Category "etiquette"

How to recognise/thank great cabin crew?

Those of us who fly a lot will know that there is a bit of a variety in cabin crew. Some (sadly more common on certain airlines) do the very bare minimum to ens

Etiquette of eating noodle soup in China

I'm currently in Yunnan, China and one of the cheaper and still very yummy things to eat here is a spicy, oily, rice noodle soup. I'm used to getting similar d

Etiquette of "spitting out" bones etc in China

In China you regularly see restaurant patrons spit out bones and other bits from their soup etc straight onto the table, and you can also read in various places

What is proper etiquette on bringing one night stands to a hotel room?

somewhat related to "Can a hotel kick you out if you let an unregistered guest share a room with you?": In the, alas, completely hypothetical scenario where I'

In Asian restaurants and airlines is it correct etiquette to use the hot towel on my face?

In many Asian restaurants both inside and outside Asia, and also on some Asian airlines such as Korean and JAL if I recall correctly, hot cloth towels are given

Is tipping expected in Indonesia?

I noticed that my taxi driver stood around expectantly for a few moments after dropping me off from the airport; giving him 20k Rupiah seemed to satisfy him, bu

Is it normal/expected to tip taxi drivers in the UK?

I've lived in the UK all my life, but since I have got relatively few shared taxis in my life, I don't have that much experience of what the social norms are fo

When should I bow in Taiwan?

Under what circumstances, if any, should I bow while I'm in Taiwan? I know that Taiwan is now a separate country from Japan, and has its own customs and etique

What is the proper etiquette at Japanese onsen?

Japan is a volcanically active country which means it has a plethora of onsen (hot springs) all around the country. Visiting these onsen is supposed to be a po

How to be tactful when declining CouchSurfing requests for relatively long stays?

My question is regarding hosting, and how to deal with people who want to stay five or more days. I've hosted a few times now, but pretty specifically only acce

Should you use English or (possibly broken) Japanese in Japan?

So I'm going to Japan next month with friends, and I'm the only one speaking reasonably good Japanese. However, I am really nervous about how to approach people

What is the correct way to pay in a restaurant when you get the check in a book?

In German restaurants (at least the less fancy ones) the waiter usually brings you the check and immediately collects the money. In other European countries (e

Tipping in Cuba as a Canadian

I will go to Cuba in the following days and I am not sure how to tip. On Tripadvisor It says: Do not tip with coins of your own currency, because foreign coin

Does British Airways allow the use of KneeDefenders? [duplicate]

Yesterday a United Flight from Newark to Denver was forced to divert to Chicago's O'Hare airport after a fight broke out between two passenger

Is it rude to give up your seat in Japan?

I heard that in Japan it may be considered rude to give up your seat for someone else while you are on a train or bus, because it would make the other person fe

How early should I contact potential hosts for CouchSurfing?

I want to give CouchSurfing a shot as I'm going to be travelling to Japan and my #1 priority would be to socialize. In what time frame should I be looking for

Is it rude to talk on a mobile phone for the whole journey, when travelling alone in a London black taxi?

I had an uncanny feeling that it was rude of me to talk on a mobile phone for the whole journey, while travelling alone in a London black taxi. Is it the etique

Should I tip my Airbnb host?

I am about to embark on my first Airbnb experience for a little over a week. I was wondering if it is customary or expected to tip the host upon departure or p

Japanese train etiquette: Is it acceptable to take a baby in the Shinkansen Green Car?

The green carriage is of course first class. This would be our first preference with our 5 month old baby in lap, because of the presumably larger toilets for c

How much cash am I supposed to prepay at gas station in the US?

In the US (and probably Canada as well), it is possible to pay at a gas station either with a credit card often with a fee (in the US) or cash. If I pay cash, g