European Customs and Manners

What Your Travel Agent and Tour Guide Don't Tell You about Making Friends and Doing Business in Europe

The fall of the Berlin Wall, the lifting of the iron curtain, and other dramatic changes are creating new travel and business opportunities in Europe. But they also create new pitfalls for travelers finding themselves in unfamiliar cultures and changing political situations.

It's easy to embarrass yourself, offend a European acquaintance, or lose business simply because you don't understand local customs and manners. This up-to-date, easy-to-use guide to customs and manners in 24 countries can help you avoid such breaches of etiquette and confidently make friends and do business in Europe.

TEST YOUR "E.Q."

1. What should you never do to your food or your wine when dining in a French home?

2. Why should you be careful when you shake your head in Bulgaria?

3. What is the proper etiquette at a Finnish sauna?

4. When don't you drink tea in Great Britain?

5. What common driving practice can get you arrested in Hungary?

6. What should you do if a Russian friend offers to help you exchange money on the black market?

7. What will you get if you order "scotch" in Belgium?

8. If you want to do business in Germany, is it better to get right down to brass tacks or to start a business meeting with pleasantries and small talk?

9. What common American gesture is considered insulting in Greece?

10. If you ask directions for the nearest "bathroom" in most European countries, where are you likely to be sent?