6 ms·

Did a road trip with two buddies around Europe about 10 years ago and this was our experience. Italian gas stations felt like upscale grocery stores in the US.

Did a road trip with two buddies around Europe about 10 years ago and this was our experience. Italian gas stations felt like upscale grocery stores in the US. Even fuel was less than we expected due to getting 50+ mpg

burntoutfire 7y ago
> Italian gas stations felt like upscale grocery stores in the US. In some of European countries, shops are closed (by law) on Sunday. Gas stations are exempt from this, hence they morph into shops.
- johnnycab 7y ago
  There aren't many countries in the EU, which emphatically restrict Sunday shopping. Even where the restrictions are in place, trading laws can vary and not strictly imposed or adhered to. This can also be coupled with diminishing political appetite to choke the local economy. 'Gas stations' morphing into shops, is related to the phenomenon of channel blurring, rather than just exploiting the exemptions in laws/rules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_shopping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_shopping https://www.retailwire.com/tag/channel-blurring/ https://www.retailwire.com/tag/channel-blurring/
  - mattlondon 7y ago
    It is a huge pain in the UK and is rigidly adhered to. Most of the "large" shops (I think there is a square-footage cutoff point) and shopping centres/malls must only open for 6 hours on a Sunday. So the normally 24/7 huge supermarkets that are the size of several football pitches and are usually packed full of people are forced to shut. This means that everyone needs to get out in the 6 hour window, so traffic is insane and the shops themselves are insane because all the shopping that normally happens spread across 24 hours has to be jammed into 6 hours. It is really annoying. Smaller shops are allowed to stay open, so in the UK we now have a lot of smaller versions of the large 24/7 supermarket chain stores on high-streets that are typically open something like 8am-10pm/11pm/midnight 7 days a week. These are obviously much more popular than local businesses (cheaper, more reliable, loyalty schemes) so all small independent businesses (greengrocers, bakeries, small grocery stores, hardware stores, stationers, newsagents etc) are being forced out of business. I wish that one day this silliness would be abolished.
    - yarbas89 7y ago
      This only applies to England, not the whole of the UK. For example in Scotland, Sunday trading is not restricted in any way whatsoever.
      - zeristor 7y ago
        Perhaps not incidentally there's no double bank holiday weekend over Easter. I had lectures on a Bank Holiday Monday which in England generally means everything is shut. I don't know how much longer this Christian stranglehold will have on England.
        yarbas89 7y ago
        Yeah,.the majority of the bank holidays in Scotland are different too and some of them aren't even actual holidays by law. As in some companies will continue trading as it's not restricted. For example, one of the companies I've worked for actually rearranged bank holidays throughout their various office to ensure that some people were working within the company during any holiday.
    - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
      Being old and remembering before the massive liberalisation of Sunday trading, far from wishing away the token restrictions we have left, I wish we could go back to the old way. No opening on Sunday at all unless you're on the exemption list, as it used to be. So the takeaway, ice cream seller, corner shop etc were fine to open, typical high street shops were not. It's really annoying to have every day a normal day with no distinct break. There was a distinct change of pace and feel, far, far less traffic on the roads, and a day free of annoying commerce everywhere. The whole world seemed quieter and lazier on Sunday, and thanks to the huge reduction of traffic, smelt nicer. It was the obvious day for the BBQ, day trip to the beach or theatre, the event in the local park, meet with friends etc. I miss it.
      - urbanjunkie 7y ago
        No, it was shit. Completely and totally shit.
wil421 7y ago
Italian Gas Stations are somewhat unique in their own right. Highway gas stations in Europe are more full service as far a food goes. In the US its more snacks or breakfast. The QTs near me have a menu you can order from but it looks it looks very unhealthy. Train stations are on another level. Parma and buffalo mozzarella on a fresh baguette? No problem.
- Scoundreller 7y ago
  > Highway gas stations in Europe are more full service as far a food goes. And free no-questions-asked bathrooms! The gas prices are often marked up, at least in France. I remember in Croatia a highway gas station having a full bar, with a sign saying that they won't serve alcohol between 3AM and 6AM.
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
>Even fuel was less than we expected due to getting 50+ mpg The only way I can see three adults enjoying a road trip in a vehicle small enough to get 50mpg (assuming petrol) is if you're all car enthusiasts and enjoying the novelty of some 30yo compact car. The second row of a modern compact is a really crappy place if you have to be there for very long.
- gcthomas 7y ago
  I drive a European seven seater diesel car - plenty of space for three adults - and I get better than 55 mpg on road trips. YMMV, of course. ;)
- coldtea 7y ago
  Or you're perhaps too precious and fussy about cars? I've had 10K miles road trips in smaller (European sized) cars, and they're just fine...
  - roel_v 7y ago
    I can somewhat see how being American-sized in a European car could be uncomfortable...
    - coldtea 7y ago
      Aren't many Europeans just as tall or taller than Americans tho (e.g. Dutch, nordic people)? Though, waist wise, that would be true...
      - roel_v 7y ago
        Yeah I was referring to girth/width...
    - 52-6F-62 7y ago
      Oh you just reminded me of “because of olive oil” https://vimeo.com/107658022 https://vimeo.com/107658022
- 7y ago

burntoutfire 7y ago

> Italian gas stations felt like upscale grocery stores in the US. In some of European countries, shops are closed (by law) on Sunday. Gas stations are exempt from this, hence they morph into shops.

