Our trip to Paris last month — during which we experienced a grand total of zero mean Parisians — got us thinking about why we had such a good experience compared to the popular narrative, that French/Parisian people are mean to tourists. But I think we settled on the fact that we tried to be the absolute most respectful travelers that we possibly could.
No instantly asking “Parlez-vous anglais?” or “Do you speak English?” No expectation that people would switch to English when it was clear that our French was pretty bad. No getting visibly annoyed when service took longer than it does in the United States. No being loud or attracting attention to ourselves.
Over the years, my understanding of what it means to be a respectful traveler has continued to evolve. So here are a few easy things you can implement on your next trip. (Especially to my fellow American friends — let’s improve our reputation together!) [Read more…]