Women getting to know the locals

Do essentially the same thing, only do it as a couple. Sit at the bar or stand someplace busy rather than getting a table to yourself in the corner.

When you go out to eat, find the places with community tables where you will be sitting next to new people to meet.

It helps if you both know some of the language. My wife doesn't and misses a lot when the conversation is foreign. Fortunately, many are polite enough to notice and make an effort to converse in English.

Be outgoing. Spot someone in a park and ask them about their dog, children, directions, food recommendations or what type of tree/flower is that?

This is the same advice you would give to your child if they said, "No one at the park wants to play with me." Most people are happy to have a conversation but someone has to be the first to say hello.

You may run into some less than friendly people. If you stick with it, you'll find the majority are pretty friendly once you get started.

As a young single women I found it easy to siddle up to the bar and meet all sorts of ages and genders. As I got older I came to value the social company of women more, and was able to connect more.

Children are a great introduction.(if you are in to them) Ask to coo over a child, recall when your son was that age, and how someday you hope for grandchildren, next thing you know you are talking about social issues and politics or where you grew up or where they grew up and how times are changing....

What is your profession or hobby? As a chef I find it easy to strike up converstations with market vendors and other cooks in small restaurants. My mom is a quilter and can find things to talk about with any textile crafter etc...

Don't forget politics, Everyone tends to have an opinion about a social postiion or political event. You don't have to agree but dont offer opinions about which you know nothing and defend yourself intellegently.

I think that sometimes too much is made about "mingling with the locals" Some cultures like Americans and Australians,NZers the British,etc... tend to be more social of cultures. As Americans we are more comfortable socializing eith strangers (often to the critique of our European friends). Some cultures aren't as aproachable as other cultures. This isn't becuase they are snobby, or becuase we are American, but simply because some cultures don't share that same openess and gregariousness with people outside of their social or familial circle.

Don't be discouraged if you find a hard time meeting people. Take the chance to sit back and play the observer, and see how they relate to their friends and family.

Trotro has a valid point, mingling with locals assumes they want to mingle with you,, LOL, and some cultures are more formal and they don't just open up to strangers the way some others do ( Americans tend to be very open) its not because of your nationality, its because they are not used to just chatting away to people they meet on the street, and os you may get some responses that I have seen North Americans characterize as " cold" . I know the French are like this anyways.
I have French relatives, they are very open to me, so for years I would be surprised to see comments on travel boards about "cold" or "formal" french people, then I understood, they are different with family and strangers.

As for a women alone, there is a fine line that is sometimes hard for us to see, if you are friendly and chatty with strange men in Paris, smiling at them looking in their eyes etc, they easily seem to percieve you are coming on to them. I know this is true in Italy also.. LOL

Hi Laura,
There's one that has always been a good place for a woman to meet the locals --- church. You could make some lasting friendships, too.
... Happy Travels! ... p.

Laura,

In my opinion majority of European are very worm and friendly and they will not be "scarred" to start a conversationw itha stranger, despite some other poster's opinion.In all the countries I've been to, I did not have any problems. If you meet someone and you two like each other, this might turn into a lomg term friendship. Germans are a bit different, more formal, but friendly as well.
I talked to locals, some of them small business owners and they even invited me to their homes or to come back to their buisness place, not because they wanted my business with them. I felt like it was a genuine friendly invitation.
About places you can meeting locals. I personally don't go to bars alone either, but you can start a conversation in a caffee or in a public transportation. Or your hotel . I've done that in Nice one time. I used to go to this retaurant in Nice for clams and the server was giving me the house liquior for free every time when I was dinning there.

Bet you tipped him too.

That's interesting about Ricks suggestion of standing at a bar for a beer in Oz. For a guy sure, but as a single woman I wouldn't do it and I live here. What I would do and do is smile at people on the train or bus and if they smile back I say something. Met some interesting people that way. I think what other have said about different cultures is true too. Some are much more reserved than Australians or Americans. I find I meet lots of Americans in Europe.

Perry suggests that Laura could meet locals at church. That assumes that she is Christian, of course.

I assumed Laura meant Austria rather than Australia. I though Rick only did Europe.

I was in a bar in Sydney once and had a great conversation with (surfer) Rabbit Bartholomew's girlfriend. She was georgeous and very friendly and I'm sure I would have been in big trouble if I didn't have my arm around my wife during the entire conversation. As a very social married man, I do my socializing with my wife.

An example of a cultural difference between Germans and Americans is the word friend. We tend to call anyone we associate with a friend. Germans have bekannten, or acquaintances, and freunden, friends. I asked a German what the difference was. He said a friend is someone who has proved themselves when you need them. Someone could be a great acquaintence for years but never become a friend because the opportunity to prove their friendship never arose. There are many Germans I would call friends and I don't take offense if they consider me an acquaintance.

I was traveling on business in Nottingham England recently and had two delightful encounters with people , both in pubs. In one, I was dining alone and when offered wine, turned it down, explaining that I can drink wine anywhere, but British beer on tap is something special that I can't get. Within seconds, three guys at the bar came siddling over to give me a set of pointers on English beer. From there, it was general chat about our jobs and the outlines of our lives. All completely above board. The second encounter was at the Old Trip to Jerusalem, supposedly the oldest pub in Britain. Three 70's+ women were sharing a pint, so I barged up, asked for advice. Instantly they welcomed me to their table, told stories about the canoodling in the pub with soldiers during the war, dragged me behind a do not enter sign to show me the secret cave rooms, etc. An unforgettable encounter. So, it is possible for solo women travelers.

I enjoy meeting poeple at markets- especially craft markets. I admire or ask about their goods. I tell them what I want for someone and we start talking about our families, etc. I have make lasting friendships with various craftsmen and merchants at small stores this way.

Thanks for all your thoughts. I think it boils town to a mutual willingness to be friendly in any circumstance, and being able to assess the sub-surface social cues. One should not blunder in and assume being gregarious is appropriate, nor should one hang back out of shyness (which is always an option, too). There IS a a different code of social acceptance for men and women in some cases, as some have indicated. I find if I don't have expectations of deep engagement with a local I am not disappointed. I allow small exchanges to be enough. Breaking out of the group (even of 3) offeres more opportunities too. Just ask any teenager at a dance-- friends are found away from the crowd.

Pets are also a great medium of conversation. We were minding our own business eating gelato in Florence when a tiny dog on a leash lunged over to sniff us -and our gelato- out. That dog, with the chatty owner's help, got a good amount of our gelato and we had a brief but pleasant exchange with the owner.

I have received PMs from European residents who say they are enthusiastically in favor of American women (yes and Canadian and Australian women as well) "getting to know the locals."