20 American Customs That Baffle Europeans (USA Culture Shock!)

Recently, I traveled to the USA with my family. Every day, we encountered countless situations where we would remark about things being so different here than back home, in Europe.

Now, this was not my first time in the United States, far from it. I even lived in the US for a while years ago… So this culture shock came as a bit of a surprise. It could also be because of the kids who seem to notice everything and ask questions about things they find strange…

This gave me an idea for this article – American habits and all kinds of little things that are absolutely normal in the USA but leave Europeans scratching their heads.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to judge anyone or to say that the European or American way of doing things is superior or inferior in any way. It simply shows how something that is so normal and unquestionable in one culture can be really strange to someone from the other side of the Atlantic.

Oh, and if something I say sounds like a rant, well, I’m sure there are plenty of things in Europe that Americans could rant about as well ;). That’s also why we love to travel – it opens your eyes to different cultures!

 

So here are – in random order – some of the things that are perfectly normal in the USA but strange to Europeans:

1. Americans like it BIG

The moment you set foot in the USA, you realize that everything here is big.

From huge cars, spacious parking lots, gigantic department stores, and enormous shopping malls to very generous food portions and oversized drink cups – everything in the States is so much bigger than in Europe.

You should see the face of a kid who orders some Coke (yes, Pepsi is fine!) and gets an American-sized drink for the first time…

 

2. Taxes are not included in the price

In Europe, the price you see is the price you pay, including all taxes. Not so in America, where sales taxes are added at checkout.

So in the USA you never know exactly how much things will cost you until you actually have to pay. Good luck with the math if you are trying to spend your last cash at the airport before going home!

Oh, and talking about the final price you pay, there is one more surprise for Europeans – see below.

 

3. Tips are expected everywhere

American tipping culture is something that can give real headaches to foreigners visiting the USA for the first time. You are expected to tip everyone who ‘provides you a service’ – from waiters and bartenders to cleaning staff at hotels, taxi drivers, and even hairdressers.

To tip or not to tip isn’t even a question. But how much do you tip?

On my recent trip to NYC where we paid pretty much everything by credit card, we were always presented with an option to add a tip. Except that in most cases, it wasn’t even an option – all you could choose was the percentage. Sometimes, it started with 15-18%, usually from 20-25% and up to 30%.

But there was also a wine bar that suggested a 40% tip. 40% on top of $18 (+tax), that’s $27.47 for a glass of Portuguese wine. By the way, that same wine costs about 4.5 euros for a bottle in Portugal (I checked!).

Oh, and there were situations where we used a self-scan machine and were presented with an option to add a tip. For what?!

 

4. Ordering a coffee should come with instructions

If you are a European trying to order a cup of coffee in the USA, you may start to wonder if they teach it as a separate class in American schools.

Asking for a regular coffee could work in a traditional diner. But at a coffee shop, it will just get you a frown and an irritated look.

First, you need to choose the size, with the smallest one being about five times larger than anything you find in Europe. Then comes the choice between a single or a double, regular or decaf, with milk, or maybe a latte or a cappuccino. And don’t get me started on all the different types of milk – from regular to skimmed, but also almond, coconut, soy, oat, and even cashew or rice milk…

By now, you might think you passed the test and will actually get your coffee. Wrong! There are more choices to be made!

Would you like to add some flavor, or maybe two? You are then presented with countless options starting with vanilla or caramel to more sophisticated flavors you have never even heard of…

And when you think you can’t personalize your coffee any further, they will ask you if you want it hot or iced. Oh, and do you want to drink it here or to go?

 

5. Single-use plastic, throw-away dishes & no recycling bins

This is probably one of the biggest culture shocks to Europeans in the USA nowadays. Single-use products are as popular as ever. Plus, it’s almost impossible to find recycling bins for glass, plastic, or organic trash. At most places, all the waste goes into one big trash can.

From paper plates and cups to plastic cutlery and sippy bags (yes, that’s a thing) – everything seems to be made to use once and throw away. There is even a movement towards using paper plates to ‘reduce stress’ of doing the dishes…

It’s not just something people do at home. It’s quite common to get your food served on a plastic plate in casual American eateries. Many hotels also use throw-away dishes for breakfast.

