Travel Customs That Surprise Visitors

by Vocafy Verificato

Inglese (USA) B1 15 domande Viaggi

Explore everyday travel customs, from greeting shop staff to sharing a meal. Discover small ways to show respect in different settings.

1. 1. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   What should you do before stepping onto the indoor floor?

   At a traditional home in Japan, outdoor shoes stay in the entrance area. Your host offers you slippers for inside.

   • Remove your outdoor shoes.
   • Wipe your outdoor shoes and keep them on.
   • Carry the slippers inside while wearing your shoes.

   Show solution

   • Remove your outdoor shoes.

   The entrance separates outdoor footwear from the living space. Slippers help keep indoor floors clean.

2. 2. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   Where should a new arrival wait?

   At a London bus stop, passengers have formed a line. People generally board in the order they arrived.

   • Beside the first person in line.
   • At the back of the line.
   • In front of the line if they have a ticket.

   Show solution

   • At the back of the line.

   Keeping your place respects people who arrived earlier. Also leave room for passengers getting off.

3. 3. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   What is a polite way to begin?

   In many small shops in France, customers greet the staff when they enter, before asking about products.

   • Ask the price before saying anything else.
   • Wait until you pay to greet the staff.
   • Say hello before making your request.

   Show solution

   • Say hello before making your request.

   A short greeting shows that you recognize the person, not just the service they provide.

4. 4. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   Which outfit meets this dress rule?

   At the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, visitors are expected to cover their shoulders and knees.

   • A shirt with sleeves and long pants.
   • A sleeveless shirt and long pants.
   • A shirt with sleeves and shorts above the knees.

   Show solution

   • A shirt with sleeves and long pants.

   These temples are religious places as well as historic sites. Suitable clothing shows respect for both roles.

5. 5. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   How should you plan your meal budget?

   At many full-service restaurants in the United States, customers leave a tip for table service. The tip is usually separate from the menu price.

   • Treat the menu price as including the tip.
   • Allow money for a tip as well as the meal.
   • Plan to tip only if the server asks.

   Show solution

   • Allow money for a tip as well as the meal.

   Before adding a tip, check whether the bill already includes a service charge.

6. 6. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   What does a passing walker's hello usually mean here?

   On hiking paths in parts of the Austrian Alps, walkers often greet each other, even when they have never met.

   • They want you to join their hiking group.
   • They need help finding the path.
   • They are offering a friendly greeting.

   Show solution

   • They are offering a friendly greeting.

   A brief greeting back is usually enough. You do not need to stop for a conversation.

7. 7. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   You want a break from more meat. What should you do?

   At a Brazilian restaurant serving meat at the table, your card has two sides: green invites more service, and red asks the servers to stop.

   • Turn the red side up.
   • Keep the green side up.
   • Hide the card under your plate.

   Show solution

   • Turn the red side up.

   The card lets you control the pace of the meal without calling a server each time.

8. 8. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   What is the main purpose of the cloth?

   At a public sauna in Finland, clean seat cloths are available. Visitors place a cloth on the wooden bench before sitting on it.

   • To reserve the seat while they leave.
   • To help keep the shared bench clean.
   • To mark a bench that visitors should not use.

   Show solution

   • To help keep the shared bench clean.

   Shared saunas may have their own rules about towels and swimwear, so check the guidance at the entrance.

9. 9. Scegli la risposta corretta.

   How can you avoid paying for these extras?

   At a restaurant in Portugal, bread and olives arrive before you order. The menu lists their prices, and the restaurant charges for them if you eat them.

   • Eat them after ordering a main dish.
   • Try a small amount instead of a full serving.
   • Leave them untouched and ask the server to remove them.

   Show solution

   • Leave them untouched and ask the server to remove them.

   Food placed on the table is not always a free welcome gift. Check the menu before trying it.

10. 10. Scegli la risposta corretta.

    Where should you use soap?

    At a Japanese onsen, a hot-spring bath, visitors wash and rinse at separate washing areas before entering the shared bath. The bath is for soaking.

    • At the washing area, before entering the bath.
    • In the shared bath, before sitting down.
    • At the edge of the shared bath, using its water.

    Show solution

    • At the washing area, before entering the bath.

    Rinsing well keeps soap out of the shared water. Small towels should also stay out of the bath.

11. 11. Scegli la risposta corretta.

    What should a younger guest do when the food arrives?

    At some traditional meals in South Korea, younger diners wait for the oldest person to start eating.

    • Begin first to show appreciation for the food.
    • Let the oldest person begin first.
    • Start immediately while the food is hot.

    Show solution

    • Let the oldest person begin first.

    Waiting can show respect for older people. Follow your hosts' lead, since family habits differ.

12. 12. Scegli la risposta corretta.

    You want to drink your coffee at a table. What should you expect?

    At this café in Italy, the menu lists different prices for drinking coffee at the counter and at a table. The table price is higher.

    • The counter price applies if you sit only briefly.
    • The counter price applies if you carry the coffee yourself.
    • The table price applies, even for a quick visit.

    Show solution

    • The table price applies, even for a quick visit.

    At some Italian cafés, table service changes the price. Check the menu before deciding where to enjoy your coffee.

13. 13. Scegli la risposta corretta.

    What should a visitor who is not Sikh understand?

    A Sikh gurdwara is a place of worship. Its langar is a free shared meal that welcomes people of different religions and backgrounds.

    • They can join the meal while following the hosts' guidance.
    • They must become Sikh before joining the meal.
    • They may watch the meal but cannot eat with the group.

    Show solution

    • They can join the meal while following the hosts' guidance.

    Langar supports equality by bringing people together over a meal, regardless of their background.

14. 14. Scegli la risposta corretta.

    Your friends are inside, but your group has not been invited in. What should you do?

    At a Māori marae, a community meeting place in New Zealand, hosts may welcome visitors with a formal ceremony. The visiting group waits to be invited in.

    • Enter because your friends are already there.
    • Wait for the hosts to welcome your group.
    • Ask a friend to let you through another entrance.

    Show solution

    • Wait for the hosts to welcome your group.

    Welcome arrangements differ between communities. Let your hosts guide you rather than treating the space like a public attraction.

15. 15. Scegli la risposta corretta.

    You have brought a picnic. Which plan respects both rules?

    In some traditional beer gardens in Bavaria, Germany, guests may bring food but must buy drinks there. Permission to bring food may apply only to certain seating areas.

    • Sit anywhere with your picnic, then buy drinks.
    • Find an area that allows outside food, then open your own drinks.
    • Ask which area allows outside food, then buy drinks there.

    Show solution

    • Ask which area allows outside food, then buy drinks there.

    A beer garden can have both picnic seating and restaurant seating. The rules may change between these areas.