The United States and European countries sometimes feel worlds apart. And it’s a natural thing for different nations to develop unique cultures, systems, and institutions. But once you start traveling a bit more broadly, you start comparing your destinations. Each place has its upsides and downsides, but the differences can be striking at times.

Redditor u/TREE__FR0G, an aspiring herpetologist, asked people to share the things that are completely normal in most places in Europe but would seem very strange to someone living in the US. Scroll down to see what the internet thinks are the biggest differences between Europe and the US.

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#1

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Providing healthcare to sick people without bankrupting them.

EXXPat , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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#2

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Prices already includes taxes

Badass-19 , Ron Lach Report

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#3

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet I’m a project manager in the US and it baffles me that my European team gets an entire month off in the summer.

I’m over here saving my vacation days incase I get sick.

smileysarah267 , Mateusz Dach Report

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A major peculiar aspect of life in the States is the existing tipping culture. As we’ve explained on Bored Panda recently, one of the issues with the way the culture exists in its current form is that it tricks some consumers into paying more than they planned to. In essence, Americans are falling victim to tip inflation or tipflation.

As a result, some customers might decide to boycott some chains or local restaurants, preferring to go elsewhere, where they feel less pressure to tip extremely generously. If tipping is mandatory, it’s not really tipping, now is it? It’s just a hidden tax—one that might not be reflected in the menu.
#4

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet dd/mm/yyyy

whiskeyman220 , Ketut Subiyanto Report

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#5

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Bathroom doors with no gaps

P1nk_barbie , Max Rahubovskiy Report

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#6

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Decent public transportation.

Milnoc , Guvluck Report

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Another big issue for many Americans living in the US is the abhorrent healthcare system. It’s not just a question of opinion, though. The system is very inefficient, incredibly expensive, and markedly worse than in other developed nations. It’s a major issue that ought to be solved.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation explains how the US spends more on healthcare per person than other wealthy countries around the world. This came to an average of $12,555 per person in 2022, the highest among developed nations. The second-highest spending was recorded in Switzerland, standing at $8,049 per person. Now compare that to the average for OECD countries (excluding the US) which is $6,414 per capita. 
#7

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Tips are optional

OldandBoldDude , Iain Farrell Report

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#8

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Walkable cities

TenNinetythree , Zen Chung Report

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#9

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet taking an ambulance without a worry in the world

ShadowLancer128 , Artem Saranin Report

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Meanwhile, Germany spent $8,011 per person on healthcare in 2022. The Netherlands spent $7,358, Belgium clocked in at $6,600, France stood at $6,517, and Sweden shelled out $6,438 per person. Ireland spent $6,047, slightly below the OECD average. As did the United Kingdom ($5,493 per person) and Italy (merely $4,291 per person).

All in all, healthcare prices in the US are roughly twice as big as the average. However, this does not mean that Americans get healthcare that is ‘twice as good.’ There’s an issue with how these funds are utilized. For one, there’s a lack of competition between hospitals, which has led to administrative waste and inefficiencies in the entire system.
#10

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Online bank transfers. Americans get all excited over stuff like Venmo but I can send money to anyone via my online banking app for free.

mamamia1001 , Anete Lusina Report

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#11

Cashiers having chairs

ColdCookies144 Report

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#12

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Universal heath care and free college.

Makarov762 , Pixabay Report

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“The United States spends over $900 per person on administrative costs—four times more than the average of other wealthy countries and about the same as we spend on preventive or long-term healthcare,” the Foundation notes.

Furthermore, the American healthcare system leads to worse health outcomes (e.g. life expectancy, unmanaged diabetes) than in other wealthy countries.
#13

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet 6 weeks vacation 

nomadProgrammer , Vincent Gerbouin Report

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#14

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet The hugest mindf**k for me is the maternity leave. An entire, paid year?! I get that they can channel more money into that stuff since the US has military needs paid for, but that’s still pretty impressive.

DogsArePrettyCool4 , Kristina Paukshtite Report

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#15

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Go to the grocery store on your bicycle.

Walking from shop to shop in the city centre.

