Travel Party of 5 | Points & Miles for Family Travel
Let us pull back the curtain and show you how you can maximize money you're already spending to earn enough credit card points and miles to travel with your family for nearly free.
We've used credit card points and miles to take our family of 5 on trips to places like Costa Rica, San Diego, Disneyland, Oceanside, NYC, Washington DC, Hawaii, and next year we have already booked Paris, Spain and Japan!
Using credit card points and miles (often called travel hacking) doesn't have to be overwhelming or take a ton of time, and we can show you how.
Can you earn a lot of points and miles without opening up multiple credit cards? Only if you have a really high amount of spend each month. For people with larger families, opening new cards is the easiest and fastest way to earn enough points and miles to take a couple of really low cost (but not low budget) family vacations every year!
If you want to learn ways to help you and your family travel more affordably using credit card points, this show is for you.
Travel Party of 5 | Points & Miles for Family Travel
Travel Etiquette - Carry on Manners, When to Tip, & the "Rules" we Break!
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We dive into the unspoken rules of travel etiquette, covering everything from airport behavior to hotel tipping protocols so you can confidently navigate luxury travel experiences with your family.
• Addressing common airport and plane etiquette questions like overhead bin usage, seat reclining, and shoe removal
• Breaking down the hotel tipping guide - who to tip, when, and how much
• Explaining the bellman process and how much tip is typically appropriate for handling luggage
• Discussing proper buffet etiquette and the importance of always using a clean plate
• Sharing strategies for teaching children appropriate hotel behavior
• Highlighting the importance of researching cultural norms before international travel
• Revealing which etiquette rules we sometimes break ourselves (yes, we save pool chairs!)
Follow us on Instagram @TravelParty5 and please share this episode with someone who might need these tips! If you've enjoyed our podcast, we'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating or review.
Travel Etiquette Introduction
Speaker 1Thanks to Points and Miles, we sometimes end up in places that are a little bit above our pay grade, and the last thing we want to be is that family on the plane or in the hotel lobby. So in today's episode we're diving into all things travel etiquette, so you can be prepared when you step into your next five-star hotel. Listen in Hi, I'm Raya.
Speaker 2And I'm Dwayne.
Speaker 1And we are your hosts of the Travel Party of Five podcast, where we share how we travel as a family of five around the world.
Speaker 2We will also share how we use points and miles to travel as affordably as possible and sometimes even completely free.
Speaker 1So if you're wanting to travel more with your family but you're not sure how, we'd love for you to listen in.
Family Travel Updates
Speaker 2So welcome to our podcast, where we hope you learn a thing or two to get you closer to your next trip. Welcome back, hello.
Speaker 1Thanks for tuning in welcome back to travel party five podcast. As always, we are your amazing fun hosts, raya and duane, and today we're going to be talking all things travel etiquette. But first we thought we would give you guys a few updates, because we have a very busy next like month coming up. Why don't you share?
Speaker 2Yes, I'm going on a solo trip to Houston in a couple of days. Then I get back, then you're doing a girl girls trip the weekend after.
Speaker 1Yep.
Speaker 2And then we are going to Dallas Yep To partake in a football game. Yep Go Giants, go Big Blue. And then what? Two weeks after that we head to Four days. Four days after that Shit Four days.
Speaker 1Yeah, just coming around the corner quick. So basically, once this upcoming weekend comes from the time we're recording um, duane will be gone for the weekend. Then I will be visiting ventura for the weekend and the following weekend and then the weekend after that we're taking our eight-year-old son on a um his birthday trip, which we'll we'll talk more about when we share all about that episode, but we're going to Dallas because he wanted to see a football game. He's a big football fan.
Speaker 2But he has like four different teams he has so many teams.
Speaker 1Yeah, Bless his heart. And I've been trying to pick and choose a game that would work for our pretty rigorous travel schedule. As you can see, and sadly, it's a Cowboys game, so I'll be wearing my Giants attire and hopefully we don't get booed or spit on or anything like that.
Speaker 2Speaking of, I have to buy a Scataboo jersey.
Speaker 1Anyway, I'm just going toston to visit my best friend, best friend from japan actually yes you've been best friends since what you were like six.
