How To Save On Food While Traveling - A Gastronomic Spree With The Mind

Food costs make up a significant part of the budget for any trip . There are always a lot of temptations in an unfamiliar city or country, no matter how much money you have in your wallet. Cozy coffee shops with open verandas, restaurants with perfect tablecloths, pastry shop windows strewn with glazed cakes and chocolate cookies, stalls with roasted chestnuts and creamy ice cream, vanilla smells of freshly baked buns, coffee beans and cotton candy. Everything spins around like a merry-go-round, and of course you want to try everything. However, let's highlight a few rules in order to competently and economically allocate your budget and indulge in a gastronomic spree wisely.

Before the trip , calculate and allocate a part of the money that you are ready to spend on food . Based on the amount you will have per day, think about how to plan it in the food plan. For example, you can eat at your place of residence in the morning, have snacks in the afternoon, and have a hearty meal already in the evening. Or use this algorithm in any other sequence.

Try not to spend more than the amount planned in the budget.

Explore local supermarkets and markets. Go to several different points, compare prices. Try locally produced products. Don't hesitate to ask the locals for tips on the most popular products and where they are sold.

When booking accommodation, look on the map in advance to see where grocery stores are located nearby. Believe me, this information will not be superfluous. Especially if the hotel will be located away from the central streets, and you will have to check in late at night. A long search for a place to have dinner or buy provisions will very quickly cease to seem like an exciting quest, especially if it falls on the dark period of the day and after the road.

Of course, on vacation, you want to relax as much as possible from household chores. But self-cooking can significantly save your budget. Especially when you go on a trip not for 2-3 days, but for a long time. In such a case. Renting an apartment with a small kitchen in the room or with a large but common one on the floor, you will feel savings.

Choose simple and light meals so you don't have to spend hours at the stove. Porridge or omelette for breakfast. Salad and boiled/fried fish or chicken for dinner. One or two meals per day can be completely transferred to the place of residence. It is especially nice to have a delicious breakfast or hearty lunch in warm weather on the hotel terrace or the balcony of your room with a view of the city or nature.

If you are going to arrange snacks at the hotel, do not forget to take a knife, a folding fork, a spoon and a corkscrew with you. They will always come in handy when traveling .

Hunger can strike anywhere in an unfamiliar city, especially if you walk a lot and explore the local sights. And it is not necessary that there will be democratic cafes or food stalls with affordable prices nearby. After all, for a long walk, take a light snack with you, which, without a doubt, can be useful - fruits, nuts, yogurt, cookies with cereals. And if the weather permits, you can even have a full-fledged lunch in the fresh air, taking with you cheese, bread and a salad made of fresh vegetables. Quite often, special gazebos for such purposes can be located in recreation parks, sometimes even free of charge. Find out in advance about this opportunity to turn your picnic into a real feast.

Do not forget to take a bottle of still water with you for a walk. Juice or carbonated water (especially sweet) does not quench thirst in the right way. Therefore, give preference to simple mineral water, which will be not only cheaper, but also more useful. In many European cities, you can refill your water supply free of charge at drinking fountains or even from a tap connected to a water main - as, for example, in Prague or Geneva. Of course, you need to find out about this possibility in advance.

The main streets, squares, central parks, the surroundings of the main sights are all places with heavy tourist traffic. What do you think this means? That's right, prices in such places skyrocket. This applies not only to cafes and restaurants, but also to street stalls and grocery stores. It is worth going to the secondary streets, and, as a rule, you will be pleasantly surprised by the difference in price.

Don't be afraid to go to establishments that don't dazzle with bright signs and refined interiors. Very often, it is there that you can find the tastiest national dishes, generous portions and a warm welcome. The owners of such cafes tend to pay more attention to the cuisine than to external glitz and glamor, and are oriented more towards local residents than tourists. Take note that a large number of townspeople at the tables in the establishment is a sure sign that it is worth your attention.

There is another option to eat deliciously and inexpensively - canteens. Universities, government institutions, large enterprises, business centers are the main places where you can meet them. Many of them are free to enter, contrary to popular belief. Simple homemade food , queues at lunch time, trays and good prices. A pretty good option if you have the time. Of course, you should not go in search of a canteen at random. Before leaving, use a map or, better yet, a tip from local residents.

Street food can be a good option for an affordable lunch. Burgers, hot dogs, pizza are well-known examples of such a meal. But try not to focus on the classics, but to find and try something characteristic of the place, because in many countries, stalls and windows with street food have long become part of the national cuisine. Istanbul balik and Spanish churros, Montenegrin burek and egg tart in Hong Kong. Believe me, every country, every city has something to surprise your taste.

In addition to the fact that street food is inexpensive and tasty, it is also, which is no less important when traveling , fast. Without tiring queues and waiting for a waiter. Such food can be chewed on the go or by sitting on the steps of a bridge or a wide bench in one of the city squares. Just make sure that the street food stall looks more or less reliable - decent quality food .

A great way to dine at a substantial discount. Some dishes during lunch break on weekdays are much cheaper than in the evening. Restaurants and cafes very often display special offers with the price of a business lunch on the street in front of the entrance to the establishment or attached to the window, inviting you to come inside. Take advantage of this opportunity, do not pass by.

You need to be prepared for the fact that in most countries the menu for such a lunch may be available only in the local language. In this case, a translator or a good waiter will help you understand. Don't hesitate to ask: being a tourist is no reason to deny you a special lunch price.

If on a  trip , food is included in the price of accommodation - do not refuse. Very often, a hotel or guesthouse offers breakfast and/or lunch. By eating in this way, you will save both money and time, which would be spent looking for a democratic cafe every day.

In many European cafes, meals will be cheaper if you pay for the order and pick it up at the counter or at the bar yourself. Such establishments. Usually marked with a sign "self-service", that is, self-service. In such establishments, indoors or outdoors, high tables without chairs are installed, at which you can have a bite to eat. Also, often the institution's policy is such that if the cafe has two types of tables — with chairs and without — eating at the seats will cost more. This option is common in snack bars and cafes and is not practiced in restaurants.

Such cards are sold in many large cities. They are beneficial in that they provide discounts on transport, discounted entry to museums, galleries and other attractions, as well as discounts in cafes and restaurants. The size of the discount has an individual character, but is usually at least 20%. Maps can be purchased on the official websites of tourist cities, airports, train stations, and tourist centers.

Sites selling discounts to various establishments in the city have gained popularity all over the world. Before the trip , it is worth spending time studying them. A large number of such services allows you to find and choose the most profitable offer to go to a restaurant, bar or cafe with a good discount.

If you are not an opponent of alcoholic beverages, then alcohol will be another item of travel expenses . Therefore, look for establishments with "happy hours", order homemade wine in restaurants, and it is better to buy for home in those places where local residents shop.

Some bars also offer free snacks during happy hours. In Spain, for example, in many establishments they bring you tapas (that's what they call a snack) for free with your drink.