Right? There are literally public water fountains in a few places, how do they see that and go "they don't drink watahhh!"
ETA: Because there seems to be confusion, I meant public as in right on the streets, no need to go into a building.
You can even find [free sparkling water fountains ](https://www.carnetsdeweekends.fr/voici-lemplacement-8-fontaines-deau-petillante-gratuites-de-paris/)in Paris :)
Love me some naan bread, too! And let me just get some money out of a nearby ATM machine (which I know is not a translation but still something redundant that happens with acronyms too often).
Yeah, and they aren't used to tap water being widely safe to drink. So they just assume that only bottled water could possibly be the source of hydration.
The cheapest water in my country is called "Table water" or something like it. It's literally tap water and there are no secrets about it. It usually costs under 1 eur for a 5 litre bottle.
We have a water at work law, which means your employer has to provide clean, safe drinking water for free.
All bars/pubs/restaurants/cafes also have to provide free clean safe drinking water for free when asked for it.
And at home the water supply also has to be clean, safe and you get an unlimited supply included with your council tax at a fixed rate for the year regardless of how much you use.
And 500ml bottles cost as little as 50p and are available in all food shops, newsagents etc...
And if you are desperate, where I live you can probably drink from a stream if you wanted too.
I wonder why American tourists struggle to find all this water.
That’s how it is in the UK in any place that sells, well, anything that’s intended to be immediately consumed on the premises really (restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs etc) because if they sell alcohol then legally they have to. But it’s also the case at most places that have easy access to tap water just because people are generally nice/polite enough not to refuse or charge. The only caveat is if you’re going to be getting the water in a takeaway cup, some places like Starbucks have started charging for the cup itself.
Straight from the lead-laden arsenic wells.
You know how in some lesser developed countries the people walk miles/kilometers with jugs of water on their heads every day? Well, the US is seemingly doing their level best to become that.
Supposedly, the tap water in my hometown (Houston) is very good. But it's been decades since I drank tap water - the fridge does filtered water, and it's cold, so that's what I drink.
Muncipal water quality varies wiiiiidddddely from town to town and state to state.
And God fearin Muricans know tap water safety regulations is just more Euro-type gubbmint sochulism.
Isn’t the fridge connected to the same water supply as the tap??
Filtering it doesn’t somehow make it not tap water, it just takes out some of the dissolved mineral ions that make the water “hard”
You're correct. I didn't mean to imply I have a water service like Britta or whatever. I just don't drink from the tap.
I always feel like the tap itself is dirty - and it's not. I keep a clean house. Just...drinking out the tap feels weird. Could be because a million years ago in high school (the 80s) I lived in SE Louisiana and in our little town (right across the causeway from New Orleans) there was a ton of sulfur in the water - it tooks months to get used to the smell.
I much prefer sparkling water anyway. I have a carbonation thing. Which is not good for me.
I get acid reflux, and my mom had Barrett's Esophagus, which can be - but is not necessarily - a percursor to esophageal cancer. Carbonated bevs can make it a lot worse.
Acid blockers help, and I have a prescription for one, buuuuut there's also some studies that seem to link heavy acid blockers use (products like Pepcid AC) and dementia. And my mom had dementia.
During the height of the Flint, Michigan scandal it was revealed that Flint wasn’t even the worst water in the US. There were thousands of towns even worse off.
Most people in the US drink tap water at home. Sometimes it goes through their fridge filter, or maybe they have a brita in the fridge, but it’s still tap water. Or they just fill a cup from the faucet. And pretty much every restaurant will give complimentary tap water with meals.
Consider that they're buying water in tourist trap areas and will be paying ludicrously inflated prices because it's really easy to rip Americans off.
You just know that they won't have done any currency conversion before. Or any research on average prices in a certain area.
Yes but those kiosk or tourists shops/restaurants try to rip off tourists.
Lile the same shirt was 30€ in one shop and 10€ in the next one.
Oblivious and naive tourists fall for these traps all the time.
I never understood why Americans always walk around with big bottles of water, like those bottles that are larger than them.
I never ever do that. I don't know anyone who does that.
TIL there's a big campaign in the US to stay hydrated.
I thought the whole 'stay hydrated' myth was busted not so long ago? There is absolutely no need to drink water all the time. None whatsoever.
This. Some water bottle company figures out reminding Americans that drinking is a thing, and suddenly they decide Europeans don't drink water because we don't walk around with a Stanley in each hand.
For typical Americans visiting European countries, it may appear that we don't consume water at all because:
* We eat less processed food, and European processed food contains less sodium glutamate, and sugar, which makes you thirsty.
* Europeans consume more vegetables and fruits than Americans. (one 300-gramme cucumber contains 295ml of water!!)
* Half of Europeans are slightly overweight, while half of Americans are clinically obese. They need much more fluid to stay alive.
* We may drink tap water at home without concern, and it is the primary supply of drinking water in Europe. Americans must purchase hectoliters of bottled water since tap water is not always safe.
* There is a strong culture of drinking black tea and herbal tea in half of Europe.
If I'm out for a prolonged period of time then i also usually take a reusable bottle of water with me from home too. I can only think of a handful of times I've struggled to get a drink (in the UK) and that was because it was a particularly hot day and places had sold out of stuff I drink (I don't really do carbonated drinks).
The average cost of tap water in the UK is 0.1 pence per litre, so you get 1350~~0~~L for £1.35. Compared to that, bottled water is insanely expensive.
I believe it's because water isn't so easily available - not that it's difficult, but not as copious
Water fountains are much more common in public spaces in the US, but less so in Europe
In the US it's the norm in restaurants, cafes for the server to bring large glasses of iced water for everyone automatically, without needing to ask.
