The US and Europe (with a few notable exceptions) have much in common. They hold democratic elections, fight for human rights, and are conscious of their carbon footprint. But at the same time, they're an entire ocean apart and geography isn't the only thing separating them.

So we dug around the internet and found a couple of online threads (one and two) where people have been sharing what they believe to be the aspects of American culture that are foreign to the Old Continent. From the popularity of university sports to free soda and coffee refills, here are the most popular submissions to the discussion.

#1

I’d say the whole system of National Parks is just amazing! Open 24/7 (unless some weather or gov’t shutdown), maps available, trails laid out, camping spots designated… It’s the most treasured and inderappreciated thing in the US, IMO.

Image credits: dimacq

#2

Free public restrooms and toilet seat covers.

Image credits: ec0114

#3

If you are an American citizen, you can choose to live in just about any climate and landscape that the Earth has to offer, and still be in the same country. Whether you like mountains, volcanoes, the beach, the desert, the arctic, the prairie, the rainforest, whatever, the US has it.

Image credits: [deleted]

#4

Free refills on coffee and soda (in most restaurants).

Image credits: LeopardEmpress

#5

Space. I can drive 400 miles and still be in Kansas, as it’s 410 miles in width.

Image credits: CriticallyThougt

#6

Giant superstores where you can buy groceries, furniture, a pet fish and a handgun

#7

More firearms than citizens.

Image credits: BeepBeepWhistle

#8

Large meal portions.

Image credits: MrXenocryst

#9

Massive student loan.

Image credits: WhinyMrFring

#10

So many extracurricular activities in schools. Playing a specific sport or being part of a team isn't something schools offer in Europe. I have cousins who live in Texas, and the fact that their school has tennis courts and a pool blows my mind. Some schools here have small clubs like theater or choir, but the options hardly compare to those offered at schools in the States. Your high school theater plays look like professional productions sometimes.

#11

Fast food restaurants at every intersection and an obesity epidemic.

#12

Netflix selection throughout Europe is pure s**t.

#13

Expensive healthcare.

Image credits: BuhrackOsama

#14

A country that's like 99% unwalkable. Seriously, I've been around the globe and every time I came I became frustrated that I can't just walk to a corner grocery.

Image credits: Firm-Boysenberry

#15

Truck Nuts

At least I haven't really seen them over here in central Europe. Then again also Pickup Trucks are a pretty rare sight in Europe.

Image credits: TheBassMeister

#16

So much diversity when it comes to food. In most given US towns, you'll find so many cuisines. I have a Mongolian restaurant next to a Korean BBQ restaurant next to a Hawaiian restaurant next to a Greek restaurant, etc.

Image credits: lautrecompte1

#17

Ranch dressing. Believe it or not, I know Americans who have packed bottles of ranch when moving to other countries.

Image credits: Ssalmaa

#18

Garbage disposal units are installed beneath the kitchen sink.

Image credits: Strict-Promotion3250

#19

On the up side, amazing geographic diversity. In one country, we have mountains, deserts, tropics, sweeping plains, fertile farmland, tundra, huge beaches, and rugged coastlines.

On the down side, school shootings. Mall shootings. Grocery store shootings. Church shootings. Birthday party shootings. We know another one's coming soon - we just don't know where.

Image credits: anon

#20

24 hour access to food. The majority of the world doesn't have late night fast food places let alone 24 hour grocery stores. In America if I need groceries, a hammock, and some engine oil at 3 am, I'll just head over to Walmart real quick.

Image credits: StarChild7000

#21

Corn tortillas. I'm sure they're somewhere in Europe but not so much in Britain. Just things called corn tortillas that are 90% flour.

#22

I'm from the UK and it looks like the houses in the US are a million times bigger than they are here.

Image credits: [deleted]

#23

The endangered species act, one of the few laws in the entire world that actually enforces protections for endangered animals proactively and retroactively. You could go to prison for destroying some rare flowers. just because those flowers were rare. It’s not perfect, but the ESA is one of the most powerful environmental protection laws in the world, spanning some of the largest area, and very very few countries have something similar.

#24

This one I'll give you. Universities play each other in sports, but nowhere to the scale in America. For football (soccer), most players can be in clubs' academies from the age of 5/6, finish school at 16 and then just go straight into reserve/first team squads, whereas in America they play sports in school, university, then get picked up by clubs.

Image credits: Oneinchwalrus

#25

Free tap water offered to you at restaurants. In Europe, you have to specify that you want tap water — otherwise you'll automatically be charged for a fancy bottle.

#26

Good Mexican food. It doesn't exist in Europe. I ordered a burrito in Berlin, and it was worse than Taco Bell.

