14 Europe Culture Shocks Americans Should Be Ready For

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As an American visiting Europe for the first time, I expected some culture shock, but it was fun to note the differences that did surprise me while traveling.

On my first trip, I visited Spain, Hungary, Austria, and Italy. Since then, I have been able to compare those first impressions with other Europe trips, including my 2-week Central Europe itinerary, and it is still so fun to notice the little ways each country and city feels different from the last!

If you’re planning your first Europe trip, here are the culture shock examples that stood out to me most, plus a few things I wish I had known before going!

Culture Shock Examples in Europe

1. Water Isn’t Free

Asking for tap water in Europe sometimes resulted in a confused look. Even though when I looked up if the tap water was safe to drink in the areas I was in (it was), several restaurants still pushed bottled water instead.

So, I mostly carried around my own water bottle, and there were fountains to fill them around cities like Rome and Venice (which were especially good about this).

Honestly, it wasn’t too expensive for bottled water, but especially when I’m traveling and doing a ton of walking (and trying to stick to my rules for budget travel!), I tend to drink a lot of it, so that adds up quickly. I would definitely bring a reusable water bottle again.

2. Public Bathrooms Aren’t Free

This culture shock example was actually the most shocking (and inconvenient) for me! I was at a subway station when I found this one out. I didn’t have any euros on me, so I had to make a quick run to the nearest McDonald’s. It’s not every country or every bathroom, but in several places throughout Europe, you may need coins or a small card payment to use public restrooms.

(This was actually the case when we visited Mexico City as well, but I hadn’t seen that in other parts of Mexico!)

3. Food Isn’t Always What You Expect it to Be

I ordered from a menu in Austria that said egg and bacon (yes, egg singular — I thought it was a typo) and was served a soft-boiled egg in a little silver holder with a side of prosciutto (I guess that’s kind of like bacon?).

Funny enough, this trip in 2019 was the first time I ever had prosciutto, and I was very confused haha.

4. Being on Time is Extremely Important

If you are taking a train somewhere, you’d better get to that train station early and make sure you know where you’re going. If the train ticket says 14:03, it’s leaving at 14:03. Being late is one of my specialties, so I had to make an extra effort to be really early everywhere in case I got lost (another one of my fortes).

For future Europe trips, I love comparing trains and buses through Omio. It makes it way easier to see whether a train, bus, or flight makes the most sense without jumping between a million different sites.

5. I Can Drink a Ton of Wine and Not Have a Pounding Headache the Next Day

I was not much of a wine person before my trip, because I always woke up with a major headache the following morning. In Austria and Italy, there weren’t too many drink options that appealed to me, so I usually went with wine. No headache in the morning, and it was some of the best wine I’ve ever had.

Sidenote: I absolutely LOVED this tour to Tuscany from Florence!

6. Barcelona Was my Least Favorite

I’m a foodie, and I honestly couldn’t find much food here that I enjoyed, so that plays a major role in this statement. It was so hard for me to find a vegetable. I ordered a Greek salad, and it was a bowl of cheese cubes with some tomato and olives.

Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of awesome things about Barcelona, but out of the places I went, it was just my least favorite. The majority of the bars and restaurants seemed so similar to each other, whereas in the other countries I went to, there seemed to be more unique spots.

7. Austrian and Hungarian Cuisine Were My Favorite (Yes, Even Over Italian!)

I was so pumped to have authentic chicken paprikash, but other than that, I wasn’t sure how much I would like Hungary’s food. They served veggies with just about everything! They gave little arugula salads with most of the breakfasts I ordered, and served cucumber salads with a lot of the mains.

There was not one bad meal in Hungary. It was even more of a surprise to me how much I loved Austrian cuisine. If you’re heading that way, my 2-day Budapest itinerary has more of the food spots and experiences I loved.

8. It’s Really Hard to Find a Flavored Latte or Flavored Vodka

Flavored lattes are seriously my go-to. I pretty much got a super-puzzled look at any coffee shop I went to if I asked about their flavors. And it is so crazy how many vodka flavors we have in the United States, because anywhere I went in Europe, that wasn’t an option.

Update: Going back to Europe on recent trips, it has been much easier to find! But there are definitely still a lot of places where you can’t get flavors. I no longer do flavored vodka, so I’m not sure if that is becoming more prevalent. I did notice they do not have seltzers. It was interesting doing wine at the club in Amsterdam.

9. Americans are Totally Spoiled

Europe has English-language menus, English-language advertisements on billboards, and English-speaking employees in the majority of tourist spots. There were definitely times when I needed to pull out Google Translate, especially in the smaller towns in Italy I visited, as well as Siofok, Hungary, but other than that, we had a very easy time.

One thing I would do differently now is download the languages I need for offline use before leaving Wi-Fi. Having an eSIM also makes this so much less stressful because you can pull up maps, translations, tickets, and restaurant info without hunting for Wi-Fi.

