Eating abroad can be expensive, especially when you don’t know the area, but mealtimes are often some of the best parts of the day. So read below for tips on how to make the most of your trip and tips for eating abroad out tips
1. Do your best to avoid eating near a tourist attraction
There are two meals I remember most of all when I think about my time in Rome, both were polar opposites of one another. The first time I went as a treat, I paid €20 for a pizza as it was my last night and I wanted something more upscale for my last meal. What I got was a doughy bowl of grease with a tomato sauce that tasted more like ketchup. To contrast the second was at a small restaurant underneath my hotel, it cost me €3 for a pizza and a drink, and it tasted amazing. This slice was cost only 15% of my supposedadly high-end pizza, but tasted 15x better. Don’t fall into the traps set for tourists and eat like a local with better food at better prices.
2. A homemade meal is always delicious, even when you are not home
This may not always be possible in hotels, but if you are staying at a hostel or a suite then often they have cooking facilities for you to make your own meals. You can save a lot of money by shopping in a local supermarket and preparing food yourself. Delicious meals can be simple to make and cost-effective. Why not make the most of the money saved and put it towards a local cooking class so you can learn to eat like a local and take home a new skill?
3. Save money by eating at fancy restaurants during lunch
If theres a restaurant you really fancy eating at, consider visiting during lunch. Many restaurants offer lunchtime deals on the same food they serve in the evening. Take for example an italian restaurant I visited Eastbank Pizzeria on Macquaria Street in Sydney. I had the same meal twice during my visit, a pizza, a can of coke and a dessert. The first time I ate there was during lunchtime on my first day, and I paid $17, when I returned on my last day to enjoy my final meal here, the pizza alone cost me $23. In total the meal came to over $40, more than double the price I paid for the same meal at lunch.
4. Don’t feel ashamed for going into Starbucks or McDonalds when abroad
Although people like to scoff when they hear you visited places like that, theres no shame in doing so. Sometimes you need something cheap and cheerful, or just a taste of home. You do not have to eat like a local at every single meal. Just enjoy your meals and dont worry about what others will think. Plus they have public bathrooms and wifi, so they always make good hub points when travelling.
5. Ask a local for recommendations
Nobody knows the streets like a local, and that means they know where is good to eat, and where to avoid. It is easy to get a local recommendation, ask your tour guides or your hostels reception.They are more than happy to give you tips and guides. You will find the quality of your meals grows exponentially just by asking, and you may even find other hidden gems when you do so.
Bonus: Try something new
This is the last of my eating abroad out tips and my favourite. Travel is all about new experiences, new sights, new cities, and with that new flavours. Life starts outside of your comfort zone so why dont you try new food. Maybe ask your server for a recommendation, or if a local points you in the direction of a good restaurant, ask them what their favourite dish is. Everywhere has a national dish, something that they arent just known for doing, but for doing incredibly well, and that is what travelling is all about.
