Bathtub

• If you're the kind of person who loves to lie back and relax in the tub, you may be disappointed in the European models, many of which are much smaller than the standard American size. The average size adult usually has enough room to sit in the tub---knees up---and wash off. The size doesn't pose a problem for most Europeans as daily bathing is not as common as it is in the United States.
  
  

Shower

• Even less popular than baths are showers. Like your high school gym or college dorm bathrooms, European showers are often little more than a nozzle coming through the wall in the corner of the bathroom and a drain on the floor. The shower is not typically a separate structure, and many times does not even have curtains---which means even paper towels and toilet paper aren't safe.
  
  

Hot water

• If you run water only to find its temperatures are cold and freezing, you should know that you may be in competition for hot water with the other residents. In some locales, it's sometimes only at a brief interval during the day, and is quickly used up. The best way to work around this is to speak to the concierge to find out when the hotel generally gets the hotter water. A helpful tip: the faucet marked "C" may be hot water, based on the romantic language words for hot, and cold may be labeled "F." Always test water first if you are unsure.
  
  

Towels

• Once you're out of the tub or shower, you probably won't find fluffy, plush towels unless you're in a hotel that caters to Americans. More likely you will find much smaller towels with a waffle texture. In addition to being smaller, you may also find that the towels aren't as absorbent as you may be used to.
  
  

Bidet

• The bidet is a combination between a toilet, shower, and a water fountain. Toilet paper is another American bathroom essential that just doesn't have that much of a following in all of Europe. Basically, after you've relieved yourself, you move yourself over to the bidet where a stream of clean water rinses you clean. Although this process seems odd to some Americans, the idea of just a thin sheet of paper between your hand and a dirty backside may seem equally unpleasant to Europeans. The bidet may be a separate structure from the toilet, or may be added to the toilet.