What are some tips to save money on food and drinks while traveling?

Planning ahead is essential. But don’t be rigid. Enjoy every moment. If a menu in front of a restaurant is written in four languages… It’s a tourist trap

One of the best ways to save money on food and drinks while traveling is to look into neighborhoods where the locals eat. You can find so many ideas on social media, where many influencers share their newest and favorite finds. Often there are drink specials and food specials at Happy Hour, and you can find these on social media accounts of restaurants and pubs, or just on signs outside of their locations.

Saving money by eating in is a great idea! It's really fun to go to local shops and delis to purchase local foods and prepare them to eat where you're staying or out for a picnic. Often you can find prepared foods inside bakeries to take with you on your adventures, as well. Once in Barcelona, I found a bottle of incredible, local Spanish rosé for only 3 euros, and we enjoyed while looking over the square from our balcony with some snacks we picked up at a local shop that sold fresh salads and Mediterranean fare to go.

If you’re staying in a hotel that serves breakfast, they usually have wrapped packages of food, included, and fresh fruit which you can take with you when you leave the breakfast room. When I travel in Europe, my main meal is usually early afternoon and for dinner most hotels, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the one you are staying in, have fabulous happy hours. You order a glass of wine and they bring you all kinds of goodies. And you meet a lot of interesting people and it saves a lot of money when traveling in Europe, if you want to eat dinner, you usually have to eat late.

Eating breakfast in your apartment or hotel room is a great way to save money on food overall. The local market will have yogurts, fruits, pastries and sometimes even hard-boiled eggs. Saving money (and time) on breakfast allows you to get going on your day sooner! Another unique way to save on food is to take a cooking or food-based Airbnb Experience class, where you get to sample what you make!

Being adventurous is one of my favorite ways to save money. Eating local street food is not only cheap, it's one of the most fun ways to experience a culture.

Just an added note, many people, when they travel prefer to be a traveler and part of the community and not a tourist. I personally find the constant use of my phone annoying. As I am ball around a small Italian town or city, I observe where the locals eat. I prefer a more serendipity type of grazing for food.

When I travel overseas, and I want to stop for a good bowl of soup, that features, the food of whatever town I am in, I find that the policeman always know where the locals eat. Policeman have always steered me to the right place.