Americans React to Europe vs. USA Culture Shocks

I never understand this argument Americans make that taxes can’t be included in prices because the states have different taxes. What does it matter to a particular store if some other store in another state has a different price? Just write the actual price on the price tag, it’s not witchcraft.

Tax is different in almost all countries in the EU. Austria have 20 Percent, Germany 19, Netherlands 21%. But everywhere the tax is included.

The US has no tipping culture, you have a "the customer pays the wage of the waitress culture".

There are 44 countries in Europe. Although only a little larger than the U.S.A. it has twice as many people, different languages, different cultures and traditions that have been in existence for maybe a thousand years. It's hard to generalise.

In Finland if you offer a tip, its considered patronising and disrespectful. They are a businessman, not a servant.

In Britain there's a law (the Water Acts) that if you ask someone for water, and they have some, they must GIVE it to you. That affects restaurants.

I think the sparkling water thing comes from the following: In Germany - and most parts of europe - we have very good tap water. So many consider paying for bottled (tap-water-like) water just money pouring out the drain, whereas the sparkling water is an almost soda like refreshment, so people don't mind paying for that.

The tipping culture is so creepy to me that I just avoided restaurants altogether when I was visiting :D.

in europe each country has their own tax system, some even their own currency... yet still everything is priced incl. the local tax. to add the tax should NEVER be an issue, not even the us. if you print the ticket for a certain price in a certain store - this store is not going to move somewhere else, so you know EXACTLY how much this item should cost including the local tax. just price it in and it is way easier to see what you have to pay in the end

Tap water is free in France if you order or not. And bread 🥖 is free too and unlimited if you order in a restaurant. You only pay if you order a mineral bottle of water.

The "in the US each state has its own taxes therefore we cannot have the full price on the ticket" is nonsense. You only ever pay the full amount including tax at the checkout so there is never any confusion. So, unless you can point to a store that has shelves with prices on in one state with the checkout in another, it is nonsense!!

What he said from Prague is the same in Germany (I know from bars in Cologne that new beer is always brought without ordering). If a waitress called me honey I would be pissed because that is completely disrespectful. Waiters in Europe are not rude or cheeky, they have a business distance, you are a customer and not a friend. By the way, your two friends are nice, you're welcome to bring them to more videos.

"Water is a thing everyone should have." That's what we (Europeans) say about health care. ;) Love that you brought 2 of your friends in this new video. Nice new touch. Got to check out your other videos with them, haven't watched for a while.

I can't stress enough, that restaurants in Germany pay their employees a lot better than in the US, and I guess that goes for most European countries, if not all. Surprise ;) Therefore I think it is understandable, that they need to make money to do so, and so they charge for any beverage. If you look at it this way, you may discover, that what you pay for water you save at tipping.

I think the only beer in germany that costs 15€ (well 14,90 this year) is at Oktoberfest, but that’s a full liter of beer that was specifically brewed for Oktoberfest and contains more alcohol than normal beer and it’s still deemed really expensive

We definitely have free water at restaurants. Literally every restaurant I've been to in the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, etc. is willing to give you tap water upon request. Might not be common in the Czech Republic but everywhere else in Europe, it's normal.

It happened to me in Florida, Miami Beach, the waiter was trying to rush us (I was still halfway through my meal) so he took my beer bottle and peaked inside to see how much I have left... I was just speechless, I didnt even react. Then I got furious. Spoke to the manager (I never do that). They apologised and offered a free desert but I just couldnt wait to leave that place. Imagine a waiter picking through your stuff on the table to make you go faster. Insanity.

In Sweden, you definately get free water at sit down restaurants. Often both a bottle of still water and a bottle of sparkling water. You also usually get some free bread and butter. Not everywhere in Europe is the same.

Every vlogger who talked about the included tax in Europe (by the way, the net price is also on the shelves), tells us as justification for the US price chaos "But every state has its own tax rates and then there are also local taxes. It won't work here!" That's rubbish! Don't tell me at Walmart they do change the price on the shelf every hour. Flour - not in sale - that costs $3 including tax at 11 today will most likely cost $3 next week. It can't be the corporations' logistics either, because it's estimated that an orange in California is cheaper than an orange in Alaska. So Walmart shows at least two prices anyway. And then there is this coupon-mania, "buy five pay four", what's with that. Apart from that, even we in Germany - still a developing country when it comes to digitalization and IT - have now digital price tags on our shelves. Even in my village supermarket. There's software who changes the prices if you like every minute. It's just a ridiculous reason. From the outside, I would rather say: the corporations are betting that many people can't do the math and jump on the supposedly low price, but don't want get shamed at the checkout.

The whole “service” issue in the states is shocking. It’s totally insincere and fake, we can see through it. It makes me cringe.