You forgot to mention people in EU drive manuals. So if you go to Europe, remember, you must know how to drive a manual because not every rent a car has automatics.
From the way he's talking I get that many Americans don't realize that Europe is a continent with actually 50 or so independent countries. Even if the EU exists, there's nothing about it even slightly like the US. Europe isn't like a giant country where states are just administrative divisions and all is almost the same everywhere. There are different countries, cultures, languages, money etc. Travelling from Poland to the Czech Republic for example isn't like taking a stroll from California to Nevada or from Washington to Oregon.
+1SaBy i try to explain .. if u are not in a big tourist city u dont need to be afraid of beeing rubbed in some places u dont need to close ur door like canada, our is the MAFIA u know cosa nostra nsa gladio etc? they break refugees legs to have it easier by begging at the trainstations were the rich tourists are . if u watch them long enough u can see the mans behind them gathering his slaves by driving the biggest cars .
Wifi is everywhere in Europe. Hotals have free wifi hotspots (You will get paswords for there private networks so those stay fast). Every restaurant, mall, weed-joint has free WiFi, EVEN PUBLIC BATHROOMS
Not in Germany. In places where you can give every user an individual code (like hotels) to track them if they use the internet for illegal stuff you will get wifi, but rarely in restaurants or McDonald's or stuff like that. I visited Hungary a few years back, and they really had wifi at basically every café and everything, it was awesome! So I think that's very different from country to country.
The French don't believe in wifi for example, my friends went there this summer, and it was hard for them to find wifi and if they did find it, it was slow.
Rob van Kemenade And it's 50 Hz in europe, where in the US it is 60 Hz. Most poweradapters for laptops take both, so only plug converter needed, and most other stuff a tourist will bring can be charged via USB, through your laptop or if your hotel has a moderne flatscreen TV there will be USB connectors. So all in all the main issue is the shape of the plugs.
Rob van Kemenade Well except it can potentially ruin your device, if it's not something really simple like a lamp. Most power supplies for modern electronics are made to accept 100-240 V and both 50 and 60 Hz. So people won't destroy them all the time.
smokeydoke100 Those are usually for electric razors only, electric and electronic devices should NOT be plugged into the mains supply in a bathroom. It should be noted that electrical safety regulations vary from country to country, where I live wall mounted light switches are not permitted in the bathroom, there might be a pull switch inside the door but generally the switch is on a wall outside the door.
You forgot the most important difference, architecture. Also, Europe has real castles, unlike the US with its imitation Cinderella Castle in Disneyland.
True, but he obviously doesn't mean that the money is WORTHLESS. It's just that here in the US, coins are worth very little. But yeah, you definitely want to save coins nonetheless.
BE WARNED: If the toilet lady looks at you... You better give her the money of she'll rip your soul out with just one blink of an eye. They're dangerous.
Where in southern France is the tap water not that good? I mean, yeah, it's not a bottle of Volvic (brand of mineral water), but it's still safe and fine? At least it is where my family lives (border with Spain/Catalonia).
Sales tax can be irritating but I wouldn't doubt that businesses exclude the tax because it makes their products appear to be more cheaper (even if it's only by a few cents).
Actually, both the USA and Europe are subcontinents. The USA are (the majority of) a subcontinent as well as a country. Europe is a subcontinent as well as 44 countries. I think what the OP was trying to do was to emphasize that most Americans are probably not aware of the "44 countries" part. Do you comprehend?
in Slovakia people would actually think you're crazy if you buy bottled water instead of drinking the one from a tap...they don't even sell 35 pack of bottled water in here, like they do in the US lol
Tom K Many stores have small change bowls to leave your change in. If you are short a few cents, you can take it out of this bowl. Pennies in the US are pretty worthless. They actually take more money to make than they are worth.
+Livid Imp As the rude northern europeans we are, as we found out we were supposed to tip on a note where the tip already was included, we just left all the change we had and left, but we were a bit pissed off already since the note was about 30-40% more alread from taxes and the included tip, we knew about the taxes, but a 20% tip on a 20% tip simply felt like a robbery to us
+SportSoulLife I used to work for tips, yet I hate mandatory tipping. I've been stiffed, often by the people that can most afford it, yet the moment you force people to tip (usually on a table of 8+) it becomes a hidden surcharge, not a tip for service. And 30-40% IS robbery unless you _really_ liked your server. Typical tips are 15%, 20% if they were above average. Not sure where your extra 20% came from. Taxes typically run 7-8%, maybe up to 10% in some of the worst areas.
Livid Imp Was in Newport, and on the bill it said "Included tip: 20%", so we were forced to tip that and then one of the locals said that you usually tip 20% on the net with the food, taxes and included tip. Maybe it was just that restaurant, but still, we were quite shocked.
+Els Verwilgen If Americans are worried when it comes to speaking the local language in other European countries, they must be absolutely terrified when visiting the UK.
Els Verwilgen I am a waitress in a Spanish hotel , and although I don, t expect foreighners to speak Spanish , I appreciate very much when they try to say a pair of words in Spanish , or show some interest in spanish culture.
So this waiter business is interesting, because it's on of the things I hear often from American turists. ''European waiters are so rude''. This is actually one of the biggest misconceptions in Europe turism. There are a few reasons for this apparent rudeness. Waiters keep their distance and don't interviene unless they're needed. They appear distant, but what they're actually doing is leaving you to eat in peace. Europeans are very proud(not to be mistaken with arrogant) and submission, especially in western Europe, is a cultural no no. Your waiter is there to serve you, but he/she is NOT your servant, and if you treat them like American waiters, they'll see it as an assault on their integrity. They're are well established members of the middleclass, and make too much to take your shit. And the American 'costumer is king' philosphy does not apply to Europe, unless your food is undercooked or breaches healthcode you cannot ask for your money back. I actually prefer this to the pampering nature of American waiting, they're reliant on tips, and their extreme politeness comes across a bit shallow to me.
Hi, wifi is easy to get and find in Europe and actually it's faster than what I've seen in the US - I am American and lived in Europe (France) for 15 years and am also now a French and (European) citizen as well. I don't act like an American living here but have adopted European life or French life as my own. It's not the same as most Americans, visiting Europe in 7 days. They often say it's expensive but for me it's not, maybe because they are tourists, but in general I think Europeans live much better and healthier than Americans (obesity in the US)remember France is a democracy with more social programs like healthcare and it's not like what you think, it's not factory healthcare - I know from experience, plus the same exact medication in the US will often cost half the price in France. my mother was here visiting and had to go to the emergency room, she saw a doctor, got an X-ray of her wrist and paid 87€ , in the US it would have been 100's of dollars. Plus 25 paid vacation days
I totes second this. Though I must say in all my travels in Europe (lived in Paris, now in Prague), France does have the most easily accessible Wifi. Other countries do have lots of wifi hotspots, but many you need to sign up and pay for or know the cafe's password. There's nowhere I can go in Prague where its totally free without buying a drink first or going to mcdonalds. I dont know what its like in the US, but coming from Australia where net infrastructure is just shit, Europe has amazing, fast and reliable internet.
+RadicalTerminator your right the US can do so much bets with the power and wealth it has and there's no excuse I don't understand why middle class Americans don't want these kinds of things, they are the ones who struggle the most - I'm not trying to compete and no country is perfect but I actually think Europeans have more freedom - the US is turning into a police state all these people being killed by police when it should have been handles differently - people want guns to protect themselves, they feel safer, but to protect themselves from who other Americans or maybe an invasion from Canada or Mexico - it is creating this paranoiac behavior, someone puts a hand in his pocket and they think your reaching for a gun and you get shot - the biggest threat is Americans killing Americans with guns things like that happen more often than terrorist attacks and not to say that terrorism is not a real threat - politicians don't seem to address the issue very much.
@@ashleightempleton3563 Old thread and video but wanted to let people know that in Romania we have public free wifi on the streets in big cities. It's not the best and not a lot of people use it because a lot of people have very cheap ($10/mo) unlimited 4G. I was shocked at how hard it is to use the internet in western Europe tbh
I'm from Norway, and just so you know you can abselutley drink the water here!! Do NOT buy water, thats waste of money. No body in Norway buys water, the water we have from the tap is tasy, that goes for both sweeden and Denmark too
For all of western Europe in my experience. Netherlands has tap water that comes from underground wells. Tastes better then stuff from the store and full of minerals.
Sirianna S. Pettersen for the water it's simple: if you are travelling in parts of europe where the climate is very rainy, like the alps (switzerland, northern italy, austria), germany, northern France or the atlantic coast of spain you can without any doubts drink the water. and it tastes awesome! in other locations I would suggest to buy the water as Wolter says
Sirianna S. Pettersen I've never really had a problem with drinking tap water in the UK either, no one really thinks twice whether its ok to drink, its just expected to be ok. One major exception: if it has a little green dot on top of it its usually recycled water (ok to wash hands in, shouldn't drink). If I forget to bring a bottle at work or while travelling I will buy one just so I have a bottle so once I'm done I can fill it up with tap water. Depending on where you are in the UK the water may taste slightly different but that's due to some areas having faint traces of minerals, its exactly the same with normal bottled water though.
Thanks for the videos, Wolter! My wife and I spent a few months living in Poland and one thing we discovered regarding water was that when ordering/purchasing bottled water, it is necessary to specify with or without gas. Apparently, carbonated water is much more popular there than here. "Woda niegazowana" was one of the most important Polish phrases I learned!
+Morris Colenbrander in fact, those ladies often are NOT cleaning the toilets. They are just sitting there watching the money. Ang get paid for this. In short, this is one obvious mafia thing - cleansing money, not toilets, thats what they are doing there. And those toilets where your paiment is accounted for (you get a receipt, like a sanifair chain on german highways) are always way cleaner.
A quick bit of information about tap water in Denmark (I live here, I should know) the tap water is safe to drink anywhere unless it's specifically marked that it isn't. There's differences in taste obviously, but generally it's actually cleaner than bottled water.
+Anders Pedersen Why, can't you drink tap water in USA? When we build a house it has tap water connected, Methane Gas connected, Electricity connected, Fiber optic internet cable, Sewerage connection. This is standard for each house. And i thought in the USA they where more advanced. I drink tap water everyday, and i love the taste better than bottled water. Bottled water has a weird not so fresh taste.
SilverGames U.S. restaurants pay their wait staff differently than Europeans do, so don't make assumptions or judgements based on another country's way of paying. In the U.S., wait staff live off of the tips, aren't even paid minimum wage, and expect good tips for good service. Very few restaurants will automatically put a 'tip' or 'service fee' on your bill. You may get free refills, but the wait staff brings it to you, so tip them according to how much they fetch and carry for you - between 10% for lousy service to 20% for great service. If you think it's unfair or a stupid system, I agree, but the system is what it is.
+Debra VanSandt I begrudge tipping for even good service and so anyone who provides a terrible service wouldn't stand a chance. Thank heaven for British public houses. Tipping is not expected for providing drinks and pub grub, to be consumed either at the bar or at one of the tables, but suppose tipping may be in order if the pub has a proper restaurant attached. They usually are more the up-market sort of establishment, which generally are not the type I frequent.
Here in Switzerland, you can drink the water from every fountain outside and it will taste very good! We have very good drinking water and it is not chlorinated! Of course you can buy water in stores but you can drink also the water in your hotel room for sure! We will only write "no drinkable water" on a fountain for example in the Alps where the fountains are not safe (e.g. in use for cows ;))
+HelenaRG71 Mostly "no drinkable water" just means, that it hasn't been tested. Drink-quality water has to be tested by the state in most european countries, if it's not it's officially "no drinkable water", even if it would be just fine.
