Business Travel Tips

A Miami Herald article lists a few basic tips for Americans traveling to Europe for business. Here’s a brief of the article — after leaving out a lot of the obvious.

1. What is the single most important thing that business travelers should know before they visit Europe?  
The most common negative comment made about Americans is that they know nothing about the rest of the world and don’t seem to have any interest in learning. Knowing a little about the history and present-day issues of the country you are visiting shows respect.

2. Appearances count!
Europeans are more formal. They still use titles and seldom use first names until a long and personal relationship is established. Their body language, posture and presentation are more reserved than Americans.

3. You will still be greeted and welcomed into shops and restaurants depending upon how you present yourself. Arriving in sneakers and a sweat shirt may cause you not to get served – especially in the better places.

As an European — I’m Italian, who also travels frequently for business I disagree on that. That is a common misconception about European restaurants. In Italy, you could better be welcomed when wearing stylish sneakers and sweatshirt by designer, than wearing ugly suit.

4. Other than the obvious are there any things that could get American travelers in trouble in Europe? Car theft and purse snatching are major problems in most big cities. Traffic is out of control in many cities. Drivers in Portugal, Spain, Italy or Greece are the worst in the world. High speeds and disregard for road rules make driving hazardous. Take trains or use mass transit, which are generally good, clean and safe.