The 5 biggest differences between the US and Europe

So, to the meat and potatoes (rice and beans In Puerto Rico)! These observations are purely factual (with a bit of my opinion thrown in) and are not listed in any particular order. Thank you for reading this far! I’m sure you’ll enjoy the rest. Of course, I have to mention that I grouped Europe, a continent made up of 50 countries (depending on your political views), into a single entity, but I was careful to select things that I have personally seen and experienced in at least a couple different Europe countries. So that should count for something, right?

1. Tuxedo
I remember a time in the US when you would go to a restaurant and be asked, “To smoke or not to smoke?” Now, everything is non-smoking. Most public places are smoke-free zones. As a non-smoker, I love this. However, moving to Europe may not have been the smartest place to move for a non-smoker who is bothered by the smell.

Europeans smoke, in public, at home or wherever they want. Of course, there are some places where you’ll see a no-smoking sign, but they’re few and far between, especially if you want to go out at night. And even if there is no smoking indoors, there are, without fail, at least three smokers sitting right outside the door of any non-smoking establishment. Europe appears to be getting the “smoking is bad for you” rhetoric and the scientific evidence to back it up only a little later than the United States. Although I am aware that France is aggressively tackling the problem and has achieved decent results.

2.Drive
I can’t say with confidence that European drivers are worse than American ones. I can say that certain driving expectations are different and therefore affect the way drivers act. For example, on European highways there are no exits every 12 miles with food and gas options, like in the states. Or that the Americans pass you on the right side, but this is blasphemy in Europe. Or that you can turn right on red in the US, but this is illegal in Europe. And, my personal favourite/least favorite, there are no highway cops, and any ticket you get will come from a camera (sometimes cleverly hidden) on the side of the road that shines a bright white light of guilt on you, and you get to regret speeding, all the way home.

3.Food
Americans are the undisputed champions of food consumption. Food is cheap and accessible. The grocery store in the United States is quite similar to a European grocery store, but just add two more aisles of cereal, one aisle full of chips, candy, and soda, three more aisles of health food, remove the aisles of wine and beer, and voila. , the stores are identical.

In restaurants, if you order a large meal in the United States, you expect to take home what you didn’t finish. In Europe, the portions are usually not big enough to have food left over, but if you request to take the food home, you might get some confusing stars and possibly walk away empty handed.

4. Calls of the wild
In the United States, if you have to go, it is very easy to find a bathroom at a gas station or in a public place (except New York). In Europe there are several countries that charge you to use toilets at gas stations and in public places, but there are others that simply don’t even have a toilet to offer. If you are used to not going before you leave home in the United States, when you travel to Europe, I do not recommend that you take the risk.

5. Customer Service
We all knew it was coming. Anyone who has been to Europe (or Europeans who have visited the US) knows that most European countries are not known for excellent customer service (*cough cough* France and Germany *cough cough* ). Shoot, if you’ve ever seen a movie or heard someone else talk about their trip to Europe, you probably knew!

A bad customer service experience in Europe is one of those things that is not always as bad as it seems, but it will surely happen to you at least once; like in the United States! But, the differences are the reasons and their resource. In the US, customer service in restaurants is over the top because servers work for tips. In Europe they don’t, so kissing your butt isn’t vital to their livelihood. Also, in Europe there is no Better Business Bureau, so if a bank teller or shop owner is rude to you, just suck it up and don’t shop there anymore.

So what do you think?
If you visited Europe and the United States, what differences have you seen? Am I 100% right or just 99% right?

Thank you for reading!