Food Budget

How old is your son? How many ritzy meals out do you want?

If "allocation" is the only issue and going over won't kill you, don't worry about it.

Yes that's interesting about drinks. In China, sodas were most expensive (3x), then water (2x), then beer (x). If you get water, just make sure you ask for tap water. Juices are a good alternative and often cheaper (relatively) than the States.

Don't think there is anything wrong with the budget--that's what it is, a budget.
Yes soda is very expensive relative to water, beer and wine. Try to drink local Berlin, beer, Normandy the cider(mmmm)and Spain, the wine. The liter boxed juices at the grocery are very tasty, compared to what we get in the U.S. Hit the local farmers's markets where possible. Finally, never ran into iced tea anywhere in the E.U.

What to drink:
Hot chocolate - great in Normandy, even better in Madrid (especially with churros) so thick you can eat it with a spoon.

There are also coffee based drinks, .

Sodas are less expensive when you buy them at grocery stores and you can get different types than you would back home, like Fanta etc. I'm not a huge pop drinker, but I did love Vanilla Coke, and they still sell it in France, so I pick up a bottle when I go.

Juices as well, yogurt drinks (those these won't be served in restaurants)

Cindy that sounds about right ~ I am budgeting about $2000 for 21 days for my husband and I. We like wine but it relatively inexpensive in Italy :) Other than that we just drink water and coffee.

Local beverages do cost less than pop. Lots of people don't drink alcohol, though, and maybe don't want the calories of juice (or don't think juice goes well with the meal they are having). I always take a baggie full of individual Crystal Light-type packets to mix into bottled water. If you are having tap water at a restaurant, you could probably tell if the glass is roughly 16 oz. or not, and mix it in the glass. Then you could have your iced tea if you didn't find it on the menu.

Coffee isn't as cheap as it used to be in France, especially in Paris.

And yes, sodas and like drinks are usually more expensive then wine in restaurants. We have found that is pretty true throughout France.

Nancy, that is a perfect idea! I'll just throw a couple boxes of Crystal Light in my luggage and order tap water at restaurants...thank you for the advice! I don't drink coffee at all...diet coke or iced tea are my drinks of choice, but I don't want to go broke buying soda. Perfect solution.

Daniel, my son is 14...he used to eat like a pig, but for the last month he's been eating like a bird...so not sure which one is showing up on this trip. We will probably splurge for a 'ritzy' meal a couple times, but that will be the exception, not the rule. I say 'allocate' not because I have a never ending supply of money, but because I have other budgeted items I can take from. I've budgeted $1000 for souveniers and I've budgeted $1500 for an emergency (volcano delay?). I guess I should leave the budget where it is and reallocate as necessary.

Cindy, it sounds like you have a good plan. I understand the son thing. Mine has been traveling with us since he was 6 and now we will take our first without him, he's 18.

There are usually food stands around...in Berlin curry wurst and other things, for example. Also, Berlin has the largest department store in Europe outside of Harrods and they have a great food court. Most big European department stores will have them and they are a great place to get prepared food for the hotel.

Best, Dan

Can't speak for the other countries, but the food in Berlin is a bargain, and that includes eating out. You can pick up a bratwurst, or curry wurst or a döner kebab for 2-3 euro. Lunch specials may run around 5-6 euro.

For non-alcoholic drinks, apple juice with mineral water in it is very popular. Called an apfelschörle. You can get other juices like this too. One that I have never seen in the US, is a Kiba, which is cherry juice with a swirl of banana juice in it. Right now, at farmers markets you can buy fresh squeezed apple juice, pear juice and berry juice. Ice tea is everywhere, since quite a few years now, but always with either lemon or peach flavor in it. Some cafes will make their own and may put mint leaves in it. A new drink I have been seeing this year is ice tea with a scoop of lemon sorbet in it. All kinds of hot tea or chai are available.

Not sure about mixing your own drinks in a restaurant, putting the Crystal Light in your glass of tap water, it would be like pulling out your own bottled drink while in there. Quite frowned upon.

My favorite drink? Bitter Lemon. Something I have never found in the US.

Wine is really cheap in the grocery stores here.

Jo, good point about adding the Crystal Light at a restaurant. Didn't think of that and the last thing I want to do is offend anyone.

Cindy,

I have to agree with Jo. It would be pretty rude to mix something in your water. Not to mention ordering tap water will get you strange looks and you'll still be charged for it (nothing is free-and there are no "free refills" of any drink). In Germany ask for "stilles wasser" which will be bottled water without bubbles. If you just ask for water, you're likely to get bubbly mineral water.

In many resturants you can purchase a liter of still water to share between the family while you eat. It's cheaper than buying individual drinks.

Try the apfelsaftschorle (apfelschorle), but avoid the lift brand. Ick. Johannisbeersaftschorle is my other personal favorite. Yum. Most places do not serve "true" iced tea. Instead it's a sweetened tea like the lipton stuff you can get at a food court in the mall.

Another note - try a radler. It's sprite mixed with krystalweizen (light) beer so there's a lower amount of alcohol. A lot of the young teens around here drink it since it's considered "non-alcoholic". A weinschorle is wine mixed with mineral water. Designated drivers tend to sip those drinks while they hang with the gang.

Last but not least - save water, drink beer. ;)

Rachel - They charge for tap water in Germany? I've never been charged for un carafe d'eau in France.

Grier,

Sometimes you can snag a free pitcher of water in Germany, but not very often. Maybe Jo knows why?

Just to add to your vast store of knowledge: a national law exists in France that says you have to be given free water if you ask for it. Some places will try to put one over on you, but if you tell them you damn well know the law, they back down in a hurry.

Grier,

Yep, no such thing as free water here. The worst part is the fact that it costs as much as the bottled stuff when you pay for it at the resturant!

Occasionally you'll get a free (very small) glass of water with your coffee. Germans drink beer or wine with food. Or coffee with ice cream. I rarely see soda or juice as parts of lunch or dinner meals except for children. They do drink juice at breakfast. They do carry water bottles when sight seeing, however.

Ed, thanks for the info on water. I'll keep that in mind while we're in France in a couple weeks.

As far as why, the impression I was given is that it's a carry over from the time when water was unsafe to drink. It was far safer to drink beer or wine (at lower alcohol contents than they have today) because the alcohol and heating of the water for beer brewing killed bacteria in the water. Germans still consider it sort of "unclean" to drink tap water.

Rachel, you brought up some really fascinating points. I was especially intrigued about young teens drinking a drink with alcohol in it since that would be strictly verboten in America. I've started a new thread because I'm interested in hearing more on the subject of alcohol. Please contribute your point of view. Thanks.

For a lighter alcoholic drink in Normandy try asking for a Monaco
It's a 2/3 beer, 1/3 sprite or plain soda water and a splash of grenadine.

I know a lot of the girls at my school who were not big drinkers used to order that a lot when we would go out. it's light and refreshing, with less alcohol than a normal beer.