On a scorching June day on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, Chloe Maddison and her boyfriend Colin Pinero stopped for lunch in Positano, a charming town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
As they munched on refreshing Caprese pasta plates and Aperol Spritz, one thing came to mind: iced water. But they knew it was too American to ask for that. She said the Europeans around her seemed unfazed by the temperature, but they felt parched.
“Water was something we always had to ask for,” she said, and when they asked for ice, it was “just a few cubes.”
Madison, 27, decided to make fun of this and posted a TikTok video of the couple having fun with the caption: “Fighting America’s urge to get ice water in Europe.” (In this, she joins the trend of Americans seeking cold drinks at tourist destinations, with some tweeting on social media that perhaps Europeans simply don’t drink water.)
As many American tourists return to Europe this summer and record-breaking heat waves occur, Americans’ sense of staying cool is at odds with European etiquette and norms. (Some tourists are changing their travel plans because of the heat.) The trend toward flip-flops, shorts, and guzzling ice water may seem trivial in the face of the widespread climate crisis, but , the difference is obvious.
Savvy travelers looking to blend in with the locals are increasingly turning to social media, especially TikTok, for advice and empathy. Many of the guides will be familiar to experienced travelers.
For example, be careful about small talk and asking personal questions of strangers. Don’t be surprised that many Europeans still smoke in cafes and other public places. Do a little research on local customs and learn some basic conversational phrases in the local language.
There is also standard advice for Americans. “Please don’t make too much noise.”
But Europe’s record high temperatures are causing a new theme to emerge in online travel advice.
“I couldn’t help but notice the striking contrast in how Americans and Europeans deal with heat waves,” Madison said, noting that Europeans “have a lot of things that Americans consider essential. It didn’t seem to depend on it that much.”
Experts agree. First, don’t expect a large water pitcher full of ice the moment you sit down in a restaurant.
“It’s not common at all in Europe,” says Vivian Neri, director of the Villa Pierrefu Institute, a finishing school in Montreux, Switzerland. “In some places, restaurants are required to provide tap water, but they’re charging you because you have to wash bottles and glasses and everything.”
The American cold brew trend has not yet caught on on the continent. When you order an iced coffee at a local shop, it looks like a Greek frappe or cafe freddo. Depending on the location, it may not be an option unless you happen to have an American coffee chain.
“In America, we love iced coffee. To be honest, we love iced coffee,” said Ilaria Rondinelli Huey, 30, an Italian TikTok creator who moved to the United States a few years ago. She said, “I miss that when I’m in Italy.”
Rondinelli Huey suggested drinking traditional hot coffee for breakfast and ordering an Aperol Spritz for lunch.
Also, “We don’t put ice in our wine.”
Travelers from the United States should also not expect air conditioning or other electrically powered conveniences.
The survey found that Europeans are more concerned about climate change than Americans. This is reflected in the refusal not only of air conditioners but also of clothes dryers. You can also find clotheslines for rent instead. Due to energy shortages in recent years, electricity usage is also limited.
Due to old-style architecture built to keep people cool, only about 1 in 5 European homes have air conditioning, compared to 1 in 90 American homes. .
“When it’s hot, we leave the shutters closed. We open them in the morning to let in some cool air,” Neri said. “If you put up with a little discomfort afterwards, it’s not the end of the world.”
And when you have air conditioning, don’t expect someone to blow it up. “Even when it’s on, it’s not ‘America on,'” said Amanda Rollins, an American TikTok creator who has lived in Paris for six years.
She recently went to a movie theater where the audience was hyping themselves up, a stark contrast to the freezing conditions common in American movie theaters.
And then there’s the question of what to wear. Even if it’s hot, it might not be wise to wear the comfortable shorts, T-shirts, and sandals you wear to dinner or the theater in the United States.
Stefano Rodi, general manager of Hotel Brunelleschi in Florence, joked: “Here in Italy, people dress up in costumes and throw trash in the street.” “You wouldn’t have the courage to wear flip-flops.”
Several fashion faux pas have caused a stir, including wearing beachwear around town and cut-off shorts and crop tops at fancy restaurants. The cost may be more than just a dirty look. Even upscale restaurants and bars can turn you away for dressing too casually.
Every summer, Mr. Rodi refuses to come to the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant because people show up in shorts (despite instructions to the contrary on booking confirmations). He said he is doing so. “They say, ‘It’s so hot. You should have told me,’ and we say, ‘Well, we told you.'”
Other tourist attractions, such as churches, have dress codes. “No shorts or crop tops allowed,” Rondinelli-Huey said. Athleisure and sneakers in general can protrude.
In a fashion capital like Paris, the heat never gets in the way of fashionistas.
“Even when it’s hot, you see French people wearing long sleeves, long dresses and coats,” Rollins said, adding that she rarely sees Parisians wearing shorts.
This is in contrast to the hot summer American style. “We are as close to naked as possible,” she said.
