This Common American Habit Looks Bizarre In Europe, According To Rick Steves' Protege

Have you ever been to Europe and had someone tell you that they could immediately tell you were an American? According to travel pro Rick Steves' protege and co-author, Cameron Hewitt, we have some tells — and you may find one of them really surprising. On Steves' website, Hewitt mentions things like how we dress so casually and how loud we tend to be. However, one of the most unexpected things that can really label us as being from the U.S., he says, is drinking a ton of water. He explained the hydration stereotype by saying, " ... among our many other foibles, Europeans perceive Americans as being bizarrely obsessed with (over-) hydrating. This may be based partly on American visitors requesting — and expecting — big glasses of tap water in restaurants." 

Along with that, it might also be because we tend to lug around giant water bottles everywhere we go. See for yourself: Go into your kitchen or gym bag right now, and count how many reusable water bottles you own. It's likely to be several. Maybe you even have one of those massive bottles, the ones that remind you to drink water every hour, that are so big they might as well be classified as carry-on luggage. Even if we don't have a bottle with us, we're also likely to be constantly wasting money buying water from shops, something that often makes Europeans — particularly in Italy, where there are clean, free public water fountains everywhere — cringe. 

As Hewitt points out, the stereotype appears to be true. "Polling suggests that American adults drink, on average, 70 percent more than their European and British counterparts (1.7 liters per day vs. about 1 liter per day)," he writes, "and authorities in the USA and the EU have very different "recommended daily amounts" of water consumption." So, while in the U.S. most health experts suggest consuming at least 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women, Europeans are more forgiving at 2.5 liters for men and 2 liters for women. This likely explains our giant Hydro Flasks, rainbow of Stanley Quenchers, and array of other massive liquid receptacles — although social pressure to acquire each new hotness is part of it as well. 

This is not to say that you can't continue to drink as much liquid as you like on vacation, although you may want to be cautious when filling up with tap water in countries like Albania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Instead, you can purchase bottled water and dump it into your Stanley to avoid carrying around plastic. 

In addition, Steves himself says that ordering tap water at restaurants in Europe can be considered odd. Bottled water is often inexpensive at these establishments, he writes, and each country has different rules about getting tap water for the table. For instance, Steves notes that it's not available in Greece, and that you'll be charged for it in Belgium, so you may want to save your tap water chugging for when you get back to your hotel. Ultimately, though, you're welcome to hydrate to your heart's content from your giant water bottles in Europe — just don't be surprised by a couple of strange looks for your "bizarre" behavior.