Rick Steves Recommends This Affordable Restaurant Option For A Quick Bite In Europe
If you've got a European trip coming up, it's a good bet you're thinking a lot about your finances. Overseas travel is an incredible experience, but it's certainly not cheap. That means it's a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve to save money where you can. Travel pro Rick Steves is always there to help, whether he's teaching us how to avoid tourist spots or advising us to look for fixed-price menus at lunch. Steves has a recommendation for an affordable restaurant option if you need a quick bite during your European vacation, and it may be a surprise. On his website, the travel expert says, "American fast-food restaurants are everywhere. Yes, the hamburgerization of the world is a shame, but face it — the busiest and biggest McDonald's in the world are in places like Tokyo and Rome." This ubiquity makes familiar fast-food chains convenient, though Steves does say that they will cost more than you may be used to. Still, they're cheaper than many other dining options in popular European destinations.
Fast food isn't fancy, and you may not list it in your top 10 things to do in Europe, but it's an easy choice in some situations. Hitting a McDonald's is a convenient way to fuel up if you're running between timed museum tickets or just need a bit of food before crashing at your hotel for the night. It's also a lifesaver if you're traveling with kids who are about to have a hangry meltdown and just want to eat something familiar.
The benefits of eating at fast-food restaurants in Europe
Hitting a McDonald's, a KFC, or a Subway may not be glamorous, but it does have benefits beyond speed and price. Rick Steves writes, "Since there's no cover charge, this is an opportunity to savor a low-class paper cup of coffee while enjoying some high-class people-watching," adding that fast-food places may also have free Wi-Fi (though be careful with public Wi-Fi anywhere you go). Plus, you're likely to find a familiar fast-food spot in just about any large European city. McDonald's is in over 100 countries at the time of this writing, as is Subway. Meanwhile, KFC is in almost 150 countries.
Even if the restaurants are familiar, there may be menu items that you won't find at home. For instance, McDonald's restaurants in Italy have options (at the time of this writing) like a chicken sandwich called Il Romano (with bacon and Pecorino Romano DOP & Pepe sauce), cheddar fries, Parmigiano Reggiano snacks, macarons, and tiramisu. McDonald's in Great Britain offers black pepper and garlic McNuggets, a vegan McPlant sandwich, a crispy tikka mayo chicken wrap, and a Cornetto strawberry McFlurry. French McDonald's restaurants have spicy chicken McNuggets, McPops (which are sort of like filled donut holes), and a pain au chocolat.
If you can't find a fast-food place and you need something inexpensive to eat on the go, Steves also suggests street food, particularly kebab stands. Finally, while eating American fast food in Europe can be helpful in terms of budget and familiarity, save it for when you really need something quickly so your trip isn't too much like home. You can also check out Steves' tips to ensure you don't have a "flat" experience in Europe.