Have you noticed these contrasts between the US and the UK? Or have you experienced your own surprises when traveling? And what are some good footpaths we should check out on a future trip to the UK? Let us know in the comments! Watch our reverse culture shocks video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/np-edcufp7fMmJc.html&t Why the UK feels like home: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i6mDqM14yb7KeoE.html&t Americans First Time Driving in the UK: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z8xmeqtqrK-plmQ.html Our first time in Dorset: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pJh7d9SY2ZPKe4E.html 3 days in Cornwall: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sKhkatSIls2RnKs.html&t Exploring Newcastle: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f6ijYNWilavOfZ8.html&t

Many footpaths are not just footpaths, they are 'Public Rights of Way'. Which means that no matter where a public right of way meanders across private land, the rights of the walker are paramount, but the walker is expected to be respectful of the property. Many footpaths are hundreds, and even thousands, of years old and provide links between communities.

In a pub, when they ask who's next, you point to the person who arrived 2 seconds before you.

A lot of us in the UK seem to like to complain, and it's really nice to hear about people being impressed with our public transport! It's not always the cleanest and best-maintained, but at least it's there.

as someone who works in retail in the UK. We are explicitly told in our training to never handle a customer's card directly.

When Madonna lived in the UK her large house had a public footpath running by it and she couldn’t believe that she couldn’t get it rerouted or closed . It was because it was a right of way for so long and couldn’t legally be affected.

An absence of arrogance makes a difference in people's attitude to you, you guys are genuine

The hot/cold tap thing is because traditionally hot water was taken from a heated water tank in the attic. As this would sit around full of warm water for hours at a time, it wasn't safe to drink. So the hot and cold were entirely separated so you could drink from the cold tap without contamination. As a kid, it was drilled into me that you should never drink from the hot tap as it would make you sick. Nowadays, most hot water is just mains cold water that's run through a heater as and when needed so it's fine, and mixer taps are far more common.

I think the reason people in the UK haven’t always been to other parts of the UK so much is the close proximity we have to Europe. If you can afford a holiday, it’s often cheaper to get a package holiday to somewhere warm than it is to stay in UK resorts like Cornwall or Dorset.

I think your reception here is a reflection of your behaviour here.

Many land owners would very happily get rid of the paths through their land. But fortunately these paths are ancient before land ownership and are preserved in law, so it's a real treasure in the UK

You are both clearly such lovely people that I am not surprised at all that you were welcomed and well liked. I hope you come and visit again. If all visitors were as delightful as you we would be truly blessed. x

oh wow! Respect for driving in central London and rural roads on your first visit. That's probably some of the most difficult driving you could do! If you do want to drive more in the UK, you are certainly well prepared for it now :) The parking thing, because everywhere is so old and we don't have much space, parking space is at a premium here.

I’m not surprised you had a positive reaction in the UK. You are both incredibly respectful, you are some of the few, if not only, American KZfaqrs who describe driving in the UK as being on the opposite side of the road instead of the wrong side.

In the UK, bringing the bill/check before you ask for it is seen as INCREDIBLY presumptuous.

Like a lot of things in the UK, the hot and cold taps are the result of having to retrofit old housing stock. So many British houses are a hundred years old or more, and they weren't built originally with hot water, or for washer/dryers etc. Those were bolted on later, and the first iteration of hot water typically used a tank in the attic that meant the water wasn't safe to drink and couldn't pass through the same outlet as potable water. Also, when old British houses had washing machines installed, typically the only place that had the space and the plumbing was the kitchen.

The Pembrokeshire coast path is probably the most stunning you'll ever walk. So varied.

It's not that our roads are too narrow, it's that cars have got way too big. Car parks don't seem to have adjusted their spacings accordingly.