Just one little remark. You can't use a Swedish Krone in the Czech Republic and visa versa. Its not like the Euro, which are all the same currency. 'Krone' is just a generic name for money or coin.
I think its impossible to group the whole of Europe together in this way, and create an effective list of differences. The differences between Italy and Norway, may be greater than the differences between the US and the UK
Always address people by their nation, NEVER call them European. It really pisses people off when Americans do that. Also we rarely use cash in the UK now, so what the hell are you talking about?
+Larry Bundy Jr on cash vs credit cards, he is talking about Europe in general, not just the UK, in Germany for example credit/debit cards are not nearly as widely used as the USA
Well, In France tap water is drinkable everywhere. In restaurant if you don't want to pay for a bottle of water (about 5$), you can ask to a free bottle of tap water.
About the linguistic problem: 1- The majority of Europeans aren't fluent in English 2- Even if we can communicate with each other with all our awkward accents, just realise that we generaly can't understand your american accent, so you have to speak slowly and Without Slang ;)
+Rúben Luso thats right even my eglishteacher cant understand the childs of us soldiers and i tierly only learned british english .. worthless , i never make holliday in britain or god beware usa , there are so much languages and i had to learn that one who helped me nothing
I might just adjust these to my country. In Lithuania: - Tap water comes from deep underground and is used for drinking. - Debit cards are accepted basically anywhere. - Almost all younger people will understand simple English. btw It's 220V in Europe. Don't just plug every device without checking if it supports the voltage.
Something else worth noting is the amount of sunlight. If you go to Northern Europe (Ireland, the UK, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland), particularly to the Færoe Islands Iceland, Scotland and Northern England, you may be surprised by the lack of sunlight. It is overcast well over half of the time in these places even when it isn't raining. Furthermore, these countries are much further north than the contiguous forty-eight states of the US, and so get far less daylight in winter. Taking Lerwick, Shetland (Scotland) as an example, on the winter solstice the sun rises at 9:10am and sets at 2:55pm, and the further north you go the more extreme it gets. On the other hand, these places also experience far longer summer days than in the US (except Alaska, which is more comparable), with the sun in Lerwick on the summer solstice rising at 3:35am and setting at 10:35pm; the twilight lasts all night without getting too dark to navigate without artificial light. And, again, in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland (which are north of the Arctic circle), these figures are even more extreme.
As a Dutch person, I can really appreciate if people thank me in Dutch. It is something little that tells people have a interest in your language and culture and that is really nice.
+apainintheaas Agreed. Now I think of it, whenever I visit a country I always do this in the language of that country. I'd appreciate it if a visitor would do the same.
That's true. In portugal you Will always found that person that thanks you with "gracias"... I like to play the game. And reply with "no hay problema. Fue un placer".
One slight addition maybe about the tap water: if you visit Austria and/or Southern Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg) most of the tap water comes from alpine rivers, so don't waste your money on water, the tap water has a really high quality and great taste. (And on longer trips that can save you quite a nice amount of money to spend on other stuff ;) )
When you go to a grocery store (or anywhere, really) in Europe, the price you see is the price you actually pay. VAT included. That is something that's always bothered me immensely about the US.
If you are in Switzerland I would advice you to drink tap water or refill bottles with tab water once they are empty. The tap tastes better and is often even of a higher quality.
This is too cool, I saw the picture of Croatia and I instantly recognized Rovinj and then you had a picture taken of your son at our favourite restaurant (Atlas). I go there Every summervacation
+woltersworld video uploaded back in 2014 when Lithuania had not been in Euro zone. So that was a mistake that you mentioned it there. but now since 2015 its part of Euro zone so it makes sense now. lol good channel though...
Awesome video! I have a few additions, from living in the US and traveling frequently to numerous countries in Europe: Dealing with strangers USA - People are (in my very humble opinion) off-puttingly warm. By this I mean someone who strikes up a conversation with you while waiting in line at the train station would tell you about their personal lives ten minutes in. I've always found this to be rather awkward, as I consider the personal dealings of someone as something that should be reserved once you've established a good friendship. Europe - I prefer the Europeans' (in a general sense) initial "coldness." The reason I say coldness in double quotes is because I don't really see it as them being cold. Rather, it's more of the norm. Falling in line USA - Americans fall in line for everything, which is awesome. Europe - I very rarely get into fights, but if I did, it probably would be because of people who cut the lines. I almost yelled at this Swiss family who did not at all care about the short line to buy breakfast food-then I realized that maybe in Switzerland, I'm the weird one for actually falling in line. Public transportation USA - If you are not in a major metropolitan city, you're pretty much SOOL with options to get from point A to B-unless you rent a car. If you choose to go ahead and soldier on without your own vehicle, be prepared because it's one of the most frustrating things you'd have to do. Europe - In most countries, you can get around quite conveniently on public transportation alone. I didn't say cheaply because they can be quite costly, but if you plan your trip right, you do not need a car to get to famous tourist spots and beyond. Food USA - I don't think I'll ever stop being shocked at how wasteful a country America is. The amount of food that people here throw away on a regular basis is simply...I don't even know how to end that. Europe - Again, I can't speak for the entire continent because I haven't been to all of them, but I find Europeans culturally are significantly less wasteful-they don't buy mounds of perishables, just enough for them to cook the evening's dinner, and maybe lunch for the next day. Shopping USA - No contest, shopping in America is a joy: Merchandise is typically cheaper, and whenever a sale is happening, retailers go all-out. Where else can you get really lucky and pick up a selvedge jean for $5? Europe - I don't buy clothes in any of the countries in Europe for the reason above. A French vlogger described it best: He was so dumbfounded by the fact that a pair of Levi's jeans in the US is about $25, whereas in his home country, it's 90€. "Trois fois plus cher? (Three times more expensive?) Pour le même jean? (For the same jean?) On se fout de votre gueule? (Are you kidding me?)"
America is extremely diverse. Your social interaction with people in Beverly Hills is going to be completely different that the kinds of interactions you are going to have in Ferguson,Detroit, Compton and even Little Rock.
Dagekk968 Well, of course, any huge chunk of the map will have diversity in different areas. This is also true in Europe. Many times people are very different within the same country.
halfthefiber Tip for shopping in Europe: go for European labels. For exaple, Zara has cheap to medium prices in Spain, while in other countries is too fucking expensive: 20-30€ (25-35$?) for jeans in Spain, 20-50% more abroad.
People just need to give this guy a break. He has done his best to give his viewers a broad range of information and condense it down into a shorter video. Sure, he may not have everything 100% consistently correct country to country, town to town, but he has done his best. He is a well-travelled man and does know what he is talking about for the most part. Don't get upset that he may not have your exact town's details and lifestyle down to a tee.
Lol I just visited Europe and stopped in Lucerne Switzerland. I saw that bridge picture at 10:12 and was like “WOW, HE PUT THAT IN THERE”. I didn’t think too many people had heard of it. Awesome!
Excuse me? I don't want to come of as a smartass, but I had been living in St. Petersburg for 3 years and, that you can't brush you teeth or wash yourself with the water there is a lie!
its like that all over Europe, the water is only "bad" because it generally has something that people who aren't from the are aren't used to in their water so it can make them sick but if you've been there for a while, you get used to it and it doesn't bother you
Adam Teague I know. My mom had been married to my Syrian dad for some years, and when they visited his family in Syria, she became sick from the water too. But she recovered easily.
+dani sechzehn its good she recovered. I know with my family, we go to Spain every year and a couple times its only taken forgetfulness to ruin a holiday by accidentally drinking from the tap
+woltersworld well having lived in England my whole life, I know that tipping is never done but when it is, it's usually just spare change. Not a percentage
Most of us in England usually do leave about 10% though. Depends on the service. We don't tip at cafes or bars for just drinks or coffees. But usually people will tip about 10% at restaurants. Unless you're proper stingy.
What you mean is YOU don't tip. I've not lived in the UK all my life but even in the 60s I remember people leaving tips wherever they are waited on. Most the people I know in the UK would consider it bad form not to leave a tip unless they found the service or food not up to scratch.
Cash is not king in Norway at all. We use debit og credit cards everywhere. Cash is seen as inconvenient and maybe a bit trashy? Nowadays we don't even use a PIN for smaller purchases. Most places now have contactless payment.
In Germany/Austria the water quality is some of the best in the world! Especially in Austria where the water freely comes from the mountains. They even recommend to drink the tap :) Great video like always! I recommended your channel to people!
In Czech Republic tap water is also in very good quality. A new tread in CZ is that you can order a tap water in restaurants (usually just for a low fee or even for free). It is a new eco-friendly trend and in my opinion tap water tastes better and is healthier than bottled water that was stored in shops or warehouses for months. But in luxury restaurant it is usually not possible to order that because you can't make a profit from tap water. My recommendation is to just drink beer, it is the cheapest liquid and tastes very good :-)
In Ireland we (Germans) wanted to drink it just as at home, our host said "It's ok you can drink it" and it was... eeewwwwww it's full of chlorine (at least in Kerry) tastes like a swimming pool! In Germany it's also not common to order tap water, because of profit reasons like you said, but when you ask friendly they will give you some (you might be needing it because of health etc. can't deny water to anyone so to speak, but not very common)
creandra It is like that in america as well. Typically you wouldn't ask for tap water in a restaurant, especially only for tap water, because they will not typically charge you for it. Sometimes, if you ask for a cup for water in a fast food restaurant in America they may charge you 10 or 25 cents for the cost of the cup.
Very informative, however just a quick note on tipping. No one in Britain gives tips based on a percentage. Tips are normally the change that is given back to you after you have paid, and it is based entirely on the service you receive. Just to clarify no one actually used the percentage. Actually no one in Europe does that. It is all based on the service you receive from the waiter/waitress.
In Scandinavia the tipping is pretty much non-existent, due to a comparably high prices/wages/taxes. The chances are a waiter might run after you and say something along the lines "Sorry sir but you forgot your 50 cents." :D
Great videos! I love your channel. I have lived in Europe (two countries) for over 10 years, and what has helped me live over here (or if you are visiting) was reading "everything" about the culture (particular to my adopted country). It really, really helps. I never visited any country before moving here I just took my chances, but it helps to know a little.
A tip for Americans ready to travel - WalMart sells a converter plug that will work in different countries with the push of a button, and it's only $14 USD. For most modern electronics (phones or laptop) this will be plenty adequate.
I love these videos....*BUT* I almost think you should divide Europe up into smaller parts before doing these , because some countries are so different from each other. As a Norwegian I hardly recognize anything you are describing in these videos, except public transport. Seems like you empathize on southern Europe. Things like smelly people, no wifi, poor toilets ect is *unheard* of in Scandinavia. And no one uses cash here. On the downside people are less friendly(shy) and our food and drinks suck compared to continental Europe. Oh and on the toilet hole thing, Actually I have never seen such a toilet in my life, in any country in Europe. And I have been a lot to southern Europe too, Spain and Greece.
Salty Admiral we do have them by country too. don't worry. and I was actually just in Norway so in a few months you will see the Norway vs USA video and you can give me some more pointers :)
Salty Admiral Southern Europe? no way! I live in Berlin, coming from Barcelona, and excuse me but Berlin is NOT southern Europe so far, and it matches perfectly well in some points of his description. I never saw those toilets in Spain, never paid for the access to the toilets (like in Germany, where u pay everywhere), smelly people? WTF so much more smelly people here in Berlin with homeless.. and more problems getting wifi here in Berlin than in Barcelona, so maybe u should say east Europe but not southern, I don't see so many of his points, but he generalizes and explains things from all over the continent, every country in Europe is different from each other.
