What I love about Europe...

One of our faves is not being hounded or interrupted by servers at restaurants. It is nice to be able to peruse the menu w/o pressure to decide in 40 seconds or less or to have a conversation w/o somebody asking if "everything is ok". Plus, the coffee is SO much better!

I second the comment about not feeling rushed in a restaurant or café – being able to linger over a meal without the waiter pushing you out the door so they could use the table was nice. I thought the French were very polite – saying “Bonjour” when entering a shop and asking for assistance before touching anything. I liked that. It seemed very “civilized” to me.

Well Sharon, I agree bikes are great transport IF the area is set up for them. Here( in Victoria) bikes are becoming more and more popular , but the roads in many areas are very narrow, no proper shoulder, and drainage grates by curbs can make bike riding not so fun. Plus, its hilly here, note that bike riding is alot more popular in countries like the Netherlands( flat) then Switzerland! LOL

Also so many places have these huge suburbs,,where riding your bike to a proper market( not just a corner store) is a bit of a jaunt.

The one thing many Europeon countries do way better then either Canada or the States is the public transport..
Buses seem to come every 3- 5 minutes in Paris, the metro runs cars every 2 or 3 minutes( it seems) .. here, a bus can easily only run every 20-40 minutes.. and rush and we have no underground or trains to help commmuters from outlying suburbs into the cities..

I think we are all starting to get that we have to look at alternative travel arrangements,, I know here Smart Cars are becoming very popular.

It would help if maybe people didn't run out and buy their 16 yr olds cars... I mean, it is stupid to see houses with 4 people living in them, and FOUR cars,, and that is not unusaul nowadays. You would not see that in Europe.

I adore the public transportation system here. Also the ease and cheapness of traveling to other countries in just a few hours. I like riding the trains and watching the scenery fly by at 250 km an hour and then walking down to the dining car for coffee. I also enjoy walking everywhere cause I know in my "old age", I am way fitter here than I probably would have been had I stayed in the States. Cities in the States used to have public transportation, but they tore up all the tracks. Perhaps if instead of investing in more oil wells, they re-built those systems or built more bike lanes with sheds for the bikes at the commuter train stops and in the city. Kids used to walk and ride their bikes to school, now they want a ride in the car. Parents might need to stop driving their kids all over the place.

I really like public transit and rail in Europe. People I know in Germany tell me it isn't a perfect substitute for a car. Most feel they need at least one family car also.

In the US, I like transit and use it when I can. I'm sensitive to it's limitations. I have a business background so I tend to think how it can be done better (more efficiently and/or more user friendly for comuters).

In Seattle they tried a monorail that ended on a bad engineering mistake. One building sat out a few inches further than others and the monorail couldn't clear it. The line ended and it has become more of a pleasure ride than a commute option.

Later, there was a light rail tax passed in Seattle. Billions into the program (mostly spent to purchase right of way) nothing had been built and the cost projections had skyrocketed over what was sold to voters. It was canceled. Ironically, people who had their land condemned in the process weren't allowed to buy it back. Instead the rail authority got to sell it to the highest bidder.

In San Diego, the Tijuana Trolley is a nice light rail. It was in the red to the point that San Diego transit had to close half their bus routes and make the others end at trolley parking lots to force ridership onto the more expensive trolley.

It's unfortunate that so many US efforts to establish mass transit have such a bad track record (pun intended).

Necessity may change perspectives--the public transportation system in Atlanta is limited in coverage and many people haven't used it until now--we may not have availability of gas for another 2 weeks! It's just luck that I live in an area where I can walk or bike to the places that I need to go--people living in the suburbs don't have those options and I can't imagine how they're coping. I appreciated Jo's description of her commuting options--while it might not be perfect it sounds better than what we have now.

The big difference is European villages and cities were built during a time when transportation choices were a horse or buggy (if you were rich) or walking. Things were built close out of necessity.

In America, most of the growth (especially in the West) came after cars were readily available. If you can afford it, most people want a decent sized house with a decent sized yard which leads to urban sprawl.