Customer service in the UK is based on the principle that people don't want to be bothered and if they need something they will ask for it. We value our independence and having a waiter or shop assistant come over and constantly ask us if we need anything or need help with something, makes us feel like children who can't cope with adult life. The vast majority of us just want to be left alone to do what we need to do, it's why self-checkouts are popular. And in the UK you NEVER EVER hand your card to anyone else, except maybe the cashier at the bank. It's one of the most basic security measures alongside not writing down your PIN. You never give it to a waiter for them to take away to process the transaction because you don't know what they are doing with it. You need to enter your PIN anyway, unless it's contactless, so you ALWAYS put it in the machine yourself. This lets you inspect the machine for suspicious modifications, confirm the amount is correct, and make sure the transaction only goes through once.

Because I live in the UK, I take all your choices for granted and don't give them a second thought. The privacy of the public loo to footpaths over private land - it's all normal stuff to me lol. But I do want to say thank you! I felt your film was really positive and and it was such a pleasure to listen to. Come back here again soon! Xx

How delightful to watch this! As a Brit I am used to being a bit down on our country and this was cheering. Your POV was thoughtful and very engaging. I would recommend you think about walking the fabulous Norfolk Coast Path Footpath. It's not too long and the countryside is stunning: you would love it, I'm sure.

We NEVER lose sight of our credit/debit cards here in the UK - no-one would even think of taking them away these days.

In UK, if I'm brought the bill before I've finished eating, my feelings would be "these are very tight people, more interested in the money, than in the quality of the food".

The Kennet and Avon Canal (opened in 1810) towpath walk is a beautiful and historical 80 mile walk from Bristol Docks to The Thames in Reading, Berkshire. River and man made sections, liberally sprinkled with flights of locks and passing through towns, villages and open countryside. Many waterside pubs and brightly decorated narrow boats to watch as well as wild life and historic buildings. Hearing the cuckoo on an early spring morning and seeing drifts of bluebells in the canal side woods was magical.

You both seem so so sweet! You’re the kind of tourists we love to have ❤

In Scotland we have a law called "the right to roam" you can go pretty much anywhere, you do not need to stick to footpaths.... golden rule is "leave it as you found it"

My old mate Jed was enjoying an after-work pint in his local pub in the New Forest, UK. A very large American couple came in. The guy asked to see the menu. When it came, he read it for a while, and asked the barmaid " What are these New potatoes? She answered " they're small, early crop potatoes. We grow them in our veg garden round the back. So they're fresh today" The American looked around and rolled his eyes upward. He made a large "O" shape with his hands and said:"In the States we have potatoes THIS BIG"... Jed turned to him and said quietly, " Around here we grows 'em to fit our mouths!"

That's what basins and plugs are for, put some hot in the plugged sink, add cold for comfort and wash hands, face ect with the bowl of water infront of you. Yes I've called the sink a basin, bowl and sink... all are aceptable tems to use. And who wants to fill a glass of water (to drink) with a mixed tap, its good to know cold water only comes from the single tap.😊 We do love to spend time with our food and drinks.

Well, you two are a ray of sunshine! Absolutely loved watching this video, it's so great to hear about the UK from your perspective and really lovely to hear how much you enjoyed your visit. 😊

A tip about footpaths: Stay somewhere outside the big cities and if the weather's nice find a footpath connecting to a nearby settlement a couple of miles away, walk it and grab a pint. It doesn't matter where it is, you'll be walking in footsteps going back thousands of years.

You are very lovely people. Thank you for praising us Brits and how we do things in the UK. It is nice to hear such positive comments.

I'm not going to read any of the other comments yet as I don't want to be influenced before I write mine. Firstly, I'm a Brit. I live in Surrey which is just south of London. This is an absolutely delightful video. I'm so pleased that you were able to appreciate the differences and discuss them in such a polite manner. I'm proud of some of our ways... but, of course, I know there are plenty of things we get wrong. Thank you for your enthusiasm and for making the video. Not that it's down to me - but I'd welcome you back anytime. Good luck with your adventures 😊

It's lovely to listen to the positive comments about the UK, makes me view it in a better light, thank you.