10. I Could Survive Without Uber and Lyft

The transportation system in Europe is awesome. You have trains, subways, and buses. I was really nervous, since I’m not familiar with train stations, bus stops, and subway systems, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t bad. And it was way cheaper than Uber and Lyft!

On more recent Europe trips, I also learned that Bolt is super common in a lot of cities and often cheaper than Uber. Still, public transportation is usually the move if you are trying to save money.

11. American Music is Played Everywhere

This one genuinely surprised me. Before visiting Europe, I pictured hearing mostly local artists or music in different languages. Instead, it felt like almost every cafe, restaurant, boutique, and bar we visited was playing American music.

What I loved most, though, was that many places weren’t just playing the original songs. They were playing remixed or reimagined versions of classic hits with different tempos and vibes. We’d hear familiar songs slowed down, turned into jazzy lounge versions, or transformed into upbeat electronic tracks. It was so fun recognizing the song while also hearing it in a way I’d never heard before!

12. Restaurants Move at a Slower Pace

One of the biggest adjustments for me was the pace of dining. In the U.S., servers check on you frequently. In much of Europe, it’s the complete opposite.

Meals are meant to be enjoyed slowly, and there’s no pressure to leave once you’ve finished eating. At first, I kept thinking, “Did everyone forget about us?” But then I realized lingering at the table is just part of the dining culture.

I’ll be honest, I’m someone who’s usually on the go. Even in the U.S., I’ll often ask for the check before I’ve completely finished eating because I’m already thinking about the next stop on my itinerary. So this was definitely an adjustment for me.

After the first couple of meals, I learned to ask for the bill as soon as I knew we weren’t ordering anything else. More than once, though, our servers looked surprised or even reassured us that there was no need to rush. It was actually kind of funny because they genuinely wanted us to relax and enjoy our time.

13. Cash Still Comes in Handy

I love using a travel credit card with no foreign transaction fees, but Europe reminded me that cash still has its place. Between public bathrooms, small markets, luggage lockers, and random little purchases, having coins or small bills can save you from an annoying situation.

This is especially true if you are trying to visit local markets or smaller towns. Cards are widely accepted in many places, but I would not show up with zero cash again.

14. Cobblestones and Stairs Are No Joke

Europe is absolutely beautiful, but the cobblestone streets and endless staircases humbled me real quick. Dragging a large suitcase through an old city center is nowhere near as glamorous as Pinterest makes it look.

One thing that also surprised me was how many hotels and apartments didn’t have elevators. Many buildings are hundreds of years old, so it’s not uncommon to find yourself carrying your luggage up two, three, or even four flights of narrow stairs. After doing that a few times, I was very thankful I had packed light.

If you can manage it, I highly recommend traveling with just a carry-on and a personal item. I’ve done it for multiple two-week trips now, including Europe, and it makes moving between cities so much easier. Whether you’re hopping on trains, walking across cobblestone streets, or hauling your bag up staircases, you’ll be glad you packed less.

If you’re worried about fitting everything, my space-saving packing hacks make it much easier to travel carry-on only, especially for multi-city Europe trips.

Quick Tips if it’s Your First Europe Trip

• Carry a little cash: Especially coins for bathrooms, lockers, and small purchases.
• Compare trains and buses ahead of time: I love Omio for quickly seeing route options between cities.
• Get an eSIM: Having data makes it easier to navigate, translate menus, pull up tickets, and check transit info.
• Pack lighter: Cobblestones, stairs, trains, and buses are so much easier when you are not hauling your entire closet around. This carry-on and a personal item are my go-tos!
• Consider travel insurance: For bigger international trips, I like comparing options and have used SafetyWing as an affordable option. I actually didn’t have travel insurance for my first trip and had a medical situation that caused me to cut my trip short unexpectedly, and I lost a bit of money from that mistake.
• Have good walking shoes: You will definitely be getting your steps in, often on uneven cobblestone streets, hills, and stairs. A cute pair of shoes won’t matter much if your feet are killing you by day two. Trust me—comfortable, supportive walking shoes are one of the best investments you can make for a Europe trip. These are my faves, and they go with everything!

Are You Ready for Your First Europe Trip?!

Culture shock is honestly one of my favorite parts of travel. Some moments are inconvenient, some are funny, and some make you realize how many things you assume are “normal” just because that is what you are used to at home.

Even with the paid bathrooms, confusing coffee orders, and train-station stress, my first Europe trip made me fall in love with traveling internationally. If you have been to Europe, I would love to know what surprised you most!

Before you go, be sure to follow me on Insta @guidedbydestiny and check out some of my other Europe blog posts:

2-Week Central Europe Itinerary

2 Days in Budapest

Best Things to Do in Amsterdam