Manners on the Tour
Ambassadorship
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Remember, to varying degrees, you are representing yourselves, the
tour, BYU-Idaho, the Church, and the United States.
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Unofficial tour motto, suitable for screening on t-shirts:
"Wherever thou art, act well thy part."
Behaviors Britons Detest
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Shouting. Britons typically speak in low tones.
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Blocking Traffic. Stay out of people's way by moving aside
whenever possible.
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Comparing life in America to life in Britain. British ways
are enviable, in many cases.
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Bragging and boasting. This is tacky. We're all
nationalists. If anything, tell Britons what you like about Britain--you'll
make a friend for life.
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Complaining about anything. Food will be different. Toilets
will flush differently. Towels may not be "Downy soft." Deal with it; this is a
part of the travel experience. Try new foods, new words, etc., embracing such
opportunities as part of a new culture.
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Rudeness and impatience. Britons will expect you to be
extremely courteous and polite regardless of what happens.
Behaviors Tour Directors Discourage
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Being Late. It holds up everyone--don't do it.
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Flirting. This can be very dangerous in Europe, as Europeans
interpret signals differently.
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Flashing cash. Be "street smart" and discrete when handling
money. Be aware that certain people may want to take advantage of you. Theft is
very common in Europe, especially in Paris. Tourists are easy to identify and
victimize. When in doubt, think like a criminal.
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Mocking language, customs, mannerisms, etc. In reality,
you're just as strange to them (and maybe even more so.)
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Doing anything listed under behaviors Britons detest.
Attitudes Tour Directors Appreciate
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Being a cooperative team player. Think in terms of what's
best for the whole tour, not just yourself. You'll have considerable free time
to satisfy your personal whims.
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Assuming tour directors are doing all they can to make the
tour enjoyable. Also, assuming they're only human (some things are even beyond their
control.)
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Being cool when things go wrong, as they inevitably will.
Anticipate being flexible.
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Being your brother's/sister's keeper. Help each other out,
bear one another's burdens, look out for each other.
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Listening to directors' instructions carefully. Most of what
they say will be with your best interests in mind.
Finally, for most of you, this trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We're gone for only 24 days. Given the grandeur of what you're about to
experience, you cannot afford to be anything less than excited, cheerful,
pleasant, patient, tolerant, understanding, positive, fun, grateful, and
gracious.
As directors, we understand the responsibilities and obligations we have to
you, your parents, and BYU-Idaho. We're thrilled that you're going on this
year's tour and are anxious to serve you.
Currency Exchange
Bring your ATM card. The best rates these days are often
obtained from cash machines, which are everywhere in Western Europe's cities
and increasingly available even in the East and in smaller towns. Check with
your issuing bank to see if they have a list of overseas ATM locations that are
valid for your type of card.
There are some cautions to keep in mind when you use an overseas ATM. Don't
withdraw extremely large amounts. Getting a week's worth of cash at one go will
save transaction fees, but it also puts you at risk for theft, accidental loss,
and even an expensive failed transaction -- where the ATM records your
withdrawal but doesn't dispense any funds, or not the right amount. Getting
this sort of error corrected can be much more difficult in a foreign country
than it is at home, and might not be resolved until long after your trip is
over -- if at all. Should you need a substantial amount of cash for some
reason, it's best to wait for banking hours and carry out the deal in person.
And watch your back. If someone is crowding you, even if they don't appear to
be paying attention, put your card away and try another location. Theft of PIN
and calling card numbers has become an art form in many areas -- professional
thieves use mirrors, video cameras, even binoculars. Take care to block the
view when you're punching in your code. And put that wad of cash away before
you turn around, not as you're strolling down the street.
Don't assume that because your ATM or debit card was accepted by one machine,
it will work everywhere -- European systems can be finicky and unpredictable
when it comes to foreign cards. We had one experience where, within 48 hours,
the same card was rejected as "Declined by issuing bank" in Budapest, reported
as "Not valid for international transactions" in Rome, and then -- at another
Rome ATM no more than fifty feet away -- cheerfully produced 100,000 lira, no
questions asked. Yet all three machines had our card's logo. If your ATM card
fails in one machine, don't panic -- try the next one you see.