Sometimes it's very easy to be annoyed about the place you live, but hearing your kind words about the UK has made me appreciate what we have here. Thank you and I'm glad you enjoyed your stay - hope you come back again soon!

Yes, footpaths are great! One of the worst things about the USA if you are British is that we never know what something is going to cost. In Britain, The sign says "Three ice creams for £4" and you go in and pay £4 and you get three ice creams - done. In the USA you have to add on some random sales tax, and then there's tipping to worry about, and then they might hit you for some surcharge for eating the ice cream on the premises.

Just came back from our first trip to the UK. We were impressed by the politeness of the British drivers. Its certainly not like that in Australia! Loved the footpaths too. Such beautiful countries!

It’s so lovely to hear your positivity and that you aren’t completely running your own country down at the same time. Just a comparison. It’s also a good reflection of things we might not even see ourselves about our little country…. Thank you. Enjoyed listening to your experiences!!

I think sometimes people in Britain do not appreciate what they take for granted, thank you for the reminder.

I had a rather surreal experience on a footpath in northern England that crossed a wide stretch of open pasture. About halfway along I stopped to check the map, glanced to my right and saw that several dozen sheep had formed an almost perfect semicircle about thirty yards in diameter with me at the centre. For a moment I felt like I was being worshipped. Later I realised that the lambing season hadn't quite reached its end and that each ewe had instinctively taken up the best position she could find in order to protect her young. Emergence is a fascinating thing.

PSA, the narrow roads they talked about, that’s in the countryside beyond the towns and villages and usually are for low traffic routes. When I mean low traffic, it’s because the A and B roads are faster to drive on despite more people as well as a short time to destination.

You're so nice and complimentary. You said trains were efficient in the UK! Never heard anyone say that. You must have been lucky.

You two are delightful! You reap what you sow-you sow positivity, politeness & kindness, thats what you will reap!

As someone who's from the UK, typically restaurants will only bring the bill over without you asking for it only if they are super busy and need the table (normally told before you sit down they need the table back in like 1.5 hours etc) but otherwise the last thing they want to do is make you feel rushed

Glad you both had a good experience here in the UK. Good video and it makes us more grateful for the good things we have in the UK. On the whole we love to queue in an orderly fashion.

I think because you were treated well was cause you seem such nice kind people

I lived for 11 years in the UK and it was the best time of my life! Thank you UK!❤

So many Brits moan about our way of life, so it's really interesting to hear your point of view. Personally, I'm proud to be British and love my country. Everywhere has problems, but ours are nothing compared to some countries. As a nation we're very polite and bad manners are one of my big bug bears. If I'm in the supermarket queue with a huge trolley of stuff and the person behind me only has a basket, I always offer to let them go ahead of me, i hold doors open, I say please and thank you always because it's respectful and my kids do the same. And you're right that if someone is friendly towards you, it's because that's who they are and not because they want something. Being nice to people costs nothing and it's surprisingly contagious. You're obviously genuine folk and that's why you've had good experiences. Like attracts like. On the subject of toilets, there's a pub in my local city of Liverpool called The Philharmonic Dining Rooms with the most amazing victorian toilets. People go in there just to use them and take a photo. You should Google them and see what i mean.

Great vlog, come back anytime! My cousins recently came over from Canada and were obsessed with the antiquity of everything. There was a pot hanging by an open fire dated 1675 or something, considerably older than the establishment of 'Canada' as a formal entity (1867)! Also, UK is a fairly small place with lots of people densely packed in, so it's attractive for companies to test innovations like self service checkout, QR menus, Uber, Just Eat, drone delivery etc etc. Some of it is good and beneficial, but I also feel part of the experience is lost with automation. Ordering food from a QR code on a table makes even a great restaurant feel a bit souless and cold. Efficiency boosts profit but often at expense of the experience. Regarding politeness and orderly queing, due to density of population and space it helps to be polite, friendly and have ettiquette for queuing. Being courteous drivers helps too due to size and speed of roads. Anything that involved bundling, flocking, pushing in, would end in mass brawls / road rage pretty quickly 😂. Final thought on footpaths, we are very lucky to have access to Public Rights Of Way, Common Land, Open Access spaces and Permissive Paths (where land owner allows you to walk). Just my thoughts.

