So, to the meat and potatoes (rice and beans In Puerto Rico)! These observations are purely factual (with some of my opinion included) 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 lumped 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 of different places. 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 they would ask you, “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 a few places where you will see a no smoking sign, but they are few and far between, especially if you want to go out at night. And even if there is no smoking inside, there are, without fail, at least three smokers sitting right in front of the door of any non-smoking establishment. Europe seems to be receiving 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 tackling the problem aggressively and has had decent results.

2.drive
I can’t confidently say that European drivers are worse than American drivers. I can tell 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 the Americans will 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 favourite, there are no highway cops, and any tickets you get will come from a (sometimes cleverly hidden) camera on the side of the road that shines a bright white light of guilt at you, and you arrive. 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 cereals, one aisle full of chips, candy and soft drinks, three more aisles of healthy foods, remove the wine aisles and beer, and that’s it. , 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 leave food, but if you ask to take the food home, you may receive some confusing stars and possibly leave 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 the toilets at gas stations and in public places, but there are others that simply do not even have a toilet to offer. If you’re used to not going before you leave home in the United States, when you travel to Europe, I don’t recommend you take any chances.

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 their excellent customer service (*cough, cough* France and Germany *cough, cough* ). Fire, if you’ve ever seen a movie or heard someone else talk about their trip to Europe, you probably knew that!

A bad customer service experience in Europe is one of those things that isn’t always as bad as it seems, but it sure will happen to you at least once; like in the USA! But, the differences are the motives and their appeal. In the US, customer service in restaurants is exaggerated because servers work for tips. In Europe they don’t, so kissing your ass is not vital to their livelihood. Also, in Europe there is no Better Business Bureau, so if a bank teller or store owner is rude to you, you just have to suck it up and don’t buy 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 only 99% right?

Thank you for reading!