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Culture shock can absolutely ruin a trip, or at least the beginning of it. It can make moving to a new culture difficult, and it takes time to overcome. Some places will be easier to adjust to than others. It just depends on how similar the cultures are.

Coming from the U.S., the UK wasn’t much of a culture shock. I expected that, and I counted on it to lessen my anxiety. My parents and I considered it a good starting point for me. Dipping my toes into the waters of travel before jumping all the way in.

But let’s face it. It doesn’t matter if the culture you’re going into is similar to your own. It’s another country, and different countries do things differently. It would be great if everything would be familiar no matter where you go, but it would also be really boring. Plus, there would be no point in traveling at all!

Maybe you’re in the same position I was in a couple years ago. “The UK is so much like the U.S. that I won’t even notice the difference!” Yes, you will. Trust me. You might not notice it in the big ways you’d think to prepare for, but you’ll see it in the little things. Daily life will look a little different than back home. Interactions with people will follow slightly different rules. It’s not the same debilitating culture shock you might imagine, but it can make you feel homesick or confused.

Just like with everything else, knowing what to expect can help tremendously. So I want to tell you about the random, little, silly things I’ve noticed are different in the UK. They might not all be relevant to you, and there are plenty more, but it should give you an idea of what to consider.

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Food

The food is one of the biggest differences I’ve noticed. The portion sizes are much smaller than in the U.S., for one. There are no free drink refills like there are back home (not usually a big deal, but something to be aware of). The common foods are different. (My friends are still stunned that I don’t eat fish and chips.) Honestly, British food can be kind of bland, but I’m coming from the South, so there’s that. There’s less variety, too. And it’s hard to find chocolate ice cream. What’s with that?

The food is also much healthier in the UK. A lot of common ingredients in the U.S. are actually illegal here. Comforting, right? You might go through some sugar withdrawals if you don’t snack. I was a chocoholic before moving abroad, and I’ve become more reliant on chocolate now to avoid withdrawals. (Realistically, I just have a problem and need an excuse for it.) The only food I’ve found that’s less ‘healthy’ here than in the U.S. is Ben & Jerry’s. The reason: British pints are bigger than American pints, and there may be more toppings in British B&J’s. Do what you will with this information.

You’ll probably begin to crave random foods from the U.S. at some point. I don’t know what it is about mac and cheese pizza, Goldfish, and Cold Stone, but I miss those foods like no other.

It’s worth warning you that, after a few months in the UK, you might have trouble handling American food again. You’ll need to ease back into it. I’ve found that I’ll be sick or unwell each time I go back home because of the food.

Shopping

You won’t find rows and rows of food options like you will in the U.S.. Also, a lot of places won’t be open late, let alone overnight. That might be different in the cities, but if you’re in a smaller area, get your shopping done earlier in the day and hope you don’t have any late night snack cravings.

You need to show ID for a lot more in the UK, too. Pizza cutters and energy drinks are just two of the things I never expected people would need ID for. If you’re shopping with someone who’s getting a sharp object, energy drink, alcohol (note: the drinking age is 18, not 21), etc. and you don’t have your ID, don’t go to the register with them. They check IDs for the whole group, even if you’re not buying anything.

Also, the price you see is the price you pay. Taxes are already added, so you don’t have to be guesstimating or doing extra math to figure out how much you’ll pay. It’s really nice, and it bugs me going back to the U.S. because I forget about taxes.

Transport

In the U.S., we tend to drive everywhere. Our country really isn’t laid out to travel any other way. I’m not sure if we drive everywhere because of how the U.S. is laid out, or if it’s laid out that way because we drive everywhere (a debate I’ve had with a British friend). Regardless, the UK doesn’t work like that. Brits can’t get a driver’s license until they’re 18, and honestly, there’s not always much need for one. If you’re in a small enough area (or just as cheap as I am), you walk everywhere. Depending on the geography, you might bike, scooter, skate, etc., but you really don’t drive. For longer trips, there’s public transportation (see my article on British public transport for more on this).

Walking Past People

What could possibly be different about walking past people? Unless you enjoy being looked at like you’re from another planet, a lot. In the U.S., when we walk past people on the street, we might make eye contact, smile or nod, and say something like “hi”, “good morning”, or “how are you”, and keep walking. They don’t do that in the UK. If you make eye contact with someone on the street, look away immediately. If you smile at or talk to them, they will think you’re a weirdo, and their face will show it. I speak from experience.

This can be nice if you’re an introvert because it saves you from some social interactions. I adjusted to it quicker than I realized. On my first trip back home, I was waiting in an American airport, and a man walked by and made a comment to me about how big the airport was. I was instantly shocked and confused as to why he would be talking to me. It took me a second to remember stuff like that is normal in the U.S..