thankyou, always good to hear a positive view of the UK

That's funny that you noticed the toilet/bathroom situation first, that's exactly what I noticed when I first visited the US! I was horrified by the gaps 😂😂

You both are beautiful people glad you like our country

I remember the first time I saw a shower I was a pre teen, in Australia. Previously lived in Germany and England. Baths was the go usually on the weekend when hair was washed. The rest was a basin wash with a face washer, saved on time and water. Which I really appreciate now that my teens take half hr showers 😮

It was lovely hearing about the differences. It will help many people!

As a frequent traveler to the US from the UK I love most Americans. Soon as they hear a British accent they want to talk to you. I love conversations starting that way.

A good walk is Hadrians Wall. You really are walking in the footsteps of history, and the scenery is dramatic and stunning. The section around the Haltwhistle area is easy as there is an old military road that follows the wall so you can find a base, grab a bus and travel for a few miles, get off and walk back to your b and b etc. Vindolanda is a huge Roman Fort and an archaeological gem.

I'll never forget the shock seeing my first toilet in the US, you can see everything!! that was one week of very quick, anxious toilet trips 😂

Footpaths are ancient rights of way. It's against the law to block them. Some seem to wind through nowhere, but they probably went to a village that succumbed to the Black Death, the wattle and daub cottages returning to the soil, but if there was a stone church, evidence of it remains. I also love the CANAL paths, (created for use by horses to pull the barges) that wind through the most incredible places, including land of stately homes.

The serving / waiting service in uk is not rushed because their pay is not dependent on tips. They are paid a reasonable wage. You do not need to tip. Any tips might even be shared among all the waiting staff. Sometimes the bill says 'service charge not included ' but this does not mean that staff are reliant on tips. Also in a pub people can stay for hours with just one or two drinks or a meal because its a 'public house'. So thats why you have to ask for the bill.

Walking in a field with cows with calf. When you have a dog with you. That can be a little risky. Cows are big animals, and they are protective of their young.

As a Brit who regularly travels to the US I can confirm, US toilets are weird.

Stumbled across this vlog and what an absolute joy! As a Brit living in the south (between London and Brighton) and having travelled a lot around the country, i loved hearing your perspectives...so much positivity! You guys are a delight, do come back! 😍

When our US family came over from Michigan, we visited Gent ( Belgium) and the medivial (11th century) castle. They were amazed that the walls were not secured. You could fall off and drop a few meters. My brother answered that we generally don't fall off and if you do then you learn about evolution the hard way.

I was a little surprised to hear you say the public transport in the UK is good. That's certainly not what most Brits think! 😂

Great video ☺️ Its always so interesting to hear what Americans think when visiting the UK! Public footpaths are a lovely part of our culture. My grandmother dedicated so much of her life to helping preserve the southwest coast path, lots of communities come together to help maintain it for everyone to enjoy 💕

Great to hear your experience thankyou...😊

Yep, it's rude to give the bill before asking for it.

History lesson for footpaths, there is a blue plaque on Flixton House: The plaque commemorates a famous court victory by Flixton residents who successfully stopped Squire Ralph Wright from closing Bottoms Footpath in 1827. The case marked the culmination of several years of campaigning by villagers opposed to local magistrate and land owner Mr Wright’s decision to block up footpaths across his land. In 1826, the ‘Flixton Footpath Battle’, as it was known, resulted in the formation of the ‘Manchester Society for the Preservation of Ancient Footpaths’: one of the earliest examples of a society of this type. The court case made the national press and was a watershed moment in the history of rights of way campaigners in the UK.

The hot and cold was kept separate to prevent contamination. As the cold came straight from the mains supply, which made it safe to drink, whereas the hot was was drawn from a reservoir tank usually housed in the roof.

