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Part of the fun of visiting a new country is noticing just how different it is from back home. Often, you get to hear a new language that you’re not familiar with, as well as try a delicious cuisine that you’ll miss for months after returning home. And if you visit an entirely new continent, the list of differences you notice might become extremely long.
Americans who have traveled to Europe have been sharing examples of the biggest culture shocks they experienced while abroad. From being impressed by the efficient public transportation to being blown away by how flavorful the food was, we’ve gathered a list of their impressions below.
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#1
Trains... glorious, glorious trains.
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#2
Not a lot of food portions. I can see why we are all so fat.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 14 minutes ago
Seriously, I hate American portions. I throw so much food away.
#3
How relaxed people are. People sit at a cafe...just to sit and drink a coffee or smoke. It's amazing what not having to work 3 jobs to afford rent, being crushed under the weight of student loans, or not have to worry about getting sick because you have universal healthcare will do for your mental health.
Americans are notorious, particularly on the internet, for not knowing much about other countries or cultures. People often assume that Americans don’t realize Europe is a continent and that people in other nations might not speak English. And while there are plenty of well-educated people from the US, one of the best ways for the rest of the country to learn about the world is to go out and see it.
International travel can be extremely expensive, though. On average, it’ll cost Americans between $500 and $1,000 just to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. And the entire trip will cost thousands when you factor in accommodation, food, souvenirs, excursions, and more. Because of this, 42% of Americans have never left the country. And some of those who have traveled internationally went on “once in a lifetime” trips that they looked forward to for years or even decades.
#4
How fresh the food really is.
I am a foodie and love to eat out at restaurants and such. BUT I will say, that sometimes my stomach doesn't always agree with me. I know somethings I should stay away from (mainly dairy and carbs) but sometimes I just say f it and eat whatever I want.
I went to Rome, Italy for a week for a college class I was taking and I was ready to indulge on lots of pizza and pasta. We pretty much ate out at restaurants for every meal aside from the small breakfast buffet in our hotel each morning. I was so surprised how the food truly didn't affect my stomach at all. I never really suffered stomach aches or bloating and what not, which is very common for me (I'm from the US). I think it was because of how fresh all the food is as I don't believe they use any fillers or preservatives. I had some of the best food of my life there.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 12 minutes ago
There are places in the USA like that too. Portland has plenty of places with fresh food.
#5
How great the healthcare system is! I'm a type 1 diabetic. I rationed my insulin all through college and routinely went to Canada to buy it. In my own country, I was denied care and insurance because of the "preexisting condition clause" that the ACA finally abolished.
In my 30s I had a chance to work in Germany for a bit. Instead of denying me care, they asked me if I needed any special help with my diabetes care while I was a VISITING, TEMPORARY employee.
I got the best healthcare in my life while in Germany.
Danke Deutchland!
Any American who’s been to Europe or European who’s visited the United States will tell you that both places are entirely different. Yes, Europe is home to dozens of different countries and cultures, so you’d have to visit them all to get the full experience. But you could make a similar argument for the United States. Culture, climate, and geography vary greatly between states. It’s hard to believe that Hawaii, Alaska, Texas, New York, and Utah are all in the same country.
When it comes to the differences between the United States and Europe, though, travelers know that there are plenty. In terms of lifestyle, it can be shocking to many Americans that 81% of Europeans use public transit for day-to-day travel. Meanwhile, only 11% of Americans use public transportation on a daily or weekly basis.
#7
Visiting Rome, utter and total disregard for traffic laws. Cars stop at lights, scooters cut lanes and go straight through. Cars, scoters all over the sidewalks.
Intense graffiti, inside and outside of every train every inch was covered, sharpie tags on marble sculptures and buildings.
#8
I was surprised that normal, "whole" foods (like raw carrots and blueberries) tasted slightly different. I don't know why.
Roman Arendt 1 hour ago (edited)
Soil, water, exposure to sunlight, Freeland, greenhouse. A carrot from Zeeland, DK will probably taste different than a carrot from Liguria, Italy. Has nothing to do with Europe/America.