Speaker 1Yes no, like best friend, since like nine or ten yeah, long time, um, okay, so we anyways we have a very busy september and, um, I think just we will have a podcast episode out every week.
Speaker 1Still, um, I will be doing a few solo episodes over the next couple weeks to kind of prepare for while we're out of town.
Speaker 1Um, but anyways, today we're talking all about travel etiquette because when I asked for podcast episode ideas or suggestions as to what you guys wanted to hear more about, one of the requests several times was around like hotel etiquette and like specifically like tipping, and I'm just gonna find one of the messages.
Speaker 1Um, they said I'd love an episode for'm sorry, I have an episode request etiquette for staying at pricey resorts, especially who to tip and how much. I'm used to staying at, like maybe, holiday inns and with some fancy hotel stays coming up, I don't know what to tip and don't want to seem rude. So we are going to talk about all of that today and I thought it would be more fun to do kind of like a broader travel etiquette, so like not just hotels but also like in the airport and on the plane, um, and I think like I made a list of common pet peeves and we'll kind of chat about our thoughts on some of those, but already I know for sure that we each do a few things that are like considered pet peeves or like no, no, don't do that. So do you know what they are?
Speaker 2No, I have no idea. I mean, I let me just get my part out of the way quick, quickly. There's only two things that you know I can bring to the table for this podcast. One, it's just be respectful, oh, and two don't be a dick.
Airport and Plane Etiquette
Speaker 1That's it see you guys next week. I think it's like a really valid thing though, like if you are not used to staying at a place where people are expecting you to tip them, like Like I think asking, and like a way of being respectful, is asking to understand, like how can I make sure I'm not being rude? And that's what we're going to talk about today. You know, you think that it's common sense because we have both, either currently or in the past, worked like in hospitality. I was a server and a bartender for years and years and Dwayne works at a conference center where he manages like groups and stuff and so, and gets paid gratuity sometimes. So yeah, dwayne is also a very good tipper, much to my dismay.
Speaker 2Yes, I tip out Starbucks.
Speaker 1You tip at Starbucks.
Speaker 2I mean not all the time, but, yes, sometimes.
Speaker 1You tip at Starbucks.
Speaker 2I mean not all the time, but yes, sometimes. Oh, lordy, Okay, See, Rhea doesn't she's not, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1She's a great tipper, but when she tips I am a great tipper, but like I'm not. But not everyone's getting a tip from Rhea, that's correct.
Speaker 2Listen Me, you're at least getting a dollar.
Speaker 1I can't believe you tip at Starbucks. Starbucks, listen, I I just think like the tipping culture has gotten a little bit out of hand and it's like every time they turn that screen around to me, it's like oh, now I have to tip for something that I didn't have to tip for two years ago, you know. So it's like no, like I'm not going to tip you because you, you made my drink, because that's your job and you get paid at least minimum wage to do that and you're choosing to do that job. But, like, a server is not making minimum wage, they're making like two or three dollars an hour, depending on where you live, and so I, in that case, I tip 20 percent every time, sometimes more if the service is really good. So but like I'm not tipping to, like no, I'm just not nope yeah, you're getting at least a dollar from me.
Speaker 2Depends on how many drinks I buy.
Speaker 1Okay, so let's start where most trips begin, which is at the airport. Okay, you're walking through the TSA line. What are your, what are your pet peeves? That you see people do, that you think come on.
Speaker 2I mean, I have no idea.
Speaker 1I mean, for me it's just like when it's as if it's their first time ever going through security and they're like unaware of, like the process.
Speaker 2Just being unprepared, you mean.
Speaker 1Being unprepared? Yes, I mean yeah, that's annoying.
Speaker 1Especially because now we go through TSA pre-check and we have for a while. So I'm like, if you're in the pre-check line, like come on, you should know, you should know what's about to happen here, um, but yeah, beyond that, I don't really have any any pet peeves for for like the security portion, oh, except for maybe the tsa people that are screaming at you every two seconds. Um, okay, what about at the gate? Do you know that there's a lot of like pet peeves people have, like when you're waiting to board the plane?
Speaker 2I mean I'm sure there are.
