Drinking what the locals drink

I cannot stand bubbly water and always order "still" water with absolutely no problems. And wine is available in all countries. Some may be known for their beer but they still make and sell wine.

We've never had an issue getting still water - I don't mind some bubbly stuff, but hubby isn't a fan, so when we were in Italy (and France) and sharing a 1L bottle, we always got still or tap water. Neither of us drink alcohol, so we drank a lot of still water since soda was expensive and milk (which we drink with meals at home) was non-existent at restaurants.

Hi,

No problem in Germany or Austria in ordering (or buying) flat mineral water.

The mineral water is labelled in 3 ways....you want "still" that means no gas, flat, plain water.

The other two labels are "mild" regardless of the name, there is still gas in this water and semi-bubbly...not for you, either. .

The water that is bubbly, with gas, (mit Kohlensäure versetzt) has the label "prickelnd."

As reported above, buying or ordering "still" water will be no problem. And while these countries all produce many good beers, they are also wine producing countries. So you can happily drink like locals by sampling the local wines.

Thanks! We went years ago. I can’t wait to return.

Wine is pervasive in Germany! Vineyards are in many regions.

Have been here 31 years and still don't like mineral water with bubbles. Always drink still water or perhaps juice. Occasionally will run across a restaurant that doesn't have still water. You can ask for "tafel wasser" or table water. This is nothing but tap water but they charge a minimal fee for it. Some places will also give you tap water (leitungs wasser) as there is a movement happening here finally to move away from bottled water. Make sure you order something else though too, like a wine or coffee or juice.

No worries. I do not drink carbonated (fizzy) beverages either, neither beer nor fizzy water. It hurts my mouth.

In every country in Europe, our experience has been that when you order water, they will ask, “With or without” (gas, bubbles, or whatever in the local language). In German it is “ohne” for “without gas.” They are priced the same and come in the same pretty bottle, maybe with a label in different colors to indicate the type.

We do order wine, and in many places the house wine is fine. I am not familiR with Czech wines, but Austrian local wines are excellent ( especially white wine).

I hate beer and always drink still water and wine. I've never had a problem doing this in Europe.

No one will care what you drink, so still water will be just fine. During travels I drink what I normally have at home, which is usually wine, and haven't had a problem with that anywhere in Europe.

I've never liked American beer because it is too fizzy and makes me feel bloated, but I think German beer is less carbonated. Somehow it doesn't bother me.

You might try a little and see.

In German, carbonated means 'mit Kohlensäure' or 'kohlensäurehaltig'. In informal language it is often called 'Sprudel', which means with bubble. In better restaurants they normally offer three kinds of mineral water: Normal, medium und still (mit viel Gas, mit wenig Gas, ohne [not: hone] Gas). They usually are the same price. For more than one person it's mostly cheaper to order a big bottle (.7 liter) than two or three small bottles. For me it's clear why they don't offer tap water free of charge like in the US: there is no other item on the menu giving them as much profit as mineral water. For example they buy a .7 liter bottle for 40 cents and they sell it for 4, 5, 6, 7 or even more €.

In western Europe tap water is as safe as back home. In some countries, such as France, it may be free if you figure out the local phrase to ask for it.

demag has got the right info for ordering water. That's really helpful and I will save it for our next trip.

We actually had a hard time getting fizzy water when we wanted it in Germany! :)

Lee: German and American beer are both carbonated in the same way. The difference is the drinking method.

In Germany, you never see anyone drinking beer from a can or bottle, at least I never have. They drink beer from a glass, which is how God meant beer to be drunk. In the US, a lot of people drink from the bottle or can.

When you pour into a glass from a bottle or can, the carbonation is considerably reduced. The head? All that carbonation in the head is not removed from the beer in the bottle or can. So, if carbonation in beer bothers you, pour it into a glass. That will reduce carbonation. All those people talking about bloating from beer, and how beer has too much gas, drink beer from bottles. Pour it into a glass, and beer is lightly carbonated, because the pouring process reduces the carbonation.

For the OP, I would still drink wine and water without gas.

In Germany if I want water " mit Kohlensäure versetzt" that's I tell them, "mit Gas" when asked, which is more half the time. If not, then I say it short fashion , "ohne Gas"

When I buy the mineral water in a grocery outlet, if it's flat I want, I buy usually the French brands, Volvic, Vittel, Contrex, Evian too depending. Those are almost always in German stores. If it's bubbly I want, I buy the local German brands. In France I buy Badroit.

