifesaver candy also helps, but you can't just hold out the roll. "Would you like a lifesaver?"
Chip
Iowa USA 09/02/2006
Scottish Pubs
Just got back from Scotland, and had a great time in 2 pubs frequented by locals in Inverness. In Scotland, if you ask for ice in your whiskey, you'll definately draw the locals w/advice on how not to ruin a good glass of whiskey! At the second pub, came across a fantastic duo rocking the place w/Scottish folk music. Bottom line - find the pubs where locals, not tourists, congregate.
Chuck <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 07/19/2006
Conversations with Locals
Our efforts to connect with locals in a laundromat in Florence ended up with a conversation with 2 American college girls who are attending the same university from which one of my cousins graduated. :)
But--on the train between Rome and Naples, an Italian woman about my age (50-60) noticed my cane and my efforts to sit down. I noticed her shopping bag was from a toy store. We ended up having a pleasant, fun conversation for about 15 minutes--she in Italian, me in English--about my knee replacement, her hip replacement, and our grandkids! We used a lot of body English also! It was one of the most fun moments of my trip.
Daisy
USA 05/11/2006
Go to a laundromat
Go to a laundromat to talk to locals. You can have some very interesting conversations and if all else fails, at least you have clean clothes!
Linda
Haverhill, MA USA 05/05/2006
Arty Party
Find out where the art galleries are- many galleries have great opening parties (with free wine and cheese!) on Thurs, Fri and Sat nights. Best of all, you will have hit the pulse of the city; the modern culture rather than what can be found in museums.
RP
Canada 04/18/2006
Internet Service
ROTHENBURG: if anyone is looking for internet svc go to "Der Computer Shop", on ansbacher str on the way from the train station into town. Great owner, cheap internet, also games and computer services if needed. happy travels!
Kendra
Stoneham, MA USA 04/18/2006
Meeting at the market
My husband and I love to go to the markets. We talk with the vendors and other shoppers. Even if we are just looking, we enjoy! The food, crafts, books, etc. give you loads of options for starting a conversation. We've made lots of new friends this way and gotten great tips about getting around, shopping, wbere to eat, places to avoid, etc.
Toni Yates
Charlotte, NC USA 03/25/2006
Locals on a bus
I think one of the best ways to meet the locals is to go on their local bus service. My husband and I were in the lovely wilds of the North York Moors and decided to take the steam train from Pickering. We were staying in Hutton-le Hole and had to walk to Kirkbymoorside and catch a bus that left from the front of the "chemist's"(drugstore). We met a man with a beautiful English pointer dog on the bus. He told us how his dog had won a prize at a show the weekend before. He pulled out a ten pound note proudly, apparently the purse for such an honor. Though I can have fun with the drunken soccer hooligans at London pubs and the euro-trash of the nightclubs, nothing makes England more real than a proud, tweed capped Brit and his beloved dog. On a bus, in the middle of the moors.
Lorretta <email>
Houston, TX USA 03/01/2006
Traveling in Wales
Welsh male voice choirs are a popular attraction in Wales. On our recent trip, we not only attended a weekly concert in Llandudno and a massed choir event in London but also a local choir rehearsal in Cardiff. We had emailed ahead and had a choir member to contact once we arrived in the city. He confirmed that the rehearsal was on that night. We were the only visitors and so many of the choristers came over to say hello, to tell us of their trips to the U.S., and to wish us a safe journey. It was a highlight of our trip! In Llandudno, the practice is to ask who in the audience is from outside Wales; there was actually another couple from Massachusetts in the audience that evening. Once we had identified ourselves, audience members in front and back of us introduced themselves. A very friendly people!
Fran
Natick, MA USA 03/01/2006
The road less traveled.
I agree with Terry in California, I much prefer to go off the path to meet with the locals. I have been to Ireland many, many times yet have never seen the Blarney Stone, Waterford Crystal factory or the Guinness brewery. Why bother? I'd prefer to go see the other gems. I was once at a pub in Cloghane, Co Kerry and met the "village idiot" He was a drunk guy who warned me his back tooth was rotting so he wouldnt get too close to me because he knew his breath was "stinkin" He went on to tell me his Mom was an Apache Indian and started spouting off these fake Indian impressions. I informed him he'd been watching Dances with Wolves a few too many times! He also told me about how he wrestled an Oraca whale in Brandon bay and took his took and proceeded to show me this tooth looking thing on his neck. Needless to say after a few pints the guy actually started making sense (that was when I knew I had too many!!!) He did tell me about the history of the "black and tans" and how they fought the English and didnt allow them in Cloghane etc. It was a wild night, the guy was so full of bologna but it sure beat being stuck with a bunch of Yanks on a bus kissing the Blarney Stone!
Nora
Surprise, AZ USA 01/23/2006
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 01/11/2005