Speaker 1I mean, like I said, you just, Well, okay, so they call it gate lice, where everyone crowds around right Like waiting for their group to be called. I do this. Yeah, you do that for lice I am part of the lice but I'm doing it because I want to be in. I'm we're always like in like section, I don't know group five or six for the most part.
Speaker 2But we have.
Speaker 1We always do the family boarding well, that's on southwest, yeah, well, yes, on southwest we do family boarding and I feel like southwest is the only, because every other airline you're assigned seats, so I mean it really you are assigned seats, but you're only fighting for the, the what's called the overhead.
Speaker 1Yes, yes yes, and that's why I do it, because if we're flying carry-on only like, I don't want to give up my bag, and so I. But I know that if I'm in like the later groups and I'm one of the last to board, I'm not worried about my seat. My seat is there. I'm worried about the overhead bin space, you know so.
Speaker 2Well, I mean what? The last trip we were on, you thought we weren't going to have space. What was it? Coming back from? Kabul? I think yeah, because we were a little bit late. Cabo I think yeah, because we were a little bit late.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, they were already boarding well past our group by the time we walked up.
Speaker 2Yeah, the first thing you said was we're not going to have over bed.
Speaker 1I was like, oh my God, they're going to take our bags. They didn't. Spoiler alert, so that was good. Another pet peeve, and I'll just say spoiler alert. I also do this one. Sometimes, people who I also do this one, sometimes people who put their coats or their backpacks or their shoes in the overhead compartment instead of under the seat in front of you. Here's what I'll say Okay, I, first of all, I put my bag under the seat in front of me. I rarely put it in the overhead bin, however, if it is winter and I have a winter coat on, I am going to put that in the overhead bin with my bag, with my suitcase. And I'm going to add that I the overhead bin with my bag, with my suitcase. And I'm going to add that I don't care if you do that too, Like that's fine, because my coat is not the reason. Your bag is not going to fail on this flight. You're laughing, but this is a pet peeve people have. I'm confident.
Speaker 2Did you take a poll somewhere Like where?
Speaker 1No, I just have listened to like other travel podcasts and it's like very commonly mentioned um, okay, what?
Speaker 2that wouldn't bother me at all, at all unless, like you know, I go to put my carry-on up there and there's just this jacket in the way I'm, obviously I'm gonna move in and like put it on top of mine. Like you know, it's not jack, is not gonna take up that much space.
Speaker 1I mean, I agree, that's why I do it well. And where am I going to put it? I'm not going to wear it the whole flight. I'm not going to put it on the floor, right? It's a jet, it's like a no, so it. It goes in the overhead bin as far as I'm concerned, okay, but your backpack does not, so let's start there. Your backpack goes under the seat in front of then. I would say, like once the flight is boarded, and there's room.
Speaker 2Look, if I have a backpack and there's room up top, I'm putting it up top. I'm taking out my headphones because I like to take off my shoes. That brings me to my next item, and you know my shoes go underneath the seat. Yes, that way I can stretch.
Speaker 1That brings me to my next item of plain etiquette, which is do not remove your shoes.
Speaker 2I mean, don't remove your shoes if your feet are protruding funk, you know. But I mean, if no one can smell your feet, then, you know, take off your shoes.
Speaker 1But when you use the bathroom, you always put your shoes back on right. Yeah, of course you would never walk into the bathroom in your socks. No, because there's piss all over the floor. Yeah, I don't take my shoes off on the plane, so I don't know. They stay on the entire time, that is the first thing. I do.
Speaker 2I know it is the plane's not even fully boarded and my shoes are already off. I know.
Speaker 1Yep, I don't know if we're being super helpful with travel etiquette here, but these are pet peeves. Okay, what do you think about people?
Speaker 2who recline their seats on planes. It doesn't bother me. I mean because you know you can recline your seat. It doesn't bother me either. I mean it's annoying, right when they first do it You're like, but then you know you get over it.
Speaker 1It doesn't bother me either, and I will also recline my seat, yeah.
Speaker 2I mean I'll recline too.
Speaker 1I'll recline, like if it's an overnight flight. I'm not going to recline it if it's a daytime flight. But I don't care if you do. It doesn't really bother me who gets the armrest if you're in the middle seat.
