While Europe is huge, flourishing with unique cultures, customs, and history, it's not THAT different from country to country. And even though things like direct staring or no air conditioning are not the status quo in all of Europe, residents from neighboring countries would probably not raise their eyebrows upon hearing about them.
That is not the case for people from other continents. What might be second nature and not worth ever questioning for a European, might sound wild and unique to someone from the US. One Reddit user wanted to learn "What is something weird about Europe that Europeans don't realize is weird?" and over 26k users shared "unwritten rules" and "know-how" that most Europeans seem to share.
These stories and tips that Bored Panda picked out might help anyone who hasn't had the chance to visit any of the 50 sovereign states to avoid the initial shock and be more aware of the "do's and don'ts." And, as Europe is vast and all of the countries have their own quirks, they might surprise and come in handy for some of the estimated 743.5 million Europeans as well.
We also reached out to A & S, a digital creator duo who travel the world to share their experiences and tell their stories. The duo have visited over 100 places in Europe. Scroll down to get their insights and some travel tips for your next trip!
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Weird at first but I appreciate and wish for it. It might be just a Germany thing but from what I’ve been told German Walmart failed because the North American style of customer service was very unliked. From the greeter at the door to clerks asking if you need help unprompted. German shoppers just want to shop and go home as undisturbed as possible
The first country in Europe that A & S visited was Croatia. "It was such an exciting and adventurous first day, or in this case, night. We had been a bit tired from traveling for 24 hours. When we finally arrived in Split, Croatia, our driver wasn't able to drop us off close to our apartment because of its location, which we understood," the creator told Bored Panda. "Most people would feel disheartened getting around on their own the first time they arrive in a new city, but what you must do is shift your mindset to be positive. Think to yourself, what good can come from this?"
You drive five hours in the US: you’re basically still in the same place.
You drive five hours in Europe: everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different.
"For us, it was being able to explore Split while trying to find our apartment, which was located inside of the Palace walls in the heart of Old Town. This was something to be happy about! There is such an indescribable feeling from the summer warmth and sea breeze while walking through the alleyways of Old Town at night. We also learned that Split has a bit of everything when it comes to evening entertainment and attractions, from a lively restaurant and bar scene to clubs. Then the next morning we woke up early and explored. It was incredible seeing the beaches and islands! Overall, it was a very special and positive first impression of Europe."
Not Europe-specific, but EU-specific. I find it baffling that most of my peers have never thought about how easy it is to just move to a completely different country, with little to no knowledge of the language and culture, and still be welcomed. You're just **allowed** to move to another country, and they can't say no (for the most part). You don't even need to ask them first. You can decide you want to study elsewhere and they'd be like “yeah, sure”. Personally I find this phenomenal, given how the rest of the world works.
My only experiences in Europe so far have been touring there in a punk band. The thing that blew my mind was how often - almost always! - the venues we were playing were literal state-sponsored squats. Like the tire factory or whatever in town would go belly up and a bunch of punks and anarchists would move in and the local government would just be like "hey, they cleaned up all this broken glass and now there's a whole new crop of people keeping this community alive. Tell you what, let's give them free utilities." On more than one occasion we played a free show and got a check from some government office.
This would never, ever, ever, ever, in a million years, take place in the United States.
Since the travelers have been to so many countries, we asked which European countries differ the most from each other. "Countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Netherlands, etc., differ most from countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta, etc. The former countries are much more direct and have a faster-paced lifestyle, whereas the latter countries tend to be more relaxed and have a more laid-back lifestyle. In Spain, we learned the phrase, 'No pasa nada.' The Balkans are also very unique as it was the crossroads between East and West," shared the duo.
Everything is historical. You could be walking down a street and the wall to your left is older than the USA. You will also find random hills in otherwise flat landscapes that were created from rubble from a previous war.
Finnish people are silent, small talk doesn't exist. Their personal space larger than COVID-19 social distancing rules, and it's considered normal. Don't speak unless spoken to, and don't invade other people's personal space - it's seen as a sign of a respect.
