Americans that have been to Europe, what were the things that bothered you the most?

27 comments

1. I can tell you that no one is interested in being “Explainer for America” and dealing with a bunch of questions about Trump, healthcare and guns from someone who just wants an actual American to lecture. Just focus on letting the kid have fun.

2. Small meal sizes and paying to use public restrooms.

   Also doors that can lock someone in from the outside but that might have just been that cheep motel in Italy.

3. The way everything was closed down on Sunday. Here in the US, some businesses are closed on Sunday, but most restaurants, stores, etc are open. Me and friends had to wander all over town looking for a place to eat before having to settle on a bowling alley (which we also found was different than ours). This was in a small-ish town in Austria, but I’ve read that it’s a pretty common practice across much of Europe.

4. How every pub I visited in Ireland had Coors light on tap. WTF

5. Germans have a tendency to pretend they’re overly honest and blunt. So, they use that to be rude to people, especially Americans. I have a C1 level of understanding with German, I know this is not at all how you talk to each other. Treat them as you would your fellow countrymen. They’re from another western culture, we’re not that different.

6. I’ve been to Tenerife if that counts, but that was a rather limited (and amazing) experience. However, from folks I know who have, a glaring problem is having to be the “face” of all Americans and field all the misinformed and exaggerated questions and interrogations about things like racism, healthcare, Trump, etc.

   Some of us love to talk to strangers and new people, but we get tired of it fast if every question we get is extremely loaded, multi-faceted, and rooted in misinformation…things we can’t just give a simple answer or explanation for that doesn’t result in more questions about the same topic.

   For example, asking “why is America so racist?” in a casual, social conversation is not something you can just expect a simple answer to. It’s so complex that few Americans can ever even explain this question to most other Americans. In addition, it immediately puts them on the defensive because now they have to be the “spokesperson” for a country of 330+ million people. It’s not comfortable or fun.

7. The prevalence of public smoking in many countries.

   Also, in Germany specifically, I took me a while to get used to a lot of places accepting cash only. Previously, I was used to pulling out a credit card by default when making a payment, but I had to change my habit after moving to Germany.

8. I’ve hosted a couple of exchange students from Germany and I went there to visit them last year.

   Honestly, the big thing is German’s are probably way more direct so that takes a lot of getting used to. Lot of people want to talk about politics and how dumb Americans are. The German way is always the right way. I got a whole lecture about how a German would never be stupid enough to vote for Trump and how they went to Las Vegas and the American food was just horrible! I was at a wedding so I just kept my mouth shut.

   The other stuff about paying for bathrooms and, in my opinion, more limited availability/selection choice and seemingly a lot more ‘rules’ – either written or just social expectations, were something that requires getting used to as well.

9. Nothing really bothered me much but I’ve also only been to France and Spain and given how large and diverse Europe is, there isn’t one answer.

   I guess for myself the only thing that really served as an annoyance was the lack of public restrooms and when you would find one, more often than not you would need to pay to use it.

10. Americans generally try to like people and be liked. Blunt, cold or impersonal is generally received as being mean or that you don’t like someone.

    That will be difficult to overcome.

11. 1. Smoking especially indoors, next to entrance of hospitals and other public buildings
    2. Elitism, perceived superiority (generalizing but mostly the Dutch, the French, Austrians and the Germans)
    3. Default grumpiness (mostly the North, but the majority of the East too)

12. I’ve always enjoyed my trips to Europe. The things that bothered me were so minor that it feels like nitpicking but since you asked it’s pretty much limited to a lack of ice, paying to use the bathroom, and just how dirty a lot of your cities are.

13. I am from Germany. My whole maternal side of my family still lives there. I spent my school years in the states and summers in Germany . (Have a German mother and American Father)

    These are some issues I have come across —

    I am private about nudity, my body, talking about s-x. Most of my family and their friends were not really this way. My cousin asked me why Americans are prudes when most p-rn comes from the states. These type of conversations made me uncomfortable. It was a little shocking to see nudity in newspapers and magazines when I was a preteen.

    I’m not sure if this is just my old school Oma but I took way more showers than my German family members and she would get upset with me.

    Sometimes I wanted to just watch American TV all day because I missed hearing English and I would get scolded for being lazy like an American.

    I tend to bend the rules a little and be late to things sometimes and that would drive my family crazy.

    I felt as if they never respected that I struggled with mental health issues and made it seem like I was making excuses. It’s a very toughen up buttercup way of thinking in my family. It makes sense because my Oma was a little girl when the war ended and her family experienced horrific living conditions.

    I love my culture and it’s a huge part of me. Lots of these differences I have in myself and can sometimes have difficulty relating to friends and family who are 100% American.

    I tend to be blunt and not sugar coat problems. I am directly when wanting to find out information. I struggle with being logical (from my mother) and emotional (from my father).

    There are a lot of overlaps in the culture but they have differences too. All Germans I know don’t get easily offended and as long as both parties are trying their best it will work out fine.

14. The being spit on me in Paris l while enjoying my morning coffee was the thing that bothered me the most in France. The fat German who looked like he hasn’t been able to see his own wee wee for most of his life telling me Americans are all racist, fat and lecturing me on Iraq was the thing that bothered me the most in German. My parents had a couple of kids from Japan as foreign exchange students and yeah you will have to help them with the cultural differences, but the good thing is that Germany and the USA aren’t actually as different as you all believe it is.