#9
Europe has fantastic public transportation. But what surprised me even more than that was how amazing the work life balance is there. Most places are closed Sunday and stores close by 6/7 PM on weekdays. Everyone has more time for family and to enjoy life.
viimatar 17 minutes ago
This person's been to the rural parts of the Catholic zone, I bet. This isn't really the case in much of the rest of Europe. In the Nordics, stores are open much later, and there are no regulations to close them for the holidays. Many larger stores are open throughout the year, even in Christmas Day and Midsummer Day, and some (mainly the smallest corner grocery stores that require only one or two employees at a time, and the biggest megamarkets that have the largest employee resources to organize shifts), and some stay open 24/7/365. Only small family enterprises and specialty stores / company storefronts have fewer hours - and the state monopoly alcohol stores.
Many Americans abroad also notice how vastly different the healthcare systems are in most European countries. It’s not exactly free, but it’s extremely rare for residents in Europe to go into debt because of medical bills.
There’s also the issue of food. While Europe does have a problem with obesity, just like the United States, Europeans tend to eat healthier, fresher food overall. Part of this is due to how strict rules are about which additives are allowed in food in Europe and how much more prevalent highly processed food is in the United States.
#10
People seemed a lot nicer to me, more accommodating. I remember seeing some guy have a run in with the police in the Netherlands and was completely taken back at how civil the situation was.
#11
It might seem stupid but in 1994 after first arriving to Germany for my first duty station in the army i was on a bus from the airport and Arnold Schwarzenegger was on a radio commercial. Like an idiot i was super surprised and impressed that he could speak German.
#12
As plastic bottles get bigger in volume, they get taller rather than wider.
There are bound to be plenty of cultural differences every time you visit another country. As long as you celebrate the differences and appreciate them, I’m sure you’ll have a great time traveling to any nation. Keep upvoting the responses that you wholeheartedly agree with, pandas, no matter where you’re from. And let us know in the comments below: what were the biggest culture shocks you noticed when you traveled to another continent?
Then, if you’d like to read another article from Bored Panda discussing this topic, we recommend checking out this one next!
#13
I grew up in a town that dates back to colonial times (first non-Indian inhabitants arrived in the late 1600's) and historic preservation was always a priority. We actually called the historical society the hysterical society, because they would freak out over any proposal that would have changed the character of the town.
So I thought I knew old. Well, got to Europe, and saw OLD. Like, good old hometown has absolutely nothing on any small town I visited there. Also - the freaking castles! And how many people spoke at least some English. And at how colorful the homes were. And - bidets, everywhere. Had no idea how to use one at the time; now have a washlet, and wouldn't live without one.
#14
Not that it was weird or anything but everyone either walks or bikes everywhere, here in America if you go anywhere you are pretty much always driving, it was nice to see people actually out all the time.
viimatar 7 minutes ago
We didn't bulldoze everything to make way for the highways. We have sidewalks, bike lanes, buses, trams, subway lines, trains, funiculars, ferries, and the rest - and we don't pump our food full of glucose fructose syrup, preservatives, artificial flavorings, and trace amounts of growth hormones and other chemicals, so we don't grow triple size to overload our bones. (Obesity can be also the result of genetics, metabolic disorders or psychiatric conditions, and should not be blamed on the person alone, but it's not common elsewhere in the extreme, morbidly obese type it occurs in the USA. In places, almost 50% of the population there is classified as significantly obese, by the international standards.)
#15
How easy it is to travel between countries and how quick you can be in another country. The train system is great!
nottheactualphoto 7 minutes ago
In the Alps, you can travel internationally by riding ski lifts.
#16
F R E S H
B R E A D.
David Paterson 23 minutes ago
The words "fresh bread" immediately make me think of France and Germany. It's worth visiting Germany just for the high quality of the fresh bread.
#17
Supermarket close early. When I lived in France, the one by my apartment was opened from like 8am-6pm Mon-Fri and only opened from 9am-12pm on Sat-Sun. This wasn't a small supermarket, it was a major chain. I'm in NY and all the supermarkets nearby are open 24 hrs.
#18
It took me a couple days to realize street names were posted on buildings. Where I'm from street names are always on standalone poles. I couldn't find any street names. I was wondering how everyone finds their way around without street signs before facepalming and realizing the street name signs were affixed to the building corners.
#19
Everything's so old! I'm from the West coast so all the history here was kinda erased y'know? Also, my cousin and I, both 12 or 13, were offered wine which was weird. Also, switzerland speaks 3 languages! And it's like a tiny country! Crazy! And the climate was pretty similar to where Iive! And the streets were so thin!
Roman Arendt 1 hour ago
They have four official languages, not three: French, German, Italian and Romansh/Rätoromanisch (the latter often gets forgotten).
