-
Culture & Etiquette
How Much to Tip in the US, and Why the Bill Assumes It
In the United States, tipping is customary based on social norms rather than a legal requirement and each state has established laws that regulate wages for tipped employees on an individual basis and continually update them. When tipping, the two documents that guide your decision-making process are the receipt provided at the end of service and the written authority (restaurant)…
Read More » -
Culture & Etiquette
Korean Etiquette for Visitors: The Rules That Differ Most From Japan
Korean dining etiquette is different from Japanese in the following three ways: The rice bowl remains on the table rather than being lifted; the chopsticks do not perform all of the tasks; and the person being greeted bows first rather than waiting to be bowed to. In Korea, you do not lift your bowl but instead use a spoon to…
Read More » -
Culture & Etiquette
What Are the Real Japanese Table Manners, and Which Rules Can You Relax?
There are two actions you can take with your pair of chopsticks that will definitely cause discomfort among the people who share the same meal as you in Japan. Everything else that falls under table manners in Japan is merely an example of ordinary politeness, and it costs nothing to break these rules. The documentation Japan provides for tourists as…
Read More » -
Culture & Etiquette
Inside a Japanese Onsen: What Happens Step by Step and Where First-Timers Slip Up
In general, a person’s first visit to an onsen will follow a short sequence found nearly everywhere in Japan. The typical sequence consists of: 1) undressing completely prior to entering the spa; 2) bathing with your body and towel or hair out of the water; 3) drying off; and then 4) returning to the changing room after finishing. These steps…
Read More » -
Culture & Etiquette
Japanese Etiquette for First-Time Visitors: Which Rules Carry Real Consequences and Which Don’t
In Japan, very few social conventions on how to behave will actually lead to an issue for yourself and those associated with the item you are violating, and each of these issues has to deal with something that belongs to everyone else. Items such as a clean floor, peace and quiet while riding a commuter train, and bath water that…
Read More » -
Trip Planning & Itineraries
2 Weeks in Europe Itinerary: Five Classic Routes Compared by Transit Time, Not Landmarks
2 Weeks in Europe Itinerary: Five Classic Routes Compared by Transit Time, Not Landmarks Two weeks in Europe will be sufficient time to see quite a bit, but most of the time, the route that will allow for the most to be seen will not be the route that has the highest number of cities. By limiting your travels to…
Read More » -
Trip Planning & Itineraries
Trip Planning Apps Compared: What They Organize for You and What They Still Get Wrong
The four travel-planning apps discussed in this article all provide a way to keep travel plans organized by presenting bookings, stops, and daily schedules in chronological order. However, none of these apps can provide the answer to the question of whether a particular museum will be open on the specific day the user scheduled their visit. This limitation is not…
Read More » -
Trip Planning & Itineraries
What a Good Travel Itinerary Template Must Contain Before You Trust It With Your Trip
Choose a travel itinerary template based on the type of fields it requires you to complete, not based on how attractive the page is. The template determines what information gets written and what information you never consider again. The majority of the most used free templates are set up with where you’re going to, when, what you’re doing and the…
Read More » -
Trip Planning & Itineraries
How to Plan a Trip in the Order That Keeps It From Falling Apart
Airports are not where most trips fall apart. Mostly, trips fall apart weeks before you get to the airport, because you made one decision based on information that was otherwise available. Most of the advice on how to plan a trip provides you with a numbered list of steps. The more difficult question is which order to follow and the…
Read More » -
Trip Planning & Itineraries
Build Your Travel Itinerary Around Fixed Anchors, Not Attraction Lists
To create a travel itinerary, prioritize those few fixed time points on your behalf by creating a day’s itinerary around those fixed time points first instead of managing a wish list from a random list of things to do. Most of what is on a “wish list” can take place at nearly any time, so it is the very few…
Read More »