What do Europe and the United States have in common? Depending on who you ask, the answer might be, “Not much!” But the majority of inhabitants of both places love Europe. Americans live for their summer trips to Paris or Rome and love dedicating the next six months of their Instagram feed to photos in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum, and Europeans love staying in Europe because it can be incredibly easy and affordable to travel within the continent. There are about as many countries in Europe as there are states in the US, providing nearly unlimited cultural experiences.
But when Americans hop across the pond to Europe, there are a number of cultural differences that might stand out to them, depending on where they visit. Curious Reddit users have been bringing these quirks to light for years, asking for examples of things that are “normal in Europe but strange in America”, what surprises Americans most about Europe, the biggest differences Americans who move to Europe have observed, and things that are socially acceptable outside the US but would be “horrifying” inside. We’ve gone through these threads to find the most interesting responses and gathered them for you to read down below, so if you’re an American planning a Euro-trip, you can avoid some of the inevitable culture shock. And if you’re not from Europe or the US, you can enjoy hearing a bit about European culture from other people on the outside.
Read on to also find interviews with Dani Heinrich, creator of the travel blog Globetrotter Girls, Sarah Hollis, the woman behind The Pack Mama blog, and Erin and Erin of the blog Surviving Europe to hear about some of the cultural differences they have observed from living in Europe and the US. Then once you’ve finished this list, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s last publication on the same topic right here.
#1
Not me, but my sister. She may say something else if she were asked, but this had always stuck out to me.
She moved to Sweden about 4 years ago. A year prior to the move, she noticed a large lump on her neck, kind of just under her ear area. Concerned, we went to instacare to check it out. Tumor. Benign, so not dangerous yet but we still wondered how much it would cost to remove.
I think the number was around $17,000. After insurance.
So she waited, got surgery after being in Sweden for awhile. The entire thing cost her $30
Image source: Socialist-heathen, pexels
#2
Americans think 100 years is a long time, and Europeans think 100 miles is a long way.
Image source: notsamsmum, pxhere
#3
I’m Canadian, but I had a pretty profound moment when I realized the bench I was sitting on was older than my country.
Image source: seawest_lowlife, unsplash
#4
Still trying to get used to my five weeks of vacation. The three weeks this summer with my family was incredible. Still having two weeks to spend with them at Christmas, is beyond belief. All vacation is paid vacation. And it is standard everywhere. Oh and the two hour lunch, and 32 hour work week. I think this is is literally going to add up to years more with my family. Since I think time with my family is the most important thing, this just makes the quality of life here so much higher. I don’t know if I will ever get used to it. But I love it!
Image source: 2abyssinians, unsplash
#5
How everyone uses normal speaking voices, and how loud I am as an American.
Image source: yunith, unsplash
#6
How awesomely rural a lot of England is. I stayed in Cambridge and was impressed by how well preserved the green space was.
Also, when you buy produce, how it’s usually labeled with the farm it came from. Awesome.
Image source: [deleted] , pexels
#7
Got off the plane in Frankfurt and there were people riding bicycles and smoking cigarettes inside the airport. There were also people riding bicycles and smoking cigarettes at the same time inside the airport.
I also got the notion that people in Europe in general were far more free than in the United States. It opened my eyes to the fact that the USA isn’t really such a “sweet land of liberty” and freedom at all.
Image source: leftofmarx, pexels
#8
It is much safer. There are (almost) no panhandlers. People are much more relaxed and secure about their lives. Everyone is at least bilingual. People are generally better educated and knowledgeable about the world. Health care is a breeze. Public transportation makes life better (I wouldn’t even think of buying a car). People are somewhat more open to different points of view and perspectives. Junk food is consumed, but just as something extra once in a while – it’s generally not seen as ‘real’ food or a proper meal. There’s a general sense of being in a society, ‘in it together’, respect for human dignity. Protecting the environment is in everyone’s interest. Canals. Lots of canals.
Image source: Expat_NL
#9
The three things that struck me when I visited France for the first time:
– So many people smoking.
– You can actually get near old things. I live in California, where 150 years is archaic. Walking through a 900 year old building, and being able to touch the walls was mindblowing to me.
– Just how insanely easy it is to spot other Americans.
Image source: leicanthrope, unsplash
#10
The other day I asked a pharmacist how much my prescription would be and she laaaaaaaughed and laughed, as in, ‘Oh you silly Americans, having to pay for your medicine…’
Also, the wind in Scotland is simply hilarious. I couldn’t stand still without being pushed backwards, let alone walk in a straight line.
Image source: retrouvailles26, unsplash
#11
Living in the NL for a year now, moved from Texas. A lot of comments already mentioned the main differences, but one other is taxes. The taxes are wayyy higher here which was difficult to reconcile at first. However, once you see how far your tax money goes here versus in the US, I actually would prefer to pay more in taxes to have a nicer place to live for everyone.