One thing about the tap water, if you come to Northern Europe, like the Nordic countries, the tap water tastes pretty much the same as bottled water, so don't bother buying it.
+KaregoAt Well we do have more or less the best tap water in the world here :) My ex (she was american btw) loved drinking our swedish tap water with some ice in it.
So, is Europe a better place to live? Sounds like less crime, healthier, generally more beatiful, the only problems would be the unemployement rates in some countries with high minimum wages like France and the fact that people are generally nicer in the US, but I think living in Europe would be more interesting... Don't live in either US or Europe but I was just wondering lol
People in Europe defiantly aren't nicer. It's more expensive, more people (on trains, public places, etc) for the bigger cities, most of Europe economically isn't doing well at all plus theres the whole migrant problem.
Ronnie You know Ronnie, you should stop watching Fox News so much. Throw away your gun and actually visit the place. Europe is civilisation personified. (You'll find the meaning in the OED)
Yeah, I agree with this man Sean, I live in Mexico and all the american media always looks down on Mexico and talks about how full of crime it is and how shitty it is to live in it, while in my 17 years of life I've had a pretty good middle class life with no big health/safety/echonomical issues, same goes for most mexicans I know here in mi city... my stepdad is French and he says the country is better than people say, the funny thing is, it's always people who are outside the country who talk the worst about it
I don't watch Fox News, and (talk about stereotypes) I don't own a gun either, as if that would be relevant. All my French friends constantly complain about France, the economy, job strikes, polluted city of Paris, and the migrant problems. Go to any French or video about Paris and read the comments from French people. It's not Fox News it's pure French people in my experience plus look at the U.K., they voted to leave the EU as well
I don't know then, to be honest, the world is kind of a mess right now... If I move to France next year I'll be going to a smaller city to the southeast called Grenoble, it's a nice modern place filled with students and other young people, it's probably nicer than Mexico anyways lol, not like I don't like my country but the future isn't looking too bright for Mexico tbh, neither is it for europe, or the US for that matter.. you know what, fuck everything, I'm gonna move to a cave in the north pole, I'm done lol
Hi WW - just to note that the Balerics - (particularly Mallorca) - Spanish islands in the Mediterranean Sea - have issues with drinking water - not because of bacteria, but because of the mineral salts in the water (hey, it's hot, it's dry, fantastic beaches - they are islands...) - locals get used to it, but you won't on a short trip, so use bottled water there.
If you go to the Netherlands cash is not King, in the supermarket theire are card only lanes and 1 or 2 cash lanes. Sorry for the bad English I'm just 14 years old.
Cool vid! I'm French, we don't tip at all. I think tipping is really an American thing. I have a friend who works in a restaurant in Paris, and he said he is alway gets excited when American tourists come in because they tip lol. I travel all over the EU with friends and we never felt a need to tip an other countries either. I hope to visit the USA one day.
Daniel H Fellow French! I'm surprised that you don't tip. You really don't leave a single coin? I always leave something, it's a good way to tell the waiter you're satisfied with the service. If I pay like, 10€ for a 8€ bill, I'll leave 1€ on the table, for example. o:
As an European I find some small faulty interpretations of your descriptions of it. But mainly it is interesting to see an Americans view of our continent. Please keep up the good work.
In a city called MATTERRA, ITALY ..I saw a toilet EXACTLY like that one (with just a hole in the ground) at a very very nice restaurant. I thought it was really bizzare to see this.
Wifi is really everywhere in the EU. I (living in the Czech Republic) don't even need to pay for the internet in my mobile phone, because when I need to search something or I get lost, I will always find wifi in some restaurant, cafe, library, school etc.
Speaking of restaurants... At most U.S. sit down restaurants (even the more casual) people do not share tables. You may see dozens of empty chairs but will still have to wait until an entire table is available. Americans like their privacy and space. Also, U.S. sit down restaurants try to turn over tables as quickly as possible. Unlike many restaurants and cafes in Europe, in the states it is customary to leave immediately after the meal. It is fine to linger in coffee houses and fast food of course. Great video Mark. I do plan on visiting Saint Petersburg one day and will keep in mind the water quality.
Tosh T in big cities in Europe it's very common for people to share tables - especially around the busier/more touristy spots. Perhaps less so in smaller places, but my experience is limited so I can't say that for a fact.
Greetings from Austria! Everyone here drinks tap water, and not only does it taste great, it's also amazingly pure. Often it's the same water they fill in bottles, literally from the same well. Your wallet will be happy, if you don't buy bottled water, and the environment will be as well.
9:15 The Netherlands has the cleanest tap water in the world. You can definitely drink it. In fact it is so clean it can be used in hospitals to clean wounds.
In Sweden, card is king and has been for a long time now. Only smaller shops may do cash only but most uses various debit and credit cards linked to Visa or Mastercard. I myself NEVER has cash in my wallet except when I go to my local hair dresser...only one I know of in my area who only uses cash. Also tipping in Europe is different as waiter gets a set salary and is not as dependent on tips as they are in the US, with that said tipping is different from country to country with some even considering tipping rude so I advice you google the country or countries you plan to visit on what general rules apply there.
+Daniela Dell'Oca it's weird. In the USA the nicer the hotel or more expensive the more likely you have to pay for WiFi. That's why we stay at mid range places. Free breakfast and wifi
Why do europeans want everything free??? Do you know how many ppl are in the hotel using wifi??? It'll just slow it dwn. Stop being cheap and thinking you have a right to everything. Fucking socialists fucks
Mr. Ross, including basic service in hotel fees has nothing to do with socialism. You don't have to bill your credit card for using the elevator either, or do you?
You forgot to mention that in the Uk/France/The Netherlands/Belgium they don't load drinks with ice and I haven't seen an ice machine in a hotel over there.
One difference I would add is the higher social acceptability of cigarette smoking in Europe compared to many places in the US. Though lately its become more socially unacceptable to smoke in northern and western Europe, in southeastern Europe (especially here in Greece where I live) people still smoke EVERYWHERE and if you're not used to smelling cigarette smoke regularly, it will come as a shock.
yeah, and if you are in middle or east Europe and you hate tobacco smell or you are with children you should choose restaurants very wisely because in a lots of them and almost in all the pubs smoking is allowed
In Germanys it's now prohibited in Restaurants, Bars, Clubs etc. (already a few years now) and being a smoker myself (shame on me...) I must say it's VERY good to eat and sit around without smoke, so that was a good thing when they made it illegal so to speak (you don't go to jail or anything, you can even have two rooms as a restaurant owner, if you meet the building requirements it's ok)! Employers and so on are very liberal and you can find a spot on the outside to smoke anywhere if you're a smoker (use the smoking areas when there are some, sometimes you might get caught and pay for it... In the train station for example, even if it's a small town, these guys can pop out of nowhere haha, but Í bet if you're a friendly tourist they will only warn you ;-) )
When it comes to electricity bear in mind not only plugs are different but voltage too. Its 110V in US vs 230V in most European countries. Most devices are designed to handle that anyway but read their rating plates just to be sure.
Mark , thank you so much for all your videos. My doggie died on 9/11/18 and he was my life ,so my pain in unbearable..but , thanks to your videos I can go on , day by day. Thanks again for your wonderful videos.
credit card usually costs extra in Europe, (up to 20% of the bill) because credit card companies are notorius of taking their money back from the company (like a restaurant) if the card holder doesn't pay its bills.
Splinter5570 AND, don't buy bottled water in the Netherlands, its a public secret the company's just fill the bottles with tap water and add some minor fancy chemical flavours tap water is safe! the main difference with the US we don't add fluor in the water here, that is the taste difference you experience
Stéphanie Marchino J'habite là-bas. Vergèze est en Camargue. Et Perrier est à Vergèze. Donc oui Perrier, c'est la Camargue. Renseigne-toi avant de dire des conneries.
Your bottled water comment is a bit off: in several countries (I have personally tried the water in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Italy) the water is at least as good as bottled water. You will see many people having a brand-name bottle in their hand/bag, but there is a good probability that it is filled with tap-water. And that you say that it "fine" to brush your teeth in makes it sound unsafe: go to Norway or the Swiss Alps (or many other places) and you will get some of the best water right out of the tap. There are of course exceptions, but ask the locals and they'll tell you what to do :-)
woltersworld I was surprised to hear that wifi is not as prevalent in europe. My understanding is that internet connections are faster and cheaper there than they are in the US.
DONT FORGET TO CHECK IF YOUR CHARGERS SUPPORT 220-240 VOLTS!!!! if not some magic smoke will come out of it. also tapwater in the netherlands is fine to drink everywhere, not always as nice as bottled but were i live we only drink tapwater, its just as good and much cheaper, there are places were tapwater is even better then bottled.
Many if not all of Europe use 220 Vac /50 Hz. An adapter generally does not change the voltage. Before plugging in any thing, check the ratings on the device. Only universal power supplies, 104 Vac - 240 Vac should be used. If your power supply only goes to 120 Vac, it will damage the power supply and may catch fire.
Alica Ljungberg There's nothing sensible about them at all, they just elected a racist, xenophobic, sexist bigot as their president, and the ones that didn't vote for him are rioting on the streets.
Great video, but one thing isn't right. You said that the water isn't good, well that is partly true, in the south of Italy or Greece,or parts of Spain and France it isn't that good. But For example Germany,Slovenia,Sweden,Norway and Austria have great water, especially south Germany and Austria have the best water in the world, speaking in quality and taste (just saying Tyrol).
I've drunk it in the City of York. In London I don't drunk the tap water because of the ugly water in York ^^ When I am in Wales I will try the tap water ;)
In North/West Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands) tapwater is very good, especially in the Netherlands, which has the best drinking water in the world.
I've been travelling all around Europe, but never had problems finding free wi-fi, while it was NYC where they wanted to charge me extra 40USD per night for the wi-fi in the room.
another difference is that americans are much more boring and serious always worried about work as u can see in the video itself theres people in the streets and plazas and music playing teens hanging out in the streets in the us none of that shit happens specially in towns are in silence and barely people outside people in europe is much more happy and like to have fun
I completely agree man. Our government and overall systematic manner of expression is based on wanting more needing more therefore working out asses of and still have no money left. This is why I identify myself as Mexican American . My Mexican roots give me a separate sense of individuality that's remove the veil from my eyes from what you just said but no this, not all Americans are boring pencil pushers lol
Consumed by deceit ik i live in a small town in CT and believe is nothing compared to europe i don't understand how people think they have more freedom with the constitution here i think the freedom here is completely low you gotta be 21 to do what ever u want while in europe legal age is 18 in europe you see teens hanging out and talking having fun in the streets here they are just different
+Joshua Silva I have definitely noticed this too. My friend summed this up 'Americans live to work, Europeans work to live'. Its just a different attitude to life i think. :) Also, its refreshing to hear Americans talk of European freedoms - I'm from the UK and it has always baffled me why many Americans believe they have more freedom than us. I think it is a common perception in Europe that if your very rich America is a great place to live, but if your poor, your screwed. Whereas in Europe fair welfare (& in the UK free healthcare etc), give the opportunity for anyone to succeed.