#27

Single country world series.

#28

Mac and cheese that comes in a box with dehydrated cheese.

#29

American who lived in Europe for a time. (The Balkans)

Things I have here that I didn't have there:

Cheap gas (yes, it's still quite cheap in the US)

Larger appliances with words on them (my appliances there had graphics on them, the washer had a Half Mushroom Cloud setting)

A zillion kinds of breakfast cereal (when I came back, I routinely got overwhelmed in the grocery store)

Lol, diplomatic immunity



Things I had there, that I don't have here:

There was a produce/meat market that was open every day, that I could walk to, it ruled

Cafe culture

The newsstand sold lots of rowdy porn.

#30

Boozy Sunday brunches.

The only other country I saw have these is England. Most countries are rather closed on Sundays. Not the US. Unlimited mimosas and football.

#31

Perfect conditions for road trips. Nice roads, no border control, gas stations, sights, motels. It's perfect.

#32

Crocodiles. Seriously, look it up.

#33

THE F**KING BBQ!

Thank the cosmos I live there and travel alot. States seem to have their own twists and specialities and it's all so f**king good I can't decide what I like more.

The Texas BBQ Pit I went to once was an experience.

Before I came here, BBQ meant store bought frozen burgers and sausages on a grill in the garden during summer. One thing I don't miss about the UK lol.

#34

It's a whole style of refrigerators -- at least in French they're widely and even officially called "frigos américains".

It's the larger fridges with larger freezers. Usually with the two separated door sections. Often stainless steel. Even moreso with the automatic ice machine etc included.

They've become one of the trendy things people want in a home here now - a bit like the wave of granite countertops being a big 'must-have' in the US a few years ago.

#35

So many soft drinks. I really envy the variety in the US. There are so many great options, even in the sugar-free category. It's improving here in the UK, but our selection is still pretty minimal by comparison.

Image credits: MJB88

#36

The Grand Canyon.

#37

Death penalty.

#38

Diners. Fast cheap American food available at all hours. One of the best meals you will ever eat is American diner food at 2 am.

#39

Florida Man stories. Europe just has 'the English tourist on holiday in Ibiza.'

#40

Massive tubs of cheap peanut butter. Its rare to find and expensive in most of Europe, sold only in small 4- to 8-ounce jars.

#41

The Pacific *and* the Atlantic.

#42

The 4th of July. True fact, in Europe it goes straight from the 3rd to the 5th.

#43

Giant superstores like Walmart where you can buy groceries, furniture, a pet fish, and new glasses all in the same place.

#44

That's alwys struck me as weird. We get adverts for over the counter meds, like painkillers or cold and flu medicine but the thought of seeing an advert for something you need to go to the doctors and get a prescription for like adhd meds / anti depresents / antibiotics / heart meds or blood thinners is absolitly mental to me.

Image credits: [deleted]

#45

There are 11 million black people in all of Europe, most of them in France and the UK. Europe has a population of almost 800 million people.

#46

Las Vegas.

#47

The mind numbing hellscape known as "suburbia" and the ability to regularly set our ovens to 420°.

#48

Shame about casual nudity (I wish we didn't have this).

#49

Turning right on a red light. I think that's still illegal in Germany and most other European countries, isn't it?

#50

Easy access to root beer.

#51

Easy access to isopropyl / rubbing alcohol?

I remember trying to find some in Ireland. At the time you could get it in the states for well under $1. It's great for cleaning cuts and removing water in your ears. But trying to find it in Ireland...discovered it was kept behind the pharmacy counter and was about 10 Euro a bottle. Don't remember what it was called - mineral/essence/spirit something.

#52

Pecan logs, corn dogs, scrapple, Twinkies, jambalaya, etouffee, KoolWhip, direct-to-consumer corn syrup.

#53

Stronger protections for speech.

#54

The mountains in the Mountain West and the Red Rocks. I’ve lived next to the Red Rocks in Utah and Colorado. I grew up and worked in the Tetons. We’ve lived on the Wasatch, and super close to the Rockies. Europe is so beautiful but the Mountain West is one of the most beautiful regions on earth.

#55

Gigantic parking lots everywhere. For the best examples, look at satellite views of stadiums. In the US, they are surrounded by asphalt so all the attendees have a place to park. In Europe, people use public transit to get to the game.

#56

Imperial units instead of Metric.

#57

2 year long presidential campaigns.

#58

Whataburgar and fried pies franchises.

#59

S’mores, southern style biscuits.

#60

In my hometown we have a drive-through liquor store.

#61

Ice in our drinks.

#62

Anyone can hunt if they choose.

#63

Chick-fil-A.