-In general, Europeans do not binge-drink like Americans. I thought I drank pretty well, but Europeans have perfected the art of maintaining a buzz for an entire evening as opposed to pounding several drinks in the span of a few hours. Many Europeans do not get drunk while they are out.
-Going to a bar or club is not really a reason to dress up. People will go out in their work clothes (and I don’t mean like “hey I’m an asshole who wears a suit to show you how important I am”) to a fancy bar or they’ll wear a basic jeans/top outfit. I once threatened to leave a cool rooftop bar if I saw any women there wearing dirty Converse sneakers. There is less concept of going-out clothes – the exception is people who live in party-heavy cities, like Barcelona or Paris.
-Eurotrash is a stereotype but it’s also true. Have you ever seen adult Americans spraying each other with champagne at a bar?
-In Europe, you do not approach strangers who are unknown to your group. Europeans in general are somewhat distrustful of people unless they have been introduced to them by someone they already know. My girlfriends and I have never been approached while out, and a stranger would absolutely never try to dance with us.
-Because bars and clubs are not limited to people over the age of 21, it can be tricky to figure out which places are legit and which are a bunch of high-schoolers trying to act cool. For instance there is one particular club I can think of that is written up in every guidebook as “posh” and very much a scene, but it’s full of 18-year-olds.
-No matter what city and what bar you go to, you will hear the song “Everyday People” by Arrested Development.
