The Popular Breakfast Option Rick Steves Strongly Advises Against Eating While Traveling

Everyone knows the importance of a good breakfast. It is a commonly-held belief that breakfast is "the most important meal of the day," and scientific studies show that eating well shortly after waking up in the morning can increase brain power, improve mood, and even stop you from having energy crashes while you go about your day.

For these reasons, breakfast is also especially important when you're traveling — especially if you're heading somewhere you'll spend most of the day on foot seeing the sights, or hiking out in nature without any restaurants nearby for an impromptu meal when hunger strikes. However, according to travel expert Rick Steves, there is one specific type of breakfast you should avoid eating while on your travels: hotel breakfast.

On the face of it, hotel breakfasts seem like a good choice because they're incredibly convenient. All you have to do is roll out of bed, slip into some comfortable clothes, and head over to the hotel restaurant. There, you can get your fill of hot tea, coffee, and juice, as well as a range of breakfast classics. However, aside from a few unsettling reasons you might want to avoid this complimentary meal, Steves also argues that anyone worth their salt would do well to eschew the easy option. Instead, his recommendation is that travelers head out to fill their stomachs somewhere else.

Although we feel tempted while traveling to take the option of the hotel breakfast and save our exploring for once our belly is full, Steves contends that you will get more bang for your buck financially — and in terms of experience — if you head out into the street in search of other options.

In his "Thrifty 50 Travel Tips," Steves writes: "Avoid hotel breakfasts. While convenient, these are rarely a good value. If breakfast is optional, increase the character and lower the price by joining the local crowd at the corner café for your coffee and croissant." This is especially the case in Europe, where café culture reigns supreme. Rather than a treat, heading out for breakfast or a morning snack is a way of life.

Better yet, as long as you stay local, you are much more likely to encounter better prices than if you are in a hotel that caters solely to tourists. What's more, you will also get the chance to try the local fare while, at the same time, getting an insight into how people in the place you're visiting start their day. All of which can help make your experience feel more authentic.

The trick, then, is to seek out breakfast places that cater to the tastes of local people. Therefore, you'll want to avoid big international chains like Starbucks and Hard Rock Café, and find establishments that actually reflect the cuisine of the country you are visiting. In France, for example, this might mean making a stop at a nearby boulangerie or pâtisserie, which serve classics like croissants and pain au chocolat with fresh coffee. Order a baguette to dip in your coffee — this is totally acceptable in France — or accompany it with a sweet, colorful macaron. 

Similarly, Italy is also famous for its coffee bars, as well as the rich flavor of its coffee. That said, be warned that you will be unlikely to find milkier options, such as cappuccino or latte macchiato, after 11 a.m., and ordering one will give you away as a tourist instantly. As for what to order, a traditional Italian breakfast snack is the cornetto, which to the untrained eye might look like a croissant, but definitely is not. 

Over in Spain, pan con tomate, or toast with tomatoes, is a popular breakfast dish. Sometimes served with a fried egg, you'll find it in a cafetería or a mercado, where you can choose from an assortment of other snacks. For travelers with a sweet tooth, churros with chocolate are also a popular accompaniment to morning coffee. Finally, anyone heading to Scandinavia, home of the biggest breakfast buffets in Europe, will be spoiled for choice. From different types of bread to smoked salmon, cheeses, and cold cuts, it's the stuff hearty and nourishing breakfast dreams are made of.