In my experience "Tafelwasser" often is sparkling - it's not usually tap water but a no-name cheap bottled water.

The places you are going are well touristed places, so a wide variety of wine, more than local wines, will be offered, so if you prefer a drier Chardonnay or a sweeter white, or a red, then there will be something to your taste. Also, do not overlook juices and other beverages that might be available. You will likely find some bitter drinks, as well as some that are only very lightly carbonated.

Oh please, don't ever ask for water "ohne Gas" or "mit Gas"! :-)

"Gas", in German, is what you heat your house with or what you use describe chemical processes. It's certainly not something you would want in your drinking water.

Ask for "ohne Kohlensäure" or "still". And make sure they don't give you "medium".

Another thing I personally would not ask for is "Tafelwasser". There is nothing wrong with the word itself, but I would feel that I don't know what I am getting.

Now here's something you may want to try for getting free tap water and being very polite at the same time: When you are in a restaurant, first, you order one beverage that you like and that will agree with you: wine, tea, juice, whatever.
And then you ask for some plain tap water ("Leitungswasser") on the side. If you like, you can give a reason, like you need to take some medication, or you have some stomach issues.

Keep in mind that most restaurants subsist on the beverages, not on the food, so it may be looked upon like you are a bit stingy if you do not order any beverage at all and expect free tap water instead.

I have had that question put to me when ordering in train station eateries regarding what I want to drink. "Und zum Trinken?" I say, "einmal Mineralwasser." " Mit Gas oder ohne? (since I didn't specify). I say, "lieber ohne."

The word also means gasoline/petrol too, when driving, eg, "gib' Gas."

I am sorry, but I think you are confusing this with French or Spanish. You most definitely do not ask for water "mit Gas" or "ohne Gas" in German. The waiter will probably understand what you mean, but it would sound like you are asking for water with or without methane.

And "Gas" certainly does not mean gasoline or petrol in German. "Gib Gas" is a set phrase only.

If you ask for "Gas" at a German gas station, what you will get is LPG or CNG (not sure which since I've never had a car that uses anything but gasoline or diesel).

"Don't ever ask for water 'ohne Gas' or 'mit Gas'!" Of course this is very bad German, but almost everybody in the service business will understand it even if it is said in English 'with/without gas'. I would like to hear the word 'Kohlensäure' pronounced by English speaking people having no idea of pronouncing complicated German words correctly.

"Will I be ok ordering flat water?"

Yes.

@demag: If you have once heard an American say the word "Löwenbräu", figuring out their attempt at "Kohlensäure" shouldn't be an issue. :-)

@Anna, the waiters have asked us about "Gas" in several locations in Austria this week. Easy for them, easy for us.

Sure. They know you're American.

As I said before, any waiter will understand what you mean if you order "ohne Gas", and some may even use it themselves, assuming that you will understand only that word.

This does not change the fact that it's just simply really bad German, or rather no German at all.

I can't tell you how many times a server in Germany has asked me if I want "Wasser mit Gas oder ohne?" It is very common for servers or counter workers to say this. Doesn't matter if it is correct German or not, people say it and say it often.

While I will admit that I am not a native speaker of German, many Americans are familiar with German. German speakers in the US speaking English mispronounce, Americans in Germany speaking German mispronounce. Umlauts are not as difficult as people are making them out to be. It's usually regarded as good form to try, and not be too hard on those who are not perfect.

Mrs Swanson, you are probably well pleased with the wealth of information you have received regarding flat water in Europe. However, a cautionary tale about drinking what the locals drink. Several years ago, on a hot, muggy September evening, I had a few local brews in a Hyannis bar during an enjoyable karaoke session - I remember it as though it were yesterday, as I received a standing ovation for my Nessun Dorma. My wife was so proud of me that she gave me a kiss. Harmless enough fun, I thought. However, when I woke up the next morning I had changed into a handsome heartbreaker, and a progressive to boot. I had been neither before. For a short time I thought of running for the Senate but my misguided advisors talked me out of it, thinking my Canadian citizenship would somehow hold me back.

Conversely, one of my short-tempered, bleeding heart neighbours, after a night on the tiles in Calgary, transformed into a short-tempered, mean-hearted redneck. We still no longer talk to each other but for reversed reasons.

It was not my intention to say or imply that "Gas" meant gasoline/petrol in German; anyone knowing German at all knows better than that, and also what "gib Gas" really means.

If it's bad German, might very well be, then I'll presume that those staff members saying that to me used bad German with me.