The United States and European countries sometimes feel worlds apart. And it’s a natural thing for different nations to develop unique cultures, systems, and institutions. But once you start traveling a bit more broadly, you start comparing your destinations. Each place has its upsides and downsides, but the differences can be striking at times.
Redditor u/TREE__FR0G, an aspiring herpetologist, asked people to share the things that are completely normal in most places in Europe but would seem very strange to someone living in the US. Scroll down to see what the internet thinks are the biggest differences between Europe and the US.
#1
Providing healthcare to sick people without bankrupting them.
Image source: EXXPat, Andrea Piacquadio
#2
Prices already includes taxes
Image source: Badass-19, Ron Lach
#3
Nudeness.
No, we don’t all walk around naked all day.
Yes, we have nude beaches. Yes, on most regular lakes where people go swimming, you most likely see their little kids running around nekkid. Yes, most saunas are “nude only”. Yes, you see boobs, a*s and penis on TV (like, if there’s a movie and the situation “demands” it). Yes, we have sex education where they use books with images of naked humans in school.
It’s just a body. And no, nude doesn’t mean “sex!!1!”.
Image source: kant0r
#4
I’m a project manager in the US and it baffles me that my European team gets an entire month off in the summer.
I’m over here saving my vacation days incase I get sick.
Image source: smileysarah267, Mateusz Dach
#5
dd/mm/yyyy
Image source: whiskeyman220, Ketut Subiyanto
#6
Bathroom doors with no gaps
Image source: P1nk_barbie, Max Rahubovskiy
#7
Decent public transportation.
#8
Tips are optional
Image source: OldandBoldDude, Iain Farrell
#9
Walkable cities
Image source: TenNinetythree, Zen Chung
#10
taking an ambulance without a worry in the world
Image source: ShadowLancer128, Artem Saranin
#11
Online bank transfers. Americans get all excited over stuff like Venmo but I can send money to anyone via my online banking app for free.
Image source: mamamia1001, Anete Lusina
#12
Cashiers having chairs
Image source: ColdCookies144
#13
Universal heath care and free college.
Image source: Makarov762, Pixabay
#14
6 weeks vacation
Image source: nomadProgrammer, Vincent Gerbouin
#15
The hugest mindf**k for me is the maternity leave. An entire, paid year?! I get that they can channel more money into that stuff since the US has military needs paid for, but that’s still pretty impressive.
Image source: DogsArePrettyCool4, Kristina Paukshtite
#16
Go to the grocery store on your bicycle.
Walking from shop to shop in the city centre.
Image source: GreenButterfly1234, Salo Al
#17
Taking your own shopping bag(s) to the supermarket.
Totally normalized in all European countries as far as I know. Or buy a (firm) shopping bag at the store if you don’t have one with you.
All those plastic bags in US stores, so small that it can only hold two cans of milk so you see customers with a dozen plastic bags for their groceries.. unthinkable in Europe.
Image source: Shrooma111, Laura James
#18
Not wearing shoes in our homes.
Image source: carlamaco, Mikhail Nilov
#19
Mayo with french fries.
I’m in the US but have cousins in Holland. They introduced me to to this years ago and it’s pretty awesome.
Image source: Robhow, Gustav Lundborg
#20
Coalition governments
Image source: MistaLuvcraft, Ricky Esquivel
#21
Work Life Balance
Going to Europe and then coming back to Texas and visiting our corporate offices in Dublin, London, Paris.
Yes the European working hours are different. But it seems there’s more of a balance and respect for personal time and medical time or absence. Vs in America working yourself to the bone.
Also the absence of Tipping, and availability of metro and being able to conveniently walk where you need to get to. 1 mile in Europe feels shorter than the 1 mile walk in USA hahaha sidewalk availability and lack of parks to cut through etc.
Image source: JeezBelieveThat
#22
trains
Image source: Complete_Spot3771, Laura Meinhardt
#23
The right to roam.
It’s glorious to be able to hike across private land when you grow up used to signs saying “Trespassers will be shot.”
Image source: suzycreamcheese260, Gagaz Adam
#24
Unlocked phones.
When I lived in the US it was hard for me to get around the idea that I couldn’t use the phone that I bought with AT&T with a SIM card from T-Mobile. In Europe I interchange my SIM cards with zero problems. I can even change my provider and keep the same number and of course the same phone.
Image source: TravellingBelgian, Tim Samuel
#25
Legally enshrined right to online privacy
Image source: Quegyboe, Mikhail Nilov
#26
Roundabouts. They’re like the rotary phones of the road – Americans look at them in utter confusion and wonder where to dial.
Image source: phamkethanh, Kelly
#27
Biking, public transportation, walking in the city, basically not living life centered around driving a car.
Image source: portlandsmith
#28
Police treating civilians with respect
Image source: DaisyDog2023
#29
Mandatory recycling
Image source: lotusblossom520
#30
Kinder Eggs
Image source: NickJsy, Alina Komarevska
#31
E-government, being able to do 99% of the things needed online.
Image source: Xtasy0178, Los Muertos Crew
#32
More people are day drinking in Europe than I have ever seen in America.
Image source: CamilaHelena, Ron Lach
#33
Actually decent urban planning.
Image source: Hamil_Simp4450
#34
Inter country travel. I don’t even live on the main European land mass. I live on a European island. But I can fly to most European countries in under four hours. And it’s not a million euro to do so.
Image source: Low_Engineering8921, Pixabay
#35
Having your washing machine in your kitchen.
Image source: angrycupcake11
#36
Paying to use a toilet.
Image source: Yak-5000, Ondosan Sinaga
#37
Well, in some countries, having a monarchy (UK, Denmark + the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Leichtenstein, Monaco, technically also Andorra and Vatican City) or even a quasi-monarchy (Romania, Serbia, where the monarchies have a sort-of-official role while still being a Republic).
Also, having a religion tax (which you can opt out of if you formally leave the Church or other religious organisation if there’s an option for it to go to a non-Christian one), in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Spain (as a choice of where your tax goes, doesn’t change the overall amount) and some cantons of Switzerland. And having a particular state or established Church (England, Scotland, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland) or national/”people’s” Church (Sweden, Norway).
Image source: palishkoto, JR Bradbury
#38
Electric kettles.
Image source: The4thJuliek
#39
being able to tilt open your windows
in usa your windows only open like doors, i couldnt imagibe living in a house lacking such basic features as tilting open the top of the window
Image source: wojtekpolska
#40
Not really an unknown concept but letting cats go outside and roam around. It’s just the norm in the UK.
Image source: Bedzzzz
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