#20
Air conditioning. Even when they have it, it's not on full blast like here in the US. I went to Germany in June. Beautiful, but can get pretty warm. Took my body a few days to adjust to the time zone and the temperature culture. But other than that, 10/10 would go again.
viimatar 31 minutes ago
Honestly, the best way to arrange air circulation and temperature regulation in a building is via gravitational solutions and natural air flow. In the cold season, though, heating will be necessary in the colder season, and buildings need to be properly insulated. This all comes together in the building regulations (the local construction code) - they're lax, or sometimes almost entirely nonexistent in the USA, especially from the European point of view. This already shows in the huge disasters that could have been prevented through proper construction techniques and firm regulations on building requirements and public safety.
#21
Drinking culture in the UK. If you have a beer at noon in America on a Tuesday you get weird looks. Over there it’s not about getting wasted, but quality time with friends and members of the community. It was eye opening.
Also public transit. They’ve got it down to a T.
#22
Driving for the first time, it was “holy cow! Why are the roads so narrow!”.
I get it I suppose. We have space for days in NA, whereas most of Europe was developed up at a time when automobiles weren’t even a concept.
#23
World War II and the Cold War are not as distant a memory as you think.
I visited Dresden in Summer 2007, and the Frauenkirche, which was destroyed in the Allied bombings in 1945, had only finished being rebuilt in 2005. During the days prior, we had visited the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. Part of it may be the fact that I was born in 1989 and have no living memory of the Cold War, but it was really eye-opening to see how recent it all felt once you were there.
#24
What surprised me most was running into so many fellow American tourists who obviously never bothered to take any time in advance to actually learn anything about the places they were visiting. It's like, yes, the food is different... what did you expect? And yes, this city has traffic.... did you expect a modern, industrialized country to be nothing but rural farmland with no electricity? Smh.
#25
I've told this story before on a different account, but it's worth repeating.
When I was in college, I did a study abroad trip that was in a little town in Italy. We (one traveling partner and I) got there on Sunday at about 3PM local time after traveling for around 24 hours (-> New York -> Milan, then a train to near Trieste). When we arrived, _everything_ was closed. Stores, restaurants, everything.
We were starving, though. The last thing we ate was the breakfast on the plane about 6 hours earlier, and we wouldn't get more food until the first trip breakfast the next morning. So, we want wandering around looking for food.
After a couple hours, we found a restaurant with its doors open. It was empty inside, but there was one employee there. He didn't speak English, we didn't speak Italian, but we managed to communicate "Hey, we're here to eat." He motioned for us to sit down. A few minutes later, he brought us each a plate of food. We never ordered or anything, but we were starving, so we just ate. About halfway through eating, an older woman came down and I think asked us how it was... she didn't speak English either, but we gave her a thumbs up, which apparently translated well enough. We tried to ask for a check, but he just waved us off.
That's about when we realized, they weren't open. They lived upstairs, they were cooking themselves dinner, and we wandered in hungry and confused so they fed us. We came back a couple days later, and it was a much more normal restaurant experience: we were seated, given menus, had a waiter that spoke English, etc.
It was a huge WTH moment, but in a good way.
#26
It truly is NOT in Texas.
The European version of Paris and London are MUCH better.
People do not eat cheese with everything.
#27
When I was in Spain last winter, pre-rona, I noticed that everyone there was gorgeous, buuuut everyone and their mom had a cigarette in their mouth. It was weird for me to see such a large portion of individuals smoking out and about in public.
#28
You pay for drinking water and refills at restaurants.
Roman Arendt 1 hour ago
Germany: That depends on the restaurants. Some will give you a pitcher of tap water for free without asking, sometimes you have to ask. And most of the time you have to pay a small amount. Mineral water though is a totally different thing. Our laws regarding mineral water are crazy strict (Mineral- und Tafelwasser-Verordnung; just like for tap water or ground pork/beef). In restaurants, mineral water has to be served in an unopened bottle (they sometimes even come with a little paper sleeve around the neck that guarantees it hasn't been opened) and the server has to open it in front of the guest. There's no mineral water by the glass. You can get table water by the glass though.
#29
The first time I flew to London I was surprised at how good the food was. I've read the stories about bad British food but that wasn't the case. Everything was excellent. The quality of ingredients seemed superior. Even fast food places like Leon and Pret were really good. I also loved Waitrose. What a great grocery chain.