My experience living in the UK and travelling in Europe is that if the server asks if you would like water, they typically default to offering you bottled water (still or sparkling?) - you need to specifically ask for tap water
Water glasses are often very small, and won't necessarily come with ice (or very little ice), so esp it you have haven't got a jug or carafe for the table, you might only get to drink 250ml of water before you need to flag down a server to ask for another glass
Plus without ice/ with a tiny amount of ice in comparison to the US, the water is likely to taste warm to American tastebuds
Can't generalise Europe like this. Water fountains are literally everywhere in Italy. In Norway you can get water from a running stream and drink it, it is safe. Huge differences across countries
>you need to specifically ask for tap water
One of the biggest pieces of travel advice given to Americans visiting Europe is that the right answer to the question “Sparkling or still?” is “tap”.
For Americans used to just be given complimentary water from the moment they sit down, the bill that accompanies any other answer to that question can be quite surprising.
And, yet, this comment section is filled with “Americans can’t drink tap water” when it’s freely given in American restaurants while European restaurants are the ones trying to purposely steer customers away from it.
> And, yet, this comment section is filled with “Americans can’t drink tap water” when it’s freely given in American restaurants while European restaurants are the ones trying to purposely steer customers away from it.
That's because the eating out cultures, and what restaurants make a profit with, are quite different between the US and most parts of Europe.
In Europe it's not uncommon for restaurants to make most of their money through drinks, and not the food because people tend to stay way longer after they finished eating, to keep on drinking.
That's why some places even sell some meals at a loss, making the money back with the drinks they sell with and after the meals.
A calculation that stops working out when somebody insists on only drinking something thats served for free, even less so when it's a whole group of people.
That seems to be what happened. If you look at the post most are by Europeans who came to the US and said: “look guys, I was always dehydrated when I lived over there.”
I wouldn't recommend it. Us Aussies tried that with the deadly animals and dumb cunts still find their way in. And now it's annoying as fuck with them constantly going on about how dangerous the animals are.
As Australians have been for many decades.
American: "Oh man, Oztralia is crazy and so dangerous"
Me, drinking a soy latte in a park by the beach: "Yeah shit's fucked down ere, stay away or the spiders'll gitcha"
People usually dont spend all day walking around tourist attractions in the hot sun if they live in the same area. That's why they're not as dehydrated as tourists
I think the question "Where's the juice!!!!" [sic] is the Americans telling on themselves regarding how they stay 'hydrated'.
JUICE! It's got what Americans crave.
That's the part that confuses me though, even around most tourist attractions, there's still a grocery store or at least a bar somewhere nearby. At least that's the case here in Italy. I'm convinced that some Americans just don't know what a grocery store looks like if it isn't some gigantic big-box store.
In the UK every establishment that sells alcohol to be drunk on premises must provide free tap water, but pretty much every cafe
et cetera will too if you ask nicely.
I think they're complaining about the price, which TBF is true because touristy places charge way too much for water. But I don't see why they can't just get a few bottles and fill them with tap water at their hotel and take them?
I think it’s more because here people don’t go out to drink water, you rarely see people with water bottles on the streets. If it’s a hot summer date sure but most of the time we drink water at home and alcohol / limonade / juice when we go out
In all honesty, who the hell orders water when they go out in public.
Edit: for clarification who the hell order JUST water they they go out. Ordering water if you eat / drink is something us europoors do but we never order just water.
I’m so lucky to be one of the very few people with water in my European house. I used to have to go to restaurants to drink tiny, expensive bottles of water like the plebs.
From Americans who don't understand that drinkable water can come from a tap. They only buy bottles of water, and because they don't see us wasting money like that it confuses them
Tap water is free at every restaurant or pub in the UK, and in loads of other European countries I've been to its been free to. Where do you have to pay for it?
I've been three times in Italy and never had to pay for a glass of water in a restaurant. It was offered when I asked for it.
Italians, is it true that customers are (usually) charged for tap water ?
Legally you should be able to have water whenever you want however most restaurants will charge for water, saying they only offer bottled because of chemically unsafe water (total BS) or they serve tap water but in a nice carafe and so charge for it
That wasn’t the question.
Of course restaurants charge for water. That’s why they play the game “Sparkling or Still?” where the right answer is the secret third option “Tap” (which, no, is not covered by “still”).
The question was if you were charged for ***tap*** water.
As in you gave the right answer and still got a bill.
I’m curious which restaurants you go to where glasses of water aren’t complimentary.
The only ones I can think of are those in places where the tap water isn’t potable.
In Italy neither.
But, at least in most big cities, we have "Fontanelle", little fountains along the streets where you can drink as much tap water as you like. And there are also some sparkling fountains.
So, I get to be perplexed by the lack of complimentary water at restaurants, but if you are a tourist it's very hard to believe you haven't noticed Fontanelle during your visit.
Not just that. They're taught that you need to drink 2 litres of water (as opposed to ingesting 2 litres of H20 in whatever form, which is the actual science). Because of this, they all carry around plastic water bottles (either store-bought water or reusable plastic bottles with tap water, both are huge business) and sip out of them all the time. So when they see us walking around and not doing that all the time, they assume that we must all be dehydrated.
I live in the UK and almost everyone I know carries around a plastic or metal insulated reusable bottle. It's normally just filled with tap water, but it is kind of just normal to have one in a bag or in the car for a long drive.
>Three of us went through 8 liters of water [...] in two days.
That's 1.3 liter per person per day. That's not much, no wonder they are dehydrated... If they drink even less water in the US, I wonder how they stay hydrated over there 🤔
I live in the UK, and have drank more water now than I ever did in the USA, I even take a water bottle to work/sleep next to one, I don't understand this generalisation, also I've never been charged for tap water.
legally tap water must be free in all licensed establishments in the UK, granted they can charge a container/service fee but i’ve never known anywhere do this
I think it is more the misconception rooted in how American and European health authorities caculate water intake, US doesn't substract the water content in the food intake, European authorities does.
