USA vs EUROPE - Guide To Cultural Differences

Here are some cultural differences that struck tourists and us.

Thank you for supporting our creative journey 💛

Thank you for your support!
Janek Rubeš & Honza Mikulka, Prague based journalists
#HonestGuide

0:00 Cultural Differences
0:38 Beer
2:31 Tax
3:20 Food
4:29 Water
5:20 Ad - SurfsharkVPN
6:33 Service
7:45 Bill
8:37 Tipping
9:43 Packaging
11:26 Coffee
12:44 Restrooms

[scottfranco]

True story, A friend of ours went to Europe, ordered coffee and got an espresso in tiny cup. He complains that the cup is too little, and the counter guy obliges him and serves him a big cup -- of espresso. Couldn't sleep at all that night. Lesson learned.

[PasleyAviationPhotography]

I'm 43, live in Phoenix and have never been outside the U.S. So videos like these really give me a kick in the butt to want to explore worlds outside my little bubble.

[Robstrap]

I feel like this should be USA vs Prague. Because europe is so diverse, there are MANY countries where almost everything on this list isn't the same as it is in prague, for instance service, beer, and food.

[thomads]

This actually happened to me. 11 year old boy, got my 20 dollars, walk into walmart, pick out my LEGO ; and the cashier tries to explain "tax" which went clearly over my head as an 11 year old whose native language is not english - and who was used from europe to paying what it says on the sticker and being fine

[big_lynx]

Here in Finland it is quite a bizarre thing to tip in restaurants. We tend to be quite humble people so when somebody tries to tip, we ask are you really sure you want to do that with your hard earned money?? Large tips often mean that the tipper has something to prove... "I am not poor, believe me!" kind of thing:D

[njones]

Being a restaurant owner in the U.S. Our menu reads with the tax included. So when you see $15 on the menu that's the final price. The actual cost breakdown is $13.73 with a $1.27 sales tax. Not sure why more places don't do this. The only change we deal with is quarters.

[shellmex]

So I’m from the US and spent a year overseas with the military in Europe. A lot of places didn’t want us to tip, but understood because we were from the US that we tip on everything. One of the first times I ate out in Romania I tipped the server 25% of the bill because it was very good service. The server chased me out of the restaurant and didn’t understand why I paid over the bill. I explained to them that it was for them. The young girl hugged me and said thank you. Most places understood but some places refused to even accept a tip.

[lokideus]

Well its rather simple. For any US waiter, the ratio of customer to tips is directly proportional. So increasing the rate at which they get new customers is their main goal. Yes, there are variations depending on how much you liked the service, but generally, it will stay extremely superficial to give you a nice warm feeling at the beginning and the end of your meal (primacy-recency effect) to get the biggest tip in the shortest possible timeframe out of you and then kick you out asap to make place for the next customer. Tips being obligatory within a certain %-range helps in that regard as well of course.
We in Europe do not depend on tips, instead we pay our employees decent wages so they don't have to rely on the customer to make up for it.

Sure, does that mean that my waiter is sometimes not as superficially friendly? Yeah. And maybe it is because they had a bad day or are not feeling well - after all, they are human? Sure.
But at the same time that means that they can be nice because they want to, and have an actual connection with the customer without seeing them as walking euro/dollar bills.

I know what I prefer.

[ryansmilla]

On our last trip to the US, my husband and I were shocked by the fact that almost all hotels use plastic plates, forks and knives only, styrofoam cups for tea and coffee. I can’t even imagine the mountains of rubbish hotels create. For no reason.

[AllineedisKIMI]

That's from Starbucks is not coffee, it's a olympic pool of dirt water.

[baronvg]

In Los Angeles, there is a chain burger restaurant called Tommy’s. When I was growing up in the 80s & 90s, the prices were the final prices. It even said on the menu that they already included tax and that blew my mind! The thought of not having to calculate tax in my head and just paying what the price was has never been more satisfying. Sadly, it’s not that anymore. They’re now just like every other store or service: it’s the price PLUS tax. SMH

[mzb-rbzx]

I’m American and lived in Brno for a few years, and I miss the coffee in Europe! Anywhere you go, the espresso is delicious and inexpensive. My coworkers would cry when our espresso machine was broken and they had to drink drip coffee. More than once, I was called down to the break room to make it because nobody knew how…and there was no need to learn because great espresso was in every corner! He’s right about the service, though…especially as you’re learning the language. I thought I must’ve done something to offend the server. Turns out, they don’t have to turn on their service voice because they’re not fighting for tips.

[vinstinct]

As an American, I can't believe how much places charge for beers. It's such a social thing to get a beer at a sporting event or concert and people are willing to pay outrageous prices. I just flat out refuse.

[aimgorge]

The tapwater thing isn't true everywhere in Europe. Restaurants are mandated to serve tapwater and bread for free in France (if accompanied with something you bought obviously)

[mondeezul]

As an American I find a bunch of things we do weird, but I love hearing about differences in our everyday culture to others. That way whenever I do travel I can be as cognizant as possible to be as respectful as possible 😌

[roy.mclean]

My Irish friend was amazed that when she finished a cup of coffee in the US, they filled it again without asking.

[atistheso]

So in Czech republic they refill your beer automatically, in the US you have your waiter asking if you wanna order another drink nearly 10 seconds after your finish the first one, and here in France ... well you waive at your waiter for 10 minutes to hopefully catch his attention and order a new round 😄

[tanjahopfl]

Here in Germany it's exactly like in the Czech Republic. Many greetings to our neighbour country. I love Praha :-)

[markyonline]

Being from Croatia which has very similar culture, I find these videos so entertaining :D Can't wait to visit Prague again in a few weeks :)

[Cassapphic]

Its funny to me as a british woman where its like a half and half between this, leaning more toward the european, but theres stuff like, its a legal requirement if a restaurant sells alcohol they must also offer free tap water if asked, and both forms of coffee are very common (although the more cafe european style is usually in cups that are a bit bigger than what was shown, but still meant for the same purpose)