A kiss on the cheek, turning up early or leaving food on your plate… little gestures can mean very different things across Europe.
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Now, new research has revealed the etiquette rules travellers should know before heading to Europe, from greeting strangers to getting dinner right.
Preply, an online language learning and tutoring marketplace, looked at public data sources and surveyed 1,600 people living in 27 countries about European etiquette, and the results challenged some assumptions we’ve all probably been guilty of making.
While it might seem like etiquette isn’t a huge deal, it’s actually an important thing to consider when travelling to a country, where you’ll want to be kind, understanding and respectful of the people you meet.
It seems as though more people are understanding the necessity of the practice – and the proof is in the data.
As of September 2026, the #etiquette hashtag had reached some 4.4 billion views on TikTok, while searches for “how to have good etiquette” have risen by a staggering 373% in the past year alone.
When travelling in Europe, though, etiquette can change as quickly as the borders do, so it’s wise to be aware in order not to put a foot wrong. Here’s what the findings showed.
How to greet someone appropriately
You might associate Europeans with cheek kissing as a greeting, but it’s actually far less common than you might expect.
In 23 of 27 countries, the majority of people surveyed would actually wait for the other person to initiate two cheek kisses.
Across Europe, that figure is 85% and in Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, and Slovenia, respondents said they would reject the gesture outright.
Shoes on or off?
While not every country is as strict as Sweden – which saw 100% of respondents say it’s a must – taking off your shoes is common practice across the continent.
In 24 out of the 27 countries, most people said they would take their shoes off when visiting someone’s home.
Many countries in the north of Europe said indoor shoe removal was a must, and it was just Spain, Italy, and Portugal that disagreed, saying they preferred to keep their shoes on inside the home. That’s possibly down to warmer climates, which means houses have fewer carpets to protect.
Interestingly, there was an age divide, too.
Most respondents aged between 18 and 34 said they always took their shoes off, while those aged 35 to 54 preferred to wait until asked by the host.
To bring a gift or not to bring a gift?
Everyone likes to receive a gift from a visitor, but some like it more than others.
More than half of the survey respondents considered bringing a gift to be standard practice, while a third said they reserve gift-giving for special occasions.
Only Finland saw the majority say they’d never bring a host a gift.
The study found that respondents from 17 out of the 27 countries said they’d likely bring a bottle of wine or a bouquet of flowers when visiting a friend, although nine of that number – including Austria, the UK and Spain – said they’d reserve the gesture for a special occasion.
Make sure to finish your food
While opinions differ on most etiquette topics across Europe, finishing food was considered respectful across all 27 countries.
Seen as a universal marker of respect for the host’s effort, 82% of men said they always finished meals, compared to 75% of women.
Some female respondents said they were more likely to deliberately leave a little left, possibly out of a sense of politeness.
Punctuality is a divisive issue
Online searches for the term “is it better to be on time, early or late?” were, according to Preply, up 66% globally over the past year, and the data reveals a somewhat complicated answer.
In 23 out of 27 countries, respondents favoured arriving on time, with Greece particularly keen on punctuality, while 35% of men said they prefer to arrive early, a higher figure than female respondents who aim to arrive on time.
Respondents in Czechia, Germany, Poland, and France said they preferred to arrive early at a destination.
The survey found that single people were twice as likely to arrive late, and those with children found it particularly hard to keep to a rigid schedule.