Speaker 2That I mean. It just depends on who you're sitting next to.
Speaker 1Well, if it's a stranger, I'm not your kid.
Speaker 2I don't know. You know I'm not a dick. So if they want it they can have it, because I got the other one.
Speaker 1Well, if they're in the middle seat, I feel like they get both armrests that are available to them because they're in the middle seat, which sucks. I mean, like I said, I can tell by Dwayne's face that he's never, not one time, thought about this.
Speaker 2Never about this never.
Speaker 1I just when I sit down, if his arm is there first or her arm, then you know she won or he won. Um okay. Another travel etiquette is please do not be that person on the plane watching your phone or your kid watching their ipad without headphones this, yes, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. It's so annoying like, just don't be that person. Um, if your kid is too little for headphones, then probably don't give them the ipad.
Speaker 2Honestly, yeah, no one's trying to listen to I don't need to hear baby shark.
Speaker 1For three hours and I we have been on flights where this has happened like literally the row behind us and we were like are you kidding me? Um, okay, I feel, oh, standing up when you arrive at the gate. Like the plane gets to the gate, they turn the seatbelt, sign off, people start standing again. That's you, I know I do this, I have and and I have no problem with other people who do this, and I didn't realize this was like a point of contention no, I don't care if you do that.
Speaker 2What bothers me is, you know, the guy or lady in the back. As soon as the plane stops, they're trying to make their way up to the front.
Speaker 1Oh, yes, I stand, but I am not moving until every single person in every single row in front of me has gotten off the plane.
Speaker 2So yeah, to the person who gets up and tries to walk through yes, don't do that, and I would say so yeah, to the person who gets up and tries to walk through.
Speaker 1Don't do that, yeah, and I would say like if you have a connection and you're like maybe you were delayed or something and you're trying to miss it, like okay, then just communicate that yes yes, you know, because most people don't.
Speaker 1Don't say that, no they just are like oop, like oh, maybe they don't have a bag or whatever. Actually, this bag or whatever actually, this just happened on our cabo flight. I think someone, like a family, just stood up from behind us and like tried to. First of all, I will block you in the aisle, okay, like you're not going anywhere. Wait your freaking turn. But yes, I, I generally choose an ilc and I will stand immediately because why not?
Speaker 2but I'm not going anywhere until everyone in front of me has gone yeah, I mean, I don't even try and get my bags together until like two rows in front of me have got up and left okay.
Speaker 1So to summarize, be aware of other people in your space. Give up the armrest to the people in the middle. I guess you know smell your feet before you take your shoes off. I guess always wear your shoes to the bathroom.
Speaker 2I mean, if if you don't know, your feet are already going to stink when, so you pull up to the hotel right, you survived the flight.
Speaker 1You pull up to the hotel and there's six, um, like valet guys and baggage guys, uh, waiting to greet. You tell someone who maybe has never had that experience before what is the proper etiquette?
Speaker 2I mean, if you want them to take your bags, let them take your bags they will so the way because they're, they're gonna, they're gonna ask you do you want help? Some hotels won't even let you use the bell cart. You know you'll ask, hey, can I borrow all this?
Speaker 1and they'll be like no, you know we can take it up there for you yes, this like literally the job of of these people waiting it's usually men, but not always. Mostly is like to help you with your bags and and they are tipped for doing so and that's a majority of their income. So I think if you're going to let them take your bags, you absolutely need to be prepared to tip them yes but okay, so explain the process, so they'll get your bags out of your car they'll get.
Speaker 2Your bags are thrown on a bell cart. You will then proceed to check out, check in I mean check in, yep, and you know you'll get your keys or whatever, and you do whoever's checking you in. We'll let the bell staff know this ticket number, whatever, because they'll hand you a ticket and this ticket's in room, whatever 2024 yeah, so the when they take your bags, they give you a ticket.
Speaker 1When you check in, you give that ticket to the front desk, yes, and they relay like okay, so then you get your room and you know whoever's checking you in says you know your bags will be up shortly.
