TravelAUG 25, 2022

30 Things Americans Find Very Weird About Europe, According To This Viral Thread

It’s no secret that when Americans hop across the pond to Europe, they are greeted by a countless amount of cultural differences, depending on the country they visit.

Having said that, visiting France for the Eiffel Tower or Rome for the Colosseum is an entirely different thing than spending more time in the old continent. Whether it’s the Americans starting a new job over there or moving into a new apartment, some things stand out more for them than others.

So this recent thread from Ask Reddit with someone asking “Americans, what do you think is the weirdest thing about Europe?” has turned into one hell of a read, shedding light on how insanely different the two cultures and their people can be.

Read on below through the most interesting responses, and after you’re done, be sure to check out Bored Panda’s previous features on things about Europe that Americans find weird and things common in America that Europeans find very weird.

#1

30 Things Americans Find Very Weird About Europe, According To This Viral Thread

The sheer grasp of language I've seen from some Europeans is wild.

Back in the early days of minecraft I used to play on a server with an English kid and a German Kid. The English kid would randomly speak Welsh and the German could jump between German, French, and English all the time and I was there like "Guys, I can barely English, can we dumb it down for the yankee."

CYNIC_Torgon, Tim Green

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269points

#2

It seems that European countries try to make life easier for their citizens? That's f*****g crazy to us in America.

In Spain and I think other European countries, there is a thing called a Siesta. Shops and businesses shut down in the middle of the day and people can relax and destress from work. In America, work culture is so toxic, people skip breakfast and only get 30 minutes at work to rush through a fast food meal. Crazy.

Public transportation is another one. I noticed how drastically better it is in Europe. People in northern European countries ride bikes, trains, etc. to work. And it all flows smoothly, on time for the most part, and is much more calming to sit in read in what would be considered a luxury train car in America, versus sitting for 40 minutes to an hour in bumper to bumper car traffic, with uglier views, mostly of concrete. It's just better in Europe because it's less car-centric. No traffic jams. People just walk to get groceries calmly in a few minutes. In America, you have to carve out time, and a separate day, because going to run errands is so stressful, from fighting through traffic to crowded spaces, etc. It's just not designed to be a pleasant experience. It's all just consumerism and how to squeeze more money out of people.

Education is another that should go without speaking. I will leave it alone because I could go on forever as a teacher in America, but I believe our citizens still rank near last across all subjects.

Healthcare is another. U.S.A. is the only developed country that does not provide healthcare to its citizens without some wealthy company making a profit first.

Everything about America makes life miserable. No wonder people are suicidal and we have a lot of suicide mass shootings. Most Americans would be shocked if they traveled to Europe and paid attention to how things worked there and how much better life can be by doing things that way.

Idiots will probably comment that America is great because we have freedom. Dumbasses don't realize that people have that in other places too and Americans are being scammed into living suboptimal lives.

Enlightened_Ghost_, Krisztina Papp

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248points

#3

"Americans don't know what old is, Europeans don't know what big means"

Haunting_Clue9316, Andreas Pajuvirta

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171points

There are a lot of cultural differences between countries which make us all unique and interesting. For example, in the United States, people tend to be more individualistic, while in collectivist cultures like China, people are more likely to think of themselves as part of a group. This can lead to different expectations and behaviors in different cultures.

For example, in the United States, it is common to see people working long hours and taking work home with them. This individualistic work ethic can lead to a lot of stress and burnout. In collectivist cultures, however, people are more likely to work together and take breaks together. This can lead to a more relaxed and enjoyable work environment.

Of course, these are just generalizations and there are many exceptions to the rule. But understanding these cultural differences can help you to be more understanding and tolerant of people from other cultures.

#4

That you use the metric system.

That it totally makes sense and we don't.

We probably don't use it for spite.

Forward-Shower-3250, Colin Howley

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167points

#5

That some stone roads that were built like 600 years ago are holding themselves together better than the paved roads.

CBKritter, Félix Besombes

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160points

#6

Labor rights and public services.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it. I wish we had all that here. But it's deeply unfamiliar. I have European coworkers who *expect* vacation. We've got a British manager who *expects employees* to take vacation.

S**t is wild.

