Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shop at grocery stores.
Shopping for food and alcohol at the grocery store will save a lot
of money. Most good hostels will have kitchens so you can make your own meals. For lunch,
I recommend picking up some basic food for a nice picnic in the park or a public square.
Additionally, buying alcohol at the grocery store and drinking at the hostel or at a park is
always a fine option. Most European countries are fairly relaxed about drinking in parks if you
don't make a scene.
There are all kinds of great little restaurants, but you just need to know where to look.
Do a little research.
As an outsider, it's hard to know exactly where to eat as you travel. Go
online and spend an hour writing down a list of cheap restaurants or grocery stores near the
areas that you'll be exploring for the day. This way, you'll have a few options of where to eat
and you won't waste a lot time trying to find where to go. Trying to do this on the fly via a
smartphone is also an option, but I always find it easier to already have options ready.
Eat before you're too hungry.
Find a place to eat before you're really hungry. If you wait
until you're about to pass out from starvation, you're very likely to eat at the first place you
see—which is probably expensive and/or poor quality. This is another reason to carry some
snacks with as you travel. Additionally, people tend to get cranky when they're hungry and
this just leads to more conflict if you're traveling with other people.
Ask for tap water.
If you ask for water at a restaurant, they will nearly always bring you an
expensive bottle of water. Tap water is free, but you have to specifically ask for it.
Drinks at the bar.
Drink your drink (coffee, tea, beer, wine, hot chocolate, etc.) at the bar
and it will usually be cheaper than if you sit at a table.
Drinks are expensive.
Visitors are surprised how much soda and bottled water costs in res-
taurants. And they don't do free refills on soda.
Learn the tipping culture.
The tipping customs in Europe are different in each country.
However, in general, the tip is already included in your bill. If you want to include a little extra
that's fine, but you're probably wasting money if you tip 15%.
Eating outside comes at a premium.
Cozying up in a chair on a sidewalk café and people
watching is a national sport in Europe, but you'll sometimes pay a little extra for the experi-
ence.
Eat the free breakfast.
Many hostels include free breakfast—eat it. It is usually bland, but
whatever. Go back for seconds if you can.
