There are dozens of differences between Europe and the United States but here are some of the ones that stood out in my mind or at  least shocked me in some sort of way. Hope you think they are as interesting as I did!

1. Here in the U.S we are obsessed with celebrities. You don’t see this nearly enough in Europe.

   

2. In places like London and Paris, it’s custom to stand on one side of an escalator in a single file line so there is a clear pathway for those who are in a rush. Here in the U.S we really don’t care, we’ll stand anywhere and only move when people say “Excuse me.”
3. There are lots of hostels in Europe, here there are hardly any if any. The word hostel sounds a lot scarier here in the U.S.
4. Pub crawls are more popular and common in Europe.
5. In places like Paris, the price of your meal can change whether you sit inside a café or outside overlooking the street.
6. You won’t see Hot Cheetos in Europe, like you do in the U.S.
7. In many restaurants in Europe you have to approach the waiter instead of them approaching you. If you wait to be served chances are you won’t be.
8. There are no toilet seat sheet protectors in Europe.

   

9. In places like Paris, you can see signs warning people of pick-pocketing.
10. In places like Paris and London you can see soldiers roaming the streets with large weapons. Not common here in the U.S unless something major is going on or you’re at the airport.
11. Vending machines in Europe can have double-packs of chocolate bars versus just one.
12. The McDonalds in Paris sell macaroons for 1 euro.
13. In Italy it’s not common for people to drink cappuccino at night.
14. You can still find 3D Doritos in Europe.
15. Erotica is more socially acceptable in Europe for example there is a whole street in Paris with porn shops. And the red telephone booths in London are filled with ‘inappropriate’ photos of naked women. And you’ll notice that in Barcelona, there are women topless and men wearing tiny swimming trunks.
16. In London you are charged an admission fee in churches but museums are free. In Paris, you pay for museums and churches are free. In the U.S you pay for museums and churches are free.
17. Breakfasts are smaller in Europe, just something small and simple like cookies and a coffee.
18. When I had my first meal in Italy, I grabbed a piece of bread and when I asked about the butter, people looked at me like I was an alien from outer space. Apparently, bread and butter are not a thing.