Ten Things About Europe That Make Me Crazy

There are many things we take for granted in the U.S.  Can you say air conditioning and central heating? We Americans like our creature comforts, but Europeans are not as demanding as we are. Or maybe they just don’t whine as much as we do. Here are 10 things that make me confused.

1. AIR CONDITIONING

Summers are growing hotter. Thanks, climate change. While Europeans are stoic about the hotter temperatures, Americans are wimps. You have to look hard to find homes and hotels with air conditioners. When I first moved here and bought a portable unit back in 2016, people thought I was crazy. After a summer of record heat, they didn’t think I was as silly as they first thought. I am lucky. My current home has a built-in unit in the living room, so if temperatures rise, I can chill in comfort.

2. RADIATORS

I am so used to central heating in the States, but I had a wake-up call in Europe. When I first moved to London in the 1970s, our flat (apartment) didn’t offer much in the heating department. The heating system was so antiquated that you needed to put money into the meter to keep it running. We’d often have to rustle through our handbags and pockets to find change to keep the heat running. And it always seemed to happen in the middle of the night. Things are better for me in Belgium, but the heat comes from in-room radiators that limit where you can place your furniture. My house in Westchester, NY, built in the 1920s, had obtrusive radiators, but none of my other houses did. Here it’s not unusual to see big radiators in houses from the 1980s and 1990s. It makes houses seem older than they are. I miss those nice American vents that brought warm air into each room without hogging square footage.

3. NO WARM WATER IN THE BATHROOM

Turn on the tap and you get warm and cold water, nicely mixed to your desired temperature. Ah, no. Not everywhere. My downstairs bathroom, or toilet as they call it here, only has a cold water tap. Some sinks have a cold tap and a warm water tap, which are not mixed together as they are in the States. You plug the basin and fill it with water to wash. It’s irritating. And, at my house, there is no turn-off valve for the outdoor faucets. They need to be covered in bubble wrap before freezing temperatures hit so pipes don’t burst. I’m glad I live in a temperate zone!

4. NO CLOSETS

My European friends here think it is strange that Americans have closets in their bedrooms and hallways. In fact, a bedroom can’t be considered a bedroom by real estate agents in the States unless there is a closet. Europeans use separate wardrobes that can be moved from area to area. They like the idea that you can place your furniture anywhere, unencumbered by a set closet. Personally, I like the idea of a closet with doors so I can hang up my clothing, stow away my shoes and boots, close the doors, and forget about it. In my living room, I have a cabinet with sliding glass doors that is considered a bedroom wall unit. My coats and other belongings are neatly tucked away there. My friends think I am odd for having what they perceive to be a bedroom unit in my living space. I think they are strange for having storage cabinets instead of closets. 

5. STRANGE LIGHTBULBS

There’s an old joke asking how many people it takes to change a lightbulb. Well, that seems to be my thing this week. I am used to traditional, screw-in bulbs. Yes, they do have them here, but they also have lightbulbs with pins. You don’t unscrew them but pull them out of their sockets. I had to have a neighbor show me how they worked. So embarrassing! When I went to replace them, I looked for a two-pin bulb. Mais non! There are skinny pins and thick pins. They have specific numbers like GU10, GU11, and GU5.3. And if you buy a bulb with the right pins, you need to be sure of the type of fixture. You get a light show if you have a dimmable one and put in a regular bulb. The bulb turns itself on and off like a disco lamp! Even if you buy the right bulb, sometimes it doesn’t quite fit in the fixture. After a few attempts, I got it right. It makes me want to change all my light fixtures to hold screw-in, energy-saving bulbs, though.

6. TOILETS

In the States, you do your business, flush, and go on your way. In many European countries, toilets have a little ledge where your poo falls. I’ve heard it called an inspection ledge as it lets you see what comes out, which I guess helps if you have bowel issues and need to tell the doctor how things look. The design dates back to the 1800s when people had problems with worms and wanted to inspect what came out. Your trusty toilet brush gets lots of use in Europe. My guest room toilet features a brush with a famous world figure on it. I think it’s funny, but some of my right-leaning friends don’t. Speaking of toilets, if you ask someone how many bathrooms they have, they will only include the rooms with baths or showers. If there is just a toilet and sink, it isn’t a bathroom. It’s a toilet. Don’t ask where the bathroom is. Ask where the toilet is.

7. PAY TO PEE

Speaking of toilets, if nature calls, be sure you have some coins. In most places, you need to pay to pee. It costs 50 cents or €1 to relieve yourself. There is no charge if you are a customer in a restaurant and need to use the toilet, but in rest stops, train stations, and restaurants where you are not a diner, you’ll need to pay. In some places, you’ll get a coupon for 50 cents off an item in the shop where the toilet is. And ladies, don’t be shocked if you have to walk past men at the urinals to get to your toilet. With limited space, restaurants often just have one toilet area for both sexes.

8. TRASH

Europeans are super conscientious about recycling, whether it’s trash, glass, or batteries. I love the repair, reuse, and recycle mentality here, but trash is so confusing. You must sort everything. A blue bag for plastics, a special bin for paper — ours are giant yellow monstrosities — and a special container for food and compostable waste. Glass needs to go directly to a recycling center, as do special items like electronics and hazardous waste. It took me months to figure out what goes where and which bags to use for what. Even now, I occasionally have to ask the man at the recycling center which bin to use.

9. FAVORITE FOODS

There isn’t much food that I miss from the U.S. Well, I do miss Junior’s NY cheesecake (once a year), Grape Nuts cereal, a really good homemade apple pie, and Bumblebee tuna in water. I’m not complaining, though. Europeans use far less sugar than Americans, and I am eating healthier foods. Luckily, my visiting American friends

bring care packages with the few things I miss. I have four boxes of Grape Nuts in my pantry right now. Woo hoo!

10. TAXES

My biggest complaint is the high taxes. In Belgium, everything you buy gets slapped with a 21% tax. It’s painful. Many people cross the borders into France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands where the standard Value Added Tax (VAT) is lower. You can fill your grocery basket for much less in France than in Belgium. Germany seems to have the best prices on toiletries. Shoes and electronics are significantly cheaper there than they are in Brussels, too. While VAT is only 16% in Luxembourg, it is $25% in Croatia, Denmark and Sweden, and it’s 27% in Hungary! It’s a taxing dilemma. 

Taxes are bad news for EU residents but good news for you. As a non-EU resident, you can get VAT back in many instances! There are some rules, though.

a) You must spend a certain amount of money, which varies from country to country and sometimes from shop to shop. Some shops don’t participate in the program.

b) You need proof of residence outside the EU (a passport or residence permit).

c) The purchase date must be within three months of your departure from the EU.

d) You have to carry the goods with you. They can’t be sent as freight, so be sure to bring a big suitcase!

Read all the EU VAT Refund rules here.

Yes, there are some quirky things here in Europe, but I’m getting used to everything — except the high taxes.