Food and Drink

Food and drink, especially if you drink alcohol, are probably the all-time European budget-busting champions, with food taking overall honors by a nose. Whenever possible, buy food in stores, head for the nearest park, and chow down. This can lead to a somewhat dull diet of bread, yogurt, cheese, and fruit (the four basic European travelers foods), but you won’t spend much money and you will eat fairly well.

Most Europeans (the English and Scandinavians are notable exceptions) have a different idea of what breakfast means than do most of their visitors - typically some form of bread and coffee - so be sure to ask what you are going to get before buying that hostel breakfast. In Scandinavia, hostel breakfasts are typically fairly elaborate affairs of yoghurt, muesli, fish, and so on, and are usually very good deals. Whenever you have a chance to all-you-can-eat in Scandinavia, you should - and eat until you are bloated like a beached whale. Food is very expensive in those countries. In England, the cholesterol assault known as the full English breakfast (eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, beans, cereal, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and tea) can keep you going until dinner if you adopt the same tactic of scarfing until you can barely walk.

The McDonald’s factor

You will go to and eat at a McDonald’s when you are in Europe. If you’re an American, yes, I know that you wouldn’t be caught dead in one while in the States, and, yes, if you took a date to one in your hometown, you would face a hurricane of ridicule and abuse. Yes, I know that you are going to Europe to experience authentic foreign culture, not transplanted American fast food.