Those Finns, who haven't been to abroad or haven't met too many foreigners, don't often even recognize this behaviour being unusual in the global scale.
Is this why you're supposed to be the happiest country in the world, Finland? Because this is my kind of vibe.
We also asked if they had any advice for people who are unsure about traveling. "We understand that traveling can be daunting for first-time travelers, especially if traveling solo. Many people feel this way. I spent New Year’s Eve night in a Burger King in Florence. We had a flight to Porto canceled 1 hour before takeoff. But what we have found is that when people put in the effort and research ahead for their travels/holiday, it results in a much better and more pleasant experience," shared the creator.
I'm an American doing my lil europe tour right now, currently in Paris. I've been staying in major cities with visits to the country side.
Your trees, especially in your cities, are f*****g massive. It feels like I'm walking through an arboretum sometimes. The trees always get me..the insane architecture too, but the trees man
How incredibly inconsequential it is to cross country borders. Cycled through France - Belgium - Netherlands and there is barely even a sign.
The UK has 30 accents per square mile and if a large man calls you duck in Stoke … that’s okay
Fun fact: When Marvel released "Ant-Man", the Geordies were asking "Where's Dec-Man?".
"That's why we create and share travel-related content on social media. It's an empowering way to inspire people to travel. You can create your own memories." They also pointed out that traveling is not as expensive as it seems. "Did you know that accommodation for one month in Springfield, Oregon, is more expensive than in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, or Venice? Did you know you can find accommodation for under 30€ a night in Vienna, Prague, and Budapest that isn't a hostel? Did you know that in some places in Madrid, a beer is 1.50€ at a restaurant? The point being, traveling is attainable and isn't some lifestyle where you need to be super wealthy."
Almost everything in Europe is old, and nobody treats the old buildings as though they're anything special. You go to someone's house, and their house is 700 years old. And all the cottages in the village are that old. You see things like buildings that were ancient Roman colosseums that were turned into medieval palaces that were turned into modern shopping malls or office buildings. Around where I am, it's rare for a building to be more than 100 years old, and most of them are registered, protected historical sites that can't be altered without a permit.
In Germany, the idea that you can rent an apartment and you have to BUY the kitchen separately. Otherwise you get an apartment with no kitchen.
Like wtf. It's like selling a jacket but saying you gotta pay extra for the sleeves.
Yes, we like to buy our own kitchen. We want to chose the color, the arrangement, the style, the appliances ourselves. And, if possible, we want to take our kitchen with us when moving , because we have bought it and it's ours. Of course we would sell it to the new renter if it doesn't fit into our new flat. And of course we would buy the former renters or accept the owners kitchen, if it is not to old and used or from the high end range. Or if we can't afford to buy our own kitchen. But in general, yes, we are not very much into the second hand or used thing. If we can afford, we prefer to have our own things.
France's border with the Netherlands is in the Caribbean
We also asked if they think there's anything Europeans could learn from Americans. "We think Europeans can learn from other parts of the world to be more accepting. In the USA, we have a lot of variety in our friend groups. In Europe, most friend groups are the same friend groups from childhood. We just wish there was more of an effort to try to understand other identities and have an open mind to connecting with other cultures."
Australian here. Casually just visiting a whole different country with a different language and culture for the weekend.
A reverse statement: It was in Japan 2018 when I learned that taxes included in price tags is a European thing.
We wanted to buy something, the first time we asked why we have to pay more than the number on the price tag, they explained taxes aren't included.
Like... what is this witchery?
Taxes are included in the tag price in Australia/New Zealand too *antipodean quote* “Just tell me what I am effing paying and it better be the damn total”
Paying to go to the bathroom. It’s absolutely wild that you have to pay money to use the toilet.
