It’s one thing to learn about a continent or geographical area by reading books or online articles; it’s another thing entirely to witness different cultures and ways of living with your own eyes. That’s why travel is so powerful: it opens your mind to the reality that the world is incredibly wide and varied.
Some of these differences in cultures and customs can be jarring for travelers. A handful of American internet users took to an online thread on AskReddit to share the things about Europe that they personally find utterly bizarre and bamboozling. Scroll down to read their opinions.
#1
Socialized medicine. Man, you get sick and you just go to the doctor without worrying about how much it will cost.
Image source: Ok_Key_4731, user16396000
#2
When I was in Romania, I didn’t realize that the default for ordering water was for it to be carbonated. I remember buying a giant water bottle at the train station for a several hour train ride, and finding out too late it was bubbly haha. I quickly learned to specifically ask for “flat water”.
Image source: Significant-Water-18, nensuria
#3
When I went to Europe, you had to pay to use public restrooms in a lot of places. As an American that’s crazy. Here the closest thing we have is a business saying only paying customers can use their restrooms, but I’ve never encountered a bathroom you literally had to use money to access.
Image source: gayjospehquinn, freepik
#4
Comma as a decimal separator really threw me for a loop.
Image source: NicPizzaLatte, Getty Images
#5
This is something I’ve seen in the UK but may apply elsewhere. We were visiting g and decided to make a road trip mount to Cornwall. People seemed like we’d lost our minds. “But that’s like 5 hours!”. Right. So? They seemed to find it remarkable. Whereas we did not. 5 hours is about the drive I make to get to Dallas where I live and we do that with some frequency.
Image source: daveescaped, Lia Bekyan
#6
Not weird, and I like it, but on escalators, when in London, you should stand to the right so people in a hurry can pass you. Learned that real fast.
Image source: TaroFuzzy5588, Tom Parsons
#7
The Netherlands situation with floors in rentals. It’s one of the most insane things I’ve ever heard of.
Zeppelin59:
They don’t have any. Prospective renters have to supply and build their own floors, and remove them when they move out.
Image source: GuanSpanksYou, Getty Images
#8
For me personally, it’s weird, but in a good way, that many Europeans are interested in American politics. I was surprised when I first learned it many years ago. I saw the BBC coverage of our presidential election on youtube, and it was similar to how we covered it. We Americans never showed that level of interest in politics in other countries, but now, I wish we did. It’s usually, and in other news, this person became leader of this nation.
Image source: Showdown5618, Glenn Carstens-Peters
#9
Utter lack of accessibility for wheelchairs, blind people etc. I’m sure it’s not everywhere in Europe but it’s definitely not at all like western USA where there’s a lot of accessibility.
Image source: ElaineV, Getty Images
#10
Lot of the places I’ve been don’t use ice with soda, water, etc.
Image source: Buzallen, freepik
#11
No tarter sauce for fish & chips? how unamerican :)
Oh, and american chocolate sucks compared to german or swiss.
Image source: maler27, Davey Gravy
#12
Not sure if it’s in all European countries, but the ground floor being 0 instead of 1. It makes sense, but it just feels a little “off” to me in an extremely subtle way.
Image source: bbbbbthatsfivebees, Getty Images
#13
Today I learned what a ‘hot press’ is on housing floor plans in Ireland. That one threw me for a loop. (It is, essentially, a water heater closet.).
Image source: cuddlesdotgif, Getty Images
#14
When you make incidental eye contact on the street with a stranger and instead of a nod or hello you get the mean mug or 1000 yard stare.
I know we’re not friends, but we’re not in prison.
Image source: regurgitator_red, 1Click
#15
It’s funny that some countries, like France, they have big cafe culture but at home the people drink instant coffee. It’s a funny quirk. And in Northern Europe the staring with no smile!
Image source: Glittering-Lychee629, Amr Taha™
#16
Well im not offended but it’s strange to me – the way they walk around naked in a mixed sauna – not even a towel. i have a towel just for cleanliness purposes. this happened in germany- i (woman) was there with my towel and and a man walked into the little sauna – without a stich on and grinning. and germans don’t usually smile at a stranger.
Image source: Mammoth-Positive-396, pvproductions
#17
Mayonnaise, on french fries.
Image source: Merciless972, yeEm
#18
The vertical partially opened apartment windows.
Image source: VoidEel, Emily Wang
#19
The caps don’t fully detach from your plastic water bottles (though I’ve come to appreciate this!).
Image source: 1_tomato, Tom Radetzki
#20
Okay based on the countries I’ve been to, what is with the open showers? Where are the shower curtains?? All of the heat escapes, the water gets all over the floor… I understand that they can be beneficial for people with mobility issues, but I don’t understand how a curtain changes that.
There are enclosed showers there but the prevalence of open ones is so confusing….
Image source: savethedonut, Hannah Xu
#21
Not sure if this is just Germany, but the lack of bug screens on windows. This is really frustrating because of German Luften, so it’s often a requirement to crack open the windows, but there’s nothing stopping the bugs. Ironically I mentioned this and someone said that bugs never really are an issue… and not long after a wasp started flying around the room.
Image source: WindyWindona, Aditya Vyas
#22
It used to seem odd to me that eggs weren’t refrigerated. Now it doesn’t.
Image source: Overall_Lobster823, Onur Burak Akın
#23
The toilets in the Netherlands are stupidly designed. Instead of the “hole” being in the back where your p*o goes, it’s in the front. So you take a s**t and your p*o just sits on this little shelf where there is no water. Why? Genuinely perplexing to me.
Image source: Jon__Snuh, thetoiletspecialist
#24
Prawn mayo in the UK. An affront to god.
Image source: ChattingAtTheAqua, chandlervid85
#25
There’s no regular plugs in bathrooms in the UK. Just these low voltage ones for men’s shavers. It’s so hard trying to blow dry and curl my hair in the hallway.
Image source: Out_for_a_run, Getty Images
#26
Laundry washing machine in your kitchen is a weird concept to me.
Image source: svenson_26, Amina Filkins
#27
Serves pizza uncut.
Image source: GrowingKoi, Rene Strgar
#28
Almost 25 years living in Europe and it still annoys me when a greasy sandwich like a grilled cheese toastie arrives on top of a napkin on the plate instead of just putting the napkin next to it. 😡.
Image source: Digger65, Mel Audelo
#29
I am in Paris often and used to the quirks for the most part, but eating all desserts with a spoon always will be perplexing to me.
Image source: digitalmaven3, EyeEm
#30
They smoke EVERYWHERE. All the time. There’s a lot of smokers in America, but it’s not even comparable. You can’t escape the smell no matter where you go in the city! Once when I was in Paris I counted nearly 200 smokers in a few hours.
Image source: Brooklyn_53, Julia Engel
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