#30
I expected the small meal portions, but I did not expect the itty bitty bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling stalls. And like, actual doors to those stalls. Never before had I had so much privacy in a public toilet.
#31
Through the wonders of immigration, I'm a combination of English, irish, German and Italian ancestry. Very proud of my heritage and the home countries of my grandparents. When I visited Europe, I was surprised that, while I saw myself as a combination of each of these ethnicities, to everyone I met I was an American. Not Irish-American, Italian-American, etc. Just American.
The Italians, although they were embarrassed that I was not fluent in Italian, did great me like I was a cousin returning home. A slow cousin who had forgotten the language, but a cousin just the same.
Roman Arendt 1 hour ago
Besides your "heritage/ancestry", what traits of yours are particularly Irish, for example? 🙄
#32
Traveled to Europe with my friends back in 2018. One of my friends had broken her leg several months before our trip; she was mobile by the time we went and sometimes used a cane, but otherwise was able to get around the US perfectly fine.
We discovered quickly on this trip that at least where we were in Europe, people with physical disabilities aren’t even an afterthought. Stairs everywhere, very few elevators or ramps, crowded, uneven streets. Here’s the thing - I had lived abroad for some time many years before this trip. We’ve traveled to Europe together before. This was truly the first time I noticed how difficult it must be to get around if you’re in a wheel chair or have some other physical problem that makes mobility hard.
I never really appreciated the ADA before that trip.
Still had a blast though, we just did a lot of man handling of her up and down stairs.
ETA: I have been places in Europe with plenty of accessibility, and as some people pointed out in the comments, public buildings and important areas are accessible in many places. Seems to be just differences in how laws are enacted. Either way, doesn't change the fact that I had to help my friend over the single wooden plank that was in place between the street and sidewalk over a MASSIVE construction hole in the ground on a street in Prague. Good times.
I also wanted to add a positive to my negative: the amount of fresh fruit for sale on the street. Just phenomenal. Food in general for sale for so cheap, and it's so good. *Chef's kiss*.
#33
The tiny cars. Walking down the street I really just want to try and roll one over by hand.
Since then I actually got a fiat 500 and, spoilers, you cannot just roll one over by hand.
And if you succeed with mechanical advantage your wife gets really angry instead of celebrating your successes.
#34
How far behind America is and how much the “America is #1” sentiment is a joke at this point. Maybe I had rose-tinted glasses on while on holiday in the UK and Spain, but it seems like the rest of the modern world has figured out universal healthcare, free/affordable education, and work-life balance.....and the list could go on much further.
Meanwhile, half of the US views views these things as extreme socialism/communism and would prefer that a gun has more rights than a person.
#35
*not the most experienced European traveler - but one thing I noticed.....
Beer is the same price everywhere (and cheap - generally cheaper than the bottled water) I didn't feel price gouged once (on anything really, but it was very noticeable with beer) - whether at a local pub or a fancy hotel. Would regularly order a half pint - which was exactly half price, just like you would expect - so that our beer stayed fresh. In the US, you would end up paying twice as much by ordering the smaller size. Each beer was about 3.50 euros - everywhere - and it was really amazing beer to boot.
As soon as I arrived at JFK I was charged $22.00 for a single, nearly undrinkable Bud light.
Can I go back to Germany yet?
#36
I love this question and have so many things I want to say but no one ever reads them ha ha. There was a definite noticeable difference between how heavy everyone is in the United States versus Europe. It seems like everything in the US is bigger, the roads the buildings the toilet paper, the people, etc.
#37
Probably because of reddit - I expected people to take an instant dislike to me for being an American traveling abroad and found quite the opposite. This was in France especially but to a lesser extant the UK as well.
#38
Probably not the most surprising thing but something that comes to mind.. storefronts that specifically sell American junk food as a novelty. Or maybe for tourists who can't seem to survive a vacation without a twinkie.
#39
The fact that I didn't have to tip.
I read in advance that pubs don't do tipping, so I avoided that. However, it blew my mind that it didn't really matter that much whether I left a tip even at a sit-down restaurant. I still did it whenever there was a tip line on the bill, but it's quite the culture shock. You actually pay your servers a living wage?
Spencers slave no more 38 minutes ago
Paying hospo staff proper wages is also common outside of Europe too.
#40
I am british but when my american friend came here he was so surprised when he saw police without guns or even tasers.
#41
No ice in the drinks at restaurants. Didn’t bother me, but it took some getting used to.
