Kindness From Europeans

kenna,

I've also experienced kindness from Europeans on many occasions, so can absolutely relate to the events you described.

Regarding the Circumvesuviana, it sounds like you boarded the wrong train. The Circumvesuviana has several routes and only one goes to Sorrento. Now that you're aware of that, you likely won't make the same mistake again.

Are you planning your next trip yet?

Right Ken. We did get on the wrong train. We are planning to go back. This time, instead of traveling all over, stay in one place and take trips from there. Haven't decided where to go at this time.

Last year I had rented an apartment in Paris, but had trouble finding the address. I asked at a bar, then asked some people on the street. Eventually a young woman called the contact number for me. I was to be met by someone who would lead me to the apartment so I suggested to the helpful person that she didn't need to wait with me, but she stayed until I was safely whisked off to my apartment. The apartment building was only a couple of doors away, but local people had no more idea than I had about its location! The instructions I had been given in advance were inaccurate. This is just one of many times I've found Parisians helpful. And I don't speak French, so they were all helpful in English.

Thanks for the stories! Think about Sicily for your next trip.

Nice posting. We've also experienced good stories of kindness while on our trips in Europe. Generally people are very helpful when we are kind, open to learning and attempting to speak a few words of their language. Most of the experiences that come to mind have been on local buses or restaurants in non-touristy locations.

When my wife and I visited the Dachau concentration camp, our plan was to drop the rental car off in the town of Dachau and walk to the train station with our bags. It turned out that the rental car office was closed, which I worried about because there was no way to get a receipt confirming that we had returned the car. We started walking toward the train station and it turned out to not be that walkable at all. A middle-aged German woman who spoke lightly accented, perfect English pulled over in her minivan and offered us a ride to the train station. I guess a lot of people make the same mistake, because she said she frequently saw people walking with their luggage. Turns out she was a pastor in some church or other. We accepted the ride, and had a nice chat on the way to the train station. She asked "Did you come to see our concentration camp?" in a matter of fact kind of way that felt oddly poignant. When she dropped us off, she said tell people back home that Germans are nice. It was just a few moments but one of the more memorable interactions with locals that we have had in our travels.

"..she said tell people back home that Germans are nice"

Wow, talk about poignant. Nice story, VS.

Our trip to Tuscany last week was punctuated by numerous acts of kindness, both large and small. Folks helped us navigate the Florence bus system, help us choose the best route to remote places and overall offered warmth and friendship.

If you are outgoing, polite and have a warm smile, folks all over the world (including the US) will go out of their way to help.

We made a dozen new friends and have several email addresses.

Thanks to all who have shared their stories of Kindness. I agree if you approach with a smile and sincerely, you are more often will receive the same. In fact, I even had a Jr. High School boy insisted that I take his seat on a local bus. Now, that's hard to beat. :)

And don't forget to say "thank you" (in whatever language) when someone helps!

We also experienced this many times, not just from locals but from other travelers. In Paris we thought we got on the wrong carriage and got off, then looked at the tickets and confirmed we had the right carriage, not really understanding the system a kind older lady got up, looked at our tickets and confirmed we had the right carriage then walked with us to show us our seats, so kind. Another instance was in the Paris Metro, while in the tunnels we must have looked really lost because a young Parisian man stopped and asked us if we needed help and pointed us in the right direction, this happened above ground also in Paris with a kind younger lady giving us directions warning to NOT get off at certain stops and when the train stopped to hold on tight to our belonging (Going to Sacre Coeur). Other travelers also huddled around if we had a question and together we figured out common places and routes. On the way to Mont St Michel our train was delayed and the bus we were supposed to catch was gone, hubby and I and a father/son duo from Singapore figured out we were all headed to the same place and not sure what to do so together we found a train employee who explained that, at no cost to us, we were to take a train to X, and there would be cabs waiting for us who would take us for free to Mont St Michel. So the four of us stuck together and made the journey, waving like long lost friends when our journey together ended. In Italy I could not figure out how to swipe my train ticket to validate it (train was due any moment so I was kinda panicked and had to walk down the landing to find the machine and leave my husband with the bags) an older gentle and his blind daughter were waiting behind me, they came up, grabbed by ticket and they swiped my ticket for me showing me how it is done. I thanked them profusely and ran for my train. I was also able to pay this kindness forward by showing others how to use the validation machine on other train travels (this was done with neither of us knowing the others language). I have a few other stores but my post is too long as it is. A agree that a smile, an "excuse me" and a "thank you" go very far and we found so many kind, helpful people of all nationalities all over Europe. These experiences tell me I can go anywhere and do not fear getting lost or being confused.