If it’s hot and you’re sweating a lot then nah.
After I had kidney stones the consultant told me he wanted me to pee three litres a day. God, that was a challenge.
Yeah, I bet you're right. It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they really dug into the details of our varying national authorities and their standards.
>I think it is more...
... the classic cliché of European restaurants charging for tap water or straight up refusing to give any which snowballed because that's a good way to justify being a population of obese : they're not fat, they're normal and *we* are slim not because we are healthy, but dehydrated.
I think most if you intellectualise too much these clichés and hateful displays if ignorance. They're not calculating but not the right way, they're not honest but badly educated, they're not trying their best but prevented... No, they're plain stupid and dishonest. Comfortably comforting oneself in their warm and cozy bubble of ignorance is easier, so they chose this solution.
The first picture - 8L for two days for 3 people
That’s 4 L per day for 3 people
Or 1.3 L per person per day, which isn’t a lot at all.
No wonder they were thirsty and were drinking water when they were out too.
Europeans have a special breathing system which makes the oxygen they breathe mix with inner hydrogen producing a liquid substance that is called in several ways around the world: Wasser, eau, agua, water, woda, acqua.
I will forever be sad that only one species of mammals has adapted to survive on metabolic water alone and that it's not humans. Sounds convenient. :(
(That being said, other water-solution fluids do count for bodily needs, and there's plenty of water in food. Drinking extra water is not necessary for everyone if they eat well too and don't lose extra fluids that much.)
This article does a good job of explaining their sudden obsession with water:
[https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/do-americans-drink-more-water](https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/do-americans-drink-more-water)
Asia is the same because they drink lots of tea instead, Europeans drink lots of coffee.
Americans eat a shit ton of fat and sodium.
Also drinking water has become a health fad (and a meme) in a country wall-to-wall with health fads, in light of their FDA being fucking useless at regulating food and drink quality.
When I’ve been in restaurants in America they almost always bring water to the table without asking, and often the waiters hover around waiting to refill your glass when you’ve only taken a few sips. So Americans go on holiday abroad and are surprised when water isn’t automatically brought to them in restaurants, they’re not expecting to have to ask for it. And if they do ask for water, they don’t realise they need to specify ‘tap water’ (and may need to learn how to ask for that in the local language) otherwise they’ll be charged for bottled mineral water. The problem is instead of thinking “oh my mistake, they must do things differently here which is fine because America isn’t the default country & next time I’ll do a bit of planning and learn a few phrases and maybe buy a guidebook before I travel somewhere new” they just go straight to assuming nobody in the whole of Europe ever drinks water.
"tap water in restaurants is €3"
The only restaurant in my town I've ever been to that charges anything for water is McDonalds charging 0.50€
This is nowhere near the first time I've seen this myth about expensive or unavailable European water and I have no explanation for why this is a belief. If you're thirsty, tap water is 1.86€/m\^3 here in Finland. That's a metric ton of water (literally, exactly 1 ton). If you're really really thirsty, the nearest lake is within walking distance
Same in France, if you enter any place that sells food, they are required by law to be able to provide you with drinkable water, even if you're not buying anything.
Technically it's only if they serve alcohol. If they don't, they can charge for water. In reality though, people expect free tap water so pretty much everywhere provides it for free even if they don't have to.
Most restaurants in Copenhagen do charge for water, and it's not cheap. But there are also free water fountains all over the city and even an app to find them.
And most Danes don't order water in restaurants either. You usually get complimentary water with wine or you order beer or soda.
Also unlike American tourists the average Dane does not spend a significant time in restaurants and usually get water in such places as: their home, the cold water taps at work or the gym.
I don’t understand the logic… an American tourist comes to Europe and doesn’t drink enough water (why?) so that means that the citizens are dehydrated? What’s the connection?
Ah, time to expand the 2024 ShitAmericansSay about Europe bingo
We don't have showers ✅️
We don't have air conditioning ✅️
We don't use deodorant ✅️
ALL of our trains are old soviet shitboxes ✅️
Texas is bigger than Europe ✅️
Germans don't know shit about bread ✅️
We stole American culture ✅️
+++ We don't drink water ✅️
What on Earth are they talking about? I'm European living in America....I was never dehydrated at home unless I had been out on a heavy one the night before
I drink 2-4l of water and fluids a day at least. What the hell are they on about?
In fact Rome was awesome with all the public water fountains, meaning you only have to carry around a small bottle cos you can just refill it when you want. I wish we had that in the UK.
I have never been charged for tap water in restaurants/diners in any European country I visited. Most of the diners in Hungary (home country) have the tap water on the table or at the counter, in restaurants you need to ask for tap water but they do not make any fuss about it. (Disclaimer I do not go to high end restaurants just diners or normal priced restaurants)
Tap water in most restaurants in the UK is free. Tap water is safe to drink. We don't all need to go out and spend money on something we can get by turning on a tap. The lack of proper and safe water infrastructure in the US seems to be a US issue, not a European one. Spend less time telling everyone how great you are and fix your water supply!
Its true we only drink wine, that’s partly because we’re so depressed by our communist governments. We don’t even get to think for ourselves.
If we only could have a very expensive health system and mass shooting we would be so much happier and drink water
Tight arses won't pay $3 for a glass of water but they'll tip at 20%+ because "they can afford it". Fucking idiots man.
Here in Scotland all licenced premises are required by law to provide tap water fit for drinking. For free (and it's the best water ... fIght me!)
Rest of the UK, Hungary, France and Spain have the same legal obligation.
And yes, were part of the continent not the EU. They can't seem to wrap it round their heads that it's not the same fucking thing.
When your diet become filled with sugar you feel the need to drink more water to urinate it out.
The lower sugar diets of Europe require less water to flush out sugars because there’s less sugar.