And if you go to a supermarket, you will likely have a bagger* package your groceries for you using a ridiculous number of plastic bags. Often, they will also place just one item in two plastic bags (yes, that is possible!)…

* For Europeans unfamiliar with the term ‘bagger,’ it refers to a person who packages your groceries for you after they are scanned at the checkout counter.

 

6. Lots of staff everywhere

American businesses have so much staff. Often, for the simplest tasks like showing you the way to a lift or a staircase… Next time you visit any institution or tourist attraction, pay attention to how many people work there.

In most establishments, there is at least one person at every corner of the building and every space – sometimes, before you even enter.

But the strangest thing is that most of these people seem to have a very specific task and if you ask them anything else, they will just direct you to the next person.

 

7. All drinks come with ice

Talk to any American and they will tell you that they can’t live without their ice. Ice? Yes, you know, frozen water, ice cubes, ice.

In America, you can buy huge bags of ice at supermarkets and petrol stations. Every self-respecting hotel has ice makers on every single floor. If you ever wondered why there is a little empty bucket with a plastic bag in every hotel room, now you know.

It took me a while to get used to this, but unless you specifically ask for ‘no ice’, all your drinks will be served with ice in the United States. Oh, and it’s not just a bit of ice – a glass is usually filled with ice to the brim leaving you wondering where they will pour the actual drink…

Recently, we were even asked if we wanted ice in our wine. Red wine for that matter! Why?!

 

8. Americans drink lots of water

Many Americans drink liters, no gallons, of water every day.

You will see huge water bottles standing on people’s desks and many people carry sippy cups everywhere they go. It’s also not unusual to see people walking around the city with camel backpacks sipping water as they go.

The moment you sit down at a table at a restaurant they will come with a pitcher of iced water and start serving it. After all, you don’t want to risk getting dehydrated while looking at the menu!

I always wonder how Americans survive a trip to Europe where you have to ask for water and 10 minutes later get presented a tiny little bottle with 5 oz of water (which – on top of it – often costs more than wine or beer).

 

9. Air-conditioning is always on

If there is one thing Americans love as much as their ice, it’s air conditioning. Every car, every building, and every room is air-conditioned. And not just a little bit. Even if it’s just 68°F (20°C) outside, air conditioning is on everywhere.

Hotel rooms are often cooled to 64°F (18°C), and then they give you some extra blankets. Why?!

At least in the hotels, you can switch it off or change the temperature, but also restaurants, museums, shops, buses, and public institutions are freezing cold… At the risk of repeating myself – why?!

TIP: If you are a European visiting the USA in the spring or summer, be sure to always carry a light scarf or a sweater with you for indoors!

 

10. Dinner starts early and doesn’t take long

Most restaurants in the USA open for dinner from about 5.30 PM and close around 10 PM. So if you are coming from Southern Europe and just start to think about food around 8.30 PM, you will have to be quick to order before the kitchen closes.

While in Europe most upscale restaurants reserve your table for the entire evening, in the USA it’s common for restaurants to have at least two seatings per night. At fancier establishments, your table is typically reserved for about 1.5 hours, or up to 2 hours if you’re with a larger group. After that time, the restaurant will likely need the table for the next seating.

On the other hand, the entire dining experience in the US goes so much faster than in Europe. So 1-1.5 hours is usually more than enough time. The time it takes you to get your drinks and order food in Europe, you can easily have a two-course meal in the USA. No kidding.

 

11. Doing laundry goes really fast

If you ever have to use a washing machine or a drier in the United States, you won’t believe how quickly it goes. Most washing machines will get your clothes clean in 30-40 minutes, while a drying cycle can be done in 15-45 minutes.

For comparison, a normal washing or drying cycle in Europe takes 2-3 hours.

So if you are traveling in the USA and decide to use public laundromats, don’t walk away for too long or someone else will take your laundry out for you…

 

12. Car is king

More than 9 out of 10 Americans have a car and they use it for everything, even the smallest distances. It’s not abnormal to see someone taking a car to drive from one side of a parking lot to another…

Public transportation is very good in some major cities but practically non-existent in rural areas. However, even if available, public transport is not nearly as popular and widely used as in Europe and people still prefer to take a car.