Bring some currency with you. It's now a simple matter to
order $100 or so of foreign funds before you leave, at generally reasonable
rates, using online services such as Currency FX. When you've just arrived in a
foreign city, it's pouring down rain, the currency counter is jammed, and all
you want is a cab to your hotel, it's a wonderful thing to have real money in
your pocket right off the bat. If you're going to be visiting several
countries, get a "starter-set" of $50 to $100 for each.
Use credit cards as much as you can. This way you don't pay
a commission for changing funds, and the rate you'll get is generally very
good. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are very widely accepted in most
of Western Europe.
However, be sure to check with your credit card issuer to see if they've added
new foreign-exchange fees recently (or raised the fees they had before). Many
banks have done so, but not all. If your card is gouging travelers, dump it and
get a different one.
When you do change traveler's checks for cash, you'll get the best rate at
banks and (usually) the worst rate at shops and hotels. Falling in between are
the ubiquitous change shops found at airports, railway stations, and on
virtually every street corner in popular tourist areas. Be aware that the
terrific rates trumpeted in large print outside these places are invariably buy
rates -- that is, it's the rate at which they'll buy local currency and sell
you dollars. Since this isn't the transaction you have in mind, you'll actually
get a different and less favorable calculation -- usually posted in much
smaller print inside. Also be aware that a transaction fee is nearly always
added on -- generally the equivalent of $2-$3 -- which further reduces your
effective rate, especially for small transactions. Often, however, the fee can
be substantially less if you wander a few blocks away from the busiest streets,
and look for change shops on the periphery that are a bit more hungry for
business. (As a bonus, this can also be a good way to find a place for lunch!)
Another change-shop scam to watch out for: some will try to hand you a cheap
map or coupon book along with your funds, giving the impression that it's
complimentary -- but if you check your receipt you'll find you were charged
(and dearly) for what's usually a worthless advertising brochure. The practice
is illegal in many jurisdictions, so if you raise a stink there's a good chance
they'll quickly take the item back and give you a refund.
Once you get some local currency in your hands, take time to learn it.
Travelers probably lose more funds through overpaying -- mixing up pence and
pounds, forgetting the value of 1,000 lira vs. 10,000 -- than they do from
overpriced exchange rates. If you don't know the coins, you'll fall into the
habit of handing someone a large bill for every transaction, and end up lugging
around twenty pounds of pocket change that you're afraid to spend. Remember
that coins in many European countries come in higher denominations than we're
used to -- take them seriously. Also remember that most change shops, and even
most banks, will not accept foreign coins for exchange regardless of their
value -- so try to work your coin-purse empty before you depart. (This can be a
wonderful excuse for buying chocolate bars and other such high-rationalization
items.)
Speaking of coins: if you have a stash of leftover change from a trip five
years ago, bring it along but use caution. Some European countries retire coins
after a number of years and issue new versions, and the deal is not always
backwardly compatible... in fact you can get in a bit of hot water trying to
palm off a "withdrawn" coin. Check your souvenirs against what's circulating
now, and ask your concierge or hotel desk clerk if you're in doubt. Even older
bills can be worthless if you take them out of their native country; if a
country has recently undergone a devaluation or other major currency change,
you may find that old specie is still in circulation there which won't be
accepted by money-changers elsewhere. If you're getting ready to leave a
country and have excess cash on your hands, it's usually better to change it
before you go. (Especially if you are leaving Eastern Europe for the West.)
Finally, be sensible about getting a good exchange rate, but not fanatical.
Remember that you're in Europe: you paid a lot to get there and you're paying a
lot to stay there, and your time is worth something too. We once encountered a
young couple sitting on a sidewalk in the Paris financial district, looking
tired and bored. When we struck up a conversation, we learned that they were
"waiting for the bank to open." They had walked some two miles from their
hotel, had been sitting on a hot sidewalk for over an hour, and once they
cashed their traveler's checks they planned to walk two miles back to visit a
museum near the hotel. Familiar with the area, we noted that there were a
half-dozen change shops within a block of the museum's entrance. "Oh, but those
are terrible rates," they said knowingly. "We aren't going to let ourselves be
ripped off." When we passed by an hour later they were still sitting there --
wasting a morning in Paris, but not getting "ripped off." Be sensible.