We also experienced many moments of kindness on our 5 country trip last summer. The one that really stands out to me is when my husband and I were on a sidewalk, pulling our luggage and looking at a map trying to find a bus station, and looking worried. A French lady came up to us and asked if we needed help, then walked a little ways with us to the bus stop. A huge help to us, and she really went out of her way to be friendly! I also loved that she kept saying, "Viola!" Like, there it is, " Viola!" A memorable moment for us!

My favorite was in Paris. A cab driver had just picked us up from Notre Dame and immediately we got stuck in some sort of traffic jam. I didn't say too much because hey, this type of thing happens. The cab driver was highly agitated and got out of the cab to investigate what was going on because we were not moving at all. He came back to the cab, said he resetting the meter for us and shortly, we started moving again. I told him in French that he was very nice. Never expected anything like this and it is touching and humorous to this day.

I had a short layover in Zurich a few years ago, and spent the time exploring around the city. On the way back from Uetliberg, I met a very nice older woman who tried valiantly to have a conversation with me, despite us not really having any languages in common. When I got to the main station, which was a bit sprawling and confusing to me, she adroitly led me to my train despite it being a fairly long walk.

There were many other times that day when people helped me figure out the train system, because I wasn't all that adept at using it.

If it wasn't for the kindness of strangers, I'd still probably be wandering around Zurich, lost. :)

"...tell people back home Germans are nice." That message was driven home to me after my first trip there in 1971 and reinforced further in my second trip in 1973. I don't forget the numerous examples of kindness, hospitality, advice, and concern shown to me as a youth traveler in cities and villages in Germany.

Okay Fred, because of you I am going to break my 20 year boycott of German next week.

@ James...unintentionally or intentionally since you had planned to be in Bonn anyway....w/o me...lol Seriously, Bonn is a good town to go to, see Beethoven's house and the statue of the composer in front of the post office, if it's still that way...famous site. I saw that place in 1971, stayed at the hostel then a couple of nights, last time for me in Bonn was in 1987...how time is flying away.!

While in one neighborhood in Paris we were trying to find the Metro Staton so we went into a office / ? where two men were talking. One of the gentlemen actually took us to the station then proceeded to get our tickets after asking us questions. It took a few minutes as he was in no hurry ,the line grew longer but no one complained.. Finished he handed us the tickets , gave advice, said he appreciated what America had done for France in WWII. This was 50th anniversary of Normandy.. We tried to speak a little French to waiters ect.. Everyone was wonderful , waiters , people on the Metro.. except at the airport "help desk " , rude did not help us at all ! The British airlines personnel told us she thinks it's the worst airport ever...

My day in Budapest.

In the morning I had a Dentist appointment in the Buda hills so I called City Taxi. The dispatcher had my phone number and address in his computer from previous times I had used them. "Mr. X", your car will be there in 10 minutes. Perfect. About 2 minutes later the dispatcher called and apologized but there wasn't a car available for 15 to 20 minutes. I said I would wait but please try to get me a car asap as I had an appointment. 3 minutes later a taxi from a competing company pulled up. The driver said he had been sent by City Taxi. Then my phone rang and it was the City Taxi dispatcher calling me to tell me he had called another company to get me since City was busy.

For the return trip the dentist called FoTaxi. The driver spoke no English and my pronunciation in Hungarian is miserable so we ended up at the wrong address. A laugh and a little more carefully pronounced street name got us back on our way. No sooner had we crossed the Danube back into Pest, when BANG!: we were rear ended. Instantly the driver stopped the meter. Then called me another taxi. Then he dealt with the accident. His meter said 3020ft but he tried to tell me 2000 would be sufficient. I paid the full fare and got in the new taxi. Upon arrival the meter said 1250ft, but the driver explained in very sketchy English that I really owed only 800 as there is a 450 base fee that I had already paid as part of the first taxi and it would not be fair to charge it again.

You hear about crooked taxi companies all over the world. I have never heard of drivers trying so hard to be fair and honest.