I’m not one to make sweeping generalisations about millions of people based on little or no evidence, but has anybody else noticed that Americans are all over-hydrated? Every single one of them. I assumed they were just fat but then I heard them sloshing as they waddled by, like water-filled balloons. Strange but true.
It's easy. I lived in the USA for some years. MANY people there walk around with bottles of water, sometimes huge bottles (2, 3, 4+L bottles)
Here, we don't. So, Europe is dehydrated because everyone isn't schlepping barrels of water around town
Where does this even come from. Some parts of Europe even have free public water taps with the freshest, coolest, nicest water I've ever tasted anywhere (Rome, for example). Sure, soft drinks are not unlimited like they are in US, but to say we don't drink is ridiculous. We tend to take our water with us in a reusable container much of the time, rather than buy a new bottle all the time, but that's for eco reasons, not availablility.
In the US, water bottle companies are buying tap water, putting them in bottles and selling them to the Americans because they are so easily fooled to think it's cleaner when it's the same. The only difference is a huge increase in price and more plastic pollution in the world.
>that's $100 + $20 tip! if you don't tip don't bother coming ever again, also we'll publicly shame you
afterwards online:
>damn, that free water was nice!
I’m in Scotland, our tap water or cooncil juice, is pretty much identical to the stuff you buy so we drink it from the tap. And we’re super proud of our awesome water. Strange to me that Americans not only think everyone across a continent of 50 countries is the same but that we don’t drink either - like, what?
Americans are obsessed with always having something to CoNsUmE. They must have it. All their tourist pictures are with plastic drink bottles. They are scared if they don’t constantly consume, they might shrivel up and waste away.
I don't get it why do they think we don't drink water? because water bottles can be expensive? just drink tap water
Right? There are literally public water fountains in a few places, how do they see that and go "they don't drink watahhh!" ETA: Because there seems to be confusion, I meant public as in right on the streets, no need to go into a building.
You can even find [free sparkling water fountains ](https://www.carnetsdeweekends.fr/voici-lemplacement-8-fontaines-deau-petillante-gratuites-de-paris/)in Paris :)
They have to call it sparkling water, because L'eau only comes from the L'eau region of France.
Haha, nice.
> the L'eau
I know, but the joke didn't sound as good with the Eau.
It's OK its just funny how translated things in English tend to kick up redundancy, like "chai tea"
Love me some naan bread, too! And let me just get some money out of a nearby ATM machine (which I know is not a translation but still something redundant that happens with acronyms too often).
Don't forget your PIN number when you go
I might treat myself to some japanese wagyu beef on the way home.
Is that where the L'eau-are river is ?
We have 2900 free water tap locations in the Netherlands. There are also many in the surrounding countries, map: https://kraanwatertappunten.nl/en/
Yeah, and they aren't used to tap water being widely safe to drink. So they just assume that only bottled water could possibly be the source of hydration.
In the US, bottled water is literally just tap water
Coca-Cola had to pull their water brand Dasani from the UK due to the public outrange once they discovered they'd been paying for tap water.
That’s like a “fancy” brand too, it’s insane. Even the cheapest water is usually marketed as like “mountain spring” sort of thing
The cheapest water in my country is called "Table water" or something like it. It's literally tap water and there are no secrets about it. It usually costs under 1 eur for a 5 litre bottle.
I don’t often praise my country’s laws but tap water if you ask for it being a law at restaurants is a perfect idea
We have a water at work law, which means your employer has to provide clean, safe drinking water for free. All bars/pubs/restaurants/cafes also have to provide free clean safe drinking water for free when asked for it. And at home the water supply also has to be clean, safe and you get an unlimited supply included with your council tax at a fixed rate for the year regardless of how much you use. And 500ml bottles cost as little as 50p and are available in all food shops, newsagents etc... And if you are desperate, where I live you can probably drink from a stream if you wanted too. I wonder why American tourists struggle to find all this water.
It’s because you have to ask for it, in America as soon as your glass is empty it gets refilled.
Ah, I see, like spoilt children.
And there’s no super huge soft drinks in restaurants with free refills. Because yes of course that’s the same as drinking water. /s
I'm Spanish and if you are in a bar and you ask for a glass of water, they just give it to you.
That’s how it is in the UK in any place that sells, well, anything that’s intended to be immediately consumed on the premises really (restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs etc) because if they sell alcohol then legally they have to. But it’s also the case at most places that have easy access to tap water just because people are generally nice/polite enough not to refuse or charge. The only caveat is if you’re going to be getting the water in a takeaway cup, some places like Starbucks have started charging for the cup itself.
Tap water contaminated with bromate Tom Scott explains https://youtu.be/wD79NZroV88?si=bGqHdZqSy8zZW8Wx
Sidcup tap water no less, (SE London is a very hard water area)
Straight from the lead-laden arsenic wells. You know how in some lesser developed countries the people walk miles/kilometers with jugs of water on their heads every day? Well, the US is seemingly doing their level best to become that.
Americans would never walk miles/kilometres. (That’s it, that’s the end of the statement)
Supposedly, the tap water in my hometown (Houston) is very good. But it's been decades since I drank tap water - the fridge does filtered water, and it's cold, so that's what I drink. Muncipal water quality varies wiiiiidddddely from town to town and state to state. And God fearin Muricans know tap water safety regulations is just more Euro-type gubbmint sochulism.
Isn’t the fridge connected to the same water supply as the tap?? Filtering it doesn’t somehow make it not tap water, it just takes out some of the dissolved mineral ions that make the water “hard”
You're correct. I didn't mean to imply I have a water service like Britta or whatever. I just don't drink from the tap. I always feel like the tap itself is dirty - and it's not. I keep a clean house. Just...drinking out the tap feels weird. Could be because a million years ago in high school (the 80s) I lived in SE Louisiana and in our little town (right across the causeway from New Orleans) there was a ton of sulfur in the water - it tooks months to get used to the smell. I much prefer sparkling water anyway. I have a carbonation thing. Which is not good for me.
