Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

The Things That Europe Has That The United States Doesn't

grey concrete building near trees during daytime
grey concrete building near trees during daytime
Make us preferred on Google

People in the United States know that our culture differs from that of other countries, but it is not always obvious how.

Many European countries house historical castles, cars are unnecessary in several cities, Europeans are practically expected to speak more than one language fluently, and of course, the chocolate is a million times better!

There are plenty of other things Europe has that the United States doesn’t. Redditors know what these things are, and are ready to share.


It all started when Redditor QuintessentialPies asked:

“What does europe have that the US doesn’t?”

Cultural Diversity

"Cultural perspective. Each country is closely adjacent to another with a different culture so there is much more understanding of diversity. There are often multiple languages spoken in each country. The US has some cultural variety from one state to another but nothing quite like having multiple other countries so close. Mexico and Canada aren’t quite the equivalent version of this."

– TheWreckaj

"Well for starters, USA is a country while Europe is a continent. So Europe has many countries but USA has only one"

– GauAp

It's Like A Rainbow!

"Colorful money of varying sizes"

– LongtimeLurkerIsHere

"Did you know, the reason the bills are different sizes is in part because it helps the blind distinguish between denominations. Because all US bills are the same size, you cannot tell from feel if a bill is a $1 or a $10, so it's easier to get ripped off. (Some blind people fold their bills in special configurations depending on value so they can identify their money by touch)"

– cinemachick

"They have braille on them too! I was genuinely surprised of the accessibility when I visited the UK!"

– BillCatsby

The History Is Here

"Medieval castles and ancient structures. As a history nerd, I don't know how I'd survive in a modern country like the US."

– JS569123

"I was an exchange student with Italy. The Sala Borsa Library in Bologna is built on *top* of ancient roman ruins, and the floor of the library is actually glass so that you can look at the roman ruins beneath your feet and watch archaeologists excavate the ruins while you're checking out books. You'll never see anything like that in the US."

– DoctorWatchamacallit

"'I'm from Europe, where the history comes from'"

"Eddie Izzard performing in San Francisco."

– Wyvernkeeper

Let's Take A Walk

"Cities that expanded before the popularisation of the motor car."

– housemuncher

"TBH, living in Ireland has been wonderful for my health. With no car, cities unsafe for biking, and sub-optimal public transportation, I have to walk everywhere whether I like it or not."

– WednesdayAddams3001

"Bicycle paths. I mean separate dedicated 2 lanes."

– bemest

It's All Greek...And Italian...And French...To Me

"A significant percentage of the population that is bi or tri lingual"

– Rdr1051

"An expectation that you speak more than one language."

– nattylite100

Tea Time

"220v electric kettles. They boil water insanely fast"

– Mental_Ascent

"Tea kettles being commonplace in most home"

– Maximum_Vanilla_Cone

"How can anyone live without kettle? Do you guys over the pond don't start you're day with cup of coffee or tea?"

– Australian_Wombat

Healthy Living

"Free healthcare, 4 week PTO, paid maternity leave, cheap/free college education"

– dimap443

"a working health care System"

– GayNon-BinaryLeo

"Oh it works and it works really well, it just costs a f**k ton of money."

– elchignacio

The Cost Of Learning

"Affordable higher education"

– Dooshbaguette

The Metric System

"Apart from the walkable cities, affordable education, modern infrastructure like high speed railroads, a humane healthcare system, wine, public order, strict gun control, limited lobbying, less obesity, guaranteed vacations, and lower prison population, what did the European ever had better than us?"

"A good system of measurement?"

"Oh. A good system of measurement? Shut up!"

– FeaturePotential4562

Who To Vote For?

"More than two political parties"

– HyenaElectrical4530

Ah, the choices!

Is there anything we missed on this list? Let us know in the comments.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Cookie Monster and Elmo; Spanish World Cup team
Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images; Diego Radames/Anadolu via Getty Images

Cookie Monster's Tweet About Eating Cookies For The World Cup Final Sparks Hilarious Jokes

Okay at this point I think it's time we get a memo to the Sesame Street characters to stay out of sports commentary!

Because just weeks after Elmo became public internet enemy #1 for refusing to back the Knicks in the NBA playoffs, now Cookie Monster has egg on his face. Or cookie crumbs, as it were.

Keep ReadingShow less
Larry David; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Araya Doheny/Getty Images for HBO; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Larry David Just Brutally Ripped RFK Jr. On His New HBO Show—And It's Everything

In the latest installment of Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions executive-produced HBO sketch comedy series Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, star Larry David took aim at his former costar Cheryl Hines' husband, conspiracy theorist and antivaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a series that has reunited many of her Curb Your Enthusiasm cast mates.

When asked why Hines wasn't asked to make a cameo, co-creator and director Jeff Schaffer told Variety:

Keep ReadingShow less
Hunter Biden; JD Vance
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Nathan Howard / POOL / AFP via Getty Images

Hunter Biden Just Epically Trolled JD Vance On National Ice Cream Day—And He's Far Too Good At This

Hunter Biden celebrated National Ice Cream Day by mocking Vice President JD Vance following Vance's complaint that former President Joe Biden eats ice cream in a "suggestive" manner.

Vance raised eyebrows several days ago after he claimed during an interview with conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that Biden's staff had him eat ice cream "in the most suggestive way possible."

Keep ReadingShow less
Kash Patel
Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

Kash Patel Roasted After Sharing Cringey Video Patting Himself On The Back Following 'Flawless' World Cup

FBI Director Kash Patel was widely mocked after sharing a gloating video touting "zero major security incidents" after Spain claimed the World Cup title on Sunday with a 1–0 victory over defending champions Argentina.

Patel said the statistic is remarkable given that the United States "hosted the equivalent of 78 super bowls in 38 days, along with 40 base camps, endless fan zones, and celebrations in nearly every state."

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Cruise
Tom Weller/picture alliance/Getty Images

Tom Cruise Looks Virtually Unrecognizable In Trailer For New Film About Eccentric Billionaire

We've seen some incredible examples of immersive acting and method acting that took projects to a whole new place, like Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant.

The latest example, which is reminding some of an elderly Biff Tannen from Back to the Future, is Tom Cruise's portrayal of the fictional character Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon who must help undo the harm that he's created for the planet and its people.

Keep ReadingShow less