That makes it hard to do efficient mass transit (or even bike trails). The cost for infrastructure increases dramatically because of the distances you have to cover and the critical mass of potential riders you need to support a system is spread out thinly. Travel times become prohibitive because your transit route is long with lots of intermediate stops so people prefer to drive.

My commute is about an hour longer than it needs to be because I choose to use the commuter train. On the upside, it's a sane commute because I don't have white knuckle driving in traffic.

"The Lord gives with one hand and takes with the other."

Everything in life is a trade off, I think Brad's post illustraits that Europe and the US made different compromises.

An effective public transport system requires a concentration of people, the way the Americans call it "Mass Transit" is quite apt. It doesn't work in most of the US because the desire for big houses in the middle of a "big lot" dilutes the population. Most Europeans live in smaller houses situated much closer together which makes public transport more viable.

The same thing can be said for restaurants, it is much cheaper to eat out in the US as restaurants rely on turning the tables and can make a smaller profit on a larger number of meals. European restaurants might only have one (or two) sitting per table but still need to make the same amount of money as the American restaurant who might get 4 or 5 sittings per table.

It could also be the size difference. As an example, England, Scotland and Wales, could fit into about 3/4 of the entire state of California. Most of Western Europe would fit in the U.S.--east of the Mississippi. As an example, the distance between Paris and Rome is very close to the distance between New York and Chicago. London to Rome is about the same as New York to Memphis.

With a country so vast, only a air network could link cities together economically in a reasonable amount of time.

The U.S. is also a young country and became a car culture. Most of the older U.S. cities have vast public transport networks. The newer, or smaller ones, didn't want to spend the money for an underground system since cars were so readily available. Until recently, fuel prices were kept low so it was economically feasible to build bigger roads and let people drive where they wanted to go rather than build huge mass transit systems.

And some places don't lend themselves to undergrounds/public transport very well. Seattle has a large number of hills which makes underground tunnels an issue. It also has a lot of water that has to be crossed. We've been building a monorail and a light rail, but it's slow going, especially when people want transportation funds diverted to maintain/improve/widen the freeways.

That said, while I agree with those who say why cars exist/work better in the U.S., I also agree that Europe's less car-centric culture is charming. Unfortunately for me, I can't ride a bike!

Brad, I think your looking at the glass half empty. On the flip side construction of light rail and commuter lines in the US is at an all time high; and this was before gas prices started to skyrocket. With prices the way the way are, public support will only increase. There was a recent article in the NY Times about how Cincinnati wants to build a system with the specific intent attracting twenty somethings to live in the city center, and developers are fully behind the plan. For me the glass is half full.

I certainly agree that the public transit in Europe is much better than most places in North America. However, I also agree with the points Brad made with respect to distances and the numbers of riders that would be required to sustain European-style transit systems. It would seem to make sense to start building infrastructure for electrified transit systems now, so that we can start to reduce our reliance on petroleum-based transport. Of course given the distances involved, that won't work everywhere but there's no reason that better transit couldn't be used between major population centres or within larger cities.

Unfortunately, petroleum is a finite resource and one that is going to be more expensive to obtain in future. Now that the gas prices have gone down, I suspect many people will be going back to "business as usual" (at least until the next crisis).

It's encouraging that Translink in Vancouver is starting to consider light (electrified) Rail, in conjunction with the present Skytrain system. From a traveller's perspective, the light rail systems in Munich, Rome, Dublin and other places in Europe appear to work well, so perhaps it's time to look at similar systems here.

If I lived in Europe, I probably wouldn't own a car (just rent for "special occasions).

May we remind many who have repkied that the topic was "What I love about Europe" . We recognize that there are reasons why one place has something while another doesnt but WHO CARES? It is all in fun, not a question of defending the honor of your country!