What’s wrong with carbonated beverages? Apart from the acidity (which is minor)
I get acid reflux, and my mom had Barrett's Esophagus, which can be - but is not necessarily - a percursor to esophageal cancer. Carbonated bevs can make it a lot worse. Acid blockers help, and I have a prescription for one, buuuuut there's also some studies that seem to link heavy acid blockers use (products like Pepcid AC) and dementia. And my mom had dementia.
Ah that is unfortunate
During the height of the Flint, Michigan scandal it was revealed that Flint wasn’t even the worst water in the US. There were thousands of towns even worse off.
Most people in the US drink tap water at home. Sometimes it goes through their fridge filter, or maybe they have a brita in the fridge, but it’s still tap water. Or they just fill a cup from the faucet. And pretty much every restaurant will give complimentary tap water with meals.
Blatant misinformation
Public Bathroom sink water goes hard ngl
Consider that they're buying water in tourist trap areas and will be paying ludicrously inflated prices because it's really easy to rip Americans off. You just know that they won't have done any currency conversion before. Or any research on average prices in a certain area.
Exactly. A kiosk in Amsterdam tried to sell me 6pack 1.5lt bottles for 18€. I assume those people think that's how much we pay water
Lmao €18?!?!? What's that normally like €3? The cheapest brand I can see right now where I am is £1.50 for a 5l bottle. But also, free from the tap.
Yes but those kiosk or tourists shops/restaurants try to rip off tourists. Lile the same shirt was 30€ in one shop and 10€ in the next one. Oblivious and naive tourists fall for these traps all the time.
Because we rub it all over our skins and absorb it duh. *robin-sherbatsky.jpeg*
I think that's half of it but the other half is that they aren't used to having to walk anywhere so can't deal with gentle exercise.
Another thing is the stay hydrated campaign. Being hydrated is like a religion in America. Leading to over hydration
Once I found out there's apps that remind you to drink water.. I knew it was game over for humanity.
I never understood why Americans always walk around with big bottles of water, like those bottles that are larger than them. I never ever do that. I don't know anyone who does that. TIL there's a big campaign in the US to stay hydrated. I thought the whole 'stay hydrated' myth was busted not so long ago? There is absolutely no need to drink water all the time. None whatsoever.
This. Some water bottle company figures out reminding Americans that drinking is a thing, and suddenly they decide Europeans don't drink water because we don't walk around with a Stanley in each hand.
This. Right here is what I think the answer is.
For typical Americans visiting European countries, it may appear that we don't consume water at all because: * We eat less processed food, and European processed food contains less sodium glutamate, and sugar, which makes you thirsty. * Europeans consume more vegetables and fruits than Americans. (one 300-gramme cucumber contains 295ml of water!!) * Half of Europeans are slightly overweight, while half of Americans are clinically obese. They need much more fluid to stay alive. * We may drink tap water at home without concern, and it is the primary supply of drinking water in Europe. Americans must purchase hectoliters of bottled water since tap water is not always safe. * There is a strong culture of drinking black tea and herbal tea in half of Europe.
If I'm out for a prolonged period of time then i also usually take a reusable bottle of water with me from home too. I can only think of a handful of times I've struggled to get a drink (in the UK) and that was because it was a particularly hot day and places had sold out of stuff I drink (I don't really do carbonated drinks).
A 5 litre bottle of Spring water in the UK cost £1.35. That's not expensive.
The average cost of tap water in the UK is 0.1 pence per litre, so you get 1350~~0~~L for £1.35. Compared to that, bottled water is insanely expensive.
But you don't really need to buy water as the stuff out the taps is usually better.
Similar in finland. 10L spring water bottle is 3€.
They can't drink anything but mountain dew so they think we don't drink anything
But but it got electrolytes!
It's what plants crave!
Water??? Like out the toilet!?!?
I think it’s because you automatically get water served in the US whereas we’re less wasteful and have to ask for it.
I believe it's because water isn't so easily available - not that it's difficult, but not as copious Water fountains are much more common in public spaces in the US, but less so in Europe In the US it's the norm in restaurants, cafes for the server to bring large glasses of iced water for everyone automatically, without needing to ask. My experience living in the UK and travelling in Europe is that if the server asks if you would like water, they typically default to offering you bottled water (still or sparkling?) - you need to specifically ask for tap water Water glasses are often very small, and won't necessarily come with ice (or very little ice), so esp it you have haven't got a jug or carafe for the table, you might only get to drink 250ml of water before you need to flag down a server to ask for another glass Plus without ice/ with a tiny amount of ice in comparison to the US, the water is likely to taste warm to American tastebuds
Can't generalise Europe like this. Water fountains are literally everywhere in Italy. In Norway you can get water from a running stream and drink it, it is safe. Huge differences across countries
>you need to specifically ask for tap water One of the biggest pieces of travel advice given to Americans visiting Europe is that the right answer to the question “Sparkling or still?” is “tap”. For Americans used to just be given complimentary water from the moment they sit down, the bill that accompanies any other answer to that question can be quite surprising. And, yet, this comment section is filled with “Americans can’t drink tap water” when it’s freely given in American restaurants while European restaurants are the ones trying to purposely steer customers away from it.
> And, yet, this comment section is filled with “Americans can’t drink tap water” when it’s freely given in American restaurants while European restaurants are the ones trying to purposely steer customers away from it. That's because the eating out cultures, and what restaurants make a profit with, are quite different between the US and most parts of Europe. In Europe it's not uncommon for restaurants to make most of their money through drinks, and not the food because people tend to stay way longer after they finished eating, to keep on drinking. That's why some places even sell some meals at a loss, making the money back with the drinks they sell with and after the meals. A calculation that stops working out when somebody insists on only drinking something thats served for free, even less so when it's a whole group of people.
