10 Things Europeans Think When Traveling To America

The United States of America is a weird and wonderful place, and when we say weird, we mean that in the nicest possible way. If you grow up here, you kind of get used to the ins and outs of day to day life, but if you're from somewhere like Europe, heading over to the States for the first time can be a pretty life-changing experience in more ways than one.

Today, we're going to give you an insight into what it feels like for Europeans to make that journey over, and what exactly is going on in their heads at the time.

10 'The Portions Are So Big!'

It’s not like we’re trying to suggest the portions are TOO big or anything like that, but more so that a lot of folks just can’t wrap their head around it. In Europe, if you order a cheeseburger, you kind of know what you’re going to get from proceedings, but in the States, there are just so many options.

From a fast-food point of view, it probably isn’t great that this is the case, but as long as people start to balance it out with some healthy eating, then it should all work out okay. There’s a big ‘if’ in there, though.

9 'What’s The Drinking Age Again?'

Across most of Europe, you’re legally able to drink alcohol from 18 onwards, or perhaps even 17 or 16 onwards. It’s understandable to consider the possibility of other countries having different laws and regulations because that’s just the way the world works.

However, even with that being the case, 21 is considered to be quite high by a lot of Europeans. On the one hand, it’s probably a good thing that it’s higher, but on the other, there’s a chance that it could promote the idea of underage drinking a bit more.

8 'Wow, They’re Patriotic Over Here'

The majority of people on this planet are proud of the country that they originate from, but even with that being the case, there are levels to patriotism. Some people just brag about it from time to time, and others save it all up for when there’s a major sporting event on the television.

Either way, the Europeans pale in comparison to the Americans. They just seem to take everything to a whole new level and then some, to the point where you can’t walk a few feet down the road without seeming some kind of US flag waving high in the sky.

7 'How Does Fahrenheit Work?'

Temperature is temperature, but you aren’t likely to find too many people in the modern era in Europe using anything other than Celsius. That may change as the years go on and it may even fluctuate back and forth again, but for the most part, this just seems to be the way it is.

On occasion, you might get some folks who fully understand how it works both ways, but when you listen to the Americans talking about the temperature, as if it’s in the 80s or 90s, you have to take a moment to compose yourself and realize what’s going on.

6 'Why Are They So Interested In Accents?'

The art of a good accent is completely natural in most instances, and while you can pick up a new one if you’re in a certain location for long enough, more often than not, it stems from where you were raised – which gives you a nice identity.

However, we’ve noticed that when you’re over in the States, they take a real keen interest in your accent – especially if you’re from Europe, and more specifically, England. There’s just this fascination that a lot of people can’t really explain. It’s nice, though.

5 'Wait, How Far Is The Next City?'

You may be in one city within the state of Texas and heading to another city within the state of Texas, but it is still probably going to take you a minimum of a few hours in order to get there. That’s just the way that the cookie crumbles, and those distances are something that everyone has to navigate in some way, shape or form.

Europeans may be used to the idea of a long road trip, but it pales in comparison to America. Everything is just larger than life, and we mean that in the most literal way imaginable.

4 'These Buildings Sure Are Big'

If you’re a European reading this, then go and head to New York City if you haven’t done so already and just try to comprehend the size of all the buildings. It’s just so unbelievably overwhelming, to the point where there’s nowhere in Europe that it can be compared to.

The same kind of logic goes for the majority of big cities, and even medium-sized/small cities, within the USA, which is a little bit crazy. It gives you a new ideology on what it’s like to live in a big city, and it really is intriguing.

3 'College Sports Are Insane'

In Europe, a university BUCS sports game will probably get an average of 20-100 spectators for your average weekly fixture. In America, college sports can draw over 100,000 fans and it doesn’t even need to be the most important game of the weekend. Isn’t that just a little bit mental?

A lot of the time this comes down to geographical location, but either way, it’s always really interesting to see the dynamic if there’s a pro sports team nearby, too. Sometimes they are supported equally, but more often than not, fans do actually lean towards the college teams.

2 'This Tipping Culture Is Odd'

Americans are just as frustrated by having to tip so often, but the difference is that we’ve had the opportunity to get used to it over the years. The same thing cannot be said of Europeans, which is why it’s such a culture shock when there is a recommended tip for pretty much every meal.

You don’t want to be disrespectful for leaving anything less than that, but if you’ve had service that isn’t very good, it can be kind of difficult to part with more money than is absolutely necessary and that’s just a fact.

1 'They’re Very Friendly'

More often than not, especially in tourist destinations, Americans are so friendly – which is weird for Europeans, because while they may be friendly too, there’s a difference in the styles. People from the States will just openly strike up a conversation with you at a bar, which doesn’t really happen too much elsewhere.

NEXT: 10 Barcades Around The World Every Gamer Needs To Visit

It’s nice but at the same time, it can be a bit intimidating, which often creates an intriguing dynamic. Either way, you’re bound to find yourself involved in some kind of adventure (in one way or another).