Some advice, never start a post by saying you are in a fortunate situation. It brings out the worst in some people.
- What else do I need to know before deciding to do a European PhD versus an American one?
You need to figure out the search feature since these topics have been discussed pretty thoroughly in the past. Of course, the search feature is not the easiest to figure out, but if you do, you will have good information on this topic.
If you are lucky, one of the search feature masters may come along, take pity, and post a set of links. I am not a search function master so don't look at me.