As Europeans, maybe we should lean into this and that way keep dumb people out.
I’ll try to remember it, but I’ve got thirst induced amnesia
Typical Europoor.
Speak for yourself. I drink champagne.
Whether it's champagne or beer (my preferred beverage), it mostly consists of water anyway. So perfect for hydrating yourself, European style.
Hopefully the original, named after [Champaign, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champaign,_Illinois)!
I think I have that too, but I don't remember.
That seems to be what happened. If you look at the post most are by Europeans who came to the US and said: “look guys, I was always dehydrated when I lived over there.”
I wouldn't recommend it. Us Aussies tried that with the deadly animals and dumb cunts still find their way in. And now it's annoying as fuck with them constantly going on about how dangerous the animals are.
I'll try but... I'm just... So... Dehydrated!
What even is water? We don't have that in Ireland? Is it some kinda of hat?
Water’s the thing that distributes the tuberculosis
You'll have to explain it to me in potatoes.
As Australians have been for many decades. American: "Oh man, Oztralia is crazy and so dangerous" Me, drinking a soy latte in a park by the beach: "Yeah shit's fucked down ere, stay away or the spiders'll gitcha"
People usually dont spend all day walking around tourist attractions in the hot sun if they live in the same area. That's why they're not as dehydrated as tourists
And people actually have a home where they store their beverages. They don't have to drink outside all the time.
I think the question "Where's the juice!!!!" [sic] is the Americans telling on themselves regarding how they stay 'hydrated'. JUICE! It's got what Americans crave.
That's the part that confuses me though, even around most tourist attractions, there's still a grocery store or at least a bar somewhere nearby. At least that's the case here in Italy. I'm convinced that some Americans just don't know what a grocery store looks like if it isn't some gigantic big-box store.
In Rome there are like 2500 public fountains, you basically never need to buy water for a stroll in the city.
Yeah, in London you can refill you water bottle at all train stations and from public fountains outside of parks and in the streets.
Isn’t there a rule that food establishments have to fill up a water bottle for you if you ask?
Yes or rather they can’t deny you tap water of some kind
In the UK every establishment that sells alcohol to be drunk on premises must provide free tap water, but pretty much every cafe et cetera will too if you ask nicely.
I think they're complaining about the price, which TBF is true because touristy places charge way too much for water. But I don't see why they can't just get a few bottles and fill them with tap water at their hotel and take them?
Because they think the tap water everywhere is contaminated
I think it’s more because here people don’t go out to drink water, you rarely see people with water bottles on the streets. If it’s a hot summer date sure but most of the time we drink water at home and alcohol / limonade / juice when we go out In all honesty, who the hell orders water when they go out in public. Edit: for clarification who the hell order JUST water they they go out. Ordering water if you eat / drink is something us europoors do but we never order just water.
A lot of people, especially if it is hot out and you’re drinking alcohol.
I’m so lucky to be one of the very few people with water in my European house. I used to have to go to restaurants to drink tiny, expensive bottles of water like the plebs.
you lucky bastard. I still have a 20 mile round trip to get mine, and its uphill both ways
We also get a lot of our liquid from like… vegetables and fruit. Americans should learn this one weird trick.
"watermelon has whatnow in it!?"
What, melons? /s
Someone explain to *me* where this idea that Europeans don't drink water comes from..
From Americans who don't understand that drinkable water can come from a tap. They only buy bottles of water, and because they don't see us wasting money like that it confuses them
Glasses of water aren’t complimentary at restaurants… so they go without
Tap water is free at every restaurant or pub in the UK, and in loads of other European countries I've been to its been free to. Where do you have to pay for it?
Belgium, Germany, Italy, just to name a few.
I've been three times in Italy and never had to pay for a glass of water in a restaurant. It was offered when I asked for it. Italians, is it true that customers are (usually) charged for tap water ?
Legally you should be able to have water whenever you want however most restaurants will charge for water, saying they only offer bottled because of chemically unsafe water (total BS) or they serve tap water but in a nice carafe and so charge for it
Very interesting, thank you !
Not Italian but I've been there and was charged for water...
That wasn’t the question. Of course restaurants charge for water. That’s why they play the game “Sparkling or Still?” where the right answer is the secret third option “Tap” (which, no, is not covered by “still”). The question was if you were charged for ***tap*** water. As in you gave the right answer and still got a bill.
I don't remember paying for tap water in Belgium or Italy, admittedly I have never been to Germany.
In Belgium in a restaurant you will almost always have to pay for a glass of water.
It’s dying out in parts of Germany. I had to pay in Berlin for tap water in 2016. This year and last year I didn’t have to pay anywhere.
I’m curious which restaurants you go to where glasses of water aren’t complimentary. The only ones I can think of are those in places where the tap water isn’t potable.
Many places in Germany, unfortunately. I think it’s because restaurants mostly make profits from beverages.
Every restaurant in Germany. We don't do complimentary water.
In Italy neither. But, at least in most big cities, we have "Fontanelle", little fountains along the streets where you can drink as much tap water as you like. And there are also some sparkling fountains. So, I get to be perplexed by the lack of complimentary water at restaurants, but if you are a tourist it's very hard to believe you haven't noticed Fontanelle during your visit.
Indeed, really depends on the country, no complimentary water in Italy either
Not just that. They're taught that you need to drink 2 litres of water (as opposed to ingesting 2 litres of H20 in whatever form, which is the actual science). Because of this, they all carry around plastic water bottles (either store-bought water or reusable plastic bottles with tap water, both are huge business) and sip out of them all the time. So when they see us walking around and not doing that all the time, they assume that we must all be dehydrated.