15. I’m not sure how much has changed since I was in Europe, and I’ve never been to Germany, but 100% the smoking. There may be regional differences in the US, but most Americans have a pretty strong aversion to cigarette smoking (views on marijuana smoking are more accepting in the right context).

16. For Germany specifically, a few things:

    1. The belief that open windows and moving air can and will kill you.

    2. The Ruhezeit (which I personally love but many Americans will find unusual).

    3. The continued reliance on cash transactions. Again I actually like this but it will be strange for many.

    4. German’s supposed “bluntness” which is often an excuse to hold forth on topics they know nothing about, and no amount of logic or evidence will dissuade them from their opinions.

    5. Lack of public restrooms.

    6. Refusal to cross a street with no traffic in sight when the sign says don’t walk.

    We’ve hosted several German students at our high school. They come in with a limited understanding of the country and people are happy to teach them. If you’re unwilling or reluctant to do this you may wish to reconsider.

17. Public bathrooms you have to pay for.

18. In Germany specifically, I had a hard time with food trucks. I mean, I’m sure the food was fine and drunken visits to döner stands are stuff of legend. But during the day while out and about, the food in those trucks looked terrible.

    I remember vegetables would look wilted and meat would look dry. It’s a big difference from here, where appearance is a major factor in the appeal.

    Other than that, there were times when I needed assistance but it was break time. There was no flexibility. It was almost like “if I can’t solve this in 19 seconds, then you must wait 45 minutes for my break to be over.” Like what happens if your break is 10:47 to 11:32 instead of 10:45 to 11:30? The only reason I wasn’t asking for help earlier was because it was time for the 15 minute break in between breaks.

19. For the most part, I haven’t encountered too much that bothered me in Europe. With one exception.

    Literally the only negative encounter I’ve had was in German. Nothing like being yelled at for being American and visiting the country. So the thing that bothered me was being made to feel unwelcome.

    I will add that if your exchange student is a young person who hasn’t traveled (much or at all) before, then expect to help guide them. Don’t be condescending. Adjust your own expectations. And make them feel welcome vs feel like an imposition. You have the opportunity to make this a life changing, positive experience for this student.

    ​

    ETA – apparently the OP is a 16 year old with a chip on his shoulder. So I am updating my advice. Try to be welcoming to this person. Don’t be an arrogant jerk. Stop assuming the worst. Try to see this experience as an exchange. The exchange student can learn from you and you can learn from him. Exchange programs are supposed to be about learning.

20. Pay toilets, and its a double insult when it is still dirty and gross.

21. Still vs gas vs tap. Americans are used to drinking tap water.

    Smoking indoors/generally more accepted (but this was in the late 90s)

    Specific to Germany – jaywalking. In America, it’s an art or game. Watching everyone wait when there’s no traffic for a walk sign is crazy for most americans.

    Not needing to tip.

    Language exhaustion. Even if they are skilled in German, it requires extra brainpower to use another language for many and sometimes all you want to do is hear someone speak english so you don’t have to *think* so much.

    Hours of sleeping/meals could be different, but that’s individual based.

    At least when I was living in Spain, we had to pay for every phone call. Americans are used to unlimited telephone services and often unlimited internet. That might not be an issue anymore.

    Expect for them to have homesickness.

    Be forgiving when they are comparing things. It’s not necessarily that they think the american thing is better, but they might just be trying to explain why they are not comfortable. Even foods that are american taste different in europe. And if they are seeming like they are bragging/saying america is better, it is likely out of insecurity or fear. Be patient with them.

    Curfews and calls expectations might be different, go over those rules.

22. This was the UK but I get the impression this is maybe a Europe-wide thing: how early stores close, and just how many of them are fully closed on weekends (especially Sundays). If you have errands to run, you better get them done on a weekday before 5 or 6pm.

23. Honestly, everything closing so early. I just arrived in your town and it’s 5:30 pm, there are 4-5 more hours of daylight, I’d like to explore the town a bit but my options are tavern/restaurant/hotel.

24. I used to live in Germany as an American student. I later helped German students get settled in the US and vice versa.

    The worst aspect by far was thew constant lecturing and contempt from Germans. As an American, there was no topic on which the Germans do not feel entitled to lecture me or to demand an explanation from Americans. Germans will use there “bluntness” and “honesty” as a hall pass to be downright hostile and contemptuous. You know this student no better than they know you, try and keep that in mind. Try to treat the American student like you would a student from Canada or the UK, you’ll both have a much better time.

25. When I went to Europe in high school I wasn’t prepared to be allowed to drink. So I’m 14, hammered on red wine, and wandering Florence at night by myself with no idea where I was (way before cell phones). Luckily a nice family from Spain helped me get back to my group at the hotel. I did go to a amazing discotheque for a while that night too (where I got in and ordered alcohol by myself). Which again as an adult American sounds crazy. So if you are going to offer alcohol, remember the student likely has no proper frame of reference for how to drink responsibly.

26. You’re seriously expecting a child to be an expert on a country they’ve never been to before cuz you don’t want to play tour guide?

27. @OP: you should edit your post and mention that you are 16 and a teenager yourself and not the adult who will host that kid.