Visiting another country on vacation this summer? You’re not alone. Our teachers and staff are here to offer some international travel tips.
According to American Automobile Association (AAA) booking data, international travel is up 200% over 2022. A recent survey from travel app TripIt says half of US travelers will be heading out of the country by August.
Experiencing another culture can be a life-changing experience, but it is important to understand and respect the local customs of the country you are visiting. To help, we asked several of our language instructors and staff who are from or have lived in other countries, to share their best international travel tips. From clothes to credit cards, they share valuable information to know before you go.
This personal experience is one of the many advantages we offer our language students at Capital Region Language Center. Unlike a generic language software program or online course, our teachers go beyond the basics, explaining how to use language and respect local culture when traveling.
Visiting Peru
“If you take a taxi in Arequipa and some other cities in Peru, remember that you can haggle the price of the ride. Don’t hesitate, you’ll get better prices and save some money!! It’s very common to do it in Peru.
– Miriam Rogers, Spanish instructor
Miriam in uniform for a parade at San Agustin University, where she taught in Peru.
Visiting China
“When you travel in China, your efforts to speak some basic courtesy expressions such as “Nǐhǎo! (Hello!) “ or “Xièxiè! (Thank you!) are greatly appreciated by Chinese people.”
-Xuehan Liu, Chinese instructor
Xuehan, on her last trip to China.
Visiting Germany
“In Germany, it is advisable to always have some cash on you. Many stores still only accept cash! In many larger stores you can pay with a German debit card, but credit cards are not as welcome!”
-Evelin Börner, Online German Instructor
Evelin and her husband in Dresden, Germany.
Visiting Morocco
“While traveling in Morocco in 2016, my family and I chose to dress conservatively. We wanted to respect and honor the local culture, and that meant not wearing shorts or cropped shirts out in public. It was hot in July, so it was a huge adjustment for some family members to not wear shorts!”
-Kim Andersen, Founder & Director, Capital Region Language Center
Kim and her family in Morocco.
Visiting Korea
“In Korea, you never have to tip at a restaurant or a cafe. How awesome is that! And usually, the service is very good even without any tips!”
-Sonya Kim, Korean Instructor
Sonya and her family at Bulguksa, a temple in Gyeongju, Korea.
Visiting Spain
“In my travels to Spain, it always surprised me that in many restaurants, you do not have to wait to be seated by a host. You can often seat yourself at an open table and the servers will come to you. This wasn’t the case in every restaurant, but often that was the norm!”
-Sarah Straight, Administrative Assistant
Sarah and her mom, traveling in Spain.
If you have international travel coming up, our instructors can boost your language skills and cultural understanding before you go. If your business has new clients or partners in another country, we help teams learn a new language to improve communication and collaboration. With both one-on-one and group classes, offered in-person and online, we make it easy to fit instruction into any schedule.