Loved your words about our country! You guys sound like awesome people and deserve to be received here as such. I'd love to visit the states and notice all of the differences, we are so similar yet so different at the same time as cultures and I love it! 🇬🇧🇺🇲

I think that you had a largely positive experience in Britain because you are both very open and accept that things are different when abroad. Too many travellers - not just Americans - focus on how uncomfortable they are when it’s “not like it is back home” even though new experiences are at the heart of why we travel. You guys just go for it which is refreshing and helps me see my country in a new light. I hope we get to welcome you back before too long.

I would say that footpaths are mostly not disrespected and we consider them very precious. I would also say that in England and Wales we are very envious of Scotland's right to roam 😊

The stuff we take for granted. Thank you for reminding us. Xx

Hi Thank you for your lovely comments. We are proud to be English❤

As a brit travelling to US I was shocked when "using the bathroom" at the Empire State Building and the stalls not having even half height doors on them - it is most disconcerting to be able to make eye contact with someone on the other side whilst sat on the toilet! We are pretty good at queuing but not in every situation - e.g. if you travel on the london underground it is usually every man/woman for themself when boarding!

The public footpath network is definitely one of the very best things about the UK, the fact that everyone has local paths that they can go out and walk on close to home, even if they don't all have dramatic scenery just being out in nature is so good for physical and mental health. I'm booked to do the Coast to Coast next year, and really looking forward to it! If you want something a bit shorter and easier to get started, the West Highland Way (Glasgow to Fort William) is fantastic, that's about 8 days walking, so about half the distance of the Coast to Coast. Other great options include the Dales Way (Yorkshire to the Lake District) and Hadrians Wall. On a lot of the more popular trails, you can get tour companies that will organise your accommodation and transport your luggage from one night's accommodation to the next so that you only need to carry a day pack with you, which I would definitely recommend doing.

When you next come to the UK please visit the Bluebell Railway. You don’t even need a car, you can come to East Grinstead by train and walk from one platform to another. Get there early, you can spend all day there. Love what you guys are doing.

I can’t imagine my walks home from school being on a concrete road side. The adventures you get up to doing down footpaths through fields/meadows and nature were lifelong memories

Have you thought of renting a Canal boat in the UK, they go through pretty countryside and you can walk next to it as you go along, jump back on when you get tired.

We love our footpaths. I went to walk on a couple of footpaths which go around 2 fields and the owner had ploughed right up to the hedgerow making it very hard to walk across. I went onto the local councils website and there was a page especially for reporting problems with footpaths. After a few days I was called by the council to say they'd contacted the owner and given them 2 weeks to restore the footpath to make it useable. Brilliant.

This was delightful!

A delightful video, thank you for making it 👍

When you eat a meal in the UK, or Europe generally, its considered rude to rush you out after you finish. Its totally normal for people to continue drinking and talking long after the meal is finished. They dont necessarily expect to get more that one or two seatings out of a table. No tip culture so no pressure to leave.

The fact that you was treated well doesn't surprise me in my experience people are generally treated how they deserve to be treated and of course you both deserve nothing but the best.

You are both so positive, curious and accepting of British culture that I’m not surprised you’ve been welcomed here! I did chuckle about the taps though. I had no idea separate taps was weird 😂 We tend to have mixer taps in kitchen sinks now and probably in most modern bathrooms but it’s still completely normal to see separate taps, especially in older properties! Great video 😃

In the UK we're taught never to let your credit card out of your sight, it was such a huge shock in the US that not only do you let servers take your card to the counter and input the transaction themselves, but that you decide the tip AFTER you've received your card. That means more money is coming out of my account without an additional use of my card. That felt really weird...

Queuing is our national sport

Regarding the level of service in bars or restaurants, I believe the difference is because service staff in the UK are guaranteed a liveable wage, unlike in the US where service staff rely on tips as the main portion of their wage, hence their sometimes overzealous attention.

