For the worldly American, the summer Eurotrip is practically a rite of passage. While much connects the US and Europe, the two entities are different enough that American travelers often experience culture shock when they visit different European countries for the first time. One person on Reddit asked American travelers to share what struck them the most when they visited and got a ton of great responses.
The two continents’ histories, both separate and intertwined, make for an interesting opportunitY to compare and contrast how they’ve found different solutions to similar problems. While some of the comments shared were lighthearted and fun, others pointed to interesting differences in perspective.
#1
Everyone is bilingual or multilingual.
Image credits: Royal_Acanthisitta51
#2
900 year old universities
Image credits: Lazy-Ad-770
#3
Eurovision.
Image credits: Neferknitti
Europe is a popular enough travel destination for Americans that there’s tons of info out there on the cultural differences. There are tons of travel sites out there that help American tourists understand some of the cultural and practical differences they can expect. Indeed, stats indicate that Europe was the top outbound US tourism destination by continent with 15.8 million visitors.
#4
Gothic Architecture
Image credits: SpaceGhostBurp
#5
Good bread.
Image credits: thegreatgatsB70
#6
The sirens that go BEEE booo BEEE booo BEEE booo BEEE booo
Image credits: TrueReplayJay
One major historical difference is that the USA was born out of a revolution. This gives it quite a distinct cultural legacy and makes it quite young on a historical scale. Some of the answers to this question highlight as much, pointing out that they can visit historical buildings or even working pubs that are older than the entire United States as a political entity.
#7
Walkable towns
Image credits: Mustang46L
#8
Sitting at a restaurant for hours talking. Half an hour of conversation with anybody and I am done. For the month.
Image credits: svladcjelli2001
#9
Men wearing speedos at the beach or in a pool. The ones you do see in the US are usually Europeans on vacation
Image credits: Ro7ard
Though the US is considered by many to be the home of capitalism, one difference in some countries is that travelers can expect is to pay for certain services that are often considered to be gratuities in the US. According to TEFL Worldwide, for example, Americans may be surprised that they will have to pay for water at restaurants unless they ask for tap water and they may also have to pay for public restrooms. Many countries will make shoppers pay for plastic bags, but this is part of an EU-wide effort to move away from disposable plastic and towards reusable bags.
#10
I think as a whole, it’s there attitude towards work.
The vibe I get when visiting most European countries is most people seem to work only to live. While in the states, it feels we live to work. The most common thing out of an American’s mouth when meeting someone new is what do you do? I did not find this to be the case in Europe, and I am super jealous.
Image credits: hurtmore
#11
Tiny city streets.
Image credits: SuperstitiousPigeon5
#12
Bars older than the US
Image credits: ncopp
Another significant cause of some significant differences is the European political structure. The European Union enforces certain differences across the entire union, but at the same time, member states have far more independence than the states making up the US. Some cultural differences stretch across the entire EU and others can vary from country to country.
#13
Universal healthcare
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#14
Pay to use a restroom.
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#15
Drinking cappuccino on a cobblestone street outside of a cafe, which is hundreds of years old.
Image credits: vetheros37
There are many differences in terms of money as well. Credit cards aren’t as popular in Europe as in the US, and most countries have moved away from paper checks entirely. Tipping for services is also usually considered to be optional, although very touristy spots that can spot American travelers may try to pressure them into tipping regardless.
#16
Electric kettle
Image credits: majesticalexis
#17
I heard someone in Europe, on a youtube vid, saying they didnt really see their Dad all that much growing up. Seperated parents and Dad lived an hour away. The hour drive away was the thing that they said was one of the biggest issues. Here I am 1,000 miles from home visiting family and my work commute is about an hour. It took me a while to wrap my head around that one.
Image credits: Prudent_Foundation64
#18
€10 flights to nearby countries. The US could never.
#19
Flying into Florida and thinking you can drive to Los Angeles, NYC, and Chicago easily.
Image credits: lazyhazyeye
#20
Titles – Lord Humpty Dump or Countess Beaverhousen who are just related, distantly, to some ancestor who did some favor for a king somewhere.
#21
Americans think 100 years is a long time and Europeans think 100 miles is a long distance.
#22
Calling arkansas arKANSAS
#23
Castles
#24
Roundabouts.
#25
Infrastructure built around walking, bicycles, and busses. Not just exclusively built around personal vehicles.
#26
Getting sick without going bankrupt
#27
Paid time off.
#28
Thinking 100 miles is a long distance. I talked a brit once who said they hadn’t seen their parents in two years because its a far trip… it was 2 hours away….
#29
Vespas
#30
No ac by choice
#31
Going for a stroll in somewhere like Northumberland you can pass buildings castles and hill forts covering over three thousand years.
#32
The Euro
#33
Functional transit, carrying a beer outside at night, and post dinner coffee is super common
Image credits: StabbyPants
#34
maternity leave
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#35
Restaurants paying employees a fair wage and not expecting the customer to make up for low wages.
Image credits: deadevilmonkey
#36
Complaining about Americans.
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