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San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
How to be a better traveler: Etiquette tips for planes, houseguests and going abroad
The story of travel, particularly by plane, has been one of constantly changing rules and escalating frustrations. This century has been shaped by 9/11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, both of which forever changed how we move through places of transport. But once you actually get somewhere, it's so worth it to leave your routine at home and immerse in another culture. With that in mind, I spoke to etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts, author of 'A Traveler's Passport to Etiquette in a Post-Pandemic World,' about how to be a good traveler and guest in the 21st century. Grotts, who is based in Healdsburg and worked in the San Francisco Office of Protocol, likes to remind people that travel is about sharing space. 'Travel isn't private,' she said. 'As such, you're required to be mindful. Every step of the journey — airports, airplanes, lobbies, crowded sidewalks — are shared space. We are constantly moving along with others.' If you think this book isn't needed in 2025, Google 'bad airplane behavior,' 'misbehaving American tourist' or 'houseguest nightmare.' No one wants to be the person who inconveniences locals or fellow travelers. But everyone should know how to tactfully handle those people should they encounter them on their journey. How to be a good air traveler When in an airport, Grotts advises to 'move with purpose.' That doesn't mean bulldoze people, but walk with a destination in mind and try to stay out of the way of anyone who looks like they're in a bigger hurry. Also remember the rules of the road: The left side of the escalator and moving walkway is for passing. Pay attention to the Transportation Security Administration agents. If they tell you to take off your shoes or take out your electronics or dump that bottle of water, don't try to negotiate. And don't rush the gate at boarding. 'It's not like you're taking the last chopper out of Saigon,' said Grotts. 'Get to the gate when they call you.' Once on the plane, politely acknowledge your seatmate — but remember, 'they're not your captive audience.' Take their social cues, Grotts said, like putting on headsets or sleep masks, which are clear signs they're interested in solitude. It's also good plane manners to cede both armrests to the middle-seat holder. 'It's the least you can do for the worst seat,' she said. How and when to tip Tip hotel cleaning services daily, not a lump sum at the end of the trip. Tipping drivers is something to factor into the cost of any ride. Usually 10%-20% for a private car will suffice. Local tipping customs vary internationally, so Grotts encourages researching to figure out whether tip is included on bills. When dining in some European countries like France or Italy, for instance, a service charge often covers the costs of table service. That means tipping 5%-10% is a bonus. That should also be the range for tipping in bars, taxis and hotels. Asia's tipping culture is also different in each country. China, Myanmar, Singapore and Taiwan do not have a strong tipping culture, whereas hospitality workers in much of Southeast Asia — including Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia — are more likely to expect tips. When in doubt: Overtipping only costs a few dollars more. How to be a good guest in someone's home Hostess gifts, something thoughtful they're not expected to share with you, are a must when staying in someone else's home. Grotts likes homemade items: jams, preserves, anything from your garden. I'm also a believer in hosting them when you're out to meals and visiting places with them. Above all, 'don't treat them like a bed and breakfast,' said Grotts. Most importantly, do not overstay your welcome. Mark a clear departure date, and make sure your host is comfortable with the extent of your visit. A few days after your departure, follow up with a handwritten thank-you note. How to be a good guest in a different culture You don't go through all the hassle of traveling to live life exactly as you do at home, so don't expect that when traveling elsewhere, Grotts said. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable in a new country. You're going to stumble (like accidentally insulting a Belgian by thanking them in French), but when are you going to see these people again? Just try your best. When in doubt, observe how the locals dress and behave in certain spaces. 'Learn the basics — hello, please, thank you, excuse me — in their language,' Grotts said. 'These are the words you should be using at home too. Your manners don't go on vacation when you do.'
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
On the eve of a papal funeral, Rome prepares
Advertisement Francis' funeral is likely to be the largest single-day event at the Vatican in 20 years, since the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Italian media have said authorities are expecting at least 200,000 people — a crowd that would spill out of the colonnaded piazza of the tiny city-state and flow into the streets of Rome. After the funeral, which starts at 10 a.m. local time and is expected to last 90 minutes, Francis' coffin will be transferred through the city to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where the pope asked to be buried. He will be the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican's ancient walls. And the resulting procession — about four miles — will add an extra element of complexity to the day while allowing crowds in central Rome to also say goodbye. Advertisement Francis' funeral might not quite match the size of John Paul II's, which attracted at least 300,000 people and marked a global outpouring for a towering Cold War-era figure. The Vatican said that funeral involved 159 foreign delegations, not to mention 11,900 police officers and security officials and 6,000 journalists. Authorities set up 3,600 portable toilets and distributed 3 million free bottles of water. Francis' funeral will have a banner list of attendees — with much intrigue about how world leaders will interact at a time of high geopolitical tensions. Trump said he will be there with first lady Melania Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had a contentious White House meeting with Trump in February, will also attend. Others on the expected guest list: French President Emmanuel Macron; UN Secretary General António Guterres; Prince William, the Prince of Wales; and Javier Milei, the president of Francis's native Argentina. Former president Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will also attend, according to a Biden spokesperson. The Vatican says that Milei and Italy's president, Sergio Mattarella, will have front-row seats. Other seats will be filled with the reigning sovereigns, followed by the heads of state and government — in alphabetical order, according to the country name in French. Fifty heads of state, 10 reigning sovereigns, and 130 delegations are confirmed to attend the funeral, according to the Office of Protocol of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met several times with Francis during the pope's 12-year pontificate, will not be attending. Putin is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. (Zimbabwe's then-president Robert Mugabe attended John Paul II's funeral despite a European Union travel ban. Italy allowed him to land because he was going to the Vatican, which is not part of the EU.) Advertisement Two years ago, the Catholic Church held a funeral for Benedict XVI. But the circumstances of that event were unusual: Benedict had abdicated in 2013 and had spent nearly a decade as a mostly secluded pope emeritus. Only 50,000 people attended his funeral on a foggy January morning. This time, the spring weather figures to be ideal — with a Saturday high of 72 degrees. The city was already buzzing with religious pilgrims because of the once-every-25-years jubilee. Rome had been expecting huge crowds this year and had conducted major public works upgrades. Fortuitously, one of those projects involved reducing car traffic just outside the Vatican — allowing a free flow of pedestrians from the fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo to St. Peter's Square.