NoMoreMonkeyBrain, abi ismail

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157points

The one and only best way to learn about those cultures and broaden your perspective of things is to visit foreign places and get to know their people. When you travel, you're not just looking at the world from your own eyes, but from the eyes of the people you meet and the places you visit. This makes you an onlooker of a whole different kind; you’re both an active participant and passive viewer who realizes that there exist different ways of doing things.

#7

High quality food at low prices. You can eat great, healthy food for cheap in many European countries. In the US, the healthier, higher quality food is often the most expensive.

adam4little, Brooke Lark

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139points

#8

Trains go to every major city

CoolIceCreamCone, Rob Dammers

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132points

#9

It’s crazy that everyone doesn’t drive a huge empty truck 1 mile down the road, instead they walk. Crazy.

Babbles-82, Dave Collier

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132points

While traveling, you also learn to understand different points of view. When you're in your own country, you do not normally think about how other people live, but when you travel, you're exposed to different lifestyles with little choice. This will help you to be more understanding and tolerant of others.

Learning about other cultures is also a unique way to learn more about yourself. You find out how you react in a certain situation, how you behave with people you've never met, and how well you can adapt to different surroundings. While in a new culture, you’re much more likely to be pushed out of your comfort zone, which is the most important aspect of your personal growth.

#10

How few fat people there are. It's awesome, but your food culture is different enough to lead to a significant difference in obesity in the general populace

GandalfTheBored, ELEVATE

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122points

#11

that health care thing. i want that

anotherorphan

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120points

#12

The fact that you cross international borders like we cross state lines. The fact that you can wake up in Germany, drive all day, and go to sleep in Spain.

Wonderful_Soup4873, vonMitzscha

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117points

#13

When I went to Bad Kissingen, Germany I almost fell over. If you get diagnosed with certain aliments your doctor can write a prescription for you to go to the spas—FOR SIX WEEKS. Then once you are there you drink water from the ground that helps you heal! And you bathe in pools that look like Versailles and take leisurely strolls around the grounds to soothe your stomach. And here’s the best part—your employer has to keep paying you while you are there! What the hell kind of a deal is this?!

In America they throw some Robitussin on you, take your pay and tell you to get your a*s back to work!

Germany was the f****n coolest place!

FabulousPossession73

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111points

#14

It’s so weird how civilized y’all are over there (minus that whole Russia-Ukraine thing as of late, but that’s not the Europe I know and have visited.)

But yeah generally you guys have these *crazy ideas* about what constitutes the “good life.”

Jobs that don’t treat you like slaves and work you into an early death; subsidized, single-payer heath care so that you could hypothetically lose your job and not your *health* or *life*; 6 weeks of mandatory paid vacation a year whether you want to go someplace or not; decent, healthy, affordable food; subsidized housing that doesn’t look like a war zone; clean, modern public transportation that alleviates the need to own a vehicle in a lot of places; high-quality education instead of schools that increasing resemble more of those war zones we seem to love (we know better in the US, where the mantra is that violence belongs everywhere); clean water; freedom *from* religion in public policy; public toilets; functional democracy…

Yeah y’all are some *WEIRD* people…

DepartureSpace

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106points

#15

I'm surprised nobody has said 'the price you see in the shop is actually the price you pay', because as a Brit the idea of taxes not being included in the displayed price is absolutely mind-boggling to me.

Edit: after some good back and forth in several threads I've softened my stance on this - I can see how when the next town might have different tax rules, it would make it easier to tell when you're being ripped off etc. But it still feels weird after 30+ years of just seeing the price you pay.

Swimming_Marsupial, nrd

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94points

#16

Otherwise healthy people smoking cigarettes

drilosphere, lilartsy

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92points

#17

The history. Can't wrap my brain around that. I live in a farm house built in the 1920s and that is considered old.

Necessary_Sir_5079, Cecilia Rodríguez Suárez

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91points

#18

All those damn trains, public transit, and walkable cities. I like being stuck in my gas guzzler and nearly dying anytime I use a sidewalk.

Arcinbiblo12, ANTONI SHKRABA

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86points

#19

As a European, I can tell you that the cultures, customs, languages, weather, food, and everything else can vary as drastically from country to country as it does from America.

I live in Ireland, and pretty much any other EU country is pretty alien to me. And they probably think Ireland is weird af too.

SirTheadore

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69points

#20

alot of people use public transport, like the kids, teenagers, old people .etc use the bus and train so commonly, in america basically everyone has a car or gets driven by a car

smookyhead16, Mitchell Johnson

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64points