What do you miss about your home country when you go abroad?

[OrangeBirdGirl]

Wow this sure makes you give some thought.

Honestly nothing (home is USA). Having traveled throughout Europe and Asia I realize how much happier people seem then in America and the stronger family values they appear to have. But a lot of places I’ve traveled through the Caribbean on a cruise, and their poverty level, makes me appreciate more how fortunate we have it.

 

[kdonnel]

When visiting Europe from the US, plentiful public restrooms and parking lots.

 

[design_mom]

I agree with NotUrsula. I missed ice in my drinks. And cold drinks in general. It seemed that most things there were either served hot or room temperature.

I spent about 6 weeks in Russia. I finally resorted to making my own ice cubes by pouring bottled water into the shot glasses that were provided in our hotel room, and sitting them outside on the window ledge. When they were frozen, I'd release them by soaking the shot glasses in hot water in the sink (jello mold style) till the ice cubes would come out. Then I'd start again.

 

[tvguy]

Oh. I found the law, or at least the current version.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/...ion=104.&title=&part=15.&chapter=2.&article=1.

I don't read it as completely banning pay toilets, but where a business or public building must provide restrooms free of charge for patrons. I don't think it applies to standalone pay toilets.

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/City-workers-to-begin-inspecting-pay-toilets-in-2901960.php
For 25 cents or a free token that San Francisco distributes to the homeless, the door slides open and shut automatically, the toilet seat retracts into the wall where it is washed and dried, and the sink and soap dispenser have motion sensors that dispense automatically when hands appear under them.​

Yeah, I think those could be covered under a local San Francisco ordinance. I can't imagine paying to use a Restroom at Fisherman's Wharf, etc. And as I recall, prior to the ban in California, even pay restrooms had at least on stall that was free. And of course the motivation for the ban was that it discriminated against women since men weren't being charged to use a urinal.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

When traveling there’s not a lot that I miss. I travel in accommodations that meet my comfort levels. I will say that I do miss decent espresso/coffee when traveling to certain tea friendly countries (I’m looking at you England).

When living abroad I did miss easy access to certain foods and media, but even then I didn’t miss much.

 

[tvguy]

When traveling there’s not a lot that I miss. I travel in accommodations that meet my comfort levels. I will say that I do miss decent espresso/coffee when traveling to certain tea friendly countries (I’m looking at you England).

When living abroad I did miss easy access to certain foods and media, but even then I didn’t miss much.

LOL on beverages. When we went to move our daughter back from the U.K. after she went to College there for a year, the two things she warned us about were no free refills of beverages in restaurants, and pay toilets.

 

[bcla]

Yeah, I think those could be covered under a local San Francisco ordinance. I can't imagine paying to use a Restroom at Fisherman's Wharf, etc. And as I recall, prior to the ban in California, even pay restrooms had at least on stall that was free. And of course the motivation for the ban was that it discriminated against women since men weren't being charged to use a urinal.

I remember when these kiosk toilets came out. There was concern over the cost, which is why there was also a token system. In fact one of them is still in a prime location in Fishermans Wharf. There were concerns that they would be used for illegal purposes, such as drug users shooting up. I remember a local radio program did a stunt where they had a couple use it for an unintended purpose. But definitely it was paid back then. The money wasn't really a huge source of revenue. The company provided them and serviced them primarily in exchange for ad kiosks throughout San Francisco. The same company does ad boards at shopping malls.

I looked into the detail of the law, and it seems to exempt restaurants, hotels, and schools. Heck - I've been to my kid's school and couldn't find a place to go because the door was locked. Apparently any kid who wants to use one has to ask permission now.

 

[tvguy]

I remember when these kiosk toilets came out. There was concern over the cost, which is why there was also a token system. In fact one of them is still in a prime location in Fishermans Wharf. There were concerns that they would be used for illegal purposes, such as drug users shooting up. I remember a local radio program did a stunt where they had a couple use it for an unintended purpose. But definitely it was paid back then. The money wasn't really a huge source of revenue. The company provided them and serviced them primarily in exchange for ad kiosks throughout San Francisco. The same company does ad boards at shopping malls.

I looked into the detail of the law, and it seems to exempt restaurants, hotels, and schools. Heck - I've been to my kid's school and couldn't find a place to go because the door was locked. Apparently any kid who wants to use one has to ask permission now.

Then there was the whole mess with Starbucks......anyone can come in and us their bathrooms now, even non-customers

 

[BrianL]

I've only been to two places abroad, Iceland and Japan, and both of them were wonderful! I didn't really miss anything about home except for my cat. I didn't have any problem finding food I liked or anything like that, and the people were friendly (exceedingly so!). Anything that was less convenient, like small hotel rooms, was easy to deal with for a week.

