Cheap and Free Food in Europe

There are many ways to save on food in Europe, and we're not talking about eating rice and noodles in the hostel everyday. Through a bit of exploration you can find the cheap places and ways to get your food for free. This post has a few ideas where you will be able to save a bit of money that you can spend elsewhere.

When booking your accommodation try to stay somewhere that has breakfast included in the price. In particular somewhere that provides fresh fruit in the breakfast menu. Most good booking engines have a link to the hotel or hostel with the best of them showing what's included in the menu. So, in the morning whilst you're enjoying your bowl of cornflakes, slip a few pieces of fruit into your daysack, a banana, apple or whatever, it will keep you going for most of the day. While staying at a hostel in Paris some years ago I met a young backpacker who'd grab a few pieces of sliced bread and/or rolls, then during the day when sight-seeing he'd buy some cheap cheese (if none was available at the hostel) and wine, and enjoy a lunch by the Seine each day.

There are ways of getting cheap and sometimes free bread rolls and pastries in Europe. Paris is one city where this works well, although in most of France, Belgium and Italy you can save using this method. Firstly, you have to be up early, and by early I mean by 5 or 6am. If you're up get yourself to the local bakery and ask the person at the counter "if they have any rolls or pastries left over from the previous day". In most cases they will, and they'll do either one of two things; 1. Sell you the item at a few cents each, or 2. Give them to you for free. One time in Paris went to a bakery nearby my hostel and although there were no leftovers the shop keeper gave me a bag of baguettes made fresh that day for nothing. Now I didn't take that kind of generosity for granted. A  few days later I was due to leave Paris, and so were a few other people I had met that week. I convinced them all to go to the same bakery and buy some rolls and pastries for our overnight train journeys. But best of all, the shop keeper remembered me and came from behind the counter and greeted me, then later that evening whilst sitting on a train to Frankfurt, I opened the bag of baked goods and inside were two extra croissants, free!

Street food in Europe is delicious, plentiful and cheap. In Belgium you can buy cheap cones of frites (chips or fries) covered in mayonnaise almost everywhere, the same goes for the irresistible waffles available on just about every second street block. Paris has small stalls and little windows on almost every corner selling crepes and paninis, both are cheap at a couple of euros and also filling. One of the best and cheapest areas in Paris for this type of food is around the area of the Monument of the Bastille. Wine is also very cheap in Paris at a few euros per bottle. You can buy it almost everywhere, and cheap wine in Paris and in all of France is still very good wine. In Rome paninis are cheap also and many little vans and windows abound near the Vatican. Also, gelato is extremely cheap. Berlin has some awesome street food vans and the best of those are located in the main streets around the 'Zoo' train station. The small stalls and vans are usually in groups of 3 or 4 and sell felafel's and many other delicacies. The felafel's are some of the best in Europe and will cost you only a few euros and they are large and very filling. Check out the vans near the large A&O Hostel opposite the station, it stands many storeys high, you can't miss it!

 The many little supermarkets in side streets of Rome and other Italian cities offer great deals on all types of groceries. Sometimes they are hard to find, but ask around, someone will know where they are located. Also throughout all of Germany supermarkets sell low cost groceries and very cheap alcohol at prices you wont find elsewhere. The same can be said for supermarkets in France and the Benelux area of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. You should also make it a habit to locate the daily food markets in any city or town you visit. Go early and buy whatever you need for the next day or two for little cost. And also you get to sample most of the food like cheeses and preserved meats before you buy them. Visit enough stalls and try enough samples and you may not need to buy anything at all.

Finally, the absolute best way to save on food and drink is to go East. Countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania and Slovakia are the best places to go. Food in restaurants can cost you as little as $5-$10 for a 2 or 3 course meal. But remember this important tip; if you eat any bread on the table, even if it's only one slice, you pay for the entire amount! Alcohol is next to nothing in these countries at $1-$2 for a pint (500ml) of beer and a couple of dollars for a bottle of vodka in Poland. So, if you like a drink or are on a party tour go East. The supermarkets and daily markets are also so much cheaper than the Western European countries, sometimes up to 75% cheaper and generally sell all very local produce.

Hopefully this post has given you some ideas on how to save on food costs when you travel in Europe. If you have any ideas or other information on this I'd love to read your comment.

Happy Travelling.