Whether you are on a tight budget or not, avoiding the main tourist areas when you choose to eat out in Europe can be a good idea. While it may be easy to fall into the tourist trap of eating at more prominent, expensive restaurants, smaller cafés off the beaten track can mean better and more authentic food, as well as saving you money.
Eating out can often be an important part of a holiday, but restaurants which target tourists can be poor value - at worst, charging rip-off prices - and provide underwhelming food. So, finding out about dishes that are popular with local people and the places they choose to dine out at makes sense.
One of the benefits of the internet is that it's now far easier to obtain up-to-date information about people's travel experiences, including where their favourite places to eat were. Check out some of the forums on popular travel review sites - you could even post a question if you can't find the right information. In countries like Italy, you are likely to be spoilt for choice because of the outstanding regional cuisine and the fact that even low cost places can serve great food.
Likewise, Spain is famous for its tapas, while many parts of France also cater for all price ranges. If you are going somewhere less well known, you are going to need to do more research, though. But, if you are on a tight budget, and are visiting a university town or city, the chances are there will also be plenty of lower cost places to eat out, since they will need to attract students. Meanwhile, instead of saving up for your main meal in the evening, you could consider making lunch your main feast of the day - when menus tend to be cheaper and offer more deals in a bid to attract customers.
If the weather is fine, you might also want to check out any local markets - even foreign supermarkets can provide a different experience to the one you are accustomed to - and buy food for a picnic. Perhaps you only want to dine out occasionally and if so, self-catering accommodation can work out as excellent value.
Meanwhile, if you like the look of it, why not sample the street food - perhaps pretzels in Germany or fries in Belgium? As ever, it is worth keeping an eye out to see if locals are eating there too, rather than it just being something cooked up for tourists. Not only will this be testament to how fresh the food is, but also the prices should be more reasonable too.
It's also said that having a big breakfast is a good way not only to keep your energy levels up, but also to prevent you eating too much later on - so if breakfast is included as part of your holiday deal, then make the most of it. Otherwise, look out for places that offer set price menus, while keeping an eye out for service charges.
Something to bear in mind is that smaller cafés may be less likely to accept payment by card, which means that having a supply of travel money on you is also a good idea - something which could be particularly useful too if you are planning on shopping for food in markets. Another option is the Cash Passport, which is a prepaid travel money card. Don't forget to sort out your money before you go - and arrange appropriate travel insurance too.
European cooking - particularly from the Mediterranean countries - has had a huge influence on what we eat here. Thinking in advance about what you'd like to eat and where you go not only means you are more likely to stick within your budget, but it's likely to taste a lot better too.
Issued by Sainsbury's Finance
