Europeans react to American tourists complaining about no drinking water in Europe

Whenever Americans travel to Europe, they face a plethora of cultural shocks. One of the most common cultural shocks that has become a constant complaint by American tourists is the lack of drinking water in Europe. Every summer, TikTok and other social media platforms are brimming with dozens of Americans mocking the Europeans for being "dehydrated." Simultaneously, Europeans clap back at the Americans, contradicting their claims. Recently, in June, an American lifestyle influencer, Delanie Kristek (@chiknnuggiesinmytummy), shared a video about the "drinking water" issue in Europe. 

Kristek wonders if Europeans are dehydrated and says it is so difficult to get drinking water in Europe. She pointed out how restaurants serve water in tiny glasses, barely enough to hydrate oneself. Moreover, she stressed that having sparkling water like the Europeans is not good enough for the Americans. While many Europeans rely on tap water, Kristek questions if it is even "drinkable." As a traveler, she believed that Europeans were significantly dehydrated or they bought lots of water and stored it at their homes. When @patrikleivo commented, "We have that magical thing called drinkable tap water. So we don't buy it," Kristek responded, "Then why do the servers look at me like I'm crazy when I ask for tap water?"

Another American content creator, Brandon (@atlas_catawba), went viral with their take on the ongoing "water debate." The hilarious 5-second video shows Brandon and other Americans on a trip to Portugal chugging a large bottle of water. "Buying giant jugs because Europeans don't believe in water," the text overlay read. With over 1 million views, this video triggered a response from Europeans and one notable reaction came from Philippa (@philippafrederique), a Dutch woman living in France.

Philippa stitched Brandon's video and expressed her frustration over why Americans have this idea that Europeans are dehydrated. Fed up with seeing this trend that popped up every summer, she decided to explain why it was ridiculous. "Every supermarket sells water. Not all countries, but in most countries, tap water is safe to drink. In a lot of countries, you get tap water for free in restaurants," she said. "Just because we don't carry around big Stanley's all the time doesn't mean we don't drink water. Please, please stop," she added. The video gained nearly 2 million views and many, in the comments, seconded Philippa's opinion.

Yet another European–who goes by Time Traveling Archaeologist (@thetimetravelingcreative) on TikTok–recently reacted to this "water debate." Seeing the same complaints every summer, the archaeologist can't help but be "confused." With a quizzical expression, she simply showed how one can easily consume tap water in Europe. "Annual reminder, you can get water anywhere in Europe," the caption read.

Even an American traveler, Ally Millman (@theallyfromcali), hopped on to this trend in favor of the Europeans. She made a comical bit about how Americans refuse to acknowledge that tap water in Europe can be drinkable. "Friendly reminder to my fellow Americans, there is a lot of water in Europe. You just gotta ask," the caption reads. While Europeans boast of their diverse culture, amazing food and "lots of water," it seems Americans are repelled by the fact that they drink tap water. Millman says that Americans constantly complain that there's no water, but the fact is, they can get clean drinking water anywhere if they ask.

You can follow Delanie Kristek (@chiknnuggiesinmytummy) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

You can follow Brandon (@atlas_catawba) on TikTok for history and geography content.

You can follow Philippa (@philippafrederique) on TikTok for more culture and language content.

You can follow Time Traveling Archaeologist (@thetimetravelingcreative) on TikTok for more archaeological content.

You can follow Ally Millman (@theallyfromcali) on TikTok for travel content.