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 bar, are often eaten as an inexpensive lunch.  In Croatia, a hamburger might set you back $7 but a traditional spit roasted dish is only a few bucks.

Supplement your meals with local markets

Not every meal needs to be eaten at a sit down restaurant.  For a quick lunch on the go, visit the market for fresh bread (a baguette is about 1 euro and huge), and whatever local cheeses, meats, pates, fruit, or olives that are available.  For 2-3 euros you can snack on a sumptuous assortment of local fare.

Try to find accommodation with a kitchen, if you can

Many hostels have kitchens, but you can also rent a furnished flat for the week, at the same price as most hotels.  The advantage is that you can cook many of your meals and still sample the local food.  Buy fresh pasta in Italy or a bottle of wine in France or German sausage or even salted fish in Sweden.  You’ll get to enjoy new dishes (don’t be afraid to ask how to prepare things– most butchers will happily give advice) and save a little on the way.

Skip the pricey items

When you do eat out, here are some higher priced items you can easily avoid.  Soda is usually twice as expensive as wine or beer.  Bottle water is too.  Instead ask for tap water and get it for free.  Don’t need the bread they serve before the meal?  Ask them not to bring it– if they charge for it (you’ll be surprised how often they do).  If you’re not too hungry, share an entree with a friend or order a couple of appetizers together (bonus tip: eat inside instead of on the patio to save a bit more–they charge more for patio seating, typically).

Find the Menu of the Day

This is called many different things depending on country, but set menu meals are typically much cheaper than a la carte.  Most will have a 3 course meal, with 2-3 choices for each course.  Find the most crowded place possible (a sign the food is good) and make sure they have a sign outside with their set menu.  Some of the best meals I’ve had in Europe have been menu del dia (as they say in Spain).

Ask!

After you get there, ask people where the best, affordable place is to eat.  You’ll be surprised at the hidden away places that have amazing food and cheap prices.  Plus it’s a great conversation starter, if you’ll looking to meet new people too!

Blow the budget (at least once)

If you have a dream to eat a particular dish or visit a world famous restaurant– do it!  Just plan this into your budget, and by being smart and eating cheaply, you can still have that gourmet experience.

What tips do you use to save on your food costs when traveling?

Creative Commons Pics:

Albany Tim, Joi, Son of Groucho, James Temple, Juan Pol

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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 theory of purchasing-power parity, the notion that a dollar should buy the same amount in all countries. Thus in the long run, the exchange rate between two countries should move towards the rate that equalises the prices of an identical basket of goods and services in each country. Our “basket” is a McDonald’s Big Mac, which is produced in about 120 countries. The Big Mac PPP is the exchange rate that would mean hamburgers cost the same in America as abroad. Comparing actual exchange rates with PPPs indicates whether a currency is under- or overvalued.

Fascinating – but what does it mean to you? Results from the 2008 survey reveal you won’t be getting much burger for your buck in Europe. The Euro, Swedish krona, British pound and Swiss franc are all overvalued when compared to the dollar. The best bargain places to get your two all beef patties are Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. You can use this as a tool when planning your meal budget by seeing how the local currency is valued towards the dollar. For example, the index values the Euro at 50% to the USD, so if you are going to France, add about 50% to what you would spend on meals on a domestic holiday. Check out the full results here.

Photo Credit: Phil Dragash@Flickr

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Rome’s City Hall says they need to have tougher rules in order to protect the artistic treasures of a city that sees millions of visitors every year. Grabbing a bite to eat on the go while enjoying the city’s outdoor ambiance (and avoiding Italian table charges) may no longer be an option. But is this the best way to deal with the issue? Why not place more trash cans around the city and increase the fines for littering? And how exactly will police enforce this new rule; considering the number of not only tourists, but historic sites the city has? And what about the vendors squeezed around nearly every tourist attraction in town? And if you are drinking a bottle of water while strolling past the Coliseum, will they get ya?

In other food news, a new study by Halifax Travel Insurance found a fifth of all British tourists (20%) bring familiar food with them on holiday. Fears of getting ill while abroad are the main reason for packing the pantry, but experts say it is also like a security blanket – something safe and known while in an unfamiliar place. Tea bags top the “smuggled” food list, followed by biscuits, chocolate, ketchup (what?!?) and Marmite rounding out the top 5. Strangest items? Corn flakes at number 9 and baked beans at number 10.

Do you bring a little something from home on your travels? Share what it is and why…and I’ll share mine with you!

Photo Credit: Top: Paul Tomlins@Flickr

                   Left: adamjinj@flickr

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• 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 and find deals you might not. And don’t overlook the time factor – it does take up a lot of your valuable time to plan and book a budget holiday. 
• Hit the grocery store. Eating out can, literally, eat up a lot of your holiday budget. Plan on eating at least one meal a day from the grocery store or local market. In addition to perhaps eating a little bit healthier (avoid the snacks aisle!) you’ll also get a glimpse into the cultural buying and shopping habits of the local population. If there is a food market in the town you are visiting; consider yourself blessed. Fresh fruit, veggies, cheeses, breads…you name it. For more money saving food suggestions, check out Mary Jo’s tips at the Fly Away Cafe.   
• Use the ATM. This is the best and safest way to get money while abroad. They are everywhere; I haven’t run into one yet without an English instructions option and you’ll get instantaneous, real exchange rates with no commission or other charges. However, your bank may charge for an overseas withdrawal – and these can sometimes be hefty. Check with your bank before you leave to find out their policies. It’s also a good idea to let them know you will be withdrawing money overseas so they don’t put a fraud freeze on your card. You can withdraw money when you need it, so no more carrying huge wads of cash with you. Be aware of your bank fees however – it may pay to do less large withdrawals rather than many small ones.

Photo Credit: thothe92@Flickr

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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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• 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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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 the ones I’ve tried, and let’s just say I’ve tried a lot). And the cow logo is absolutely adorable.

Photo credit: personal collection.

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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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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 to lurk for hours undisturbed with an order of nothing more than a coffee or a beer. Many thanks to Zoozie’z for being such a fabulous second home to me, and I look forward to visiting without my laptop in hand for once.

Zoozie’z is open daily from at least 9:00am till 1:00am, located at Wittelsbacherstr. 15 in Munich. Telephone: (+49) 089 201 0059. See their website for more info.

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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 as good as the Coop ones…

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