TRAVEL: Top tips for budget friendly travel - food

Photo credit: Mother Nature NetworkI'm a big fan of food - I mean, isn't half the point of going on holiday being able to experience different cuisines? But when your stomach starts making your decisions for you, it can sometimes neglect to focus on whatever budget you have in mind, so I've written down a few of my tips and tricks for saving your bank balance when you're travelling, and still making sure you get some great nosh out of it too!

Food

·      Use TripAdvisor

Apparently there are people out there who just pick a random restaurant off the street and decide to eat there. Not me – I like to know that I’m going to get quality food (based on general consensus) and that it’s decently priced. With this in mind, TripAdvisor has always been a useful source for me when abroad, as you can easily check what establishments are available in the area you’re staying, and where they range in price ranging from $ to $$$$. I normally aim for the mid-region of $$-$$$, but it’s important again to check how expensive the city you’re in usually is versus what you’re used to, as what you might consider in this budget back home could be vastly different in another country. So far, I’ve not been disappointed by any of the restaurants I’ve landed in based on TripAdvisor suggestions, but would love to know if there’s another website or app you use to pick where to go!

·      Check tipping habits

Again, this is something which can vary dramatically depending on country, and should be considered when going out to eat, as you could find somewhere reasonably cheap and then realise you have to add on a 20% tip on top of this. Some cities choose to include service charge in your bill, so it might be worth Googling what ‘service included’ is in the foreign language so you can check if it’s on your bill so you don’t end up paying twice! If you’re not sure what the tipping culture is in this country, I’d say 10-15% is always a safe bet. Saving your change for occasions like this can also come in handy, so try to break some of your bigger notes into coinage that you can have to hand, rather than putting down a 50 Euro note and not knowing if your server will think the whole thing is the tip!

·      Grocery shop

If you read my last blog (if not, find it here!), you’ll know I’m a big advocate of the Airbnb and hostel lifestyle which, if done right, can be a great way of saving money. Conveniently, most Airbnb and hostels will have a kitchen facility that you can use, and this can be another great way to keep within your budget. Head out to a local grocery store to pick up some essentials and you can save tons when you’re not eating out for every meal. I think this is great to do anyway to give you a flavour for what the locals are eating, be that snacks, main meals or picking up something from the bakery. If you’re lucky, your accommodation might also provide you with basics like cooking oil, milk and butter, but make sure to check before you go out and buy food that might require these items too!

·      Bulk up at mealtimes

At home, I find I’m hungry pretty much 24/7. However, this all changes when travelling, when there’s so much to do I sometimes find I’m so busy rushing around the city to find time to be hungry! My usual routine is to eat a big meal at breakfast and power through until dinner, meaning that I can usually get away with only paying for the one meal if breakfast is included or I can make it myself e.g. having brought bread or cereal from a local supermarket to last me for my stay. In fact, I’d go as far as to say breakfast is my favourite meal to have when travelling as every cuisine is so different and can set the day off right! This normally tides me over for the day and means I’m raring for dinner when the time comes around, but if the hunger strikes earlier, I always make sure I’m carrying around some snacks throughout the day along with my water bottle and other essentials.

·      Go half-board or all-inclusive

Sometimes, the above options simply aren’t possible, be that because you’re staying in an area where restaurant options are limited or ridiculously overpriced, as you’ll find at many seaside locations; or maybe you don’t have access to fridges and cooking equipment you might need to cater for yourself. In this case, it can sometimes be best to see if where you’re staying offers built in food options, to save yourself from starvation or paying for a taxi to travel into the nearest town or the like. Check whether there are different levels of all-inclusive, as some will offer just bed and breakfast, half-board, or full-board; different drinks packages which can vary in price; or access to different restaurants associated with your accommodation. Where I’ve had all-inclusive experiences, such as in Crete (you can read about that here), most of the restaurants offer buffet style options, so it’s not like you’d get bored of eating at the same place each night either!

With that said, I'm getting hungry! I hope you've enjoyed today's blog, and there'll be plenty more travel tips to come, so make sure you stay tuned on my Twitter @CiarasCountry. I'd love to hera if you've used any of these tips in practice, or have any other recommendations I might have missed, so feel free to drop me a note in the comments below - thanks for reading!