+Joshua Silva suicide rates in Europe are incredibly high. But you're right europeans are super happy especially when they get worker visas to actually come work int he US. lol. apparently you have never been to the US. every city in the US, has people playing outside, live music, live open theater, free boating during summer months...go Europe. all of it lol
+Russell Trakhtenberg This is such a ridiculous small town mindset it's silly. Wether you live to work or work to live, the truth is the constitution was never about happiness it was about laws limiting govt. simple as that. I have no idea why anyone would expect the govt to provide laws to grant you happiness. that's just asinine. And im sorry i'v been to Europe a plenty, are you specifically speaking of one country? one ethnic group? because Germans are not a happy relaxed people. Neither are Russians. Who are you referring too?
little tip: the areas of Europa where there are mountains (Norway, Switzerland, Austria etc.) have the same water in their tap as the one you buy in bottles everywhere else in Europe.
About the safety thing: you can get mugged anywhere. The biggest difference is that private citizens, in general, aren't allowed to have guns. It differs from one country to the next: Finland have relatively relaxed gun laws, and in Switzerland you'll see people in military service walking around with assault rifles. But in general, you cannot get a gun, maybe a hunting rifle at best. The result of this is that usually only hardened criminals, such as those in drug trade and such, will carry (obviously illegal) guns. And those folks don't bother with mugging people. So the chances of you encountering someone with a gun, who is not a police officer or a soldier, are extremely small. Another result is that, because there are very few guns around, the police aren't very likely to shoot someone. If there's a threatening situation, they may shoot someone in the leg, whereas in the USA they don't have that luxury. All big cities carry a certain risk with them, and have areas that are best avoided. But gun violence is rare in (most of) Europe.
A few things weren't quite right. #1 Krone isn't pronounced like 'crown'. It's pronounced more like 'crone' but you pronounce the e at the end. #2 I'm not sure about other European countries but there's not really any rule for tipping in the UK. Often people won't give anything but most people will just give some change they have left over or let the waiter keep the change. #3 I've never seen a squat toilet anywhere ever. I'm guessing they're more common in eastern Europe but we generally associate that sort of thing with developing countries like India. #4 Most people in Europe do not buy bottled water as regular drinking water. Another point that isn't exactly a mistake but is something worth noting is that most Europeans (and western Europeans in particular) do not consider Russia to be part of Europe.
Protector of the Republic I was clearly wrong about the squat toilets. I've never seen one so I just assumed they would be in a different part of Europe that I haven't been to before. Again, don't know about tipping rules for every country but it's not necessary practice here in the UK. People may only tip about half the time if it's convenient. I don't know anybody who drinks bottled water regularly. Tap water tends to be better in the cities than in the countryside here at least but either way people will drink it. On the point about Russia, I specifically said that Western Europeans in particular do not consider Russia to be part of Europe.
I also didn't come across or heard of such toilets, ever. In Portugal and Holland they are unknown. I came across them in India and Turkey, where it is standard. India and Turkey are obviously not Europe. (Well, India is actually more European then Turkey!! Historical and cultural interchange, and... linguistically! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosophists ). Most Europeans do more then just considering, they LIVE the reality of an Europe which includes, embraces and recognizes Russia as a part of it's life and culture. Political issues and what's behind them have turned this into an unconscious and split reality. Please see my previous reply a few posts before this one, if you wish. Are you from the UK ? (If I'm not mistaken, the Royal Ballet is in a close intimate contact with the Bolshoi Theatre - not with the Paris Opera Ballet.) Politics have separated Russia from Europe, and pushed it more and more into associating with other parts of the world, middle-East and Asia. Otherwise, Russia would be together with the other countries of Europe, even if it's not limited to it. There are thousands of words in Russian recognizable as latin-greek: "Politika, institut, praktika, problema, koncert, muzyka, kollega, student, universitet, ajeroport, avtomobil', shkola (school), korporacija, ministr, fil'm (cinema), panorama, akvarel', situacija, perspektiva, dokument, harakter, harakteristika, fotografija, televizor, radio, teorija, milicii, armada, persona, moment, velosiped, centr, fokus, okean, gazeta (newspaper), zhurnal (magazine), zhurnalist (journalist), aktior, roman (romance), grammatika, matematika, geografija, artist, master ,specialist, professional, prezident, kapitan, jubilej (celebration), avtonomii (autonomy) , literatura, pojezija (literature, verse, - poetry-), pojet (poet), trubadur (minstrel) , trova, lirik, opera, teatr ,tragedija , advokat (lawyer) ,adept , jurist ,balerina ,kompozitor ,konferencii ,konsensus ,intellekt ,arhitektura ,inzhener (engineer) , transport ,fantazija ,interesnyj (interesting) ,simfonija , assistent" etc. etc. etc. there's no end to it :))
In France for about a year now you can use your credit card to pay fees under 20€ without entering the PIN number if your card can be read by the machine from a close distance.
in norway, sweden, finland, denamrk and iceland you could drink water from the tap and it tasts the same as if it's bottle water
Switzerland also
Benjamin Tomassen Nordahl austria too.
Matthias Moser And UK (Scotland)
Good that you write Scotland. I was a few times in England and the water there was undrinkable;)
tim tasir Aye, Scotland is different to England. ;P
You forgot to mention people in EU drive manuals. So if you go to Europe, remember, you must know how to drive a manual because not every rent a car has automatics.
Renting a car in Europe is a great opportunity to learn to drive with manual transmission .
+la cosa and finding out how good our healthcare is when crash.
.. and remember, if u are in the UK, go to the left side of the road..
One could also call an Über or use public transit.
Well, Croatia is perfect for dental tourism
Come here in summer, enjoy in vacation, and fix your teeth cheep ;)
From the way he's talking I get that many Americans don't realize that Europe is a continent with actually 50 or so independent countries. Even if the EU exists, there's nothing about it even slightly like the US. Europe isn't like a giant country where states are just administrative divisions and all is almost the same everywhere. There are different countries, cultures, languages, money etc. Travelling from Poland to the Czech Republic for example isn't like taking a stroll from California to Nevada or from Washington to Oregon.
+spineshivers yeah, but you'll get robbed in both of them :D
+1SaBy i try to explain .. if u are not in a big tourist city u dont need to be afraid of beeing rubbed in some places u dont need to close ur door like canada, our is the MAFIA u know cosa nostra nsa gladio etc? they break refugees legs to have it easier by begging at the trainstations were the rich tourists are . if u watch them long enough u can see the mans behind them gathering his slaves by driving the biggest cars .
Europe is not a continent, it's part of Eurasia.
I like the eurasians...
Wifi is everywhere in Europe. Hotals have free wifi hotspots (You will get paswords for there private networks so those stay fast).
Every restaurant, mall, weed-joint has free WiFi, EVEN PUBLIC BATHROOMS
Not in Germany. In places where you can give every user an individual code (like hotels) to track them if they use the internet for illegal stuff you will get wifi, but rarely in restaurants or McDonald's or stuff like that. I visited Hungary a few years back, and they really had wifi at basically every café and everything, it was awesome! So I think that's very different from country to country.
Moscow and St Petersburg have free city wide wifi
The French don't believe in wifi for example, my friends went there this summer, and it was hard for them to find wifi and if they did find it, it was slow.
Ninbi Gaming
Thats because France is a poor country.
Roy Hoeksema It has the 10th highest GDP in the world. The lack of wifi is a cultural thing.
Also a little reminder for when you bring electronics:
Mains in europe is 220volts. not 110.
Rob van Kemenade And it's 50 Hz in europe, where in the US it is 60 Hz. Most poweradapters for laptops take both, so only plug converter needed, and most other stuff a tourist will bring can be charged via USB, through your laptop or if your hotel has a moderne flatscreen TV there will be USB connectors. So all in all the main issue is the shape of the plugs.
That's true. I was just reminding people.
To be fair, a 10hz difference is not really a problem for most electronics but a 110v difference is ;)
Rob van Kemenade Well except it can potentially ruin your device, if it's not something really simple like a lamp. Most power supplies for modern electronics are made to accept 100-240 V and both 50 and 60 Hz. So people won't destroy them all the time.
Rob van Kemenade Many hotels I've stayed at there have a 110v outlet in the bathroom.
smokeydoke100 Those are usually for electric razors only, electric and electronic devices should NOT be plugged into the mains supply in a bathroom. It should be noted that electrical safety regulations vary from country to country, where I live wall mounted light switches are not permitted in the bathroom, there might be a pull switch inside the door but generally the switch is on a wall outside the door.
Water in Norway is excellent. Better than bottle water too
Same in sweden.
+Fucoc Same in Vienna and most parts of Austria
Same in France, Spain, Italy and most of the european countries I've been to.
+Brioche Au Sucre In some regions of Spain water contains chlorine actually.
+Bam Lee Hungary has arzen (that lethal shit Mrs Bovary killed herself) :D
You forgot the most important difference, architecture. Also, Europe has real castles, unlike the US with its imitation Cinderella Castle in Disneyland.
+RustyTube You find the real one in Bavaria. Neuschwanstein rules!
+Léa ! exactly. Also how most of the castles in Europe that are still standing are from the 19th century anyway
RustyTube Slovenia FTW
AeonCatalyst i know at least 10 castles that were build in 1000-1500 and theyre still standing
Duhh, thats because countrys in europe have existed for tousands of years. Unlike "USA" which have only been around for a short time.
you say in america a coin is worthless.. but.. in my opinion.. money is money.. you NEVER throw that away
True, but he obviously doesn't mean that the money is WORTHLESS. It's just that here in the US, coins are worth very little. But yeah, you definitely want to save coins nonetheless.
Tell that to the 1, 2 and 5 cents that i throw into the trashcan.
1 and 2 p has been discontinued
BQNG 5 p here is useful but not 1 and 2 p
@@pyeltd.5457 I was talking about euros, we have 1 and 2 cents
BE WARNED: If the toilet lady looks at you... You better give her the money of she'll rip your soul out with just one blink of an eye. They're dangerous.
Alda Gunnars Toilet lady?
Who’s the toilet lady
Yeah if you don’t give a coin yeah it is here pay to clean the toilets
I never found One of those in portugal
Then she can keep staring bye old lady
You can drink tap water in the Netherlands it's actually cleaner than in the USA.
same in germany
The water in the US is very clear.
I drink tap water where I live every day. And have everywhere I've ever lived. In the U.S.
true for western Europe. but if you go to southern france, eastern europe,... the water Quality might be worse
Where in southern France is the tap water not that good? I mean, yeah, it's not a bottle of Volvic (brand of mineral water), but it's still safe and fine? At least it is where my family lives (border with Spain/Catalonia).
I'd love to visit Europe as an American, but unfortunately I already am European, so no chance there...
***** Germany
Hans Müller well you're lucky
Made no sense.
lol me too
I laughed :p Thanks for your comment hahaha
nothing about taxes? when i went to the Usa i was always kinds annoyed that the prices didn't include the taxes so it was actually a little more..
second that. Plus we don't ask $30 or something something for an ESTA document to get into Europe...............................YET!
Sales tax can be irritating but I wouldn't doubt that businesses exclude the tax because it makes their products appear to be more cheaper (even if it's only by a few cents).
Lol I live in Delaware, I don’t pay sales tax :)
That is soo annoying...
#1. Europe is a contient. The US is not.
you are correct :) 100% on the quiz so far ;)
woltersworld
but America is :)
Officer Baron Also: What americans think of France, isn't France... That is Spain. :))
Europe is not a contiment. It's part of Eurasia.
Actually, both the USA and Europe are subcontinents.
The USA are (the majority of) a subcontinent as well as a country.
Europe is a subcontinent as well as 44 countries.
I think what the OP was trying to do was to emphasize that most Americans are probably not aware of the "44 countries" part. Do you comprehend?