Later in the day I was at the ticket kiosk at the tram stop in front of Nyugati Train Station. The machine wasn't functioning properly and a young Hungarian woman approached and tried to help me. Almost every trip someone approaches to help at one point or another.

On another occasion I wanted something sweet so we went to the aisle in the Market Hall where they sold all the dried fruit. Also there were six piles of chocolate covered "somethings", some large, some smaller. All looked good, but we didn't know what they were, the signs were in Hungarian and the clerk spoke no English. I started to point to a pile and ask for some when a sweet woman approached and in very bad English told me "these are the best" as she pointed to one of the piles. I asked what they were, she apologized because she didn't know the English word. I thanked her. She left and I had a quarter kilo bagged up (way, way too much). Then the woman reappeared and announced "cranberry!". She had gone and asked around until she found some ono who knew the English word. She was wonderful to help, the chocolate covered cranberries were to die for.

This is sort of thing has been pretty typical of our visits to Budapest. Part of the reason we return so often.

My first trip to Europe was in 1972. A whirlwind tour with the college boy friend. Everything was an eye owner but to this day what I remember most was the kindness of a woman on the brand new metro train that had been built for Munich's Olympic Games. We were heading to the Hofbrauhaus and our directions weren't clear. As we tried to figure out which stop to get off at this woman who was in her 60's and carrying bags laddened with vegetables and fruit approached us. Little English, we spoke no German but somehow we communicated. One stop later she beckoned us to follow and we did. My beau kept offering to carrying her bags but she would vehemently shake her head. We followed her for about two blocks as she lead us to the entrance of the Hofbrauhaus. We offered to pay her, join us for lunch. Tried to engage her as we were thanking her profusely. She wasn't having any of it, merely nodded and was on her way. That random act of kindness opened my uninformed mind, heart, eyes to generosity you'll discover when you travel. It's why I always stop in my neighborhood when I see tourists standing on a street corner snapping images of the Hollywood sign. I stop and tell them how to get closer to it. Her generosity is also why I love traveling and sharing.

Yes, people are helpful when they see tourists in their home towns. This is a reminder for me to offer to help tourists visiting our country. Whenever I visit San Francisco, I usually have an opportunity to help tourists from Asia and Europe. It is fun to interact with others and be helpful.

Glad to hear that there are also kind people in Europe, and that they are not all pickpockets, scammers, language snobs or obnoxious fashionistas!!!!

Last summer Potsdam, Germany was going through a bus strike. Even though the strike had ended, some of the lines were still not running yet on schedule. As I waited at a bus stop hoping for a bus, a university student asked me about my situation. To make a long story short…..no bus was coming….he walked with me to the train station (several blocks) and saw to it that I got on the right train to get back to Berlin. Awesome.

Since my first post about Kindness from Europeans, I have received 20+ responses. That's amazing. I have really enjoyed reading about everyone experience of kindness. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for noting kindness.
I hope I will also find kindness when I shall go to the States.
Just an advice: Try to learn a few words of Italian when you travel to Italy. Italians are very sensitive to people trying to speak their language.

I still remember an act of kindness by an 80 year old Austrian lady when I traveled to Europe by myself for the first time in 1975. I was at the train station in Salzburg when she approached me and asked if I was new to Salzburg. I replied I was and she asked if she could show me around Salzburg. She did not want any money and I got a great tour. She mentioned that when she was young, someone did the same to her and she has made it a point to pick one person a month and show them her town. The only condition was that I pay it forward to another stranger visiting where I live. I have done this many times and I think I get more out of it than than they do.

Many years ago when I was 21 and went to Paris (I had read Rick Steve's books back then), I had lived in West Africa for about a year and was on my way back to the states. I remembered all the negative things people say about Parisians but I had a few good experiences. I had just 24hrs to see Paris and I needed to book a Hostel for the night. A man from a restaurant offered to help as he spoke English. He used his card to call the Hostel and told me how to use the subway then told me which stop to get off at. Looking back I could have spent the night on a park bench if not for him. A nice lady at the Notre Dame also sold me a student pass even though I didn't have my student ID with me. I always think of Parisians fondly because of these memories!
I've planned a 3 week trip with my two children (8, 11) this summer and I've booked our nights through AIRBNB. I want to say that I've had lots of help about local questions and itinerary help from these gracious locals, answering questions etc even though they haven't met us yet!
Thank you for the positives posts! I've had fun reading them!