Discount Travel - Eat Locally
Traveling, as many of us are no doubt aware, is one of the most
enjoyable things one can do. It allows us to expand our
horizons, to see how people live in other parts of the world,
and to experience new things. The problem, of course, is that
traveling is one of the more expensive hobbies one can have, and
unless you're fairly well-off you have to look into discount
travel methods in order to travel regularly.
When you're looking for discount travel solutions, one of the
great tools at your disposal is to adjust your eating habits.
Besides the cost of getting to your destination and
accommodation, food is going to be one of the biggest expenses
on your trip. If you eat out at restaurants a lot, or dine
mostly in your hotel, you'll likely be surprised out how quickly
food eats into your travel budget.
So a smart idea in terms of discount travel is to get in the
habit of eating local food, and buying fresh food at markets as
opposed to constantly dining out. For example, if you're out for
a day trip, stop by a supermarket and buy some healthy fresh
food that you can eat on the go, so you don't have to stop at a
restaurant for lunch. In many countries you'll notice a much
bigger discrepancy between the prices of fresh food and the
prices of meals in restaurants then exists here in North
America, so taking advantage of this can save you a lot of
money.
Of course, it's not expected that you spend your entire trip
eating fruit and bread while sitting on a bus - part of an
enjoyable traveling experience is in dining out. When you do
dine out, however, eat in the places where locals eat - you see
that it's radically cheaper. Depending where you are, a
significant premium will be placed on North American-style food.
If you're willing to put aside a desire for the food that
reminds you of home, your trip will be much cheaper over the
long term.
Besides being advantageous in terms of discount travel, eating
at local restaurants will provide you with a broader cultural
experience. You'll get to try new things you'd never be able to
try at home. Plus, there's a good chance that a foreign
country's interpretation of American food will be poor, so
you'll probably be getting better food as well when you eat
locally.
In general, avoid restaurants in touristy areas, or ones that
serve things that are a radical departure from local cuisine.
Remember, especially when traveling in a second world country,
that the locals have much less money, relatively, then you do,
so any place that they choose to dine in you're likely to find
extremely affordable.
So put your desire for a burger and fries to rest - there will
be plenty of that when you get home - and experience some local
culinary delights. By doing this you will not only discover some
new things, you'll be saving money that can be spent on more
interesting things during your trip.