Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Americans Break Down The Weirdest Things About Europe

Americans Break Down The Weirdest Things About Europe
Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash

There's little more exciting than an American's first visit to Europe.

There is so much to take in between the famous sights, the delicious food, and the vastly different cultures and ways of life.

Most American tourists have no problem jumping into some popular customs and activities, such as afternoon tea in England, or a soothing sauna in Finland.

Other customs and behaviors, however, some Americans usually choose to leave to the locals.


Redditor Mark-Zuckerberg- was curious to hear which European habits or ways of life were truly bizarre to Americans, leading them to ask:

"Americans, what do you think is the weirdest thing about Europe?"

Where's the kitchen?

"Rental apartments in Germany often come without a furnished kitchen."

"Sink, refrigerator, stove and cabinets."

"Because these are almost always provided in rental apartments in the US, it was shocking to me as an American looking at rentals in Germany that I would have to buy and install those things."

"Having read so many interesting comments about kitchen expectations in different parts of the world, let me ask this question."

"Do any of you know of places where rentals don't come with bathroom equipment either, and it's expected the tenant will purchase and install their own toilet and sink?"- AmbitiousPeanut

Differing levels of intimacy

"Depends which countries."

"I’ve always found it weird that a lot of them think hugging is more intimate than kissing someone on the cheek."

"I know it isn’t actually 'kissing' someone on the cheek most of the time."

"I’m referring to how someone touches your face with their face that is extremely intimate."- LadyValenciaLA

Road Rage!

"The way people drive."

"The laws don’t seem to matter at all in Italy, only a little in France."

"Then the Germans are a completely different story."- jesusmansuperpowers

Toilet Troubles

"OMG the toilets."

"In the US every toilet I've ever come across has a flush lever on the left of the tank or, in public restrooms, a sensor or a button on the top."

"In Europe every single toilet has a different flush mechanism."

"Every. Single. One."

"It's like an escape room challenge."

"Foot pedals. Cranks. Pull knobs."

"Things attached to the sink."

"I was once stuck in a bathroom for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to flush the toilet, it turned out to be a pulley on the other side of the room."- Yellowbug2001

Not for Night Owls

"The oddest thing I found in Copenhagen was that when we tried to go get food around 9pm, nearly everywhere was closed."

"We were in a busy part of the city but it took us so incredibly long to find a place open late."

"I don't live in a huge city but I can throw a rock from my house and it will bounce off half a dozen places open until midnight or later."

"This is not a complaint, just an observation."

"I loved Denmark."- Ginger_Chick

Just how old are we talking?

"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

You understand?

"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

"We've been working on the railroad..."

"Trains go to every major city."- CoolIceCreamCone

Balmy summer nights

"No AC."

"Our hotels had ac but it was just room temp air."

"That heatwave must have been brutal I hate sleeping when it’s hot."- Slowmexicano

Some things that might seem strange at first might just take some getting used to.

Though power to any American brave enough to drive through Europe.

Particularly on the wrong side of the road in the U.K.!

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

group of men; Silverback gorilla
Sean Murphy/Getty Images; JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images

Viral Tweet Claiming That 100 Unarmed Men Could Beat A Single Gorilla Sparks Heated Debate

In the early morning hours of Friday, April 25, X user DreamChasnMike posited the outcome of a showdown between Homo sapiens sapiens and one of our closest relatives.

Or rather 100 men versus one of our fellow primates.

Keep ReadingShow less
GOP Lawmaker Dragged After Admitting He Has No Evidence Of Student 'Furries' Using Litter Boxes

GOP Lawmaker Dragged After Admitting He Has No Evidence Of Student 'Furries' Using Litter Boxes

Texas Republican state Representative Stan Gerdes admitted on Wednesday that a bill he sponsored served no purpose and addressed an issue that never existed in American schools.

His bill, HB54, would ban "furries" from classrooms. Furries are a subculture that enjoys dressing up and acting like non-human animals.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Win McNamee/Getty Images

The White House Now Has Its Own News Website—And People Are Calling It Out For What It Is

Critics called out the Trump administration for running its own propaganda network after the White House publicized "White House Wire," its own news website that features news articles from conservative news outlets like the Daily Caller and Fox News.

The White House Wire (WHWIRE) primarily features positive coverage of the president and administration, with stories mainly sourced from conservative outlets and contributions from government staffers. One early headline, "100 Days Of Hoaxes: Cutting Through The Fake News," was notable but did not include a direct link to a story.

Keep ReadingShow less
A young blonde woman in a black suit sits at her desk, her laptop is open and she is staring off in deep thought, she seems a bit perplexed.
Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

People Reveal The Pettiest Reason They Stopped Sleeping With Someone

Some sexual encounters you remember for life for the wrong reason.

That's why people should come with warning labels.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
Fox News

Trump Suggests Kids Will Just Have To Deal With Having A Lot Fewer Toys Due To His Tariffs

President Donald Trump was criticized for his response to concerns about empty store shelves due to his tariffs, suggesting that children will just have to settle for "two dolls instead of 30," and that those dolls might cost more than they used to.

U.S. businesses are already canceling orders from China and delaying expansion plans as they brace for the fallout from Trump’s trade policies.

Keep ReadingShow less