Rick Steves' Tip For Planning A Picnic In Europe On A Budget

One of the best ways to save money while traveling in Europe is to avoid restaurants and cafes and have a picnic in the park. It's been classic advice from guidebooks for budget travelers for decades and a great way to explore one of my favorite sites to see in another country — the local grocery store. Rick Steves prefers to build his picnic at a city's central market, shopping from stall to stall until you've assembled your meal. It's a great way to explore a site with purpose. Steves' tips on picnicking are perfect to both save you some money and make the meal extra delicious.

His advice is simple: lean into what's local and in season. Both bread and cheese tend to be cheap throughout the continent. Europe has many regions that have their own specialty cheese style, so wherever you happen to be, you'll be able to find a local, affordable fromage, käse, ost, or queso. If you are making your way through our list of cheeses you need to try, that can even inspire a travel destination. Add whatever is in season in the produce department, and you have a cheap and healthy meal to eat in whatever beautiful location you choose.

If you need to save money after an expensive but low-stress dinner in the tourist district, picnics are the remedy to rein that budget back in. Eating local and in season is just the start to a successful outdoor meal. Steves recommends bringing a pocket knife in your checked luggage or purchasing one in Europe. Bread is easy to tear through, but breaking apart cheese without a knife is a messy affair. Your fruits and veggies will be much easier to deal with as well. You can use anything that's hard and flat as a cutting board. Even your guidebook will work in a pinch.

Steves also suggests that hungry shoppers avoid vendors that don't display their prices. They will often have a price for locals and a higher price for tourists. This is most common in tourist centers. In the supermarkets, I always like to watch what the locals are putting in their carts and pick up some of the more popular items. Local prepackaged snacks (like fun, flavored chips) and candies are a great way to round out your picnic. I also love to grab an extra drink. That way, I have one that I know will refresh me, plus a bottle of something whose insides are a mystery to me. An extra euro or two is worth the adventure!