Travel Tips: Budget Eating

Eating out can be a major expense in your travel budget. Restaurants in Germany can be expensive, especially with the lousy exchange rate, and could take up your whole travel budget. Here's just a few ideas for eating on a budget during your travels in Germany (and other places in Europe).

*Make sure your hotel has breakfast. This will eliminate one meal that you need to eat at a restaurant or cafe. German breakfast consists of cold meats and cheeses, rolls, often sausages and bacon, yogurt and cereal. There may be a few other options, but this will be enough to start the day.

*Find a local bakery. France is usually known for its bakeries, but Germany has delicious breads and a trip to the bakery should not be missed! Many bakeries also serve coffee, sweets, and sandwiches for a few Euros. This would be a great option if your hotel doesn't have breakfast, or for a quick lunch or dinner, or snacks for the hotel room. 

*There are often other budget eats along the pedestrian shopping areas. These can include döner shops. Döners are Turkish, somewhat similar to a gyro. It consists of meat, feta cheese, and veggies wrapped in a flatbread. I'm not a huge fan of the mystery meat, but they have a vegetarian option that is good. These shops often have fries, pizzas, sodas, and a couple of other choices. There are also pizza or pretzel stands, and don't rule out Subway, for a relatively healthy and inexpensive meal.

*Visit the farmer's markets. Fresh fruit and veggies, olives, meats and cheeses, bakery stands, and possibly a cart serving breakfast or lunch can be found. Grab something to snack on, gather ingredients for a picnic, or have lunch while watching the locals shop. You can purchase small amounts, asking for just 1 or 2 of something. Here are a few pictures from a visit to the Wiesbaden Farmer's Market.

 *Go grocery shopping. I love visiting grocery stores in other countries. Grocery stores are a great place to get drinks, particularly water and soda, for a less than a restaurant or a convenience store on the main strip. They are also perfect for finding snack foods, getting something for lunch or dinner, or just trying something new. I always like to have an extra bottle of water or soda in my hotel room and have to have some chocolate as a late night snack. This can also be a good place to find some less expensive souvenirs to take home like Italian pasta, biscotti, or wine, German or Swiss chocolates, tea in the U.K., or unique flavors for potato chips anywhere.

*Go to a fest. There are festivals all over Germany just about every weekend from April through December. I love fest food: bratwurts, steak sandwiches, french fries (pommes), pizzas. crepes, waffles, etc. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! It is worth finding out if you will be near a fest while on your travels.

I'm sure there are a lot more ideas for budget eating. Any other suggestions?

It's the Little Things-Going out to eat in a Restaurant in Germany

One of the many joys of traveling is trying new foods local to the area. There are lots of great restaurants, cafes, and beerhalls to try on a visit to Germany. European etiquette is a little bit different and it can be a bit intimidating if you don't speak the language or know quite what to do. Here's a few tips I've picked up during our time in Europe... 

*Eating out in a restaurant can be expensive and is meant to be an experience. Take your time, slow down, and enjoy it :)

*When choosing a restaurant, menus are posted outside so you know the type of food and the prices. Many places will be open for lunch and then close until dinner time. Keep this mind while site seeing.

*Once inside, you can usually seat yourself. In some of the less formal places, or in a biergarten, this may involve sharing a table.

*When ordering drinks, it is often true that beer is the same price or cheaper than soda or water! In Germany, water is not free, but ordered by the bottle with a choice of still or sparkling. There aren't any free refills, for any drinks. It is also true that you probably won't have any ice, but you won't need it either. Drinks are served cold and filled to the top of the glass. 

*When you're ready to order, close your menu.  This will signal the server to come back to the table, otherwise, they'll leave you alone to let you decide.  

*Enjoy your meal, drinks, and possibly dessert. Again, eating out is the experience, so slow down and rest your feet, the table is yours until you're ready to go. When ready, you will have to ask for the bill. Servers don't bring the bill with the food or try to rush you. If you have small children, I would recommend asking for the bill as soon as the food comes out-it can sometimes take awhile for the server to bring it.

*Once the server brings the bill, it's usually expected that the customer will pay right away.

*Tipping! Servers in Germany are paid a salary and an extra tip is not needed. The custom is to round up and for the servers to keep the change. However, as an American that worked for far too many years as a server, I always tip at least a couple of Euros, especially if the service is good.  

These tips are for Germany, but they apply for most of Europe.

Do you have a favorite experience while eating out in Europe or did you commit a faux pas that is now a great funny story?

The summer version of "Eating Out" in Europe

When traveling, most people try to pack a lot of sightseeing into a short vacation time. I know I do. On a warm, sunny summer day, eating outside at a restaurant, cafe, or biergarten is a great experience worth making some room for in your itinerary. This is a relaxing way to enjoy the scenery, try some local food, rest your feet, and people watch. I know this is one of my favorite ways to spend summer evenings in Germany.

Heidelberg Schloss

Find a seat next to the Heiliggeistkirche at the Marktplatz in Heidelberg, Germany or the Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium, or any other spot that looks interesting, you never know what you might see. Sloooow down and take your time. Eating out, whether you are inside or out, in Europe is an experience and there is no need to rush.

The Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium.

 At the Müllner Braü in Salzburg, Austria you could relax in the biergarten under the shady trees with a liter of beer, a pretzel or salted radish, and make some new friends.

On the island of Rügen in northeast Germany, there is the lovely beach town of Binz where you can sit right on the beach with your snack.

The food was inexpensive outside of the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Plzen, Czech Republic.

These are just a sampling of your options for "eating out" while on your European vacation. I hope you have a chance to make room in your busy travel schedule to unwind at one of these great spots.