The Most Common Items European Tourists Love Buying When They Visit America

Plenty of travelers have a similar must-buy list to check off when they travel outside their native country. Maybe it's a tiny decorative pair of klompen, those darling hand-painted wooden clogs you can pick up in the Netherlands, or the evil eye jewelry found all over Greece. In the age of globalization, it's easy to take it for granted that you can get just about anything anywhere. But factor in things like local tastes, tariffs, and regulated goods, and you might be surprised at how many things most folks can't just hop on Amazon and order. And just like us Yankees have our favorites, there are a few U.S. goodies Europeans just can't seem to get enough of when they visit the good old U.S. of A.

As an Oklahoma gal who has spent her fair share of time across the U.S.-Mexico border, my favorite "hecho in Mexico" goodies usually include things like knock-off Doc Martens called Dr. Marantes and a massive bottle of vanilla picked up at a bargain bin price. So it makes perfect sense that Europeans love spending their travel budgets on flavors and clothes they can't get back home — at least not for the same price. If you've ever wondered what European travelers love to buy when they travel to the United States, Reddit is a great place to find out. And as it turns out, some of the best souvenirs and travel gifts can be picked up in a grocery store, drugstore, or strip mall.

Europeans love shopping for American junk food for any number of reasons. As anyone who has spent time feeling impressed by the wide range of weird candy and chip flavors available at some global grocers knows, tastes tend to vary from one region of the world to the next, and there are plenty of flavors that simply aren't marketed everywhere in the world. There are also a great many U.S.-made food products that aren't available in some European countries because some of their ingredients are outlawed altogether.

While it's certainly possible to pick up that Southern delicacy known as ranch dressing in the American section of many European grocery stores, it can be harder to come by some of the best ranch manufacturers like Hidden Valley Ranch in some countries. Even though you can pick up Cool Ranch Doritos in Europe, some folks find it fun to pick up the O.G. variety since they're usually labeled something like "Cool American" or "Cool Original," depending on where someone hails from across the pond. Girl Scout Cookies are popular, with their limited period of availability making them even more of a treat, and cinnamon rolls are another item that gets plenty of attention.

And then there are those wild folks who covet the bad stuff they can't get back home. "My brother loves blue crisps. The colouring has been banned in Europe for years!" wrote one Redditor. Contraband soda and candy like Mountain Dew, Swedish Fish, and Hot Tamales are also huge.

It should be a point of pride for all Americans that Europeans love picking up Old Bay, a quintessentially American seasoning with a heroic story behind it (it is named for the turn-of-the-20th-century Old Bay Line passenger ship line that once traveled the Chesapeake Bay). After building his wholesale seasoning business during the tough post-World War I period, German-Jewish immigrant Gustav Brunn was taken to Buchenwald Concentration Camp during Kristallnacht, Hitler's 1938 pogrom against German Jews. Brunn's wife was able to pay for his release, with the family ultimately escaping to Baltimore with little more than a spice grinder, eventually founding the company that would become Old Bay.

Old Bay's blend of celery salt, black and red pepper, and paprika lend a distinctly American seafood flavor to shellfish like crab, shrimp, and crawfish but it can be used on literally everything. While you can pick it up in the United Kingdom, the recipe is much different from the U.S. version and apparently loaded with sugar. British fans say the difference is significant and makes it worth stocking up in the United States. "I'll fill up a suitcase if I have to," wrote one Reddit user.

A piping-hot stack of tall pancakes drizzled in maple syrup is a staple of American food culture. But many Europeans live out their entire lives without tasting the sweet elixir we take for granted every day since maple syrup tends to be harder to come by and much more expensive in European countries. European Redditors say the maple syrup products available in North America are also much better than what's available back home. Recounting their maple syrup journey, one Reddit user recalled being blown away by Canadian syrup a friend brought back home, but when they rushed out to pick up their own bottle from the local grocer, they found the Austrian version lacking.

Our flag might not boast a maple leaf, but like our northern neighbors, the United States maintains high standards for maple syrup production. USDA standards require 100% pure syrup with no additives for a Grade A syrup label and exactly the right density of brix syrup to balance between crystalization and spoiling. The U.S. also produces millions of gallons of the good stuff each year, with most syrups hailing from New England states like Vermont, New York, and Maine.