Speaker 2Then you go up to your room and then, sure enough, two minutes after you get there, knock at your door and the guy's bringing in your luggage yep and then, at that point is when you should tip what do you think is an appropriate tip?
Speaker 1I always do five, five bucks five bucks, if we have a lot of bags, maybe a few dollars extra, but we generally don't have a ton of stuff and I always make sure to have cash before we go to the hotel.
Speaker 2For that reason, you always, it's a change, or I mean there was, you really don't need to get changed, because the bell men have a lot of change, so you can just give them a 20, say hey, can I, you know, can I get 15 back?
Speaker 1or whatever it is yes, that is also true. One guy. I don't remember where we were, but you asked aviara park high or park high aviara.
Speaker 2Yes, park High, aviara.
Speaker 1Yes and yeah, he had a.
Speaker 2I was like Jesus A vast sack of money Having a good day today. Huh.
Speaker 1It was a lot of money he had. So sometimes Dwayne will also give the money to the kids and let the kids tip. Well, I mean, I do that Recently.
Speaker 2You started doing that yeah.
Speaker 1And the kids think it's really fun and they like to take turns as to who gets to do it.
Speaker 2And it usually gets an added smile out of the person. And then if you're doing valet, they'll come and get your keys, they'll park your car. I typically don't tip those people parking your car. I only tip when we get our car.
Speaker 1When you pick it up.
Speaker 2Yes, yes, don't ask me why. That's my thought though I've asked a bellman before you know the etiquette and he said, yeah, you tip the guy getting in the car.
Speaker 1I mean, that's my thought process too. Okay, if someone wants to take their bags up themselves because they don't want a tip, is that like frowned upon?
Speaker 2no, I mean it's not frowned upon.
Speaker 1I don't think I mean when I travel solo for work, I I take my own bag, like I don't need anyone to take it for me yeah, I mean if, if you know, if one, if each person has one bag, you know they can do it themselves. I mean yes, and I mean, don't get me wrong, we also can do it ourselves.
Speaker 2Yes, but I mean sometimes we have bags for each person, we have a cooler.
Speaker 1We have beach bags. So I mean a bell card is often needed when we travel, and I mean we're on vacation, so it's just nice to not have to be sweaty and stressed about it. All you know. Okay, I'm trying to think of who else we would tip.
Speaker 2So we always have to call housekeeping to get extra pillows, blankets, a roll-away or whatever it is.
Speaker 1Yes, Rhea doesn't like when the kids sleep in our bed.
Speaker 2To get extra pillows, blankets, a rollaway or whatever it is. Yes, rhea doesn't like when the kids sleep in our bed, so she has to get a rollaway. There has to be a pull-out couch and there's never enough pillows.
Speaker 1So we're always calling for sheets and blankets and pillows.
Speaker 2Then we have to tip the housekeeper that brings that stuff to us, or you can just call them knowing that you're going to go to dinner, and then they can bring it while you're at dinner and we don't have to tip, I guess. Yeah, I mean I mean, you know, we we've had to do that a couple times just because we didn't have cash.
Speaker 1But well, I mean, I would say we're not even doing it because we don't have the cash. It's just like we're we're going to dinner, you know, and I would like it to be here when we get back, so, um, but I mean, yeah, I guess that that's an option. Um, I will say, like, if we need like toilet paper or something that like really should be restocked in the room but wasn't, I'm probably not gonna tip for that. No, you know.
Speaker 2So and as far as I mean, if they bring a roll away, if they bring a crib, yeah, extra pillows and blankets, yeah, then we'll tip yeah, um, and as far as how much to tip, like I would say a couple of a few dollars, yeah I do like three bucks, yeah, sometimes five, if I'm feeling generous that day.
Speaker 1And then as far as tipping housekeeping, we don't usually do that, actually Sometimes.
Speaker 2I do. We just did a little staycation at the Scottsdale place and. I noticed a lady that did our room the first night, did it the second night and I threw her a five dollar bill and I said you just like you do that, if you like, see yes, yeah um, I remember at the great, at the Grand Hyatt, washington DC.