A & S also wanted to point out their own privilege as an American and how not everyone has the same opportunities. "We are US citizens, which means we are privileged enough to be able to travel visa-free to 185 countries and territories. Though it's important to note, a few countries require a visa on arrival and typically implement strict requirements such as a certain length of time—30, 60, 90, or 180 days, etc."
Europe contains the highest concentration of officially Christian states (nations with official state religion/church) and the lowest per capita percentage of people who actually "practice Christianity" in ‘Christendom' - which is to say, nominally claim to be Christian - probably a lower percentage actually believe.
As a Canadian I took a trip to Europe in highschool for a week. 3 days in London England, 3 days in Paris France, 2 days in Madrid Spain and 1 day in Toledo Spain. One thing that really stood out is how different begging for money by the homeless/poor works. Here people will stand in traffic with signs telling a sob story for cash or will come up to your car window or even in person on the street getting in your face trying to get money from you. Almost every beggar I saw in Europe would just sit still on the ground holding a cup out not saying a word to anyone or getting in anyones business. They would just sit there and wait for someone to come to them and toss some money their way. It gave me a lot of respect for them as I was so used to people literally making your life almost feel threatened here when they are begging for money on the streets while these people in Europe just sat or stood in place holding a hand out in silence and just hope for help without any aggression or confrontation
No mesh screens in windows in the UK, at least. In canada we have screens in most home windows to keep flies out
was there an abundance of flies though ? Just because a window is open does not mean you are going to have a swarm come in. In Australia we have a fly issue in summer, but I can have a screen on the balcony door and nothing on the bathroom window, and yet the only fly that will enter will be the one that randomly enters when I open the front door. Flies are just tricky.
I'm from Finland and one European thing that all Finnish people hate is cheek kisses when greeting. Its mostly southern european thing but still. There is this saying in Finland that goes "Everyone has their own safety coffee cup" meaning the closest distance someone should get to you should not be closer than your coffee cup when you're holding it.
Japan: “please don’t put your spitty lips on my cheek, your dirty hand in mine, or your dirty shoes on my floor.”
As an American who has spent 1 week in Italy, and only 5 weeks outside the Southern U.S., this probably says more about us, but yalls roads are so damn small, and yall drive bats**t crazy though an 8 foot wide street with 20 people on the side. Hell, most vehicles where Im from couldnt fit in there.
Yeah, we know how wide and how long our cars are. Your vehicles are ridiculously oversized and killing the planet.
Norwegians don't close their curtains when it gets dark.
Eurovision Song Contest 📺
Germans stare a LOT. Like they will just gaze at you unflinchingly. An American will wait until you can’t see them doing it.
the absolute lack of air conditioning even at 40°, german transport gets sticky and stinky quite fast and nobody seems to care, many people even shut the windows to avoid the "annoying breeze"
Italians will pay for garbage taxes, then throw the garbage on the streets, only to pay other taxes for garbage cleaning and collection. Then the collected garbage gets sold at cost-free to Germans, who burn the garbage and turn it into electricity, which gets sold back to italians (not for free).
It’s always baffled me just like how normal it is to just, go to another country. Like for me it’s such a big deal and to go to literally any country but one it’s a long plane flight. Europeans can just drive an hour right into another country for a day trip.
Also the fact that my country is bigger than all of Europe also baffles me.
Australians have to go to another continent if they want to go to another country.
Coins being a useful form of currency.
I was walking around with a huge quantity of coins clinking about, and had no idea how to organize and carry them on my person. I bought my first *coin pouch*. the Czech Republic and their hefty medieval coins was a wild learning curve.
That doesn´t sound european to me. We pay with cards mostly and Sweden is a cashless society. Some countries might still use cash a lot though compare to other countries, like germany for example.
Whenever I visit Europe one thing that stands out is the smoking. It’s wayyyy more popular and accepted there than in the US. And also personal space. AND WTF IS UP WITH THE SHOWERS. Every hotel I’ve stayed at in Europe had some weird a*s shower.
Monarchies. They're creepy, and the reverence is weird.