That's probably why most threads sharing favorite U.S. purchases seem to always come back to genuine maple syrup. "I don't think its particularly common or popular, but personally I love it," wrote one U.K.-based Reddit user. "I pour it on pancakes, french toast, put it in Lattes, over ice cream... it's very versatile."

Whatever your feelings on the looser regulations of chemicals in food and drugs in the U.S., folks who have experienced toothpaste on both sides of the pond say there's no substitute for the authentic whitening toothpaste you can get in the States. "My sister buys a specific type of whitening toothpaste which has some EU banned substances," wrote one Reddit user. Another user complained, "Teeth whitening in the EU is heavily regulated, and to get a similar effect you'd need to go to the dentist and spend some €€€. The over the counter stuff here is really really weak."

This includes restrictions on dental whitening products like Crest Whitening Strips. The reason for the ban? Hydrogen peroxide. The official European Union rule states that any tooth whitening products containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide can only be used with a dentist's supervision. As Irish YouTuber Diane Jennings noted, sometimes major dental product companies will market weaker versions that don't quite measure up, which is why she added that they're at the top of her U.S. tourist shopping list on every trip.

That's not to say Europeans in EU member states can't get these products — they just have to go through their dentist and get it applied professionally. This can prove prohibitively expensive for regular working folks, and the idea that Americans can just take a drive to the local Walgreens or CVS and nab a box of off-brand whitening strips for less than a 20-spot is just entirely too tempting.

Responding to a question about items to purchase on an upcoming U.S. visit, one Redditor wrote, "Bras from Walmart (apparently this is a thing, best combination of price and comfortable in the world)." Apparently, bras are just one of the many reasons Europeans love this U.S. staple. While Walmart is a global chain, it's one that doesn't operate in continental Europe, leaving many European travelers with a burning desire to assuage their Wal-curiosity and immerse themselves in the ultimate microcosm of American culture. And it's not just Walmart that Europeans appreciate, but the general business model of big box general stores that is either nonexistent or has a limited presence in most European countries like Costco and Target.

British YouTuber Adam Couser's Walmart reaction video sums up the feeling. "I actually can't believe the size of this place ... I'm overwhelmed," he vlogged. Expressing their appreciation for Walmart in a r/Walmart post titled "Just an appreciation post from a foreigner," one Belgian Redditor emphasized how much they value shopping at the superstore every time they're in the States. "The sheer volume and choice of stuff is always mind blowing. It's pretty much a tourist attraction for many tourists," the user raved before going on to call friendly Walmart employees "True American Ambassadors."

Contrary to an old stereotype that suggests Americans' use of athletic footwear makes them look like tourists, Reddit says Europeans love loading up on sporty shoes when visiting the States. "All the European usually go home with brand new sneakers (athletic shoes) for some reason," wrote one Reddit user. "I can always spot them on the flight." The notion that American footwear is a common fashion faux pas when traveling to Europe has to do with our association with "dad shoes" and larger running shoes worn when we aren't actually doing any running.

However, plenty of Europeans love them too, and shoes are generally much spendier in the Euro nations than in the U.S. thanks to the Value-Added Tax (VAT). Unlike the United States sales tax, the VAT is a consumption tax that's added at various points along the supply chain. According to EU tax research policy group the Tax Foundation, the average EU VAT rate was around 21.6% compared to the United States average sales tax rate of 6.6% in 2023.

Factor in all of our cheap outlet malls, and that adds up to significant savings on sneakers. "[A]ny time I go I hit up the outlets and come back with 4/5 pairs of Vans & branded clothing," wrote one Reddit user based in the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state with a standard VAT of 23%.

It's pretty common knowledge that prescription medication prices in the United States are out of control. However, depending on the European country a tourist hails from, some over-the-counter medications can actually be much cheaper in the States. Many Europeans suspect this is connected to pharmaceutical companies being so strictly regulated that they try to recoup their costs on OTC sales. One Reddit user reported that her Norwegian mom always stocks up on certain drugstore goods when she's in the country, particularly things like denture supplies and motion sickness pills.