9:00 In the Netherlands we don't buy bottle water our tap water is great
yep. only on the way
yessss
Its even healthier with tapwater in Holland, I heard its the healthiest of the world
Regarding to UNESCO the tapwater in Finland has highest quality in the world
in Slovakia people would actually think you're crazy if you buy bottled water instead of drinking the one from a tap...they don't even sell 35 pack of bottled water in here, like they do in the US lol
Any tipping done in the UK is usually just as a thank you to the establishment or server. Never a fixed percentage, whatever you feel like.
What's with this "don't throw your coins away" thing? Do Americans throw money away??
More like toss aside.
Tom K Many stores have small change bowls to leave your change in. If you are short a few cents, you can take it out of this bowl. Pennies in the US are pretty worthless. They actually take more money to make than they are worth.
+Livid Imp As the rude northern europeans we are, as we found out we were supposed to tip on a note where the tip already was included, we just left all the change we had and left, but we were a bit pissed off already since the note was about 30-40% more alread from taxes and the included tip, we knew about the taxes, but a 20% tip on a 20% tip simply felt like a robbery to us
+SportSoulLife I used to work for tips, yet I hate mandatory tipping. I've been stiffed, often by the people that can most afford it, yet the moment you force people to tip (usually on a table of 8+) it becomes a hidden surcharge, not a tip for service. And 30-40% IS robbery unless you _really_ liked your server. Typical tips are 15%, 20% if they were above average. Not sure where your extra 20% came from. Taxes typically run 7-8%, maybe up to 10% in some of the worst areas.
Livid Imp Was in Newport, and on the bill it said "Included tip: 20%", so we were forced to tip that and then one of the locals said that you usually tip 20% on the net with the food, taxes and included tip. Maybe it was just that restaurant, but still, we were quite shocked.
I love how you recommend to speak a little bit of the local language. It's true that is very much appreciated.
+Els Verwilgen If Americans are worried when it comes to speaking the local language in other European countries, they must be absolutely terrified when visiting the UK.
+anghinetti Evidently 😉
If visiting from the US there is no need to feel self-conscious or nervous when speaking a foreign language. Just go for ut!
Els Verwilgen it is funny :p
Els Verwilgen I am a waitress in a Spanish hotel , and although I don, t expect foreighners to speak Spanish , I appreciate very much when they try to say a pair of words in Spanish , or show some interest in spanish culture.
So this waiter business is interesting, because it's on of the things I hear often from American turists. ''European waiters are so rude''. This is actually one of the biggest misconceptions in Europe turism. There are a few reasons for this apparent rudeness. Waiters keep their distance and don't interviene unless they're needed. They appear distant, but what they're actually doing is leaving you to eat in peace. Europeans are very proud(not to be mistaken with arrogant) and submission, especially in western Europe, is a cultural no no. Your waiter is there to serve you, but he/she is NOT your servant, and if you treat them like American waiters, they'll see it as an assault on their integrity. They're are well established members of the middleclass, and make too much to take your shit. And the American 'costumer is king' philosphy does not apply to Europe, unless your food is undercooked or breaches healthcode you cannot ask for your money back. I actually prefer this to the pampering nature of American waiting, they're reliant on tips, and their extreme politeness comes across a bit shallow to me.
Dude... The prison in norway is better than hotels in amerika... If you want a nice hotel, go to norway.
Hi, wifi is easy to get and find in Europe and actually it's faster than what I've seen in the US - I am American and lived in Europe (France) for 15 years and am also now a French and (European) citizen as well. I don't act like an American living here but have adopted European life or French life as my own. It's not the same as most Americans, visiting Europe in 7 days. They often say it's expensive but for me it's not, maybe because they are tourists, but in general I think Europeans live much better and healthier than Americans (obesity in the US)remember France is a democracy with more social programs like healthcare and it's not like what you think, it's not factory healthcare - I know from experience, plus the same exact medication in the US will often cost half the price in France. my mother was here visiting and had to go to the emergency room, she saw a doctor, got an X-ray of her wrist and paid 87€ , in the US it would have been 100's of dollars. Plus 25 paid vacation days
I totes second this. Though I must say in all my travels in Europe (lived in Paris, now in Prague), France does have the most easily accessible Wifi. Other countries do have lots of wifi hotspots, but many you need to sign up and pay for or know the cafe's password. There's nowhere I can go in Prague where its totally free without buying a drink first or going to mcdonalds. I dont know what its like in the US, but coming from Australia where net infrastructure is just shit, Europe has amazing, fast and reliable internet.
+RadicalTerminator your right the US can do so much bets with the power and wealth it has and there's no excuse I don't understand why middle class Americans don't want these kinds of things, they are the ones who struggle the most - I'm not trying to compete and no country is perfect but I actually think Europeans have more freedom - the US is turning into a police state all these people being killed by police when it should have been handles differently - people want guns to protect themselves, they feel safer, but to protect themselves from who other Americans or maybe an invasion from Canada or Mexico - it is creating this paranoiac behavior, someone puts a hand in his pocket and they think your reaching for a gun and you get shot - the biggest threat is Americans killing Americans with guns things like that happen more often than terrorist attacks and not to say that terrorism is not a real threat - politicians don't seem to address the issue very much.
+Geoffry Allan an invasion from canada or mexico is very unlikely. dats so dumb
Geoffry Allan
@@ashleightempleton3563 Old thread and video but wanted to let people know that in Romania we have public free wifi on the streets in big cities. It's not the best and not a lot of people use it because a lot of people have very cheap ($10/mo) unlimited 4G. I was shocked at how hard it is to use the internet in western Europe tbh
I'm from Norway, and just so you know you can abselutley drink the water here!! Do NOT buy water, thats waste of money. No body in Norway buys water, the water we have from the tap is tasy, that goes for both sweeden and Denmark too
Sirianna S. Pettersen can't wait :) going there this summer!
woltersworld How cool! :) Where are you heading? I'm from Northern-Norway btw.
For all of western Europe in my experience. Netherlands has tap water that comes from underground wells. Tastes better then stuff from the store and full of minerals.
Sirianna S. Pettersen for the water it's simple: if you are travelling in parts of europe where the climate is very rainy, like the alps (switzerland, northern italy, austria), germany, northern France or the atlantic coast of spain you can without any doubts drink the water. and it tastes awesome! in other locations I would suggest to buy the water as Wolter says
Sirianna S. Pettersen I've never really had a problem with drinking tap water in the UK either, no one really thinks twice whether its ok to drink, its just expected to be ok.
One major exception: if it has a little green dot on top of it its usually recycled water (ok to wash hands in, shouldn't drink). If I forget to bring a bottle at work or while travelling I will buy one just so I have a bottle so once I'm done I can fill it up with tap water.
Depending on where you are in the UK the water may taste slightly different but that's due to some areas having faint traces of minerals, its exactly the same with normal bottled water though.
Thanks for the videos, Wolter! My wife and I spent a few months living in Poland and one thing we discovered regarding water was that when ordering/purchasing bottled water, it is necessary to specify with or without gas. Apparently, carbonated water is much more popular there than here. "Woda niegazowana" was one of the most important Polish phrases I learned!
cmcarlile very true!
His name is Mark Wolters...
The toilet lady thing is so true lol
+Morris Colenbrander they scare me sometimes
+woltersworld They scare even me and I am from Europe so I should be used to that... :D
+Morris Colenbrander
in fact, those ladies often are NOT cleaning the toilets. They are just sitting there watching the money. Ang get paid for this.
In short, this is one obvious mafia thing - cleansing money, not toilets, thats what they are doing there.
And those toilets where your paiment is accounted for (you get a receipt, like a sanifair chain on german highways) are always way cleaner.
+woltersworld I live in Finland, haven't see those :)
You'd be suprised as to how much some of the toilet ladies make a day.
A quick bit of information about tap water in Denmark (I live here, I should know) the tap water is safe to drink anywhere unless it's specifically marked that it isn't. There's differences in taste obviously, but generally it's actually cleaner than bottled water.
+Anders Pedersen In the UK even the toilet water is safe to drink but best to do so AFTER you have flushed (ha ha).
Same, it's coming from the same set of pipes.
+anghinetti
That's because we are flushing our toiletts with fine drink-quality water... really a shame
+Anders Pedersen Why, can't you drink tap water in USA? When we build a house it has tap water connected, Methane Gas connected, Electricity connected, Fiber optic internet cable, Sewerage connection. This is standard for each house. And i thought in the USA they where more advanced. I drink tap water everyday, and i love the taste better than bottled water. Bottled water has a weird not so fresh taste.
Anders Pedersen same here in belgium, they did tests and the tap water was better than most bottled water
You aren't expected to tip anything in the UK.
You aren't expected to tip, but you're an arse if you don't.
SilverGames U.S. restaurants pay their wait staff differently than Europeans do, so don't make assumptions or judgements based on another country's way of paying. In the U.S., wait staff live off of the tips, aren't even paid minimum wage, and expect good tips for good service. Very few restaurants will automatically put a 'tip' or 'service fee' on your bill. You may get free refills, but the wait staff brings it to you, so tip them according to how much they fetch and carry for you - between 10% for lousy service to 20% for great service. If you think it's unfair or a stupid system, I agree, but the system is what it is.
+Debra VanSandt I begrudge tipping for even good service and so anyone who provides a terrible service wouldn't stand a chance. Thank heaven for British public houses. Tipping is not expected for providing drinks and pub grub, to be consumed either at the bar or at one of the tables, but suppose tipping may be in order if the pub has a proper restaurant attached. They usually are more the up-market sort of establishment, which generally are not the type I frequent.
Debra VanSandt
"If you think it's unfair or a stupid system, I agree." - Can't agree more
+JimJamX same in france, and you're not even an arse if you don't, no one tips ;)
Here in Switzerland, you can drink the water from every fountain outside and it will taste very good! We have very good drinking water and it is not chlorinated! Of course you can buy water in stores but you can drink also the water in your hotel room for sure! We will only write "no drinkable water" on a fountain for example in the Alps where the fountains are not safe (e.g. in use for cows ;))
+HelenaRG71
Mostly "no drinkable water" just means, that it hasn't been tested.
Drink-quality water has to be tested by the state in most european countries, if it's not it's officially "no drinkable water", even if it would be just fine.
+HelenaRG71 Is the water without chlorine or without fluoride ? I hear fluoride is banned in some of the EU.
+charming jim No fluoride and also no chlorine. Just water. (Switzerland is not a member of the EU)
Just one little remark. You can't use a Swedish Krone in the Czech Republic and visa versa. Its not like the Euro, which are all the same currency. 'Krone' is just a generic name for money or coin.
I think its impossible to group the whole of Europe together in this way, and create an effective list of differences. The differences between Italy and Norway, may be greater than the differences between the US and the UK
Always address people by their nation, NEVER call them European. It really pisses people off when Americans do that.
Also we rarely use cash in the UK now, so what the hell are you talking about?
+Larry Bundy Jr on cash vs credit cards, he is talking about Europe in general, not just the UK, in Germany for example credit/debit cards are not nearly as widely used as the USA
Sira Mea
Thats what you get for using the word "Europe" to blanket multiple cultures and nations.
+Larry Bundy Jr not true. In austria at least nobody is pissed off if you call them europeans, europe is a proud conitinent
+Larry Bundy Jr I'm British too, I think its mainly us Brits that dislike being called European aha
+jacob davies Why?UK is in Europe so that is true
Well, In France tap water is drinkable everywhere. In restaurant if you don't want to pay for a bottle of water (about 5$), you can ask to a free bottle of tap water.
smalink thanks
woltersworld When you are in a "real" restaurant in France you can ask for bread when you want it. It's usually also free.
