Europe String

When I traveled to the major cities in Europe, one thing remained constant– the availability of high priced restaurants.  If you’re trying to cut down your travel budget, here are some tips to enjoy local cuisine and not break the bank.
Eat how the locals eat
Just like at home, exotic dishes tend to be more expensive.  In Europe, the cheapest meals will be the ones that are traditional and widely available.  In France, this means a shot of espresso is 1 euro.  A Starbucks coffee will be 2-3 euros.  In Spain, tapas– the small dishes you order at a cafe or …read more

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When budgeting for your trip to Europe, food is often the most difficult item to factor in. Airfare and hotel prices are set and web searches will reveal the prices of many attractions you may want to visit. But food? Unless you are an uber-planner, who knows where you’ll be eating every meal and what you’ll be in the mood for? Enter the Economist magazine and their Big Mac Index.
Stick with me for a moment; this is information straight from the Economist’s  website on what the Big Mac Index is and seeks to do: Burgernomics is based on the …read more

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Where do you like to eat while on holiday? Local restaurants, cafes, McDonald’s? Are you a picnicker? Pick up some food at a grocery store, open-air market or snack food stand and sit amongst the people to enjoy the vibe of the city? Those visiting Rome may have to re-think that strategy. As of last weekend (July 19) you can no longer snack near the city’s monuments in the historic center. Caught munching, and you face fines of up to $80. The rules are only in effect until the end of October.
Rome’s City Hall says they need to have …read more

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Periodically, we’ll post a generic tips list with ideas and suggestions to help make your trip to Europe a bit easier on the bank account. None of these thoughts are breaking news; but every little bit helps!

Consult a travel agent. In these days of Internet bookings most folks feel they can find the best bargain themselves. And often you can. But if you have a difficult itinerary, special needs or a less flexible plan – a good travel agent will be worth their weight in Euros. An agent can access bazillions of flights, hotels and other information within seconds …read more

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Just when you thought fast food couldn’t get any more efficient: the Dutch chain Febo offers burgers, croquettes, chicken wings and more… all out of vending machines. There are over 20 Febo locations in Amsterdam, and over 50 in the Netherlands.
Photo source: personal collection

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I’ve reviewed several restaurants around Europe over on Veggie Chic. Here’s a sampling:

Blue Nile – Ethiopian in Munich
Prinz Myshkin – Vegetarian in Munich
Saf – Vegetarian in Munich
Cafe Ignaz – Vegetarian in Munich
Samadhi – Vegetarian in Berlin
Indonesia Satebar – Indonesian in Rotterdam
La Cedre – Middle Eastern in Zurich

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Trips to Italy involve daily gelato for me (luckily for my wasteline, I was able to give up this habit when I actually lived in the country). There is excellent gelato to be had all over this country, and all over the city of Milan, but there’s one gelateria that’s so special it’s worth going a little out of your way for: Chocolat.
Chocolat is located near the Castello Sforzesco (at Via Boccaccio 9), and serves up some amazing stuff. As the name implies, the many chocolate flavors are their specialty, but really all the flavors are yummy (at least all …read more

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When I was in Sweden years ago I fell in love with these little green and brown pastries. They are usually marketed as punschrulle, but the Swedes who introduced me to these treats referred to them as damsugare (which is ‘vacuum cleaner’ in Swedish).
These little guys are rich and flavorful and go great with a cup of coffee. The primary flavors are marzipan, chocolate, and arrack liqueur.
Not heading to Sweden any time soon? Turns out punschrulle are pretty widely available internationally – in the Swedish food market at your local Ikea.

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Zoozie’z restaurant and bar was a lifesaver during my weeks without home internet access in January. Located next to the Isar River in the middle of Munich, Zoozie’z is the kind of place I’d enjoy hitting for dinner or drinks even if they didn’t offer free wireless internet access to their patrons. It just has one of those charming, welcoming kind of vibes.
Every meal I’ve had at Zoozie’z has been enjoyable. They offer daily lunch specials which at EUR 5.50 are totally affordable even for the budget traveler. And during the non-busy time between lunch and dinner, I was allowed …read more

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If you find yourself in Switzerland (or Germany or Austria) for the holiday season, pick yourself up some of these delicious Zimtsterne, or cinnamon stars’. They are the best Christmas cookies I have ever had (with the exception of any cookies made by my grandmothers, of course).
You can get them at a variety of supermarkets and bakeries, high-end and low-end, but some of the best I’ve found are the regular store-brand ones at Coop stores, which you can find on every other corner in Swiss cities.
Not in Switzerland? You could try making them yourself. Although I’ve never had homemade ones …read more

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