European Vacation: 5 Funny Ways the Continent Differs from America

“Get Out There” is a column for itchy footed humans written by Paste contributor Blake Snow. Although different now, travel is still worthwhile—especially to these open borders.

Since yearly records first began in the 1960s, no other continent welcomes more traveling Americans than Europe. Roughly half the size of the US with almost an equal number of countries as we have states, Europe is a convenient, safe, and diverse way to expose yourself to a lot of foreign cultures (and languages) in a short amount of time.

Thanks to a strong dollar, Europe is also a lot more affordable now than it’s traditionally been. As with all continents, however, Europe does a lot of things differently than we do here at home. Whether you’ve visited before or are planning your first transatlantic visit this year, here are some of the bigger dissimilarities you need to understand.

1. No free bathrooms

In America, public restrooms are free but usually dirty. In Europe, public “toilets” cost around $1 and are sparkling clean. That said, every cafe, restaurant, and many other stores offer free bathrooms for paying customers. But finding and using restrooms can be a little tricky for travelers, so it’s good to plan and scope out the nearest commode so you don’t get caught with your pants down.

2. Different measuring units

Unless you’re an American scientist, you’re probably not fluent in the metric system, which is the only thing they use in Europe. Thankfully many Europeans are fluent in the imperial system, which is what America uses, so the former can help you get around. But when driving, checking the weather, and buying things, a basic understanding of the metric system will go a long way to getting the most out of your trip.

3. No tipping (or taxes) required

In Europe, they pay restaurant workers better than we do, so there’s no culture of tipping for poor, medium, or excellent service. At most, Europeans will round up to the nearest Euro when paying their bill. Here you are encouraged to do the same. “We don’t want nor expect tips,” one server confessed to me last year, “But many Americans insist on giving us more money, which they don’t need to do but often insist on.” Moral of the story: When in Rome… Don’t tip! Oh, and since there is no sales tax, you pay the price you see.

4. Nudity isn’t taboo

Because of our Puritan founding, America isn’t as comfortable showing its skin as Europeans are. For example, in Paris one afternoon, I saw several French businessmen strip down from suits to their underwear to sunbathe in the park. On her first trip to Germany, my mother witnessed several topless women doing the same in public parks. So don’t be surprised if you see a lot more “private parts” in European than you do in America.

5. Everything is smaller (and older)

Fact: Americans don’t know what “old” is and Europeans don’t know what “big” means. That quickly becomes apparent whenever you visit. In Europe, for instance, you’ll walk or drive on cobblestone roads that are twice as old as the United States (over 600 years!). You’ll see buildings that are thousands of years old, and they won’t be on the historic register like a building from 200 years ago would be here. That’s a huge part of Europe’s appeal. Conversely, since they live so close together, Europeans adorably think they can drive or take public transport from New York to Los Angeles in a single afternoon.

Turns out, where you were raised has a huge impact on your worldview. Bon voyage!

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and frequent travel columnist. He lives in Provo, Utah with his adolescent family and two dogs.