Cameron Hewitt, co-author of the Rick Steves travel guides, is full of nearly as much practical wisdom as Steves himself, such as his suggestions for why tourists should avoid wearing shorts in Italy and how to spot the added coperto fee when you dine out. In Hewitt's own words, "One of the joys of researching Rick Steves guidebooks is how, every day, I stumble upon fascinating little insights that tell me a lot about the place I'm visiting — and sometimes, about human nature." In some cases, these
insights are about the tourists themselves. He elaborated, writing that, along with sporting baseball caps and talking too loudly, Americans in Europe are known for drinking a lot of water.
As Hewitt reveals, "Europeans perceive Americans as being bizarrely obsessed with (over-) hydrating." However, to counter his point, Americans like TikTok user @br3nnak3ough have taken to social media to complain about how hard it is for them to drink enough water while traveling in Europe. The difference in opinion seems to center around the disparity in average daily water intake between the two cultures. Hewitt noted that polls indicate that Americans drink seven cups of water per day while Europeans average just over four, though his sources remain uncited.
Hewitt also called out the variance in recommended daily doses of water between American and European authorities: The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that men drink 15.6 cups of water per day and that women drink 11.4 cups, while the European Food Safety Authority suggests only 10.5 cups for men and 8.5 cups for women. In essence, drinking practices aren't just personal — they're cultural — and a surefire way to spot an American abroad.
Read more: Why You Should Think Twice Before Visiting These Dangerous European Destinations
Water Etiquette For The Savvy Traveler
Cameron Hewitt cleverly suggests that the European view of Americans being water-obsessed "may be based partly on American visitors requesting — and expecting — big glasses of tap water in restaurants." And as Rick Steves has pointed out before, Europeans see ordering tap water as unusual and rude when you're dining out and eating nice food. Why spoil fine flavors by washing them down with the metallic tang of city plumbing? Locals much prefer pairing their meals with crisp bottled water, whether bubbly or still. Moreover, water -- or any drink -- is to be sipped and savored rather than cheaply chugged as they see their American counterparts doing.
If you wish to blend in and not be pegged as "that American," it's important to learn about the water customs in the countries where you'll be traveling. For one thing, many Europeans get a large fraction of their water intake from food — fruit and vegetables in particular. They also consider tea, coffee, and soup as sources of hydration. And while bottled water is preferred in restaurants and bars, tap water is not universally frowned upon. In fact, Italian locals cringe when tourists waste money buying bottled water — it's completely free to fill your own reusable bottle at water fountains in Italy, as well as in Belgium and Germany. This is seen as an eco-friendly and culturally savvy practice that will make you seem more European.
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Read the original article on Islands.