***** In the U.S. you can get water for free at most places.
***** Interesting how that works. I was surprised to hear that there are really no refills in Europe. :O
***** Well the refills could also be for lemonade, tea, coffee, milk, or even juice. I prefer that stuff anyways over soda. Dx
About the linguistic problem:
1- The majority of Europeans aren't fluent in English
2- Even if we can communicate with each other with all our awkward accents, just realise that we generaly can't understand your american accent, so you have to speak slowly and Without Slang ;)
És português?
Sim, pq? :)
+Rúben Luso pareceste ser só ;)
+Rúben Luso thats right even my eglishteacher cant understand the childs of us soldiers and i tierly only learned british english .. worthless , i never make holliday in britain or god beware usa , there are so much languages and i had to learn that one who helped me nothing
+micha McV. How did you understand this video? ;-)
I might just adjust these to my country. In Lithuania:
- Tap water comes from deep underground and is used for drinking.
- Debit cards are accepted basically anywhere.
- Almost all younger people will understand simple English.
btw
It's 220V in Europe. Don't just plug every device without checking if it supports the voltage.
2:00 Ireland wasn't there they use the euro
And after that he was showing countries in Europe using different currencies and Bulgaria wasn't on it..
TSKN yeah where's Ireland our country
Something else worth noting is the amount of sunlight. If you go to Northern Europe (Ireland, the UK, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland), particularly to the Færoe Islands Iceland, Scotland and Northern England, you may be surprised by the lack of sunlight. It is overcast well over half of the time in these places even when it isn't raining. Furthermore, these countries are much further north than the contiguous forty-eight states of the US, and so get far less daylight in winter. Taking Lerwick, Shetland (Scotland) as an example, on the winter solstice the sun rises at 9:10am and sets at 2:55pm, and the further north you go the more extreme it gets.
On the other hand, these places also experience far longer summer days than in the US (except Alaska, which is more comparable), with the sun in Lerwick on the summer solstice rising at 3:35am and setting at 10:35pm; the twilight lasts all night without getting too dark to navigate without artificial light. And, again, in northern Norway, Sweden and Finland (which are north of the Arctic circle), these figures are even more extreme.
As a Dutch person, I can really appreciate if people thank me in Dutch. It is something little that tells people have a interest in your language and culture and that is really nice.
+apainintheaas Agreed. Now I think of it, whenever I visit a country I always do this in the language of that country. I'd appreciate it if a visitor would do the same.
That's true.
In portugal you Will always found that person that thanks you with "gracias"...
I like to play the game. And reply with "no hay problema. Fue un placer".
One slight addition maybe about the tap water: if you visit Austria and/or Southern Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg) most of the tap water comes from alpine rivers, so don't waste your money on water, the tap water has a really high quality and great taste. (And on longer trips that can save you quite a nice amount of money to spend on other stuff ;) )
When you go to a grocery store (or anywhere, really) in Europe, the price you see is the price you actually pay. VAT included.
That is something that's always bothered me immensely about the US.
If you are in Switzerland I would advice you to drink tap water or refill bottles with tab water once they are empty. The tap tastes better and is often even of a higher quality.
This is too cool, I saw the picture of Croatia and I instantly recognized Rovinj and then you had a picture taken of your son at our favourite restaurant (Atlas). I go there Every summervacation
I think it awesome how you take your children around the world!
Raffaele Colucci it is fun and honestly I would not travel without them anymore. so much better with the whole family :)
woltersworld Taking the kids on holiday is the best contraceptive know to man.
I'm a European and for some reason I watched the whole thing
also the list of countries given who use euro leaves out Ireland
+Adam Teague sorry. sometimes I miss things... Lithuania isn't on there either...
+woltersworld video uploaded back in 2014 when Lithuania had not been in Euro zone. So that was a mistake that you mentioned it there. but now since 2015 its part of Euro zone so it makes sense now. lol good channel though...
Wolters World At 5:29 Ireland uses that plug type too.
Adam T no one says no to euro in europe it is like giving dollars to africa
And Montenegro
Awesome video! I have a few additions, from living in the US and traveling frequently to numerous countries in Europe:
Dealing with strangers
USA - People are (in my very humble opinion) off-puttingly warm. By this I mean someone who strikes up a conversation with you while waiting in line at the train station would tell you about their personal lives ten minutes in. I've always found this to be rather awkward, as I consider the personal dealings of someone as something that should be reserved once you've established a good friendship.
Europe - I prefer the Europeans' (in a general sense) initial "coldness." The reason I say coldness in double quotes is because I don't really see it as them being cold. Rather, it's more of the norm.
Falling in line
USA - Americans fall in line for everything, which is awesome.
Europe - I very rarely get into fights, but if I did, it probably would be because of people who cut the lines. I almost yelled at this Swiss family who did not at all care about the short line to buy breakfast food-then I realized that maybe in Switzerland, I'm the weird one for actually falling in line.
Public transportation
USA - If you are not in a major metropolitan city, you're pretty much SOOL with options to get from point A to B-unless you rent a car. If you choose to go ahead and soldier on without your own vehicle, be prepared because it's one of the most frustrating things you'd have to do.
Europe - In most countries, you can get around quite conveniently on public transportation alone. I didn't say cheaply because they can be quite costly, but if you plan your trip right, you do not need a car to get to famous tourist spots and beyond.
Food
USA - I don't think I'll ever stop being shocked at how wasteful a country America is. The amount of food that people here throw away on a regular basis is simply...I don't even know how to end that.
Europe - Again, I can't speak for the entire continent because I haven't been to all of them, but I find Europeans culturally are significantly less wasteful-they don't buy mounds of perishables, just enough for them to cook the evening's dinner, and maybe lunch for the next day.
Shopping
USA - No contest, shopping in America is a joy: Merchandise is typically cheaper, and whenever a sale is happening, retailers go all-out. Where else can you get really lucky and pick up a selvedge jean for $5?
Europe - I don't buy clothes in any of the countries in Europe for the reason above. A French vlogger described it best: He was so dumbfounded by the fact that a pair of Levi's jeans in the US is about $25, whereas in his home country, it's 90€. "Trois fois plus cher? (Three times more expensive?) Pour le même jean? (For the same jean?) On se fout de votre gueule? (Are you kidding me?)"
halfthefiber thanks and thanks for the adding comment. much appreciated to get even more info in the comments sections. cheers!
Not all Americans are the same.
America is extremely diverse. Your social interaction with people in Beverly Hills is going to be completely different that the kinds of interactions you are going to have in Ferguson,Detroit, Compton and even Little Rock.
Dagekk968 Well, of course, any huge chunk of the map will have diversity in different areas. This is also true in Europe. Many times people are very different within the same country.
halfthefiber Tip for shopping in Europe: go for European labels. For exaple, Zara has cheap to medium prices in Spain, while in other countries is too fucking expensive: 20-30€ (25-35$?) for jeans in Spain, 20-50% more abroad.
People just need to give this guy a break. He has done his best to give his viewers a broad range of information and condense it down into a shorter video. Sure, he may not have everything 100% consistently correct country to country, town to town, but he has done his best. He is a well-travelled man and does know what he is talking about for the most part. Don't get upset that he may not have your exact town's details and lifestyle down to a tee.
Lol I just visited Europe and stopped in Lucerne Switzerland. I saw that bridge picture at 10:12 and was like “WOW, HE PUT THAT IN THERE”. I didn’t think too many people had heard of it. Awesome!
Excuse me? I don't want to come of as a smartass, but I had been living in St. Petersburg for 3 years and, that you can't brush you teeth or wash yourself with the water there is a lie!
dani sechzehn Agree. If you can't even brush your teeth with it, then why is it distributed by the government??
its like that all over Europe, the water is only "bad" because it generally has something that people who aren't from the are aren't used to in their water so it can make them sick but if you've been there for a while, you get used to it and it doesn't bother you
Adam Teague I know. My mom had been married to my Syrian dad for some years, and when they visited his family in Syria, she became sick from the water too. But she recovered easily.
+dani sechzehn its good she recovered. I know with my family, we go to Spain every year and a couple times its only taken forgetfulness to ruin a holiday by accidentally drinking from the tap
+dani sechzehn Maybe you have developed a resistance to the disgusting water.
Drink the tap water in the Netherlands. It tastes pretty damn good.
lol
+Kenny K we drinken hier niet uit de wc. :S
Kan wel, als je wc schoon is. T is gewoon kraanwater.
Iris van Laar :P
Same in Slovenija..enjoy it
We don't tip in England
+TheBrassHole 10%
+woltersworld well having lived in England my whole life, I know that tipping is never done but when it is, it's usually just spare change. Not a percentage
Most of us in England usually do leave about 10% though. Depends on the service. We don't tip at cafes or bars for just drinks or coffees. But usually people will tip about 10% at restaurants. Unless you're proper stingy.
What you mean is YOU don't tip. I've not lived in the UK all my life but even in the 60s I remember people leaving tips wherever they are waited on. Most the people I know in the UK would consider it bad form not to leave a tip unless they found the service or food not up to scratch.
+Wolters World in switzerland , france, italy we do not focus on persentage we just leave a couple of coins like 1-2 francs , euros
Cash is not king in Norway at all. We use debit og credit cards everywhere. Cash is seen as inconvenient and maybe a bit trashy? Nowadays we don't even use a PIN for smaller purchases. Most places now have contactless payment.
I just got this video recommended, its nice to see Wolter record the same type of videos, at high quality for over 5 years now
You forgot Ireland on the list of countries that use the Euro
In Germany/Austria the water quality is some of the best in the world!
Especially in Austria where the water freely comes from the mountains. They even recommend to drink the tap :)
Great video like always! I recommended your channel to people!
thanks Khalid! all the best!
In Czech Republic tap water is also in very good quality. A new tread in CZ is that you can order a tap water in restaurants (usually just for a low fee or even for free). It is a new eco-friendly trend and in my opinion tap water tastes better and is healthier than bottled water that was stored in shops or warehouses for months. But in luxury restaurant it is usually not possible to order that because you can't make a profit from tap water. My recommendation is to just drink beer, it is the cheapest liquid and tastes very good :-)
In Ireland we (Germans) wanted to drink it just as at home, our host said "It's ok you can drink it" and it was... eeewwwwww it's full of chlorine (at least in Kerry) tastes like a swimming pool!
In Germany it's also not common to order tap water, because of profit reasons like you said, but when you ask friendly they will give you some (you might be needing it because of health etc. can't deny water to anyone so to speak, but not very common)
creandra It is like that in america as well. Typically you wouldn't ask for tap water in a restaurant, especially only for tap water, because they will not typically charge you for it. Sometimes, if you ask for a cup for water in a fast food restaurant in America they may charge you 10 or 25 cents for the cost of the cup.
In Switzerland and The skandinavians you can also drink Tal water without Any problems.
Very informative, however just a quick note on tipping. No one in Britain gives tips based on a percentage. Tips are normally the change that is given back to you after you have paid, and it is based entirely on the service you receive. Just to clarify no one actually used the percentage.
Actually no one in Europe does that. It is all based on the service you receive from the waiter/waitress.
In Scandinavia the tipping is pretty much non-existent, due to a comparably high prices/wages/taxes. The chances are a waiter might run after you and say something along the lines "Sorry sir but you forgot your 50 cents." :D
Great videos! I love your channel.
I have lived in Europe (two countries) for over 10 years, and what has helped me live over here (or if you are visiting) was reading "everything" about the culture (particular to my adopted country). It really, really helps. I never visited any country before moving here I just took my chances, but it helps to know a little.