Not really. But the kind where you feel you have to go out waving a huge äss flag, yelling "LOOK AT ME, I'M A BETTER PATRIOT THAN YOU ARE" is.
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Unlike the full-blown crazy of US patriots sometimes called republicans who dictate what a woman can and can't do with her body, yeah monarchies are real creepy
Yeah most of the monarchies and assorted royalty seem more chill than what we get in the US for politicians sometimes.
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Theres actually quite a few laws about our Old Glory. From the 225 different mandated codes by the white house to the other revisions added by veterans services, veterans of america,and state laws there are a total of 1,427 ways to respect, hang,have proper lighting in the correct direction, the placement of the flag on its specific length flagpole, you better know which days to fly at half staff or you will get a ticket to pay. We can choose to not have a flag but when most Americans who remember all of the freedoms to do what we want with our...anything...we are very proud to utilize that choice. It's why I do but can still break the rules when my light goes out or forget a half staff day and actually have never got a ticket. Just a Hawkeye neighbor reminding me that the day was halfstaff day for a whole bunch of revised additional days that I did not get the nonmemo for that day.
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to be honest, I prefer to have a king, as representative head, without any power, and the power with government, as 1 person who could declare a nuclear war just on his own.
Brit here and I don't hold our royal family in high esteem at all and I think the reverence they get is weird too and a huge number of us feel the same way. I reckon they generate a lot of free PR for Britain so the cost in keeping them is probably worth it, with the tourist foot fall they gain for us.
The tourist thing is untrue. Visit Britain (organisation who pushes the royal family as a tourist draw) have admitted that they cannot quantify any uplift in tourism due to the royals except in special events like weddings and jubilees (which aren't that common). Then it is a VERY small percentage something like 1% increase to tourism and is not worth what you would think. When surveys are conducted people never say they have come to the UK to see the royals. It is culture - theatre, arts, the architecture, the countryside etc. The palaces and castles would get MORE tourists if more could be seen (Palace of Versailles proves this). It's a message deliberately put out to quiet people when they start to question the point of them as they know most people won't investigate it. I did. It doesn't hold any water when looked into deeply.
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You still have the politicians in charge - trust them or not! The royal family have nothing to do with it! They may appoint the PM as a ceremonial function, but they have no say whatsoever in who they are.
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I dunno... King Charles is all that stands between Rishi Sunak and the Presidency. That joke worked better with the Queen & Boris Johnson though, I will admit.
That assumes that no monarchy would mean we wouldn't choose to vote for a head of state as well as a head of government. Though the thought doesn't appeal... the choice is bad enough for PM!
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if this comes from America, I'm calling hypocrisy... flags are literally everywhere in the US, and you're one of the only countries that swear allegiance to their flag every morning at school. I find that weird. (and whilst we have monarchies, not all of us want them. I was sad Queen Elizabeth II died, but it was more of a thing that she had been a constant figure in peoples lives than the fact she was a royal, i think it should be abolished now xP)
Not as weird as pledging toward a flag daily or having mega churches with broadcasts on TV. Yes Monarchies are old and not from this time but hey, who has a king that is just an airline pilot in his free time? Bet no American President ever did that
I live in the Netherlands. I would hate it if we had presidential elections every 4 or 5 years; choosing between an a*****e and a douchebag. You Americans know how hard it is. At least we know we’re stuck with a king for no.w
It probably depends on the monarchy. There aren't many left and most of those aren't absolute monarchies. From what I understand.
Not in Europe, but also got monarchy here. Some people revere the royal family, some doesn't. The ones who does not revere them are the 'woke' ones, I supposed. Apparently, it's because they realized that the royal family has been hogging the money that the people are supposed to receive :O
I thought that was just the Brits. I've actually seen the Belgian Queen, didn't even close the street, no crowds, nothing. Different for huge public festivities twice a year, yes, but not every step they take.
