When traveling around Europe, some American tourists will find there’s no shortage of culture shocks. While language barriers, money and tipping etiquette, and differing societal norms are what usually come to mind, Americans may be delighted or horrified to find that some of these cultural differences extend to places of business, too. Uh, no, the other kind of “business.” It’s true that Europe has some of the oddest public restrooms, but even their more familiar ones can be just as strange to outsiders.
One unexpected surprise tourists may encounter when using a European bathroom has to do with the design, shape, and size of toilets. While American public toilets feature an elongated U-shaped seat, European toilets opt for small, circular, or almost rectangular seats. Both serve their own important purposes. One reason toilet seats in America are so big is so the person using it has plenty of space to wipe with ease without their hand grazing the toilet seat. This makes sense when you consider that Americans in general are more keen on using toilet paper than much of the rest of the world. One European bathroom feature American tourists are obsessed with are bidets, which are commonplace across Europe and other countries, but not found as frequently in the U.S. Many cultures around the world find it’s more hygienic to use water to wash up after going about your business. Many Americans, on the other hand, love their toilet paper — as evidenced by “Toilet Paper Gate” during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Americans were panic-buying TP en masse. So if you’re ever wondering why the toilets in Europe seem small, it’s because in comparison, they are.
European toilets are designed to be sustainable
When people think of technological advancements, toilets tend to be one of the last things that come to mind. That’s wild to think about, because toilets are one of the few appliances we use every single day — and they have made everyday human life so much easier. And if you think about it, you can get a good idea about the values a society prioritizes by studying their toilets.
European restrooms, in particular, have come a long way from the days when squat toilets were the norm. While American toilets are designed more for optimal comfort and convenience, European toilets are designed for efficiency and sustainability. Besides the small size of the toilet seats, which may fit better in smaller bathrooms, one difference American tourists will also notice is that European toilets more often feature a dual-flush system, meaning there’s one button for number one and a different button for number two. These toilets offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to those with a single-flush system that uses the same amount of water for all business, big or small. While dual-flush toilets are becoming more frequent in the U.S., some older American toilet models can use up to 7 gallons of water per flush. That is a huge number compared to European toilets, which typically use from 0.8 to 1.6 gallons per flush. While some American toilets are catching up and adopting this technology, Europe has been in the water conservation game for a while. See what other differences you can spot the next time you use a public bathroom in a European country.