AvrilLynn1 so true! i like the culture shock books if you know them. fun to read and rather insightful
A tip for Americans ready to travel - WalMart sells a converter plug that will work in different countries with the push of a button, and it's only $14 USD. For most modern electronics (phones or laptop) this will be plenty adequate.
I love these videos....*BUT* I almost think you should divide Europe up into smaller parts before doing these , because some countries are so different from each other. As a Norwegian I hardly recognize anything you are describing in these videos, except public transport. Seems like you empathize on southern Europe.
Things like smelly people, no wifi, poor toilets ect is *unheard* of in Scandinavia. And no one uses cash here. On the downside people are less friendly(shy) and our food and drinks suck compared to continental Europe. Oh and on the toilet hole thing, Actually I have never seen such a toilet in my life, in any country in Europe. And I have been a lot to southern Europe too, Spain and Greece.
Salty Admiral we do have them by country too. don't worry. and I was actually just in Norway so in a few months you will see the Norway vs USA video and you can give me some more pointers :)
Salty Admiral It's more a french thing (the toilets)
woltersworld Make Sweden Vs USA.
Salty Admiral Southern Europe? no way! I live in Berlin, coming from Barcelona, and excuse me but Berlin is NOT southern Europe so far, and it matches perfectly well in some points of his description. I never saw those toilets in Spain, never paid for the access to the toilets (like in Germany, where u pay everywhere), smelly people? WTF so much more smelly people here in Berlin with homeless.. and more problems getting wifi here in Berlin than in Barcelona, so maybe u should say east Europe but not southern, I don't see so many of his points, but he generalizes and explains things from all over the continent, every country in Europe is different from each other.
Salty Admiral yup. as a finn i didnt recognize any of those.
One thing about the tap water, if you come to Northern Europe, like the Nordic countries, the tap water tastes pretty much the same as bottled water, so don't bother buying it.
true :)
+KaregoAt Well we do have more or less the best tap water in the world here :)
My ex (she was american btw) loved drinking our swedish tap water with some ice in it.
+NikesZ28 Yeah, no complaining about that :D The water is pretty amazing here in Finland too!
same in Germany
same in hungarian countryside
So, is Europe a better place to live? Sounds like less crime, healthier, generally more beatiful, the only problems would be the unemployement rates in some countries with high minimum wages like France and the fact that people are generally nicer in the US, but I think living in Europe would be more interesting... Don't live in either US or Europe but I was just wondering lol
People in Europe defiantly aren't nicer. It's more expensive, more people (on trains, public places, etc) for the bigger cities, most of Europe economically isn't doing well at all plus theres the whole migrant problem.
Ronnie
You know Ronnie, you should stop watching Fox News so much.
Throw away your gun and actually visit the place.
Europe is civilisation personified. (You'll find the meaning in the OED)
Yeah, I agree with this man Sean, I live in Mexico and all the american media always looks down on Mexico and talks about how full of crime it is and how shitty it is to live in it, while in my 17 years of life I've had a pretty good middle class life with no big health/safety/echonomical issues, same goes for most mexicans I know here in mi city... my stepdad is French and he says the country is better than people say, the funny thing is, it's always people who are outside the country who talk the worst about it
I don't watch Fox News, and (talk about stereotypes) I don't own a gun either, as if that would be relevant. All my French friends constantly complain about France, the economy, job strikes, polluted city of Paris, and the migrant problems. Go to any French or video about Paris and read the comments from French people. It's not Fox News it's pure French people in my experience plus look at the U.K., they voted to leave the EU as well
I don't know then, to be honest, the world is kind of a mess right now... If I move to France next year I'll be going to a smaller city to the southeast called Grenoble, it's a nice modern place filled with students and other young people, it's probably nicer than Mexico anyways lol, not like I don't like my country but the future isn't looking too bright for Mexico tbh, neither is it for europe, or the US for that matter.. you know what, fuck everything, I'm gonna move to a cave in the north pole, I'm done lol
Hi WW - just to note that the Balerics - (particularly Mallorca) - Spanish islands in the Mediterranean Sea - have issues with drinking water - not because of bacteria, but because of the mineral salts in the water (hey, it's hot, it's dry, fantastic beaches - they are islands...) - locals get used to it, but you won't on a short trip, so use bottled water there.
If you go to the Netherlands cash is not King, in the supermarket theire are card only lanes and 1 or 2 cash lanes.
Sorry for the bad English I'm just 14 years old.
Cool vid! I'm French, we don't tip at all. I think tipping is really an American thing. I have a friend who works in a restaurant in Paris, and he said he is alway gets excited when American tourists come in because they tip lol. I travel all over the EU with friends and we never felt a need to tip an other countries either. I hope to visit the USA one day.
You wouldn't be appreciated much in Austria. Though it's not mandatory to tip, it's considered normal.
In ireland, a tip is giving €50 note for €49 meal and leaving the rest!
In Greece, tipping it's normal. Although, we don't give 10€ for example, but 2€ or even less
Βερναρδος Βίλλας it's so hard not to make a poor Greek joke... Sorry..
Daniel H Fellow French! I'm surprised that you don't tip. You really don't leave a single coin? I always leave something, it's a good way to tell the waiter you're satisfied with the service. If I pay like, 10€ for a 8€ bill, I'll leave 1€ on the table, for example. o:
As an European I find some small faulty interpretations of your descriptions of it. But mainly it is interesting to see an Americans view of our continent.
Please keep up the good work.
I have been to a lot of places in Europe and I have NEVER seen that toilet. Where is that?
I've seen it in Italy
It is mostly an Eastern thing.
Havent seen it in the east much myself either. Or atleast north eastern. I guess maybe in the balkans?
In a city called MATTERRA, ITALY ..I saw a toilet EXACTLY like that one (with just a hole in the ground) at a very very nice restaurant. I thought it was really bizzare to see this.
I've seen one in France. As I understand, they've been more common ages ago, but not anymore.
None in Germany, as far I can tell as a German ;)
Wifi is really everywhere in the EU. I (living in the Czech Republic) don't even need to pay for the internet in my mobile phone, because when I need to search something or I get lost, I will always find wifi in some restaurant, cafe, library, school etc.
tapwater is top notch in the Netherlands :)
+frenzorub It's delicious, even.
+frenzorub After 4 Germans already drank it before you...
+JohnJameson18y What are you smoking man?
***** Could be because of a rusty pipe if it's an old house. There's some real old houses there XD
***** Maybe some other reason then! Who knows. At least you got nothing from it lmao
Speaking of restaurants...
At most U.S. sit down restaurants (even the more casual) people do not share tables. You may see dozens of empty chairs but will still have to wait until an entire table is available. Americans like their privacy and space.
Also, U.S. sit down restaurants try to turn over tables as quickly as possible. Unlike many restaurants and cafes in Europe, in the states it is customary to leave immediately after the meal. It is fine to linger in coffee houses and fast food of course.
Great video Mark. I do plan on visiting Saint Petersburg one day and will keep in mind the water quality.
Tosh T very true. thanks for the share tosh
Tosh T some european countries are the same e.g. uk, finland etc...
that's just like in Europe, specially the first part
Tosh T in big cities in Europe it's very common for people to share tables - especially around the busier/more touristy spots. Perhaps less so in smaller places, but my experience is limited so I can't say that for a fact.
Greetings from Austria! Everyone here drinks tap water, and not only does it taste great, it's also amazingly pure. Often it's the same water they fill in bottles, literally from the same well. Your wallet will be happy, if you don't buy bottled water, and the environment will be as well.
lived in europe for 22 years, never seen a „hole-in-the-floor“ toilett
I have in a bar in laroles Granada spain
You should visit Greece...in some schools and old buildings there are still these toilets 😂
East and south europe only ;)
9:15 The Netherlands has the cleanest tap water in the world. You can definitely drink it. In fact it is so clean it can be used in hospitals to clean wounds.
In Sweden, card is king and has been for a long time now. Only smaller shops may do cash only but most uses various debit and credit cards linked to Visa or Mastercard. I myself NEVER has cash in my wallet except when I go to my local hair dresser...only one I know of in my area who only uses cash. Also tipping in Europe is different as waiter gets a set salary and is not as dependent on tips as they are in the US, with that said tipping is different from country to country with some even considering tipping rude so I advice you google the country or countries you plan to visit on what general rules apply there.
This year I went to New York and I stayed in a hotel (big hotel near Times Square) that hadn't free Wi-Fi. You had to pay for it!!!!
+Daniela Dell'Oca it's weird. In the USA the nicer the hotel or more expensive the more likely you have to pay for WiFi. That's why we stay at mid range places. Free breakfast and wifi
Why do europeans want everything free??? Do you know how many ppl are in the hotel using wifi??? It'll just slow it dwn. Stop being cheap and thinking you have a right to everything. Fucking socialists fucks
Mr. Ross, including basic service in hotel fees has nothing to do with socialism. You don't have to bill your credit card for using the elevator either, or do you?
lmao in Europe it would be free
At all the hotels I stayed in the US they had WI-FI
You forgot to mention that in the Uk/France/The Netherlands/Belgium they don't load drinks with ice and I haven't seen an ice machine in a hotel over there.
One difference I would add is the higher social acceptability of cigarette smoking in Europe compared to many places in the US. Though lately its become more socially unacceptable to smoke in northern and western Europe, in southeastern Europe (especially here in Greece where I live) people still smoke EVERYWHERE and if you're not used to smelling cigarette smoke regularly, it will come as a shock.
yeah, and if you are in middle or east Europe and you hate tobacco smell or you are with children you should choose restaurants very wisely because in a lots of them and almost in all the pubs smoking is allowed
Nick Barnets very true. very true.
In Germanys it's now prohibited in Restaurants, Bars, Clubs etc. (already a few years now) and being a smoker myself (shame on me...) I must say it's VERY good to eat and sit around without smoke, so that was a good thing when they made it illegal so to speak (you don't go to jail or anything, you can even have two rooms as a restaurant owner, if you meet the building requirements it's ok)! Employers and so on are very liberal and you can find a spot on the outside
to smoke anywhere if you're a smoker (use the smoking areas when there are some, sometimes you might get caught and pay for it... In the train station for example, even if it's a small town, these guys can pop out of nowhere haha, but Í bet if you're a friendly tourist they will only warn you ;-) )
When it comes to electricity bear in mind not only plugs are different but voltage too. Its 110V in US vs 230V in most European countries. Most devices are designed to handle that anyway but read their rating plates just to be sure.
Mark , thank you so much for all your videos. My doggie died on 9/11/18 and he was my life ,so my pain in unbearable..but , thanks to your videos I can go on , day by day. Thanks again for your wonderful videos.
credit card usually costs extra in Europe, (up to 20% of the bill)
because credit card companies are notorius of taking their money back from the company (like a restaurant) if the card holder doesn't pay its bills.
Splinter5570 AND, don't buy bottled water in the Netherlands, its a public secret the company's just fill the bottles with tap water and add some minor fancy chemical flavours
tap water is safe!
the main difference with the US we don't add fluor in the water here, that is the taste difference you experience
Splinter5570 the rule should be : "whenever you buy bottled water, buy source water from the alps (evian, perrier, san pellegrino...)"
TwoFistsOneHalleluja Perrier from the Alps??? You dumbfuck ! Perrier is from Camargue, in the South of France far from any moutain.
Schlomothebest Camargue?????? aouch! naaa don't think so, only mosquitos in there
Stéphanie Marchino
J'habite là-bas. Vergèze est en Camargue. Et Perrier est à Vergèze.