 

[Wishing on a star]

almost EVERYTHING....
Love, support, and am proud of the U.S.

 

[Simba's Mom]

When I was in the UK, I missed pizza and cold drinks that had lots of ice (it was many years ago so that may have changed). DH spent a semester in Germany and missed peanut butter where he was.

 

[cvjw]

We miss chick fil a when we travel to the Caribbean. We always pick up some on the drive home from the airport!

 

[RUDisney]

I haven't missed anything from at home except when I was in rural Russia. You had to be sure that the food you were going to eat wasn't bad by smelling it first. The primary café in our hotel served bread with every meal, but got only one delivery per week. My DH lost 20 pounds in the 3 weeks we were there.

The hotel had no heat for 3 days while we were there. Luckily, we were able to borrow an electric heater from our translator/guide, so we weren't absolutely freezing. It was cold when we were there.

In Moscow, we were fine, except for the fact that we had to carry our own TP everywhere because public bathrooms never supplied it. It was explained that the locals would steal it if it was made available. How sad.

Would I go back? In a heartbeat.

 

[BadPinkTink]

when I am in America I miss

1. European chocolate
2. European candy
3. Small portion sizes in restaurants
4. Small fountain drinks in restaurants
5. How easy it is to get around not driving and using public transport

 

[bcla]

Then there was the whole mess with Starbucks......anyone can come in and us their bathrooms now, even non-customers

That was more bad publicity forcing their hand. And for the most part I would think they would ask that someone like a homeless person who hasn't bathed in a while should leave. I've been to a place where that was sort of the case and nobody told anyone to leave.

I've dealt with a lot of restaurants that have locked restrooms and only allow them to be used by customers, either with a key code or using tokens. I took my kid to an IHOP once where apparently they have some issues with non-customers coming in and using their restrooms. An employee had to let us in. I guess the oddest case I remember was being at an Amtrak bus "station" (since relocated) next to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I was buying a ticket there, but there were some teens off the street asking to use the restroom. The employee on duty asked if they were ticketed or otherwise had any business there. When they said no, the employee told them that the Ferry Building had public restrooms they could use. Since I was a customer, I got a token.

 

[mjkacmom]

That was more bad publicity forcing their hand. And for the most part I would think they would ask that someone like a homeless person who hasn't bathed in a while should leave. I've been to a place where that was sort of the case and nobody told anyone to leave.

I've dealt with a lot of restaurants that have locked restrooms and only allow them to be used by customers, either with a key code or using tokens. I took my kid to an IHOP once where apparently they have some issues with non-customers coming in and using their restrooms. An employee had to let us in. I guess the oddest case I remember was being at an Amtrak bus "station" (since relocated) next to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I was buying a ticket there, but there were some teens off the street asking to use the restroom. The employee on duty asked if they were ticketed or otherwise had any business there. When they said no, the employee told them that the Ferry Building had public restrooms they could use. Since I was a customer, I got a token.

Try to use a bathroom in NYC without buying something, nope. We stay at a Marriott in Philadelphia every year, this year our room wasn’t ready for hours, we had to ask the front desk to buzz us into the bathroom because we didn’t have our room keys.

 

[Dancind]

Loved Europe, the rails, the people, the FOOD, everything really. Except the very clean bathrooms since each country required different coins and I never figured it out.

A guy on a tour with us in Nice, France was lamenting the lack of a "good chocolate chip cookie" and was looking for a Subway. I don't know if he found one.

 

[tvguy]

Try to use a bathroom in NYC without buying something, nope. We stay at a Marriott in Philadelphia every year, this year our room wasn’t ready for hours, we had to ask the front desk to buzz us into the bathroom because we didn’t have our room keys.

Even Starbucks?

 

[Floridaman999]

I don't like going abroad.

 

[rlk]

Try to use a bathroom in NYC without buying something, nope. We stay at a Marriott in Philadelphia every year, this year our room wasn’t ready for hours, we had to ask the front desk to buzz us into the bathroom because we didn’t have our room keys.

I live in NYC and have always been able to walk into any hotel and use the lobby bathroom without any questions. As a woman of a certain age, who likes to walk everywhere, I know the location of all the "best' bathrooms in Manhattan.

Even Starbucks?

Yes, even Starbucks. You need a code that is printed on your receipt. Although, you can usually ask for the code or wait in the line for the bathroom and grab the door before it closes.