Diet Coke Addiction

I'm a Diet Coke addict too. It's everywhere. It's called Coca Cola Lite though and it's made with the old sweeter that's outlawed in the US now and it's awesome. It's got that bitter aftertaste I miss so much. In restaurants it will be served with 2 ice cubes in a very small glass with a spoon and a slice of lemon. It's also at every gas station and convenience store too.

However, you will pay a lot for your addiction!

Hi Andy, It's cheaper to buy it in a super market than at a restaurant of course. If your room has a fridge, you're set.

Diet Coke is my caffeine so addict right here! My first trip to Europe, I hardly had any because it was so expensive, as much as E4 for a small bottle in Paris! However, the 2nd time I went was in Italy and I just thought what the heck, I NEED my Diet Coke! I think the average was about E2 for a much smaller can and they'll give you the Coke Light if you ask for Diet Coke. I also found ice was easier to obtain in most of the restaurants I went to, just don't be shy to ask for more. Enjoy your trip and don't do without the D.C.!

Thank you for all of the responses!!! I am going to go out on a ledge and assume that Italy has not gone to the "free refills" as part of the meal yet.

Safe bet Andy. No such thing as 'free' refills outside the border.

You're right, no free refills, even at McD's. At least at McD's you get more for your money and your addiction. My son is also a fan of Diet Coke.

Other parts of Europe and specifically the UK have free refills at two places: IKEA and Subway.

Just ask for Coca Light...me too.

Yes, Coke Lite. It's not hard to find. The logo and color are almost identical to Diet Coke here in the US. It tastes fine but the price isn't cheap and no free refills. I usually buy them at a grocery store. The refrigerator you pull it from isn't likely to be set as low as in the US, so it won't be as cold you're accustomed to. If you order one in a restaurant, expect only a small amount of ice (maybe one large cube).

A genuine Italian cappuccino at breakfast, some mineral water or perhaps a birra at lunch, and at least one carafe of Tuscan wine with dinner, and you'll be asking yourself at the end of the trip what was that Coke stuff you used to drink before you got to Italy!

As others have said, ask for Coke Lite. I too am addicted but try to put it aside in Italy where wine is cheaper (and better. Who wouldn't love a country where you buy wine boxes instead of juice boxes at museum cafeterias???). the first thing I do when I get off the plane is get the biggest Diet Coke McD's has. Be prepared to pay as much as 3Euros for a tiny glass, too.

i am excited to learn you get two ice cubes in italy! so far havent got that elsewhere in europe. my husband and i actually took his diet dr pepper and my cherry coke in a checked bag to croatia LOL (we spent a week on a sailboat and needed our caffeine) and 1 can of cherry coke got us a bag of ice " when there was none" in the marina store.

Totally sympathize. Coke Light. Agree with others. Find yourself a local grocery and buy a 6 pack (decadent plastic bottles with screw top lids to carry around). We had a great store by our apartment near Via Cortona in Florence that was open even on Sundays that had Coke light and lots of other good stuff.

Why not try and break your addiction while traveling, by drinking something else, like plain old cold water or some of the many fantastic fruit juices that are sold over here? Give your body a break!

How can anyone be addicted to diet coke ??? -- there is nothing in it to become addicted to.

Au contraire, mon ami! Everyone has their own preferred means of a caffeine delivery system. Mine happens to be Diet Coke; all the caffeine without the calories!

I'm horrified that you all drink that stuff!! Haven't you read the literature out there on artificial sweeteners? There are lots of wonderful drinks in the world that won't shorten your life.
Then you'll live longer and travel more! http://www.mcmanweb.com/diet_coke.html

Technically the addiction is to the caffeine contained in the Diet Coke. But yes, caffeine addition is real. I used to be a caffeine addict and trust me you didn't want to be near me if I ran out of Classic Coke. It did horrors to my stomach. I'm all better now and never drink anything with caffeine.

I don't suppose there's Mountain Dew anywhere? My friend is totally addicted to it. I've already warned him it probably doesn't exist in Switzerland or Italy but he's still hoping...

'Horrified' that we drink this stuff? A couple of those are awesome whilst napping on a sun lounger with no SPF, chain smoking, nursing last night's hangover! I'm missing the Med just thinking about it. I'm more concerned about catching viral meningitis from an aluminum handrail at a public transportation hub :)

Many Coca Cola addicts go "cold turkey" when they see the first 3 Euro ($5+/-) charge appear on their bill. I don't like diet-anything, but I do like Coke and while the product in Europe is actually better than what we have in the States (real sugar instead of that horrible corn syrup) you will probably be disappointed the first time you get a glass of chilled (not ice cold) Cola. Ice? Maybe two cubes if you are lucky. Free refills? No. You will get a glass with a line etched near it's top and the cola will be filled exactly to that line; no more and no less. Consider beer or table wine as both are cheap and usually pretty darn good.

I am addicted to Fanta (only in Europe, not the "American" version), so I can fully empathize with your cravings.

We too like our diet coke. While in Paris we would return to our hotel at the end of an exhausting, hot but wonderful day near the Place D'Italie. When we got off the subway there was a McDonalds right there. We'd always go there, each buy a large Coke light for our short walk to our hotel. It always hit the spot and was a much better deal than in a cafe.

"....you will probably be disappointed the first time you get a glass of chilled (not ice cold) Cola." I call that "Italian cold." It applies to the AC too. Just got to reset your expectations.

In Scotland we have IRN BRU.......made from griders...LOL! Persuaded an American buddy to ditch her 5 cans a day addiction of Diet Coke...her eyesight improved within a month.

Hmm. All this is making me glad I almost exclusively drink water. I can easily go for the three weeks of my trip with nothing else.

No Mountain Dew in Italy... and be ready to pay for the catchup at MCDonalds.

No Mountain Dew in Italy I was in a British Ikea on Monday and astonished to see 500 ml bottles of Mountain Dew in their drinks dispenser machine... first time I have seen that stuff for over 10 years...