European Travel Skills: Hurdling the Language Barrier

Published: March 27, 2013, 3 p.m.

b'Today\'s Europe is increasingly bilingual \\u2014 and lucky for us English is its second language. You can manage just fine by being polite and by speaking clearly and slowly. Starting conversations with "Do you speak English?" in the local language shows you are willing to try and is appreciated. Communicate with curiosity and an appetite for learning local lingo and gestures. For more information on the Rick Steves\' Europe TV series \\u2014 including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more \\u2014 visit www.ricksteves.com.'