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.
#21
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!
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30points
#22
It used to seem odd to me that eggs weren't refrigerated. Now it doesn't.
29points
#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.
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26points
#24
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.
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25points
#25
Laundry washing machine in your kitchen is a weird concept to me.
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23points
#27
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. 😡.
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20points
#29
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.
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17points
#30
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.
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12points