Speaker 1Um, I think you tipped the housekeeper, first of all, that we were five of us in a two double bed room, which was a tight squeeze. It was really tight, and I think we had an air mattress that I had brought from home even though we flew, and so the housekeeper was very aware that there was like a lot of people in this room, and I think we ran into her cleaning the room one day and you must have tipped her because she kept giving us all these like toiletries.
Speaker 2I gave her because I needed more lotion and I tipped her, I think, 10 bucks and she, just like, threw me at least 10 lotion, little bottle things.
Speaker 1So much, so much of this travel size lotion that I do. You still have some?
Speaker 2I still have yes.
Speaker 1We went in fall of 2023 and Dwayne still uses those little bottles when we travel, which is hilarious.
Speaker 2She was so grateful for that. So I mean, if you have the means, do it. You know it'll make. It'll make the day, because you know, out of all the people that work at a hotel, I think they get tipped the least you know yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, and and they probably, unfortunately, make the least, which is yeah um, okay, as far as like other tipping etiquette I mean pool bars and stuff, like generally we're tipping about a dollar a drink. If we also have food, then yeah, I'm gonna tip 20 on the total bill, probably, that's. Yeah, that's kind of how it goes.
Speaker 1Um but just know the prices at the hotel pool are gonna be ridiculous yeah especially if the last few times this summer we've been bringing our own drinks, like I've even tipped the the servers like 25, because some of them for sure knew that we had our own alcohol, like one guy even offered to bring us ice.
Speaker 2Yeah I mean because they know it's. I mean the prices are ridiculous. You're paying like 21 for a pina colada. That's not even strong.
Hotel Behavior and Buffet Manners
Speaker 1Yeah, so in that case, yes, it's like you want. You want your server to be happy, you know, so that they are willing to look the other way, I guess if that makes sense, okay, I feel like that's tipping etiquette, right? I feel like we've pretty much covered that. There was a few other maybe etiquette tips that I jotted down. Let me know if you think of any others.
Speaker 1A lot of times the breakfast at these properties is a buffet, and one thing that I am forever preaching to our kids is that when you go up to a buffet, you always take a clean plate. So if you fill up your plate and you go back to your table and you eat it, you don't take your dirty plate back to the buffet. You leave the dirty plate on the table. The server will clean it. You go get a new plate every time because you shouldn't. This is like just food safety, right, you should never be putting like tongs or whatever from a communal plate or dish onto your plate. That has your germs all over it because you just ate off of it. So clean plate every time. Yes, duane has apparently never heard of this.
Speaker 2I mean I just use the same plate. I don't touch the tongs to my plate that I'm using. I know how to use tongs, so I just drop it on the plate. It's not like I'm taking the tongs and rubbing it on, no you should always get a clean plate.
Speaker 1That's disgusting. Um, and I was validated because when we did our staycation a couple weekends ago, a few of duane's family also came and I heard, I heard your nephew say to his kids get a clean plate.
Speaker 2And I looked at duane like see I'm still not gonna grab a new plate. Well, you should.
Speaker 1that's gross. Um, as far as kids in hotels, we are always, every single time, every single day, talking to our kids about keeping their voices down, especially early in the morning or late at night when they like to race down the hallways. We don't allow that. If it's not in the middle of the day, first of all, second of all, inside voices, and same thing in the room. We just talk to them about being respectful of this place, even if it's not ours. We want to make sure we treat it with respect, and I think, like in general kids, they learn more by what you do, not what you say, and so I do think that by us modeling these behaviors for them over and over again, that is how they will do it when they get older. I mean they already do do it when they get older.
Speaker 2I mean they already do a great job at a buffet. They know their way around a good breakfast buffet.
Speaker 1Yeah, the little two only eat cereal. So yeah, one other hotel etiquette thing that we do this. So I guess it's bad form to save chairs by the pool, and we do this every time. So I guess you know you do you. I think if you have small kids, it's important for you to be front row at the pool so you can see them for their own safety.
Speaker 2So I mean, I see nothing wrong with saving chairs neither do I.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's fine.
Speaker 2I expect other people to get the chairs that I want before me, then you know shit, I lost that day, yeah, and then we should have been earlier tomorrow I'm gonna tomorrow we will be earlier a new day, um.