The exceptions to this are when you’re walking past friends or if you’re hiking. People are much less cold when hiking than on the streets. And, of course, where you are in the UK makes a difference, too. You might get away with being friendly/social in a smaller town, but in a less friendly city (*cough* London *cough*), that’s not going to happen.

Humor

This one can be a killer. I severely underestimated how different American and British humor are. British humor is pretty tongue-in-cheek and (usually) more dry. Not to mention that they’re VERY sarcastic. Now, we have sarcasm in the U.S., but it’s not the same. We adopt a clear sarcastic tone so people know we’re not being serious. They don’t do that. One of my friends has criticized American sarcasm because changing tone ‘defeats the purpose of sarcasm’. It takes some practice to start picking up on when they’re joking. Some people are easier to figure out than others, and some will be less sarcastic.

As painful as it can be to your pride, expect to look really slow or like an idiot. They’ve probably seen enough American movies/TV shows to understand your humor, but theirs is harder to pick up.

Once you start to catch on (or if you already have this style of humor), you’ll do great, and your interactions will be much more relaxed. You’ll also realize they’re not really insulting you (usually), which is a good feeling.

Slang and Terminology

Most of us probably already know Brits and Americans use different words for the same things. A trunk is a boot, pants are trousers (BE CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE), etc. If you and the people you’re talking to know the common ones, you can get by with minimal processing time. But then you add expressions, figures of speech, and slang into the mix, and things get confusing. A lot of times, they won’t ask you what you mean. They might adopt a look that tells you “You sound like an idiot, but I’m assuming it’s an American thing”, but they won’t ask what you mean. If they don’t seem to get it, ask, and if they confirm, then explain. Everyone can look like an idiot in these situations. We’re just more likely to ask for clarification than they are.

Getting to the Point/Getting a Move On

You won’t. I didn’t realize how blunt and to-the-point Americans actually are until coming to the UK. Polite society still exists in some situations, and a lot of people will delay, even if they don’t want to. For example, some friends and I were trying to decide where we were going for lunch. A place was decided, but the group split into several different conversations instead of us going to lunch. A British friend was very hungry and ready to leave, but instead of convincing people to leave, she stood there waiting. I tried to help by loudly saying we were leaving and people could come with us if they wanted, but even my friend wouldn’t leave. It “wouldn’t be polite”. It was probably at least ten minutes before we actually left, and she kept bringing up how hungry she was the entire time.

Being in the UK has tested my patience a little bit, and I’ve probably come across as a rude American on various occasions. On the flip side, being blunt and getting to the point can help when you have maintenance issues and your British flatmates want to be polite. I’m the only one in our flat willing to be a little mean to get things done faster. It might not come across well compared to in the U.S., but things get done.

X

I don’t even know how to explain this. A lot of Brits will send one or more x’s at the end of their texts. Apparently there are a bunch of loose rules on how to use them. I know the more x’s they use, the closer or more friendly you are. If someone suddenly stops using x’s, they’re probably upset with you. You don’t use them in formal or professional messages. You don’t use them with someone of the opposite sex unless you’re in a relationship? Or maybe unless you’re good friends already? I don’t know. I don’t use them, and I still don’t get it. If you never send x’s, they won’t be offended by it. If you start using them, then you have to keep using them or they might think something is wrong. For more information, consult a British girl (guys are less likely to use them).

Heating and Cooling

I know there are probably parts of the U.S. where people use radiators, but I doubt I’m the only American who doesn’t know how to use them. If you’re coming to the UK, I’d suggest learning, since that’s pretty much the only source of indoor heating you’ll find. Also, during the summer, you’ll have to open the windows. There’s no AC in the majority of the UK.

Miscellaneous

Other random differences include:

• They have switches to turn on outlets.
• There are separate food, recycling, and trash/waste/rubbish bins.
• You need reusable bags when shopping because they don’t use plastic bags.
• Cash is more commonly used in the UK than in the U.S..
• There are no outlets in bathrooms.
• A lot of their windows open out instead of up, and most of them don’t have screens.
• They count floors differently. We’d start a building on level 1, and they’d start on level 0.
• They write dates differently. Americans use MM/DD/YYYY, and Brits use DD/MM/YYYY.
• You have to pay to use public bathrooms. Exceptions might be made in stores, restaurants, and airports, but otherwise, have some coins with you.

Starting to get an idea of the differences? This might feel a little discouraging. Maybe you thought you’d found the one place with hardly any differences, and now this? Or maybe you expected it. Maybe you’re surprised I mentioned so little. Regardless, this shouldn’t put you off going. Like I said earlier, different countries do things differently. It’s part of the adventure. You’ll start to find familiar things, and you’ll adjust to the new ones. Maybe, if your parents are as nice as mine, you can get boxes from home with some of the things you miss. Your time abroad will be worth it all, trust me.