Culture shock: Strange customs that surprise travellers

Everyone expects, nay, hopes, that when they visit a foreign country, it will differ from home – otherwise, what's the point in travel? – but there are some differences that are so unexpected they make you question how two groups of human beings, only separated by land and water, could behave so differently.

This was the topic of discussion on a recent Reddit thread, where users were asked what it was that shocked them most about a foreign country – and the answers range from bizarre tiny changes to massive culture shifts.

Even when you take into account the preconceptions and stereotypes associated with different nations held around the world, it is impossible to experience how a country truly exists on a day-to-day basis without visiting. We'll drink to that.

Here are some of the highlights.

One Reddit user observed after spending a year in Japan: "The satellite radio at my school had a channel called Rokki that played the Rocky theme song on a loop 24/7."

Another experienced a similar quirk in the country:

"They also have two channels called 'Alibi'. One is an endless loop of the noise of passing cars and pedestrian chatter, and the other is the din of a pachinko gambling parlour. They are intended to be used as background noise when you call your wife and lie about where you are."

Meanwhile in Romania: "I got laughed at by a taxi driver… for putting my seatbelt on."

Another user spoke of a Bangladeshi student in Germany who was "seriously shocked that [motorists] would stop at red traffic lights even though there were no other cars or pedestrians around".

Many of the comments revolved around transport, with one pointing out the bizarre nature of Indian train etiquette: "Furious fighting, shoving, scratching, and clawing to get on, then for the rest of the eight-hour journey scrupulous 'I'm so sorry I brushed your foot with mine' politeness."

This tale reminded another user of their experience of riding a busy metro in Tokyo: "Elderly Japanese women will simply poke their knuckle into a secret pressure point in your back that will make you move forward in agony."

Another simply said: "Yeah, you know traffic laws? Puerto Rico doesn't."

Some observations were more subtle, with a user expressing a disbelief at how spotless Japan is – "it's a struggle to find as much as a gum wrapper on the ground" – and another was incredulous at how small British fruit was compared to America's.

Visitors to America remarked on how pleasant it was that the country had numerous drinking fountains in public, while Americans visiting Europe commented on how strange it was that there were so few.

One comment that resonated with dozens of people was how shops in France were shut on Sundays, "except Subway and McDonald's".

Perhaps the sweetest observations came from those who were taken aback by another country's natural habitat.

An Indian who visited New Zealand as a child said it felt like "heaven". They added: "I never knew a place could be so green and clean. In India I never even knew what grass was."

Another visitor to the Antipodean country expressed disbelief at "how empty and untouched" it was.

On food and drink, one user said he was surprised how much beer people drank in the Czech Republic, adding that a few steins in place of lunch was known as "liquid bread".

Other observations included how polite Japanese people are, how loud Americans are and "how awesomely chilled and friendly" the Swedish are.

And finally, "in Canada they sell milk in bags".

The Telegraph, London