I haven't done a whole lot of travel outside of my country (the United States of America), but have visited Canada, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy.  When traveling, I learned something requiring very little effort had a powerful lot of positive effect, something that worked like a key. You don't have to know the local language to have a pleasant trip. If you just learn a few words, how to greet, say please, and thank you, in the local language, and use those words with some frequency, everything runs much more smoothly, and you become more like a friend than a stranger. Por favor, s'il vous plais. Grazie, donkeschein, merci, y muchas gracias. Bonjour, guten nagen, hola! grietse. This little bit of manners that works wonders far away works here at home, too. Good morning! Please. Thank you so much. Ciao.