Even tho this in under transportation I'll take on that challenge, but move it a bit. ; ) What I love about Europe is all the history. I know we have some, but they have more. I love learning about the people, places and the events that happened in those places. I like the stories and seeing where they happened. Of course, I also like the history of transportation.

cheese and chocolate for breakfast
cheese and chocolate for morning coffee
cheese and chocolate for lunch
cheese and chocolate for afternoon coffee
cheese and chocolate for dinner
cheese and chocolate for evening coffee

What's not to love???

I love the different architecture of the cities in Europe. My bigget fear prior to my first trip (London), was that it would look like the US.

art art art art art art art art art art art art music and architecture and street food

Pamela I thought the same thing, this post is under "Transportation" so I thought answers had to be about transportation.

But, on the subject of " what I love about Europe"

I would list the food and history as the top two reasons I love Europe.

Pamela and Pat,
At the time I posted this question, there was a gas shortage in Atlanta and I was feeling envious of the great transportation system in and between most European cities--I do love the freedom and flexibility of the European transportation system (thus posted under "Transportation.") The gas shortage here is mostly resolved and though I wish we had better options for getting around without cars, I'm feeling better. From this post, I've learned a bit about why we are the way we are transportation-wise and it's been fun to read what other travelers love about Europe! Art, history, slower pace, chocolate for breakfast, architecture, music, freedom to linger, coffee, street food...did we miss anything?

Sharon in Atlanta

Love Europes Round-abouts. No waiting and rarely do you have to come to a complete stop which probably saves some gas. Much better than our 4 way stops.

I love the transportation system. The food & wonderful people..seeing stuff I studied in school

Of course this isn't quite fair, since I am European - after almost 20 years in the USA, I returned home to Austria last summer.
What do I love about Europe?
Let me count the ways:
- being able to get around to everywhere without a car
- our public places and lifestyles, the cafes, town squares, wine taverns, beer gardens
- being able to shop with my little basket, gathering the freshest of the season and region, walking from butcher to baker to farmers market
- the church bells, especially at noon, how everything slows down and quiets down for a few hours, save the clatter of dishes in the inns and cafes
- living elbow to elbow with my neighbors, but in peace and quiet behind meter-thick stone walls
- the smells
- the colors of the buildings
- the layers and layers of history all around
- the abundance of art and culture and music
- families out and about after work and on weekends
- the multitude of cultures and nationalities
- the celebrations, the traditions
- being able to buy foreign newspapers from all around the world in the Trafik in my little town
- the food, the wine, the bread
- having health care and vacation, and time for my life and friends and family again
- having to separate and recycle all my trash
- the peaceful Sundays
- being able to stroll through town in the middle of the night, the castles and churches all lit up
- being able to discuss politics freely and heartily everywhere and with about everybody

and and and and
down girl . . ;-))

Corinna, oh after reading your post I want to jump on a plane. Your description was so perfect. The church bells are heavenly, cafes oh so good, watching families out and enjoying their villages, town and the peace you feel as you walk down a cobblestone street about beautiful old buildings.

Besides all of the above, I appreciate the freshness of the food. I noticed one morning at breakfast that the yokes of the eggs were actually a deep, almost saffron color - not the anemic "yellow" of U.S. eggs. I don't know what Europeans feed their chickens, but it was nice to have eggs that actually tasted like eggs!

Also, universally good coffee - even at a McDonalds! And beer that actually tasted like - well, BEER! I must stop now.....

Steve,
many farmers here add marigold blossoms to the chicken feed, I believe that is one of the reasons the yolks are of a deeper color. I did this myself when I had chickens wile in the USA, because I knew it was healthy for them, and that was the result.

At the risk of being off-topic, I need to respond to some bad information posted by Brad, namely his quote, "In Seattle they tried a monorail that ended on a bad engineering mistake. One building sat out a few inches further than others and the monorail couldn't clear it. The line ended and it has become more of a pleasure ride than a commute option." The fact is this short monorail was built for the 1962 World's Fair to connect downtown Seattle to Seattle Center, nothing more. It was built with a squeeze point that would disallow two trains to pass each other, something that was always known but didn't cause a problem until 1988 when two trains got wedged together. It's always been something for tourists and occasional shoppers. The line didn't "end" at all.