Speaker 1Okay, one last thing, because I feel like we do a pretty good job of this. Um is like how talk about how we leave the room when we check out?
Speaker 2I mean again, be respectful, so you don't, you don't leave it trashed. You know you throw away your trash and I mean you don't make the bed or anything.
Cultural Awareness When Traveling Abroad
Speaker 1But no, we don't do that because they're gonna tidy up a little bit yes, we try to put, like all the towels all the towels, yes, in the same spot like we just like we don't want the housekeeper to walk into this room and be like, oh my gosh, what were they doing in here, you know? So we just try to be cognizant of that and we talk to the kids about that too. So, um, okay, last thing is like tip, like tips for your destination, and this is going to vary depending on where you're going, but I do think it's like important to do even just like a quick Google search, right of like, because every destination is going to have its own cultural norms and things that are acceptable and not acceptable. Like, when you go to Europe and you visit the churches, you need to cover your shoulders and sometimes maybe your knees right.
Speaker 1Like for women. That's kind of, I think, widely known maybe, but if not, then you should just do a quick Google search on cultural norms in wherever you're going, For example, when we go to Japan next month. We've talked a lot about tipping, but tipping in Japan is actually considered rude, so we won't be tipping in Japan. And when I told Dwayne that, you were surprised right Surprised about what that tipping is considered rude.
Speaker 2I mean, I know you don't tip in Japan, but yeah, I didn't. Oh, you knew that you didn't tip but you didn't know it was considered rude I mean, I grew up in japan I know.
Speaker 1That's why I thought it was weird that you didn't know that.
Speaker 2When you said it was rude.
Speaker 1I thought I've never heard that um, I also think in japan it's much quieter. You can speak on this more than me, but I don't know how we're gonna keep our kids quiet quite honestly.
Speaker 2Oh, it's very quiet, uh, even on the train, so we're gonna have to have a little talk before we get there.
Speaker 1Let them know the the etiquette for there, yeah yep, any other like cultural things that maybe someone might not expect in a different destination that you can think of. Be respectful, don't be a dick, right?
Speaker 1that's what duane wants to say two worlds for sure, but that's all you gotta I will say, like duane is very aware of, like other people I think in like, in a good way, like duane will like hold the lift up your bag for you into the overhead, take your bag down for you, give up his seat to you, like, if you know if, if he's sitting in your standing, like Dwayne, has very good manners, so better than I do, which I learned in Japan.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Final Thoughts and Thank You
Speaker 1I mean, I have good manners too, but yours are better. Okay, I think let's's we can wrap up. So travel etiquette, like you already said, is just about respect for other people, for the space that you're in, for the culture that you're visiting. I think it is important to remember that we are tourists right, we are visitors in this place and so, even if we don't agree with or understand the custom, like we need to be respectful of it and like we already talked about, when we model that for our kids, they not only behave better on the trip, but they carry those lessons forward on into life, and so it's. If I've learned anything about parenting, it is way more about what you do than it is about what you say. I could tell my kids something until I'm blue in the face, but at the end of the day, they're going to do what I do. So modeling it, I think, is way more important. Any last tips?
Speaker 2No, hopefully this little episode was somewhat informative and helpful. We hope you share this with someone who needs this reminder for their next trip.
Speaker 1Yeah, as you can share any of our episodes with a friend. We would love that so much. If you've gotten any value out of this podcast, we would be so grateful if you would leave a rating or review. I think I noticed the other day we had over 50, which was very exciting to me. I love that and we we enjoy reading those together when they come in. So thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 2Just for those out there, that message Raya she gets so excited and so she's so happy.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2You know it makes her day, so we appreciate you guys that reach out, you know.
Speaker 1Yes, he's talking about on Instagram. Yes, so I am on Instagram at TravelParty5 and I do. I love it. Every time if Dwayne is around, I read him the messages, but he's not always, so I get more joy out of that because I get to read them all. So, anyways, we appreciate you as always. Yes, we will be back next actually probably just me back next week with a new episode. I'm always open to podcast ideas. If there's something you want to hear about that we haven't done yet, send me a DM on Instagram and we will catch you on the next one.
Speaker 2Yes, thanks for listening. Thank you Bye bye, have a good one.