A few immediate differences include almost no hobos, no really bad areas of town, public areas and parks are really nicely kept, etc.
Image source: clearly_notincontrol
#12
Not being bankrupted by a broken leg.
Image source: [deleted] , unsplash
#13
How clean and efficient the rail system is. AmTrak is a f*cking joke.
Image source: [deleted] , pexels
#14
Affordable higher education.
Image source: SnooGoats4933, unsplash
#15
The Italian’s way of driving. Never in anytime of my life was I more paranoid of being hit by a moped.
Image source: Chippedcoffeemug, Unsplash
#16
When I was sixteen I went to Poland (Krakow) with my best friend and our moms. I had never been to Europe before and we were coming from a densely populated small state, where pretty much no ethnicity seems to be a minority. Poland was the whitest f*cking place I have ever been. I only met two black guys and an Asian chick while I was there, and all three were British. I guess it makes sense that I’m used to seeing all kinds of people, coming from the US, but it was shocking to teenage me.
Another thing was that all of the people were beautiful. Well-dressed, perfect hair, and ridiculously good looking. All we wanted to do was talk to guys all day.
Image source: [deleted] , unsplash
#17
The way the use of foreign languages is seen. In the states, there was always a certain amount of indifference, or even stigma for being a foreign-language enthusiast.
But around here, the use of foreign languages on a daily basis is essentially a social norm.
#18
Went to London and Paris recently. I tipped a bartender in London and he looked shocked. Also everything I bought was the exact price it said. I’m so used to adding up 6.5 percent to everything.
Image source: vheissu417, pexels
#19
I never realized how consistently, unconsciously unsafe I felt in the USA until I moved over here. People don’t really f*ck with you or your sh*t where I live now.
Image source: NapalmZygote, unsplash
#20
Metric system.
Image source: [deleted]
#21
Public transportation across cities, in rural areas and across countries.
Image source: 57471571C5, unsplash
#22
People in Scotland (Specifically Glasgow) are the nicest I’ve ever met, seriously. People would have friendly conversations with you at bus stops, and one person even lent me £2 spare cash at a gas station for petrol. It seems to be 90% of people there are like that. Very unusual.
Image source: I_might_be_naked, unsplash
#23
I lived in Hengelo for a year for work purposes. Bike culture in the Netherlands is absolutely wonderful and I miss it.
Image source: [deleted], unsplash
#24
The lack of branding on stores, and it made me completely jealous. You mean, drugstores can exist without ten-foot high signs? Restaurants can look like normal buildings? Revolutionary.
Image source: hellosquirrel
#25
My first trip into Amberg, Germany, a bus pulled up to the station and a bunch of small children got off and wandered into the fußgängerzone completely unaccompanied by adults. That’s how safe it was.
That and the more liberal sexuality. According to many of the friends I had, I was the only American they had ever met to even attempt learning German. I had never been told that my accent was so sexy before. That was all it took to go home with some of them.
Definitely worth going back.
Image source: futurebutters, unsplash
#26
I moved to the Netherlands in 2005 and I think the biggest difference between here and the USA is work. There’s a minimum of 21 days paid vacation, you don’t have only 3 sick days for the entire year, and if you’re asked to work overtime you can say no without risk of being fired on the spot (DO NOT miss at will employment).
It did take about 3 years to be able to call in sick without major guilt and about the same amount of time to learn to take vacation days vs. hoarding them.
Image source: Petra_Ann
#27
The cleanliness in Germany shocked me. While driving through the countryside, there was not a single piece of garbage on the road anywhere. Just about everywhere in the USA has litter almost everywhere.
Image source: wzl46
#28
The lack of homeless people. I live in Germany and I think I’ve seen maybe 5 homeless people here, most of which were probably refugees. I went back to the US last year and was astonished at all of the homeless people everywhere. They were literally on every corner. It broke my heart. I had completely forgotten about that part of life there.
Image source: twice_it
#29
I was on a two-day shore leave in Bergen, Norway. I don’t know if I just happened to be in the right places at the right time, but everything was clean, and everyone was beautiful and chic. Women, men, everyone. That place seemed perfect.
Image source: Ellemshaye
#30
I traveled around most of Europe with my parents when I was 15. By far, the most surprising part about Europe was how relaxed you guys were with sexuality. I’m from the south and being open about your sexually is generally frowned upon. But in Europe? Boobs. Boobs everywhere.
When we first touched down in Belgium there was a museum which had an exhibit called ‘The Art of Orgasm’. I found an ad booklet in Switzerland for watches that was just 20 pages of attractive women making out. One night in a hotel I discovered that most of the channels on the TV were soft core porn.
I shared a bedroom with my parents for most of the trip.
It was a challenging time for me.
Image source: DaShazam
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