Secondly, the new monorail entitled the "Green Line" was a Seattle-only (not regional) project that was ill-conceived and justifiably resisted by many from the start. Though nothing to be proud of, it shouldn't be confused with the much larger regional light rail system currently under construction. This is to be contrasted with Brad's post which could leave one with the false conclusion that Seattle tried and failed to build a light rail system.

There is so much to love about Europe. I love the food and art. I love walking out my front door and having multiple walking paths right in front of me, its always fun deciding which one I will take, the one that goes through the woods, around farmers crops, or one that goes up and down hills and through valleys. I love being able to go to dinner and not feel rushed, just being able to relax and have the table all evening is wonderful. I will unfortunately be leaving Germany at the beginning of December to go back to the U.S. I will have fond memories of some of my favorite places like Bernkastel and Berchtesgaden but at least I had the opportunity to spend 14 months here.

Definitely the public transportation! I live outside of DC and once you get out of the city the transportation is not so great. It was a pleasure to let someone else do the driving. We spent 3.5 weeks and traveled mostly by train.

Absolutely Maureen! I'm grateful to have a full tank of gas and the possibility of getting more when I need it. Now if I could find a good airfare to Europe and reassurance that the economy's going to get better soon...

I'll echo Maggie's love of the cheese and chocolate. We had one particularly bad trip where our luggage got lost and my husband was pick-pocketed, but it was still a great trip since we had beer and ice cream or chocolate every day.

I used to love the leisurely dinners until I had children. Dinners are not so leisurely, I'd like the bill, please, before my son runs slap into someone's table....

And, Sharon, aren't you glad we have gas here again?

I love the metro in Paris and the train system in Western Europe (I've never been to the Eastern part). I love the politeness and civility of most people in Europe. I adore being able to go into establishments or walk along the street and not have to listen to others' cell phone conversations or the loud music from anyone's car. I love the museums, the stonework, the concerts. My goodness, do I love the chocolate in Bruges! Well, I could go on & on...

Since I just got back from the States, here is what I appreciate, living here in Frankfurt. The diversity of our population including all the religions, the countries, the languages, the outfits, the restaurants, and the food. The public transportation, the wonderful fresh produce markets, bakeries and butchers in every neighborhood, cheap flowers for sale all year round, feeling safe walking down any street at any time of the day or night, having sidewalks and bike lanes everywhere, the vibrant downtown city center, and of course the sense of history that comes with living in the middle of Europe. I also enjoy all the little stores, boutiques, and restaurants that aren't chains, that offer a unique variety of products.

Jo, you are so right on! Ditto to everything you wrote. I was in one of the major chain dept stores on Friday. They removed the benches outside the store and the occasional chair or bench inside the store. I was waiting for someone and had no place to rest my weary body!

What I Love about Europe. I observed that European people are in better condition psychologically, than Americans, in some aspects. In Europe it appears that people have less fear of people who they do not know. And, European people, living and working closely with thousands of people who are different from them, in cities, do not let other people kill their happiness and individual identity. I think Europeans are better at that, than are Americans. This is a general observation. There are exceptions, in Europe, and in America. I have not been in Paris. I have not been in Spain.

I love the food, and the art with which it is consumed. By that I mean the long leisurely meals, the freshness of the ingredients, and the need for affordable wine to make it complete...seems all of these simply are not found in the US. Tipping is another pet peeve, everyone in the US seems to have their hand out, and offended if none, or even the standard exhorbitant amount is offered.

I love riding the trains in Europe and it makes me mad every time I return to the States that I can't hop on a train here and go anywhere I want. It used to make me mad that I couldn't eat outside at a cafe too - that's changed, so maybe someday we'll have trains....I can hope, probably in vain.

OMG! I agree with paulnsara! Being left alone in a restaruant and NOT being addressed as "You Guys..."