Rick Steves Shares One Simple Trick To Plan Your Trip To Europe And Avoid Culture Shock

Travel pro Rick Steves has advised people on the best places to visit in Europe and around the world for decades, giving us stellar tips on a wide variety of travel topics, like packing, culture, and trip planning. He reminds us that the best way to overcome fear of travel is to let go and do it anyway, which is sage advice. However, he also has a great trick to use while planning that can help with nerves and cultural immersion. On his website, Steves tells us to "See countries in order of cultural hairiness." 

When planning your trip, start with a country that is similar to what you're used to, then move on to one slightly less familiar, and end with a place even further out of your comfort zone. This travel method helps you avoid culture shock while also creating the best trip possible. Steves says that, if you start with something vastly different, "everything after that would be anticlimactic."

Steves suggests starting your trip in England since it's not vastly different from the United States. Then, you should move on to cities in other countries while making your way south and east, gradually ramping up the changes in culture. This way, you can better enjoy and appreciate the differences in language, cuisine, cultural mores, and dress.

A language barrier may raise your culture shock level. England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland don't require learning another language, so the U.K. is a good place to begin your travels with less stress. Then, as you move on, you can use Steves' best tips for overcoming the language barrier, like avoiding slang and simplifying your conversations. Start in a place that uses the English language, then move to another that works with the Roman alphabet, like Spain, France, or Steves' favorite European country, Italy. Once you're used to traveling, it'll be easier to adjust to places like Greece or Bulgaria, which use a different alphabet altogether.

In addition, Steves has a few more pieces of advice, starting with your personal vacation needs. For instance, if you plan on renting a car, you may want to visit a country that drives on the same side of the road as we do in America so you can get used to European road signs. In that case, England, where you drive and have the steering wheel on the left, may not be the best place for you to start. Are you focused on art and want to see the most when you're fresh at the beginning of the trip? Perhaps Florence (Steves' pick for great art) is a better place to start. Do you lose energy quickly? Steves suggests planning breaks from big cities into your itinerary. Finally, you should also make a logical flight (or train) plan so you're not darting back and forth and spending extra money.