Great video thanks and it's good to hear so much that's positive about our country. So many times we take it for granted or some see it as a bad place to live. The early photo looked like Lulworth Cove, we were there last week on holiday. Public transport is often very good in cities and towns but can be almost non-existent in some villages. I live in a town with no railway since the 60's but free car parking which startles visitors. As the video said; get away from London if you visit, there are so many historic cities to see.

If you want a really beautiful footpath to walk, the south downs way in east sussex is one of my faves from my travels around the uk. It starts either in winchester or in eastbourne at takes ~8 days to walk the whole trail with campsites, hotels and hostels along the path at many small villages and towns. Even just walking a small section of it gives a great impression of the beauty of the english south east. It may not be comparable to cornwall (the best countryside paths ever imo) but it does provide a nice week of trekking across a national park with many activities and interesting sights on the way.

I went to America about 50 years ago. What struck me was that people looked at me strangely because I dared to walk through their housing estate! I would worry about going to America again, going for a walk (on someone's property) and getting shot for trespass!

Lots of older British houses have a hot water tank/heater under their roofs from where the water simply falls down by gravity. That means the hot water has a lower pressure than the cold water that flows directly from the net to the tap. This different pressure makes mixing taps useless. The higher pressure in the cold water pipe would simply pump the hot water back into its tank and not mix with it.

We wash our hands in the bowl. It takes about 40 seconds of soaping wet hands to 'un alive' the germs. Then a through rinse.

I’m from Dorset and my favourite thing to do is walk along the footpaths. It’s very nostalgic for me and some of my best days ever have been walking along footpaths. Specifically the south west coast path which runs along the Jurassic coast and further. It can be challenging in places but is just so stunning and makes me feel so connected to nature and the local landscape. The people are often very friendly too!

What a lovely couple! ❤❤❤ . It's so nice that they reacted positively to the things that surprised them. I can't help feeling that they were so well received because they are so likeable - and that they'd probably be well-received wherever they went.

Great video guys. I think the UK is more aligned to Europe for very leisurely meals! Queuing is taught as a child and explained that it's very bad manners to jump or push in! Here's a funny story for you guys. I met a business associate travelling to London for the first time from the US. We went to a local pub and I explained to order at the bar. Which she did. But after she sat down with our drinks the bar lady came across to say she left her £2 change from her £8 drinks order. She tried to explain it was a tip! I said no tip to bar staff especially on a drinks order was needed or expected!! 😄

My Venezuelan colleague had his mind blown when he asked me questions about visiting London and I told him I had no idea as I have never been there and have zero desire to visit

Great video, you're a really genuine couple.

You were asking about footpaths? There is a hiking trail in southwest England called "The Cotswold Way". This is considered one of the prettiest trails in England which stretches 102 miles from Chipping Camden to Bath. If you Google it there are companies which organise hikes along the Way including baggage transfers and pre-booked accommodation in pubs and guest houses along the route. A more adventurous hike is called "The Pennine Way". The Pennine Way National Trail is a 268 mile (431 km) walking route from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. It crosses some of the finest upland landscapes in England, from the Peak District, through the Yorkshire Dales, across the North Pennines and over Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland to the Cheviots. All the trails in UK can be catered to by Holiday companies if you want to check them out! Hope you come back soon, you'll always be welcome! 🥰

As a Brit I never really appreciated footpaths until I went to America. we went to Florida and stayed a couple of miles away from the parks thinking we could walk in, the quickly realised this wasn't possible! The town I grew up in was designed so that you could walk between all the main points without crossing a road. Where I live now we have a lot of military training areas and they open it to the public so you can be walking your dog and come across a group of soldiers patrolling or doing blank firing exercises.

Have you come across the exterior washrooms/toilets that when the person exits the door seals, the and the whole interior the steam washed, and dried. then the door unlocks for the next person. It's pretty quick and saves the cost of cleaners. Mind you, the clients are respectful of, lol, and grateful for, the facility!