Every traveller should adhere to Travel Etiquettes for a safe and memorable journey. Please read it to create some wonderful memories for you as well as others. You may ask what are these? As a traveller you should behave responsibly. That is it.
For better understanding I will jot down few Dos and Don’ts while travelling.
1) Respect the local sentiments of the place you are travelling.
2) Keep clean your surroundings. Responsibly store and discard your trash. Do not litter. O you are thinking you know this. Is it so? Just think of your last journey. You will remember how many times you have broken this rule. Please try not to litter even once next time.
3) Do not throw your trash inside or outside the train compartment. Keep few disposable poly bags with you. Insert all your trash inside the plastic bag and then carry the bag with you and throw it in the next dustbin you found.
4) Especially guys have some control over you. Do not pee here and there. We are not dogs. Find a urinal or ask for it to the locals beforehand because pee smells awful and the sight of a person peeing is not quite scenic.
5) Never bother other travellers for your own comfort.
6) Do not shout or make noise unnecessarily. Moreover do not talk loudly in hotel rooms, trains, shared cars or buses. Someone else is trying to get some rest.
7) Never make fun of other languages or names.
8) Never argue unnecessarily with strangers. If you do not like someone’s judgement just avoid him and move away. You are there to enjoy your travel not establish your views. If you would like report to the authorities.
9) If you found any other traveller sick or helpless try to help him as much as possible. Never walk off from the needy. This is our responsibility as a human being.
10) If you found an old person unable to climb his upper berth don’t hesitate to leave your lower berth. Both of you will cherish the memory.
11) Always pay for tickets and show your tickets whenever asked for. Do not waste the time of person checking your tickets and delaying the journey for others.
12) Always cooperate with the local security guards and volunteers. They are doing their mundane job daily as instructed. Please don’t act smart and irritate them anymore. Listen to them and act accordingly for your own good.
13) Never ever soil your toilet especially train toilets. Keep it as you would like to see the next time you enter. I know you will be disappointed the next time but it needs to start somewhere.
14) Always adhere to the rules and regulation of the place you are visiting.
15) Do not try to take a picture in a place where photography is prohibited. You will unnecessarily create problems.
16) Switch off your mobile phones in a place where your mobile ringing may cause disturbance.
17) Do not use your phone speakers during a movie or song while travelling. Your favourite may not be the favourite of the person beside you.
18) Give space for other travellers too. Suppose there is a best spot from where a particular view is visible. Don’t stay there for eternity. The other person too spent a lot to be there. Leave the spot once you have seen and photographed it.
19) Try to avoid being in front of other person’s camera. Similarly don’t take too long for photos in busy places. Others will feel irritated. This is a matter of mutual respect.
20) Please do not steal hotel towel, spoons, fittings etc. as souvenir. Stealing is not a good thing and it will engrave your memories as a thief. You may buy better souvenirs from the shops.
21) Please do not scratch or draw or write on historical places, walls, natural places, monuments, trains, buses etc. By this you are not becoming immortal but you are getting tons of abuses and curses from the fellow travellers.
22) Never block way for other travellers. If I block your path how will you feel?
23) Don’t try to be the first person anywhere. This way you will not be able to relish the view and would create unwanted commotion.
24) Don’t excite or divert your driver’s attention by unnecessary conversation during driving. Offer him the snacks, chocolates etc. that you are having during journey.
25) Always try to cooperate with fellow travellers, tour operators, drivers and any person related to your journey. Just remember one thing that everybody likes to have a good day. : -)
Foreign tour etiquettes demands few more steps along with the above. Among those the primary thing is awareness of travelling country’s laws and regulation.
The list may go on and on. But I need to stop somewhere. Just use your common senses and everything gonna be fine.
Travel happy and create memories.