'The French are less about rules and labels': How dating trends differ across Europe

There’s no such thing as dating in France - if you’re together, you’re together. 

Flirting with a Finnish man? Expect lots of awkward silences. In sexually liberated Iceland, however, you'll be met with a much more upfront response to any hints of a one night stand - and possibly become a Kviðsystur or Kviðmágar (words to describe two people that have slept with the same person.) 

These cultural differences in dating around Europe have become somewhat of an obsession for content creator Marina Iakovleva, who was born in Moscow to Russian/Ukrainian parents and raised in Toronto, Canada from the age of 12.  

In 2013, Iakovleva founded Dating Beyond Borders, a YouTube channel with 623K subscribers and a combined 184,619,805 views that focuses on relationship trends worldwide.

“The more experience I got with dating men in different countries, the more fascinated I got with the concept,” says Iakovleva, who was teaching abroad in Panama, Latin America when she first had the idea to start interviewing people around the world about their views on sex, language and love.

“I fumbled around for a while with no real success. It was when I was let go from the [teaching] job that I dedicated all my days into making the channel a reality.”

While YouTube is overflowing with aesthetically pleasing travel vlogs that showcase food, art, luxury penthouse suites and more, Iakovleva had noticed that one element of culture was often missing from this type of content: Dating.

Whether it’s a fling or longer-term thing, connection with others is an essential part of many travellers’ (and, increasingly, digital nomads’) experiences abroad.

“Love is love, but cultural differences can break a relationship, especially if they're not communicated,” says