Donc oui Perrier, c'est la Camargue. Renseigne-toi avant de dire des conneries.
Your bottled water comment is a bit off: in several countries (I have personally tried the water in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Italy) the water is at least as good as bottled water. You will see many people having a brand-name bottle in their hand/bag, but there is a good probability that it is filled with tap-water. And that you say that it "fine" to brush your teeth in makes it sound unsafe: go to Norway or the Swiss Alps (or many other places) and you will get some of the best water right out of the tap. There are of course exceptions, but ask the locals and they'll tell you what to do :-)
same in the eastern part of Europe
also we almost never buy bottled water in croatia
WiFi reception in public spaces is getting better in most European countries, though.
ZemplinTemplar true. it is getting better.
woltersworld I was surprised to hear that wifi is not as prevalent in europe. My understanding is that internet connections are faster and cheaper there than they are in the US.
Richard Petron for wifi, you must go here ;) The Czech Republic has the most Wi-Fi subscriber in the whole European Union
i'm from romania and we have wifi everyware you go its like a must now
He must be factoring in Eastern Europe. Every in Western Europe has wifi
at 5:27 you talked about the electrical plugs, you forget to mention 1 important thing. we have in 220Volt in Europe, not 110 Volt like in the USA
You don't buy water bottles in the Nordic countries basically. The tap water is just the same as bottle water and tastes just the same
@ 2:18 The Hungarian currency is called Forint, not Florint. But it doesn't sound bad, either.
+John T. DiFool actually, it was called florint... about 700 years ago...
he mixed it with Florin, which is the currency oft Aruba
2:00 we in the Republic of Ireland use the Euro too.
+Selinor578 I know. Don't know why I didn't write it down on there.
And we use the same plug as uk and malta
IRELAND IS PART OF EUROPE TOOOOOO
DONT FORGET TO CHECK IF YOUR CHARGERS SUPPORT 220-240 VOLTS!!!! if not some magic smoke will come out of it. also tapwater in the netherlands is fine to drink everywhere, not always as nice as bottled but were i live we only drink tapwater, its just as good and much cheaper, there are places were tapwater is even better then bottled.
Here in Sweden tap water tastes better than bottled water(acording to me) bottled water has a wierd stagnant flavour
Bottled spring water, in the US at least, has the taste of soil in it.
The voltage thing is critical lol
Buck Olsen some dutch bottled water has the exact same source as tapwater in some areas
Many if not all of Europe use 220 Vac /50 Hz. An adapter generally does not change the voltage. Before plugging in any thing, check the ratings on the device. Only universal power supplies, 104 Vac - 240 Vac should be used. If your power supply only goes to 120 Vac, it will damage the power supply and may catch fire.
As a german who lived in London and LA,California - this is very accurate. Well done!
Question for European's, will you guys be alright with accepting Syrian and American refugees at the same time?
Syrian's sure, Muricans no thanks..;)
lol
After all, there are mostly sensible Americans, and then there are MURICANS!
Alica Ljungberg There's nothing sensible about them at all, they just elected a racist, xenophobic, sexist bigot as their president, and the ones that didn't vote for him are rioting on the streets.
Brandon NL but you guys already had George W. Bush. Nobody can be a worse president than him though
Slashplite I'm not American.
Great video, but one thing isn't right.
You said that the water isn't good, well that is partly true, in the south of Italy or Greece,or parts of Spain and France it isn't that good. But For example Germany,Slovenia,Sweden,Norway and Austria have great water, especially south Germany and Austria have the best water in the world, speaking in quality and taste (just saying Tyrol).
Also The Swiss tap water is good.
The worst tap Water I drunk in Italy and the United Kingdom...
I've drunk it in the City of York. In London I don't drunk the tap water because of the ugly water in York ^^
When I am in Wales I will try the tap water ;)
+tim tasir (Norge og Sveits) Best then to drink beer when in the UK (I'll drink to that...)
Peter Andersen in the south of Italy water is fine especially in Puglia my region we buy water in bottle Just for the taste
I'm french and tap water is not good on only in very few places. I always drink tap water
Ireland also uses the euro but I do get it is hard to name every country that uses a specific currency
+Brendan Byrne yes. And when one forgets to put it on the list it makes it worse ;)
In North/West Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands) tapwater is very good, especially in the Netherlands, which has the best drinking water in the world.
I've been travelling all around Europe, but never had problems finding free wi-fi, while it was NYC where they wanted to charge me extra 40USD per night for the wi-fi in the room.
Did you purposely Leave Ireland out of the Eurozone or are you assuming we're in the UK?
Slim Shady from my experience of being Irish..... you're probably right
Oisin Staines Strange, every American claims Irish... Kind of weird that some wouldn't know we're an independent country.
Slim Shady yeah where's our beautiful lovely country
Well he confused the UK with England so I guess he doesn't know the difference between the UK and Ireland either
hey! i know i am a little late but i just wanted to say that in Hungary the money isn't Florint, it's Forint :3 sorry for bad English
another difference is that americans are much more boring and serious always worried about work as u can see in the video itself theres people in the streets and plazas and music playing teens hanging out in the streets in the us none of that shit happens specially in towns are in silence and barely people outside people in europe is much more happy and like to have fun
I completely agree man. Our government and overall systematic manner of expression is based on wanting more needing more therefore working out asses of and still have no money left. This is why I identify myself as Mexican American . My Mexican roots give me a separate sense of individuality that's remove the veil from my eyes from what you just said but no this, not all Americans are boring pencil pushers lol
Consumed by deceit ik i live in a small town in CT and believe is nothing compared to europe i don't understand how people think they have more freedom with the constitution here i think the freedom here is completely low you gotta be 21 to do what ever u want while in europe legal age is 18 in europe you see teens hanging out and talking having fun in the streets here they are just different
+Joshua Silva I have definitely noticed this too. My friend summed this up 'Americans live to work, Europeans work to live'. Its just a different attitude to life i think. :) Also, its refreshing to hear Americans talk of European freedoms - I'm from the UK and it has always baffled me why many Americans believe they have more freedom than us. I think it is a common perception in Europe that if your very rich America is a great place to live, but if your poor, your screwed. Whereas in Europe fair welfare (& in the UK free healthcare etc), give the opportunity for anyone to succeed.
+Joshua Silva suicide rates in Europe are incredibly high. But you're right europeans are super happy especially when they get worker visas to actually come work int he US. lol. apparently you have never been to the US. every city in the US, has people playing outside, live music, live open theater, free boating during summer months...go Europe. all of it lol
+Russell Trakhtenberg This is such a ridiculous small town mindset it's silly. Wether you live to work or work to live, the truth is the constitution was never about happiness it was about laws limiting govt. simple as that. I have no idea why anyone would expect the govt to provide laws to grant you happiness. that's just asinine. And im sorry i'v been to Europe a plenty, are you specifically speaking of one country? one ethnic group? because Germans are not a happy relaxed people. Neither are Russians. Who are you referring too?
little tip: the areas of Europa where there are mountains (Norway, Switzerland, Austria etc.) have the same water in their tap as the one you buy in bottles everywhere else in Europe.
The transitioning from location to location is awesome, im planning a trip to london for the first time and your videos are very helpful
About the safety thing: you can get mugged anywhere. The biggest difference is that private citizens, in general, aren't allowed to have guns. It differs from one country to the next: Finland have relatively relaxed gun laws, and in Switzerland you'll see people in military service walking around with assault rifles. But in general, you cannot get a gun, maybe a hunting rifle at best.
The result of this is that usually only hardened criminals, such as those in drug trade and such, will carry (obviously illegal) guns. And those folks don't bother with mugging people. So the chances of you encountering someone with a gun, who is not a police officer or a soldier, are extremely small.
Another result is that, because there are very few guns around, the police aren't very likely to shoot someone. If there's a threatening situation, they may shoot someone in the leg, whereas in the USA they don't have that luxury.
All big cities carry a certain risk with them, and have areas that are best avoided. But gun violence is rare in (most of) Europe.
I've never tipped in my life. I'm from Spain, BTW.
A few things weren't quite right.
#1 Krone isn't pronounced like 'crown'. It's pronounced more like 'crone' but you pronounce the e at the end.
#2 I'm not sure about other European countries but there's not really any rule for tipping in the UK. Often people won't give anything but most people will just give some change they have left over or let the waiter keep the change.
#3 I've never seen a squat toilet anywhere ever. I'm guessing they're more common in eastern Europe but we generally associate that sort of thing with developing countries like India.
#4 Most people in Europe do not buy bottled water as regular drinking water.
Another point that isn't exactly a mistake but is something worth noting is that most Europeans (and western Europeans in particular) do not consider Russia to be part of Europe.
+AliTheAllStar I think they are still somewhat common for public toilets in Italy and France! (At least I encountered several on vacation there)
I second that.
I can't speak for our Eastern neighbours, but I'm Polish and never in my life have I seen a squat toilet.
Protector of the Republic I was clearly wrong about the squat toilets. I've never seen one so I just assumed they would be in a different part of Europe that I haven't been to before.
Again, don't know about tipping rules for every country but it's not necessary practice here in the UK. People may only tip about half the time if it's convenient.
I don't know anybody who drinks bottled water regularly. Tap water tends to be better in the cities than in the countryside here at least but either way people will drink it.
On the point about Russia, I specifically said that Western Europeans in particular do not consider Russia to be part of Europe.
I agree. Not just politically but also geographically. Russia isn't officially divided. It's ONE country... in Asia.
I also didn't come across or heard of such toilets, ever. In Portugal and Holland they are unknown. I came across them in India and Turkey, where it is standard.
India and Turkey are obviously not Europe. (Well, India is actually more European then Turkey!! Historical and cultural interchange, and... linguistically! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosophists ).
Most Europeans do more then just considering, they LIVE the reality of an Europe which includes, embraces and recognizes Russia as a part of it's life and culture. Political issues and what's behind them have turned this into an unconscious and split reality. Please see my previous reply a few posts before this one, if you wish. Are you from the UK ? (If I'm not mistaken, the Royal Ballet is in a close intimate contact with the Bolshoi Theatre - not with the Paris Opera Ballet.) Politics have separated Russia from Europe, and pushed it more and more into associating with other parts of the world, middle-East and Asia. Otherwise, Russia would be together with the other countries of Europe, even if it's not limited to it.
There are thousands of words in Russian recognizable as latin-greek:
"Politika, institut, praktika, problema, koncert, muzyka, kollega, student, universitet, ajeroport, avtomobil', shkola (school), korporacija, ministr, fil'm (cinema), panorama, akvarel', situacija, perspektiva, dokument, harakter, harakteristika, fotografija, televizor, radio, teorija, milicii, armada, persona, moment, velosiped, centr, fokus, okean, gazeta (newspaper), zhurnal (magazine), zhurnalist (journalist), aktior, roman (romance), grammatika, matematika, geografija, artist, master ,specialist, professional, prezident, kapitan, jubilej (celebration), avtonomii (autonomy) , literatura, pojezija (literature, verse, - poetry-), pojet (poet), trubadur (minstrel) , trova, lirik, opera, teatr ,tragedija , advokat (lawyer) ,adept , jurist ,balerina ,kompozitor ,konferencii ,konsensus ,intellekt ,arhitektura ,inzhener (engineer) , transport ,fantazija ,interesnyj (interesting) ,simfonija , assistent" etc. etc. etc. there's no end to it :))
In France for about a year now you can use your credit card to pay fees under 20€ without entering the PIN number if your card can be read by the machine from a close distance.
Ireland and the U.K are the only parts of Europe that drive on the left side of the road I.e cars are right hand drive.