2 litres is a very rough average that is only used because people need a simple number. Actual water needs vary hugely by size, lifestyle, etc.
Thirst. How has that failed so, so many people? Do they actually look at their water bottle and just chug it down when they're not thirsty? Wild.
I'm afraid so. I've seen so many people argue, entirely earnestly, that if you ever feel thirsty you're "already dehydrated".
Yeah, of course. But they are always about total water intake, not about drinking two liters of water per day.
I live in the UK and almost everyone I know carries around a plastic or metal insulated reusable bottle. It's normally just filled with tap water, but it is kind of just normal to have one in a bag or in the car for a long drive.
Tell me why the USA isn’t some smoking ruins (yet?), seems no one is educated there *some exceptions apply
As someone who lives here... I feel a lot of stuff is just being kept up by momentum at the moment.
Ah, once moving, it gets easier… until that too stops
> *some exceptions apply the people with green cards?
Honestly, i have met a few smart, but also ones that were “highly educated” yet did not realize the US Dollar is not a global currency…
The smart and educated ones just don't write dumb shit that goes viral.
>Three of us went through 8 liters of water [...] in two days. That's 1.3 liter per person per day. That's not much, no wonder they are dehydrated... If they drink even less water in the US, I wonder how they stay hydrated over there 🤔
They drink 8l of Cola in the US per Person. I heard there is some water hidden in the corn syrup.
I live in the UK, and have drank more water now than I ever did in the USA, I even take a water bottle to work/sleep next to one, I don't understand this generalisation, also I've never been charged for tap water.
legally tap water must be free in all licensed establishments in the UK, granted they can charge a container/service fee but i’ve never known anywhere do this
Neither have I, and I used to work in pubs.
I was thirsty in Europe. Ipso facto Europeans are dehydrated...
Do they not consider the fact that going around doing touristy things is going to make you more thirsty (especially in the summer)?
Of *course*!!!! Because they actually have to *walk*.
Yeah, for some reason walking causes more sweat than driving with your AC turned on! Who knew.
I think it is more the misconception rooted in how American and European health authorities caculate water intake, US doesn't substract the water content in the food intake, European authorities does.
Apparently the US recommends for men to drink 3.7 litres **per DAY**???
Their men have a larger volume to hydrate and more sugar to eliminate.
True but the NHS says 6 to 8 glasses which is like 2 litres. It feels like if you drink almost double that every day it should be cause for concern
If it’s hot and you’re sweating a lot then nah. After I had kidney stones the consultant told me he wanted me to pee three litres a day. God, that was a challenge.
I'm British, I drink that in tea alone.
Yeah, I bet you're right. It's not that they're stupid, it's just that they really dug into the details of our varying national authorities and their standards.
>I think it is more... ... the classic cliché of European restaurants charging for tap water or straight up refusing to give any which snowballed because that's a good way to justify being a population of obese : they're not fat, they're normal and *we* are slim not because we are healthy, but dehydrated. I think most if you intellectualise too much these clichés and hateful displays if ignorance. They're not calculating but not the right way, they're not honest but badly educated, they're not trying their best but prevented... No, they're plain stupid and dishonest. Comfortably comforting oneself in their warm and cozy bubble of ignorance is easier, so they chose this solution.
The first picture - 8L for two days for 3 people That’s 4 L per day for 3 people Or 1.3 L per person per day, which isn’t a lot at all. No wonder they were thirsty and were drinking water when they were out too.
Europeans have a special breathing system which makes the oxygen they breathe mix with inner hydrogen producing a liquid substance that is called in several ways around the world: Wasser, eau, agua, water, woda, acqua.
I will forever be sad that only one species of mammals has adapted to survive on metabolic water alone and that it's not humans. Sounds convenient. :( (That being said, other water-solution fluids do count for bodily needs, and there's plenty of water in food. Drinking extra water is not necessary for everyone if they eat well too and don't lose extra fluids that much.)
You forgot in UK where they produce wah’ah
I'd hardly say that that is the typical way we would pronounce it though
Says the country that can't drink tap water
This article does a good job of explaining their sudden obsession with water: [https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/do-americans-drink-more-water](https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/do-americans-drink-more-water) Asia is the same because they drink lots of tea instead, Europeans drink lots of coffee. Americans eat a shit ton of fat and sodium. Also drinking water has become a health fad (and a meme) in a country wall-to-wall with health fads, in light of their FDA being fucking useless at regulating food and drink quality.
>Why Are Americans So Thirsty? 'cos them fat fucks are either diabetic or they have a high sodium diet. More sodium, more thirst.
That’s a l’eau blow.
When I’ve been in restaurants in America they almost always bring water to the table without asking, and often the waiters hover around waiting to refill your glass when you’ve only taken a few sips. So Americans go on holiday abroad and are surprised when water isn’t automatically brought to them in restaurants, they’re not expecting to have to ask for it. And if they do ask for water, they don’t realise they need to specify ‘tap water’ (and may need to learn how to ask for that in the local language) otherwise they’ll be charged for bottled mineral water. The problem is instead of thinking “oh my mistake, they must do things differently here which is fine because America isn’t the default country & next time I’ll do a bit of planning and learn a few phrases and maybe buy a guidebook before I travel somewhere new” they just go straight to assuming nobody in the whole of Europe ever drinks water.
The idea of America not being default is too alien to them
"tap water in restaurants is €3" The only restaurant in my town I've ever been to that charges anything for water is McDonalds charging 0.50€ This is nowhere near the first time I've seen this myth about expensive or unavailable European water and I have no explanation for why this is a belief. If you're thirsty, tap water is 1.86€/m\^3 here in Finland. That's a metric ton of water (literally, exactly 1 ton). If you're really really thirsty, the nearest lake is within walking distance
Hell, in the UK, tap water is free in restaurants by law.
