20 random things that are normal in Europe but weird in the U.S.A.

I’m not sure the reasoning for this, but it is significantly less common to have a dryer in Europe. If you do have one, it’s a part of your washer. In my experience, that is less effective and wrinkles clothes much more easily. Hang dry is the norm here.

This was something I came across on Instagram and realized — wait, the algorithm actually produced some truth for once! In Europe (and many other countries) an electric kettle to boil water is standard in most kitchens. Not so much back home.

OK, this one is seriously annoying in the summer when you want to let a breeze in without the bugs coming to say hi. What is your problem with screens, Europe?

Maybe it’s the higher percentage of old buildings, but I’ve found central AC to be uniquely American. At least, in a widespread manner. This will vary depending on where in Europe you are, of course.

It’s no secret Americans love our cars, but that’s also because vehicles are a necessary reality of living in the U.S. In Europe, if you live in an urban center, the public transport is much more robust, but usually, you can get by with walking!

No, seriously, in a lot of Europe, notably France and Germany, if you rent “unfurnished” that doesn’t just mean furniture. That also means the kitchen will come with zero appliances and often no sink, floor, or counters. People take their kitchens with them. How weird is that?

One thing I always take for granted back home is that, if you find public toilets, they’re generally free to use. Not the case in Europe, where you’ll pay between 0.5 and 1 Euro for relief.

Another thing that I always take for granted is free water at restaurants and cafes. Now, this varies from country to country, but it’s not a guarantee (or the law) in Europe.

If you rent a car for your Euro trip, make sure you specify you need an automatic. Unless you’re part of the shrinking portion of Americans who can drive a manual, which is still the default in Europe.

Those anti-tobacco campaigns in the '90s and 2000s impacted American society in a way you can only truly appreciate after visiting somewhere it didn’t happen. In Europe, where in most countries smoking inside is banned, but people still smoke while seated outside of cafes and restaurants. And the 25-foot from a door does not apply here!

Many bars on the continent welcome kids — up to a certain hour, anyway. Thus, it’s pretty common to see parents having a drink and their kids enjoying hot chocolate or juice, especially at pubs.

The U.S. seems to have a lot more separation of what is considered “family” space and what is “adults” only. Whereas in Europe, like the bar example, it’s more common to see children included in all aspects of life from an early age.

The first time you watch European television programming or listen to the radio, it might come as a shock that they openly swear. No censorship here!

You know at home when the price at checkout is always just a bit more than what was listed in the store aisle? Well, that doesn’t exist in Europe, as they just include taxes in the listed price unless noted otherwise.

The U.S. has to deal with numerics differently than the rest of the world in many ways. We still measure temperatures in Fahrenheit and distance in miles. Well, we also list dates in MM/DD/YYYY while most European countries order it DD/MM/YYYY.

No Venmo is needed in Europe because, as long as you have a European bank account, direct transfers are free or low-cost. It might just take a few days, unlike the U.S., where direct transfers are rare or complicated.

Like the cities in Europe are more walkable, they’re also typically more bike-friendly. It isn’t just Amsterdam where bike lanes are common, and you’ll have numerous friends and colleagues commuting on two wheels.

I’ll admit: This is common in some parts of the U.S., but more so in Europe.

It’s a common joke among Europeans that Americans wear shoes everywhere inside, including on the bed. Apparently, it’s shown in sitcoms a lot? Well, in Europe, most people will request you remove yours before entering their home or even after you step inside.

Again, varies from country-to-country, but ketchup is usually not the default. If you want red sauce and not mayo with your side of fries, make sure to explicitly say so.