#42
This was a while ago and traveled through England and Scotland. I fully expected the old buildings, the narrow roads. I knew that I would have a tough time understanding the locals, after all, I only understand about half what is spoken in the Holy Grail.
So, here is what I did not expect:
1. A lot of the food was not very good (Shout out to the ploughman at every pub in England - those kept me alive). Let me rephrase this - I heard the food was bad but it was awful;
2. That the Scots who were on the tour with us at the Tate, would not eat the lunch served because it was steak and kidney pie;
3. We went to McDonald's afterwards (So did the Scots) because we were all hungry. The food there did not taste the same as in the US - it had an even worse after taste. I gave the woman at the register a Scottish 1 pound note and she refused it. I was dumbfounded because I was given the note as change while in London earlier that day. The Scots that were behind us started yelling at the person at the register. Still don't know what that was all about.
4. A kid on the tube was playing music and then suddenly started to run from some police - learned that was illegal; Everyone seemed to enjoy it though, well until the cops chased the kid off.
5. That in northern England and Scotland, they do not speak English in many places (think the farmer in Hot Fuzz). I grew up in Texas and some dude at the pub was talking to me. For the love of god, I couldn't understand a word he said, so I went right into a Texas Drawl and he was equally lost in what I said.
6. Squash is a drink there. We grow those in our garden here. Also, a garden is where we grow flowers and vegetables.
7. That a cricket match can be played for days.
8. I was also embarrassed by about half of the Americans there. It was a circus watching them. Saw some kid throwing a fit about having to walk EVERYWHERE.
9. That the best thing about Loch Ness is Urquhart Castle.
10. That Stonehenge is in the middle no where.
11. How particular the bar tenders were at pouring beer. The pour had to be just right. I was use to college bars where the glass is filled until the foam hits to top of the glass.
12. Queueing. It was an artform there. Our TSA could learn a few things.
13. That drunk Scots are harder to understand than sober Scots.
Spencers slave no more 32 minutes ago
Did this person visit during the Middle Ages? English is spoken, and easily understood, in Northern England and, except for Glasgow, Scotland.
#44
Driving through Germany showed me how dirty the US is.
#45
The quality of the food. Croissant in Paris- beautified big flakey thing. Croissant in America- soft tasteless cardboard. Same thing for the baguettes, pastries in Denmark, etc.
Also- that English language is VERY different in England. People quickly learned we were Americans and used different words. Quid? Huh?
#46
I went to England. They have more pubs on one street than Rotten Ronnies in the whole country, I swear.
#47
I’ve been to France, Spain, and Croatia and encountered kind and friendly people everywhere. The food in all 3 countries was amazing. The coffee was amazing. I hate American ham but the ham in Spain was delicious. The olives were so good. I’m not a big fan of American lamb but the lamb in Croatia tasted completely different. And the museums! So great. Once Covid is over I want to visit Italy.
#48
This is probably specific to France but I was surprised by the PDA. People in parks and on college campuses will lay all over each other. It was nice.
Oh and the teeny tiny size of shops and restaurants. I feel bad for people who use wheelchairs.
#49
Real sugar and milk as sweeteners in the chocolate bars, instead of corn syrup.
My life circumstances found me in England at 9-10yo. I had a Cadbury bar. It was *incredible* on a kid's palate, and I can't stand Hershey bars anymore.
Elladine DesIsles 40 minutes ago
I'm Canadian, not European, but I really cannot grasp how anyone can stand Hershey chocolate. It's just not good. It is sold here, but I've really only ever eaten it when received as Halloween candy, or otherwise at no expense; I would never choose it. There are so many other options that are far superior at roughly the same price point (and even better if you're willing to pay a bit more), many of which are apparently not widely available south of the border.
#52
Went to a Burger King and they had "The American Meal," which was a burger, fries and a Budweiser. Tell me in what American city could you get this American Meal?
#53
I just want free water. Not bottled water. Not sparkling water (the fuq outta here). Just normal water that doesn't cost me anything.
#54
Went straight from the airport to Piccadilly circus on a Friday night at like midnight. Super drunk people and the police were just yelling at each other but it had this weird undercurrent of endearment, and no one seemed phased. I've never seem that, not expected to unless someone was actively being arrested.
#55
I've only visited Ireland (and northern Ireland), but everyone is really friendly and will buy you a pint like its nothing. Also, there were a lot of kebab places in Dublin with like actual middle eastern guys. Some of the best food I ate was at those spots.
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