johnnycab 7y ago
There aren't many countries in the EU, which emphatically restrict Sunday shopping. Even where the restrictions are in place, trading laws can vary and not strictly imposed or adhered to. This can also be coupled with diminishing political appetite to choke the local economy. 'Gas stations' morphing into shops, is related to the phenomenon of channel blurring, rather than just exploiting the exemptions in laws/rules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_shopping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_shopping https://www.retailwire.com/tag/channel-blurring/ https://www.retailwire.com/tag/channel-blurring/
- mattlondon 7y ago
  It is a huge pain in the UK and is rigidly adhered to. Most of the "large" shops (I think there is a square-footage cutoff point) and shopping centres/malls must only open for 6 hours on a Sunday. So the normally 24/7 huge supermarkets that are the size of several football pitches and are usually packed full of people are forced to shut. This means that everyone needs to get out in the 6 hour window, so traffic is insane and the shops themselves are insane because all the shopping that normally happens spread across 24 hours has to be jammed into 6 hours. It is really annoying. Smaller shops are allowed to stay open, so in the UK we now have a lot of smaller versions of the large 24/7 supermarket chain stores on high-streets that are typically open something like 8am-10pm/11pm/midnight 7 days a week. These are obviously much more popular than local businesses (cheaper, more reliable, loyalty schemes) so all small independent businesses (greengrocers, bakeries, small grocery stores, hardware stores, stationers, newsagents etc) are being forced out of business. I wish that one day this silliness would be abolished.
  - yarbas89 7y ago
    This only applies to England, not the whole of the UK. For example in Scotland, Sunday trading is not restricted in any way whatsoever.
    - zeristor 7y ago
      Perhaps not incidentally there's no double bank holiday weekend over Easter. I had lectures on a Bank Holiday Monday which in England generally means everything is shut. I don't know how much longer this Christian stranglehold will have on England.
      - yarbas89 7y ago
        Yeah,.the majority of the bank holidays in Scotland are different too and some of them aren't even actual holidays by law. As in some companies will continue trading as it's not restricted. For example, one of the companies I've worked for actually rearranged bank holidays throughout their various office to ensure that some people were working within the company during any holiday.
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Being old and remembering before the massive liberalisation of Sunday trading, far from wishing away the token restrictions we have left, I wish we could go back to the old way. No opening on Sunday at all unless you're on the exemption list, as it used to be. So the takeaway, ice cream seller, corner shop etc were fine to open, typical high street shops were not. It's really annoying to have every day a normal day with no distinct break. There was a distinct change of pace and feel, far, far less traffic on the roads, and a day free of annoying commerce everywhere. The whole world seemed quieter and lazier on Sunday, and thanks to the huge reduction of traffic, smelt nicer. It was the obvious day for the BBQ, day trip to the beach or theatre, the event in the local park, meet with friends etc. I miss it.
    - urbanjunkie 7y ago
      No, it was shit. Completely and totally shit.

wil421 7y ago

Italian Gas Stations are somewhat unique in their own right. Highway gas stations in Europe are more full service as far a food goes. In the US its more snacks or breakfast. The QTs near me have a menu you can order from but it looks it looks very unhealthy. Train stations are on another level. Parma and buffalo mozzarella on a fresh baguette? No problem.

Scoundreller 7y ago
> Highway gas stations in Europe are more full service as far a food goes. And free no-questions-asked bathrooms! The gas prices are often marked up, at least in France. I remember in Croatia a highway gas station having a full bar, with a sign saying that they won't serve alcohol between 3AM and 6AM.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

>Even fuel was less than we expected due to getting 50+ mpg The only way I can see three adults enjoying a road trip in a vehicle small enough to get 50mpg (assuming petrol) is if you're all car enthusiasts and enjoying the novelty of some 30yo compact car. The second row of a modern compact is a really crappy place if you have to be there for very long.

gcthomas 7y ago
I drive a European seven seater diesel car - plenty of space for three adults - and I get better than 55 mpg on road trips. YMMV, of course. ;)
coldtea 7y ago
Or you're perhaps too precious and fussy about cars? I've had 10K miles road trips in smaller (European sized) cars, and they're just fine...
- roel_v 7y ago
  I can somewhat see how being American-sized in a European car could be uncomfortable...
  - coldtea 7y ago
    Aren't many Europeans just as tall or taller than Americans tho (e.g. Dutch, nordic people)? Though, waist wise, that would be true...
    - roel_v 7y ago
      Yeah I was referring to girth/width...
  - 52-6F-62 7y ago
    Oh you just reminded me of “because of olive oil” https://vimeo.com/107658022 https://vimeo.com/107658022
7y ago