GreenButterfly1234 , Salo Al Report

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#16

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Taking your own shopping bag(s) to the supermarket.

Totally normalized in all European countries as far as I know. Or buy a (firm) shopping bag at the store if you don't have one with you.

All those plastic bags in US stores, so small that it can only hold two cans of milk so you see customers with a dozen plastic bags for their groceries.. unthinkable in Europe.

Shrooma111 , Laura James Report

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#17

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Not wearing shoes in our homes.

carlamaco , Mikhail Nilov Report

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#18

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Mayo with french fries.

I’m in the US but have cousins in Holland. They introduced me to to this years ago and it’s pretty awesome.

Robhow , Gustav Lundborg Report

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#19

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Coalition governments

MistaLuvcraft , Ricky Esquivel Report

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#20

Work Life Balance

Going to Europe and then coming back to Texas and visiting our corporate offices in Dublin, London, Paris.

Yes the European working hours are different. But it seems there’s more of a balance and respect for personal time and medical time or absence. Vs in America working yourself to the bone.

Also the absence of Tipping, and availability of metro and being able to conveniently walk where you need to get to. 1 mile in Europe feels shorter than the 1 mile walk in USA hahaha sidewalk availability and lack of parks to cut through etc.

JeezBelieveThat Report

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#21

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet trains

Complete_Spot3771 , Laura Meinhardt Report

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#22

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet The right to roam.

It's glorious to be able to hike across private land when you grow up used to signs saying "Trespassers will be shot."

suzycreamcheese260 , Gagaz Adam Report

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#23

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Unlocked phones.

When I lived in the US it was hard for me to get around the idea that I couldn't use the phone that I bought with AT&T with a SIM card from T-Mobile. In Europe I interchange my SIM cards with zero problems. I can even change my provider and keep the same number and of course the same phone.

TravellingBelgian , Tim Samuel Report

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#24

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Legally enshrined right to online privacy

Quegyboe , Mikhail Nilov Report

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#25

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Roundabouts. They're like the rotary phones of the road - Americans look at them in utter confusion and wonder where to dial.

phamkethanh , Kelly Report

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#26

Biking, public transportation, walking in the city, basically not living life centered around driving a car.

portlandsmith Report

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#27

Police treating civilians with respect

DaisyDog2023 Report

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#28

Mandatory recycling

lotusblossom520 Report

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#29

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Kinder Eggs

NickJsy , Alina Komarevska Report

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#30

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet E-government, being able to do 99% of the things needed online.

Xtasy0178 , Los Muertos Crew Report

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#31

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet More people are day drinking in Europe than I have ever seen in America.

CamilaHelena , Ron Lach Report

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#32

Actually decent urban planning.

Hamil_Simp4450 Report

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#33

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Inter country travel. I don't even live on the main European land mass. I live on a European island. But I can fly to most European countries in under four hours. And it's not a million euro to do so.

Low_Engineering8921 , Pixabay Report

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#34

Having your washing machine in your kitchen.

angrycupcake11 Report

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#35

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Paying to use a toilet.

Yak-5000 , Ondosan Sinaga Report

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#36

39 Normalized Things In Europe That Are Unknown In The US, According To The Internet Well, in some countries, having a monarchy (UK, Denmark + the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Leichtenstein, Monaco, technically also Andorra and Vatican City) or even a quasi-monarchy (Romania, Serbia, where the monarchies have a sort-of-official role while still being a Republic).

Also, having a religion tax (which you can opt out of if you formally leave the Church or other religious organisation if there's an option for it to go to a non-Christian one), in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Spain (as a choice of where your tax goes, doesn't change the overall amount) and some cantons of Switzerland. And having a particular state or established Church (England, Scotland, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Iceland) or national/"people's" Church (Sweden, Norway).

palishkoto , JR Bradbury Report

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#37

Electric kettles.

The4thJuliek Report

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#38

being able to tilt open your windows

in usa your windows only open like doors, i couldnt imagibe living in a house lacking such basic features as tilting open the top of the window

wojtekpolska Report

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#39

Not really an unknown concept but letting cats go outside and roam around. It's just the norm in the UK.

Bedzzzz Report

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