Travel and romance. The two go hand in hand, and are the makings of the perfect summer! That said, things are not always so straightforward. You might spot the perfect stranger; however, once you’ve connected, cultural differences, language barriers and flirting norms can easily get in the way. To help you up your foreign dating game, experts at leading language learning app Babbel (www.babbel.com), shared some of their tops tips for dating across the globe:
Relationships on Female First
Dating apps around the world
If your preferred method of finding a date is through an app (and let’s be honest, with numerous apps spanning millions of users, it’s fast becoming the most efficient way), then you should familiarise yourself with the most popular dating apps in each country, and create a profile before you travel! Another handy tip is to download the Babbel Date Prepper, a fantastic free tool, designed to give you the essential skills and phrases needed to flirt in another language!
In the Americas, use…
In the United States, the dating app world really is your oyster - from Tinder and Bumble, through to Hinge, CHappy, Coffee Meets Bagel and JSwipe. When it comes to other countries in the Americas, Tinder, Hinge and Bumble reign supreme in Canada, whereas in Mexico, the big three are joined by Badoo and Jaumo.
Badoo leads the way in terms of popularity in South America, but people also love to swipe on Tinder. Also used in this region is Paris-founded Happn, which suggests matches with users, or crushes, that you’ve crossed paths with in real life.
In Europe, use…
In terms of dating app popularity, Europe is split fairly evenly between Badoo and Tinder. Badoo is more popular across southern and eastern Europe, whereas Tinder is used more widely across the northern and western areas.
In France, AdopteUnMec (adopt a guy), is very popular, and was created to empower women, who use the app for free, whereas men need to pay a fee in order to send messages to women. In Russia, the most popular apps are Tinder and Mamba. Interestingly, swipe-friendly Mamba made news headlines a while back by encouraging users to take a date to the government voting polls!
In Africa, Asia and Australia, use…
Badoo is one of the key players here, with the app reigning supreme across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and most of the Middle East, with the one exception of Saudi Arabia, where WhosHere is more popular. In China, the most popular dating app is Tantan (which is very similar to Tinder), whereas people in India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand mainly use Tinder.
Common dating questions answered:
How to do you greet someone when you first meet them on a date?
With a kiss? Sometimes. This varies from location to location; a handy guide is as follows:
- France: Two kisses starting from the from left cheek (though regional variations exist).
- Spain, Italy and Australia: One kiss on each cheek.
- Netherlands: 3 cheek-bump-kisses if you have met the person before, if not then (confusingly) it could be any greeting ranging from a ‘hoi’ (hi), an awkward hug, or the three kisses.
- Brazil: This really depends on the region you’re in. In São Paulo, you just kiss once. In Rio, you kiss twice. In general, always kiss and never go for the handshake as this would be considered rude.
Alternatively, in Germany, Poland, the US, and Canada a hug is the standard first date greeting. If you’re dating someone from Sweden, Norway or Denmark, though, a verbal greeting is preferred if you haven’t met before.
Perhaps most tricky to navigate is Russia. Here, the initiator of the date should always take the first step when greeting the other person. Normally this wouldn’t involve kissing, but if the invited person (normally a woman) gives you their hand, you should kiss it if the moment feels right. If in doubt, a simple verbal greeting is more than acceptable.
Do you order a glass of wine for yourself, or a bottle for the table?
If you are drinking the same wine, then order a bottle for the table if your date is in France, Spain or Russia. Conversely, when in Sweden, Poland, Brazil or Norway, it is expected that you’d order one glass each - even if drinking the same wine.
While there are no set rules regarding what to drink when dating in Italy, Germany, Canada or the Netherlands, in the US and Australia it is most common to have a beer on a first date.
Are there any taboo topics of conversation?
Discussing ex-partners isn’t advisable across most countries, but especially in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Canada and the Netherlands. Money matters, politics and religion are also subjects you should avoid if dating in Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland. Interestingly, in Brazil you can discuss politics and religion on a date, but should avoid the topic of money entirely.
You should also avoid discussing personal issues like health on dates in Germany, Italy and Poland, but when it comes to countries like Russia and Australia, there aren’t any taboo subjects as such, so let the conversation flow, allowing you to get a sense of what your partner feels comfortable discussing!
Who pays for the date?
A sensitive moment that comes at the end of every date, and while there aren’t any hard and fast rules, there are some cultural traditions and insights that might be useful. For example, the man will typically pay for a date in Brazil, but in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands, it is much more common to split the bill.
Any other first date rules
In Sweden, Norway and Denmark, it is very unusual for a first date to take place at a restaurant. Instead, people are more likely to get to know each other over a coffee or a drink, only progressing to a meal on the second or third date.
In Russia, it’s traditionally expected that a man accompanies a woman home, or orders her a taxi in order to make sure that she gets home safe. While this could be seen as quite outdated, in Russia this is the respectable thing to do.
Lastly, when it comes to Australia, dating locations and activities tend to be a little more unusual, reflecting the country’s outdoorsy and fitness-driven culture. Suggesting a coffee might seem a little odd - an exciting outdoor activity to bond over would be the norm.
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