And then there are the mega-sized cost-saving bottles that aren't generally available in some parts of Europe. "My french girlfriend was shocked when she saw a bottle of 1,000 pcs ibuprofen," shared another Redditor. "She bought one as a souvenir because of the novelty to her, much to my amusement."

But costs aren't the only reason Europeans pick up over-the-counter drugs in the States. As with everything else that's consumable, there's a big call for contraband items that might not be available back home without a prescription. Depending on where they're from, this could include things like melatonin, naproxen, and a long list of cold and flu treatments ranging from Sudafed to sore throat sprays — even Benadryl and Neosporin are hard to come by in some European countries.

You don't have to be a craft beer enthusiast or a bourbon connoisseur to appreciate why some Europeans enjoy expanding their liquor cabinet with a few uniquely American offerings after visiting places like the world's bourbon capital. And as a nation with a rich tradition of crafting quality artisanal booze that somehow survived the dark Prohibition years, we've got a lot to offer — and a lot of it isn't readily available everywhere in Europe. Take it from one Reddit user from the Czech Republic, who wrote, "Living in Europe, it's not always easy to find a variety of good bourbons — and especially not rare or unusual bottles." They also noted that liquor tariffs and taxes add to the cost of the bottles, which also tend to be smaller in their country.

Anything from a local distillery can also be a huge treat for anyone not from the region. One Portuguese transplant living in France advised picking up specialty tequilas, local U.S. craft beers, or bourbon or rye from smaller distilleries, noting on Reddit that the variety of top-shelf items in these categories tends to be limited and overpriced. Along the same lines, a good mezcal seems to be hard to find without breaking the budget. And while it might seem odd given the historical consumption of mead in Europe, the ancient fermented honey drink that has seen a major revival in the United States in recent years can also be tough to come by in some European countries.

As the wife and mother of Cherokee Nation (ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ, romanized as Tsalagi) citizens and an Oklahoman proud to live in an underrated Southern city in a state 39 federally-recognized tribes call home, I loved that my Estonian-American friend told me Native-made goods are some of her favorite things to share with friends and family back home. I'm fortunate enough to live in a community full of gifted Indigenous artisans like the Mvskoke (Creek) mother-daughter team behind Two Feathers Beadwork, especially since finding real Native-made products can be tough for our friends across the pond.

As one French Redditor lamented on the subReddit r/IndianCountry, products available in Europe or online that purport to be "Native" in origin are often knock-offs that profit from Indigenous cultures without giving them credit or any of the profits. "Native American markets are pretty much non existent in France (for obvious reasons)," they wrote, "and shopping online is an absolute mine fields with loads of 'Native inspired' products that aren't actually made by natives, on top of being terrible products."

Taking the time to make sure a product is Native in origin means a purchase will go to support an Indigenous artist or community rather than the fraudulent vendors the Federal Trade Commission likes to prosecute. Try to purchase Native goods from smaller galleries or shops where you can ask about a maker's tribe. And avoid purchasing sacred items. "Blankets and art pieces sure but never buy regalia," advised one Redditor.

As anyone familiar with soccer can attest, Europeans love their sports teams every bit as much as Americans love ours. But just as many Americans follow worldwide soccer tournaments, plenty of Europeans keep up with U.S. sports and even have their favorite teams. In fact, U.S. sports merchandise promoting the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Detroit Lions is a fairly common sight around Europe.

But for some folks, there's just something extra fun about wearing authentic American sports gear purchased in the homeland of their favorite teams. As one Reddit user put it, "I know nothing about the teams but I enjoy wearing it." In a lengthy comments section in a post in a Rick Steves' Europe Facebook group, users agreed most folks rocking this gear care more about the location than a specific sports team. "It's simply a souvenir from NY or a representation of NY," replied one user.

While American sports team merch sections are not uncommon in European nations, just about any U.S. sporting goods store will have a much better selection. And there are plenty of college sports teams whose merch can't be found in European stores. One eager tourist even planned out on Reddit an epic cross-country road trip picking up college football merch from different states "to make the most of my journey and gather a diverse collection of merchandise representing the rich traditions and fan culture associated with college football."