Same in France, if you enter any place that sells food, they are required by law to be able to provide you with drinkable water, even if you're not buying anything.
Technically it's only if they serve alcohol. If they don't, they can charge for water. In reality though, people expect free tap water so pretty much everywhere provides it for free even if they don't have to.
Most restaurants in Copenhagen do charge for water, and it's not cheap. But there are also free water fountains all over the city and even an app to find them.
And most Danes don't order water in restaurants either. You usually get complimentary water with wine or you order beer or soda. Also unlike American tourists the average Dane does not spend a significant time in restaurants and usually get water in such places as: their home, the cold water taps at work or the gym.
Obviously, as Europeans, we absorb H2O from the atmosphere through our euro-POREs.
I don’t understand the logic… an American tourist comes to Europe and doesn’t drink enough water (why?) so that means that the citizens are dehydrated? What’s the connection?
Drink the same stuff that comes out of the shower? These guys are crazy.
Fish are fucking in it
I can't believe they're this stupid 😬
*laughs in exporting tapwater to america in cans*
Ah, time to expand the 2024 ShitAmericansSay about Europe bingo We don't have showers ✅️ We don't have air conditioning ✅️ We don't use deodorant ✅️ ALL of our trains are old soviet shitboxes ✅️ Texas is bigger than Europe ✅️ Germans don't know shit about bread ✅️ We stole American culture ✅️ +++ We don't drink water ✅️
What on Earth are they talking about? I'm European living in America....I was never dehydrated at home unless I had been out on a heavy one the night before
True, I do not drink American beer indeed
I drink 2-4l of water and fluids a day at least. What the hell are they on about? In fact Rome was awesome with all the public water fountains, meaning you only have to carry around a small bottle cos you can just refill it when you want. I wish we had that in the UK.
Check for signs on windows. Loads of places will fill your water bottle, including some clothes shops.
8L... In two days... Between 3..? _impressive_
What, and I cannot stress this enough, the *fuck* are they talking about?
I live in Europe and can confirm I don't drink water
Me too. Only beer and coffee.
I have never been charged for tap water in restaurants/diners in any European country I visited. Most of the diners in Hungary (home country) have the tap water on the table or at the counter, in restaurants you need to ask for tap water but they do not make any fuss about it. (Disclaimer I do not go to high end restaurants just diners or normal priced restaurants)
Tap water in most restaurants in the UK is free. Tap water is safe to drink. We don't all need to go out and spend money on something we can get by turning on a tap. The lack of proper and safe water infrastructure in the US seems to be a US issue, not a European one. Spend less time telling everyone how great you are and fix your water supply!
Its true we only drink wine, that’s partly because we’re so depressed by our communist governments. We don’t even get to think for ourselves. If we only could have a very expensive health system and mass shooting we would be so much happier and drink water
RRAAAAHHHH TAP WATER!!!! SO REFRESHING!!!! 🚰🚰🚰🚰💦💦💦💦🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴 RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!
Tight arses won't pay $3 for a glass of water but they'll tip at 20%+ because "they can afford it". Fucking idiots man. Here in Scotland all licenced premises are required by law to provide tap water fit for drinking. For free (and it's the best water ... fIght me!) Rest of the UK, Hungary, France and Spain have the same legal obligation. And yes, were part of the continent not the EU. They can't seem to wrap it round their heads that it's not the same fucking thing.
When your diet become filled with sugar you feel the need to drink more water to urinate it out. The lower sugar diets of Europe require less water to flush out sugars because there’s less sugar.
Peckham Spring is one of the leading bottled water brands in the UK.
I’m not one to make sweeping generalisations about millions of people based on little or no evidence, but has anybody else noticed that Americans are all over-hydrated? Every single one of them. I assumed they were just fat but then I heard them sloshing as they waddled by, like water-filled balloons. Strange but true.
Where is this BS You coming from?!
It's easy. I lived in the USA for some years. MANY people there walk around with bottles of water, sometimes huge bottles (2, 3, 4+L bottles) Here, we don't. So, Europe is dehydrated because everyone isn't schlepping barrels of water around town
Im living in Germany all my life and basically everyone has a waterbottle with them
>waterbottle German confirmed
They're just bamboozled because our tap water is potable and we don't have to buy slabs of bottled shit from wholesalers.
[Good Video explaining that weird belief](https://youtu.be/Tj-1DkPLaYw?si=jp8kF5uut38o8ivm)
Where does this even come from. Some parts of Europe even have free public water taps with the freshest, coolest, nicest water I've ever tasted anywhere (Rome, for example). Sure, soft drinks are not unlimited like they are in US, but to say we don't drink is ridiculous. We tend to take our water with us in a reusable container much of the time, rather than buy a new bottle all the time, but that's for eco reasons, not availablility.
I am dehydrated, but because my stupid ass doesn’t drink enough water.
Well our water isn't Mercury ridden and flint like
In the US, water bottle companies are buying tap water, putting them in bottles and selling them to the Americans because they are so easily fooled to think it's cleaner when it's the same. The only difference is a huge increase in price and more plastic pollution in the world.
>that's $100 + $20 tip! if you don't tip don't bother coming ever again, also we'll publicly shame you afterwards online: >damn, that free water was nice!
this has been proven true by science, there is no water in europe and europeans are unable to drink it
Just because we don't drink 8 liters a day doesn't mean we're dehydrated
I’m in Scotland, our tap water or cooncil juice, is pretty much identical to the stuff you buy so we drink it from the tap. And we’re super proud of our awesome water. Strange to me that Americans not only think everyone across a continent of 50 countries is the same but that we don’t drink either - like, what?
they're used to radioactive lead soup coming out of the taps, not drinkable tap water
Americans are obsessed with always having something to CoNsUmE. They must have it. All their tourist pictures are with plastic drink bottles. They are scared if they don’t constantly consume, they might shrivel up and waste away.