It's not 'just the Brits'. There are millions of people in the UK who don't give a flying fúck about the royal family. There are people all over the world who weirdly get all reverent about them. Generally speaking most people's lives are not impacted in anyway by someone royal. Don't confuse newspaper coverage with actual interest by the public.
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I know! And there’s really nothing special with these guys. If anything they’re worst than us.
Nude beaches.
Europe: Nude beaches. America: F**k that, I'mma head to the prude beach!
Eggs aren't put in the fridge here in Europe, but we still have the little egg shaped fridge shelves.
Toilets that have what I like to call, "the s**t-shelf." [Here's an example.](https://i0.wp.com/farm9.staticflickr.com/8105/8494975833_cab59f8bdd_n.jpg)
When you use a toilet like this, everything just kind of *lies there.* Almost like you're intended to carefully *examine* what you just produced before you flush.
You are. That’s why they’re made that way. The whole point is so that you can examine the consistency, shape, color, abnormalities, etc. and tell your doctor about changes and abnormalities. Whether or not doctors today are quite as interested in that as they were in times past is, perhaps, debatable, but that’s why there’s a shelf, nonetheless.
How common pickpockets are there compared to the rest of the world
Paying for water at a restaurant and honestly just the limited amount of water people drink. I always feel so incredibly dehydrated when I come back from Europe.
Their complacently with obnoxiously public drunks. Here in America we at least hide them in the place they got drunk, or inside a diner, or shove them in a taxi/rideshare and haul their a*s home.
Not our problem. You wanna make a fool of yourself? Fine. You want my help? Pay me.
All four wheels of the shopping carts swivel instead of only the front two. This makes it really difficult to turn it. If you try to turn it, it just keeps going straight but at an angle. To get it to actually turn, you have to use upper body strength to force it around a corner.
I find them to be much more maneuverable. You can literally turn them in place without having to move forward to turn. I guess the trick is thinking of
To an American or Canadian? The idea of becoming a citizen won't make you French, German or Swedish etc. You can live in France your entire life but because you were born in Syria never be seen as French. Being American or Canadian is an idea, anyone who even wants to be American will be considered American.
Hmmm. I'm not so sure that's how it works. Perfectly legal immigrants to the USA get showered with racist abuse, especially if they look Latine/Hispanic. Meanwhile so many people whose families have lived there for generations label themselves as ****-Americans.
I enjoyed the input of what foreigners find weird about Europe, thanks! I find it regrettable that some of the commenters turned it into unnessecary adversity. you don't have to respond to every observation with an unprovoked dig towards the USA. Shouting "yeah but you americans..." Just makes us seen like sore losers, let's not do that! I love being European, but like the US, Europe has its quirks and flaws too. And seeing how other people perceive our cultures is quite fun, and at best, you learn what might be improved.
Yes this was a much more informative and balanced post than usual
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Why are all the replies being so defensive? When bored panda posts stuff like this about the US, everyone supports even other Americans. There is nothing wrong with a little criticism, if people want to complain about paying for public bathrooms let them jeez, and I am not even from the US. P.S I also find buying the kitchen in rental house weird.
I noticed that as well. If something negative was said about a specific European country some commenters got really defensive and would drag the US into it. Honestly, it’s a little disturbing and sad. Every country has its problems and unique quirks and flaws. BoredPanda users from the US have to constantly put up with their country getting bashed on this site every week, yet when European countries are the ones in question some commenters get defensive and continue to take digs at the US…example: “ we have pickpockets in Europe, but at least they don’t hold you at gunpoint like the US”. We should be more open to learning about cultural “quirks” . We are from all around the world here and that should be celebrated and enjoyed.
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I like these types of articles of what Europeans find different about the US, what US people find different about other countries, and so on, but I don't think the title of any of these articles should be what is "weird" about another country/continent. "Weird" has a negative connotation. Nothing is weird, just different ways to do things in different parts of the world, which is interesting to learn about.
