I'm an American who visited London and Brussels for the first time. Here are 3 expectations I had that turned out to be wrong.

22.10.2023 - 14:09 / insider.com / London

After weeks of research, there were some things I didn't expect during my recent trip to Europe.

I went to London, Brussels, and Glasgow in late September for a 10-day vacation with my friend for her birthday. It was my first time traveling across the pond, so I was very excited to experience cities I'd only seen through pictures and films. I prepared by reading travel articles online, watching TikToks on what to pack, and asking my colleagues for activity suggestions beforehand. However, there were still a few things I didn't see coming. 

Here are three assumptions about the United Kingdom and Belgium that were quickly dashed. 

My friend and I were riding in the back of an Uber through London when we sparked a conversation with the driver. It was a Wednesday around 8 p.m. 

"So, where can we go to drink and dance tonight?" my friend asked. 

The driver looked at us through the rearview mirror curiously before answering with a question. 

"Isn't it Wednesday?" he asked. 

He made a fair point, but we assumed that London's nightlife mirrored New York City, where there's a monstrous appetite and industry for after-hour activities. Clubs and bars are usually open until 4 a.m. several nights a week, and there's never a shortage of eateries to stumble into afterward. NYC is also dubbed "The City That Never Sleeps" for its subway system, which runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Although we still had an absolute blast, we struggled to find venues in London that stayed open past 2 a.m., and most eateries closed shop by midnight. London Underground, the city's rail transit system, ends service by midnight between Monday and Saturday.

I was curious why London didn't have more late-night options, and a quick Google search showed I wasn't alone. Time Out published an article titled "Why did London start going to bed so early?" in February 2023, and one Telegraph article headline from July read, "London's nightlife is an embarrassment." 

The pandemic and economic hardships likely played a role in the lack of options, but the trend may not be confined to London. The New York Post reported in June 2023 that some 24-hour restaurants in New York City were cutting down their hours post-pandemic.

Living as an American in New York City has conditioned me to think Uber and other rideshare options are always an option. Whether it's 3 a.m. or 10 p.m., I've always felt confident that I could open an app and get a ride home with little effort. 

But in London, Glasgow, and Brussels, my friend and I faced cancellation after cancellation. We attempted to plan for each daily excursion by ordering the Uber at least 15 minutes before leaving, but we often left later than expected because rideshares kept bailing. 

While it didn't