Railway connections are also rather limited. So for somewhat longer distances, people usually take a plane.

 

13. Teenagers are allowed to drive

Americans can drive a car from a very young age. In most states, you can get a driver’s license from the age of 16, but there are also many places where it’s just 14-15 years.

I have to add that there are often some restrictions such as when or with whom they are allowed to drive.

But by the time Europeans just start to think about learning to drive a car, an average American already has a full driver’s license.

 

14. Young adults aren’t allowed to drink

The minimum legal drinking age in the United States of America is 21. If you are younger than that, you may not even be able to enter some bars, let alone get a drink.

This might come as a shock to young Europeans who may not realize that some bars will be completely off-limits to them in the USA.

This is a complete culture shock if you come from a country like Belgium, where we are allowed to drink light alcoholic drinks from the age of 16 (see here for more crazy facts about Belgium)…

 

15. Public toilets aren’t very private

Public toilets in the United States are usually built in such a way that they give little privacy.

From wide gaps between doors and frames to partitions that don’t reach floors or ceilings – you can easily see if there is someone inside (and often more than that). If you are really tall, you can sometimes even look over the partitions and say hi to your neighbor…

As a European visiting a public bathroom in the USA for the first time, you might be wondering in disbelief what’s the reasoning behind this peculiar design. Apparently, it’s mostly for practical reasons such as easier cleaning and maintenance, but they also find that it’s safer this way…

Talking about safety, there is one more thing that is hard to understand for us, Europeans – see below.

 

16. Carrying a gun is considered perfectly normal

Many Americans own one or more guns, and it is quite common for them to carry these firearms as part of their daily routine.

When asked about it, they will tell you that ‘bad guys’ have guns too. So it’s only normal for the good guys to be able to defend themselves.

I still remember the first time we met someone with a gun in the USA. We were visiting a remote ghost town near Aspen, CO, and we saw a man carrying a gun. He was just a tourist, as we were, and we later saw that his family was with him, but just seeing someone with a gun in a remote area gave us shivers.

 

17. Breakfast is ultra sweet

Talking about American things that are really strange to Europeans, I also have to mention a typical American breakfast. To make things even more confusing, it features a selection of European-sounding foods that no European would ever think to eat for breakfast…

Pancakes, French toast, Belgian waffles, muffins, bagels, Danish pastry… these are just a few things you will typically find served for breakfast at an average hotel in the United States.

There is hardly any cheese or charcuterie, let alone fresh fruit. If you can find any yogurt, it’s usually sweetened. And good luck with bread… At best, you will get some dry toast or sweet bread that tastes more like cake. To make up for it, they usually also have eggs and bacon and sometimes hashbrowns (potatoes).

Oh, and how cool are American pancake makers?! Just be prepared to loosen your belts after a few of these breakfasts…

 

18. White socks with non-sporty outfits

This is one more thing that Europeans find strange in the United States – people wearing white socks with regular clothes and non-sporty shoes or even business outfits.

I read somewhere that in America white socks are considered classic and clean.

It’s quite common to see someone in a business suit and white socks. Although, I have to say that – at least in some places in the USA – you see it much less nowadays than in the past.

 

19. Doggie bags

The concept of a doggie bag is another American invention that most Europeans aren’t even familiar with.

Let me explain. A doggie bag is a bag or a little box that is used to take food leftovers from a restaurant. As already mentioned, food portions in America are usually so big that it’s practically impossible to finish everything. So people use doggie bags to take the rest of the food home. For later. Or to give to their dogs.

However… I once lived with an American family for a few weeks and they used to bring doggie bags home all the time. They would put them in the fridge and then throw everything away a few days later. Not once did I see them eat any of it or give it to their dog…

 

20. Just 10 days of paid vacation

Did you know that an average employee in the United States of America is entitled to just 10 days of paid holiday leave per year?

This is something that is absolutely impossible for an average European to comprehend.

Tell me, our dear American readers, how do you manage to survive – let alone travel – with so few paid vacation days?!

 

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