One Tip For Eating In Europe On A Budget (Thanks Rick Steves)

Rick Steves is a master of touring on a budget. It all started with his scrappy early days of backpacking around the world on a piano teacher's wage. His experiences have led him to find new ways to see the world without breaking the budget. One of his often overlooked tips to source a cheap and filling meal is to eat at cafeterias or other eateries affiliated with an institution like a school or union.

University cafeterias, often called mensas or canteens, can be very cheap. If they are open to outside guests, you can often get a meal for a little more than what the students pay. Check a school's website before you drop in hungry to make sure they sell guest tickets. Steves points out an added benefit of meeting curious students looking to try out their English. Other options for institutions he says to look out for include hospitals, unions, charities, department stores, and fire stations. Of course, you can always follow another tried and true tip from Steves of filling up on aperitivo at the bars in Italy!

Steves' advice on finding the cafeterias in department stores is a little dated now, but it is still worth doing if you're in the Netherlands. While many of Europe's department stores no longer have cafeterias, HEMA in Amsterdam can still be a place to find fresh, cheap food. There you can find a variety of sausages, sandwiches, and more.

In Edinburgh, you can find two cheap and filling cafeterias offering curries, pakoras, biryanis, naan, and rice called the Mosque Kitchen. Both are great, one is in a mosque itself, while the other was until they moved out. You'll find them packed with students filling up on budget-friendly meals.

After a long weekend of partying in Berlin, you can get a cheap, filling meal with the local students at one of the many University Mensen, or dining halls. You'll have to purchase a Mensa card ahead of time and add money to it before you dine. You'll see three prices while in the cafeteria; the highest one is for guests. Though currently closed for construction, once it reopens, one of the best views you can enjoy while eating in Berlin can be found at the Technical University's Skyline cafeteria on the 20th floor of the Telefunken-Hochhaus. If you want to find a good, budget-friendly meal that's not a cafeteria, we've found that asking your barista as you get your morning coffee can often lead to some delicious results!