After reading this my longing to live in Europe is even greater! ❤️ 🇪🇸 🥘
First amazing thing on visiting Europe was how quiet the trains are. In Australia, with a train going through a tunnel you wonder whether your hearing is permanently or just temporarily impaired by the noise. Throughout western Europe the trains are whisper quiet. I had to go to Norway to find a noisy one.
This was billed as "ways in which Europe is different" but immediately became a platform to criticize the United States. This relentless bitching is tiring.
Totally apparent! And Tunk, one of those guys who like to dish it out and can't take it huh? Every country has its highs and lows. And, sorry to inform you, you're representing your counties lows.
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Why is there sooooooooo much Europe bashing BP!?!?!? Europe is the greatest continent in the world and has no problems whatsoever!!! /s
Say d no American ever. Get your insults straight moron.
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I wonder if the trope of "Europeans" as if we all had the same linguistic, cultural, political, social, economical, and other history grouping us all together will ever stop. But alas, as long as BP takes its content from other websites, it will not. Feel free to compare Slovakia to Germany, Spain, Norway, or Ireland, then get back to me about how we are all the same.
The shops shut "early" so people can go home and have a personal life!
I enjoyed the input of what foreigners find weird about Europe, thanks! I find it regrettable that some of the commenters turned it into unnessecary adversity. you don't have to respond to every observation with an unprovoked dig towards the USA. Shouting "yeah but you americans..." Just makes us seen like sore losers, let's not do that! I love being European, but like the US, Europe has its quirks and flaws too. And seeing how other people perceive our cultures is quite fun, and at best, you learn what might be improved.
Yes this was a much more informative and balanced post than usual
Load More Replies... Why are all the replies being so defensive? When bored panda posts stuff like this about the US, everyone supports even other Americans. There is nothing wrong with a little criticism, if people want to complain about paying for public bathrooms let them jeez, and I am not even from the US. P.S I also find buying the kitchen in rental house weird.
I noticed that as well. If something negative was said about a specific European country some commenters got really defensive and would drag the US into it. Honestly, it’s a little disturbing and sad. Every country has its problems and unique quirks and flaws. BoredPanda users from the US have to constantly put up with their country getting bashed on this site every week, yet when European countries are the ones in question some commenters get defensive and continue to take digs at the US…example: “ we have pickpockets in Europe, but at least they don’t hold you at gunpoint like the US”. We should be more open to learning about cultural “quirks” . We are from all around the world here and that should be celebrated and enjoyed.
Load More Replies... I like these types of articles of what Europeans find different about the US, what US people find different about other countries, and so on, but I don't think the title of any of these articles should be what is "weird" about another country/continent. "Weird" has a negative connotation. Nothing is weird, just different ways to do things in different parts of the world, which is interesting to learn about.
After reading this my longing to live in Europe is even greater! ❤️ 🇪🇸 🥘
First amazing thing on visiting Europe was how quiet the trains are. In Australia, with a train going through a tunnel you wonder whether your hearing is permanently or just temporarily impaired by the noise. Throughout western Europe the trains are whisper quiet. I had to go to Norway to find a noisy one.
This was billed as "ways in which Europe is different" but immediately became a platform to criticize the United States. This relentless bitching is tiring.
Totally apparent! And Tunk, one of those guys who like to dish it out and can't take it huh? Every country has its highs and lows. And, sorry to inform you, you're representing your counties lows.
Load More Replies... Why is there sooooooooo much Europe bashing BP!?!?!? Europe is the greatest continent in the world and has no problems whatsoever!!! /s
Say d no American ever. Get your insults straight moron.
Load More Replies... I wonder if the trope of "Europeans" as if we all had the same linguistic, cultural, political, social, economical, and other history grouping us all together will ever stop. But alas, as long as BP takes its content from other websites, it will not. Feel free to compare Slovakia to Germany, Spain, Norway, or Ireland, then get back to me about how we are all the same.
The shops shut "early" so people can go home and have a personal life!
