Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FOOD
Western Europe has a variety of ways to eat cheaply. Europeans don't eat out like we do in America. We are
very much a grab-and-go, quick-meal culture. Europeans tend to cook more of their own meals and shop at
outdoor food markets. The mega-food stores you see around America are a rarity in Europe. Buying your
groceries at markets, cooking your own dinners, and making your own sandwiches are the most inexpensive
ways to eat.
You can cook your own food for around $70 USD per week. (This number is, of course, variable and
depends highly on your eating needs.) You'll be able to feed yourself pretty well if you grocery shop and
get food at the local farmer's markets. This is my preferred method of eating in Europe. I love wandering
the local markets, tasting the local food, and having the finer points of French cheese or Italian Balsamic
vinaigrette explained to me by local shop owners. In fact, shopping at an outdoor market in Paris and then
picnicking in front of the Eiffel Tower sounds much better to me than spending $25 USD at a restaurant.
Throughout Western Europe, you can find small shops where you can get sandwiches, slices of pizza, or
sausages for between $5 USD and $7 USD. You'll find these shops most often in train stations, bus stations,
and main pedestrian areas.
These small sandwich shops, as well as European eatery chains like Maoz (falafel) and Walk to Wok
(noodle shop), offer cheap food alternatives that can have you eating on between $10 USD and $15 USD
per day. You won't be eating fabulous main courses and drinking a lot of wine, but you'll be saving a lot of
money. I personally use these places when I don't feel like cooking but don't want to spend a lot of money
on a meal. Additionally, specific to Germany and Austria, you will find street vendors selling hot dogs,
currywurst (sausages covered in curry powder and ketchup), and other sausages for around $2 USD. These
are quite popular with locals because they are filling and cheap.
Indian, Asian, or Middle Eastern food is also cheap throughout the area. In London, lunch at an Indian
restaurant can cost about $13 for a set menu and a drink. You can get an entire Turkish meal for as little as
$7 USD in Berlin or noodles in Amsterdam for the same.
Restaurant meals typically cost $15-25 USD for a main dish and drink. In this price range you'll get a
sit-down restaurant with a simple menu. Picture your local Italian restaurant. It's delicious, it's satisfying,
but it's not going to win restaurant of the year.
In Europe, it is common for restaurants to have a plate of the day served at lunchtime. This is a set menu
that includes a few dishes at a price cheaper than what you would find for dinner. You can get a large meal
for $10-15 USD with a drink included, a saving substantially off what the same meal would have cost you
during dinnertime. When I eat out in Europe, I do it during lunch in order to get good local meals at reason-
able prices.
The city tourism cards discussed in Chapter 14 also offer discounts on food and beverages. While the
restaurants that participate in tourism card discounts tend to be more expensive than grab-and-go places, the
discounts given (up to 20 percent) can make them very affordable, especially if you go for lunch.
In the United Kingdom, there is also the Taste of the UK card (tastecard.co.uk), which offers up to 50
percent off and two-for-one deals at selected restaurants. You don't need to be a United Kingdom resident
to get the card, and the first month's membership fee is waived, which is perfect for 99 percent of travelers.
During the booking process, they ask for an address, and I simply use the address of the place I am staying
at while in the country.
Western Europe has the same type of food options we have in the United States, except that due to higher
labor costs, taxes, and a stronger currency, they cost a lot more. That $8 USD meal down at your local lunch
