bdjtbenson

I vow not to eat things I could eat at home. Not only do I skip American fast food places, I also don't eat hamburgers, chicken fingers or french fries in restaurants.

One time I was in Dublin. I knew I had to eat but everything was closed except the McDonalds. I went in but ordered a McVegie, something I never have or would order at home. The guy gave me a wierd look when I ordered it. It was horrible.

Now I pay more attention to when restaurants are open so I don't have to do that again.

teach2travel

I sometimes go to a fast food place because that is where locals are. I think it's interesting to see the local adaptations.

On a short trip I never crave that sort of food, but when I lived in Indonesia I sometimes just wanted something that tasted like home - like Pizza Hut or McDOnald's. I also had a near religious experience at Dairy Queen in Singapore. I had been craving their soft serve for months. My former husband (an Indonesian) though I was crazy!

If I get tired of the local cuisine in whatever country, I usually find a Chinese place. (There's one with a yummy lemon chicken about a block from the Spanish Steps. At the Pier in Naples the CHinese place has terrific corn soup.)

astein12

I don't generally eat fast food in the US (maybe once a year), so I generally avoid it while traveling. If I want reasonable and quick, I usually try to hit a local bar.

That said, we did eat at both a truck stop and gas station in Iceland recently. Great burgers and an interesting chopped meat and cheese sandwich.

twk

I try not to rely on American chains over in Europe, but I have stopped by on occasion. On my last trip to London and Scotland, we ate breakfast on our arrival day at the McDonald's at Victoria Station (had to kill a little time there before we could check into our apartment, and it was convenient). Then we ate at a Pizza Hut in Edinburgh a couple of weeks later when I got sick and wanted something familiar.

Being from Texas, the one other thing we like to do, just for the comedy potential, is try the local version of Tex-Mex. That turned out really bizarre in Versaille in 2004, but we had some passable Tex-Mex in Edinburgh last year.

missypie

I travel with three kids and yet, we have been to quite a few Mcdonald's in Europe. For example, when in Florence we took at day trip to Pisa and returned, without having eaten lunch, at about 3 pm. McDonalds was open, serving lunch and quick. Sometimes fast food is necessary when you are eating at an odd time.

Ice in my drink in Rome was nice.

Believe me, whether in Paris, Rome or Florence, the bulk of the patrons appear to be locals.

Connie

After being in China 10 days and hating the food because it is all cooked in fish oil--very strong flavor and smell--we were so excited to find a McD's. I reached in and stuff a few french fries in my mouth and OMG--they tasted like fish oil! Same with KFC. Just ruined it for me.

I'm not a picky eater but that fish oil was just awful. It wasn't until we go to Hong Kong that food tasted right again.

kerouac

Regarding the Champs Elysées, other things will move in sooner or later, but the rent is so high that the owners don't care if the building stays empty for 3 years. My former office is now part of the Louis Vuitton megastore on the Champs Elysées, and when we were evicted, we received 18 million francs just for vacating 10 months early -- and then then the building remained empty for 5 years.

At the moment, almost an entire block of the C-E is empty (cinema, Planet Hollywood, etc.) waiting for the building to be restructured. And H&M is fighting to take over the former location of Club Med (which moved to a side street 18 months ago) -- the "Champs Elysées committee" is trying to keep out "another cheap clothing store". I have no idea what they think should move into such a space instead, especially since the street already has Nike, Adidas, Gap, Zara, etc., which are not really any better than H&M.

tcreath

I admit it...I've been to McDonald's in more countries than I care to admit. Usually if we do get McDonalds its because we just arrived, are jetlagged and hungry and want something quick and easy. In Japan we ate McDonalds several times because we don't eat seafood and it was just easier than trying to figure out the pictures on the menus. Plus sometimes you just want a burger and a large drink. I'll never forget the time we drove around Assisi for like an hour or two looking for the McDonalds that was advertised because we just weren't in the mood for Italian food that night. I don't really eat fast food at home.

Tracy

Reisender

CW this Yank has been to Wimpeys several times....take it for what it is worth. Do you by any chance remember a local hamburger chain in London (around late 70s- early 80s) called "Strikes"? They had great burgers and chips and were always quite busy. I am not sure when they went out of business though.

persimmondeb

I've had Wimpey's. Wouldn't do it again, but that's okay. Generally found Burger King and McDonald's to be decent abroad. And predictable, especially when you are on a budget and some of the other low-cost options are not very appealing.
I eat fast food at home, too.

kerouac

Does nobody know how to spell Wimpy anymore?

annettetx

When we first took the kids to London when they were 6 and 7, I decided that we wouldn't eat at any fast food restaurant that was available at home, and I stuck by it pretty well with 2 exceptions:

the kids living down the street from us invited us to go with them to McD's and play on the playscape;

and the night my husband flew home before us, and just the kids and I were in London by ourselves, we ate at McD's because it was easy and familiar. (The kids did think it was funny that British McD's had hot dogs!).

Annette

J_R_Hartley

CW is getting confused with the construction company WIMPEY

We
Import
More
Paddies
Every
Year

trsny

"Unless you have kids in tow, do you try out other country's versions of American fast food joints?"

Yes.

"How do they differ, say, in France, or Germany from the US standards?"

It depends on where you visit. I notice that with McD's there is still uniformity, but there are several items on the menu that cater to local tastes. This is one of the reasons why I like to visit and I will often give these menu items a try.

MelJ

Bozama, I've never had to use a code or order food to use the facilities at the CE McDonald's. You just walk in, head directly toward the registers, make a left and there they are (with lines, usually). I was there in February, April and December of last year and again in January of this year.

Could it be that I had no problem becase there were lines and we just kept revolving in?

I almost forgot, I ate in a Johnny Rocket's in Dublin about 10 years ago and it was AWFUL! Nothing like the one here in Ohio.

repete

When I was young and drank too I tried KFC in Lausanne as a hangover cure.

On the other hand, on a scorching hot Beijing day last July I popped into a McD because I saw these local kids with a melon soda ice cream float ... the best single fast food item I've ever had.

rkkwan here you go ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLtwFugudZE

irish_sojourner

The BEST part about reading the responses to this post is that while everyone's post initially gives the impression that they would never eat fast food in Europe - and detest the existence of American-style fast food places in Europe, everyone concludes their replies by saying that they HAVE eaten in these places - and a few even said it tasted ok, if not good!

wehearttravel

Yupp. I love Mickey D's. I make it a point not to eat there regularly here at home - not the healthiest, we all know - but when I do, I go hog wild!

Whenever I'm in another country I like to have one meal on my trip in the local McDonald's, mostly to see what cool items they have on their menu that we don't have in the States. It's nice to see what kind of things people in other countries like to enjoy as a fast food convenience.

travelinwifey

Oh yes, definitely. My spouse does not eat red meat so when we travel to Europe we always find a McDonalds and eat burgers and large fries with milkshakes.

Tastes the same in the UK, Paris to us. Sometimes there are experimental items not on the US menus.

Cholmondley_Warner

My spouse does not eat red meat so when we travel to Europe we always find a McDonalds and eat burgers and large fries with milkshakes.>>>

Eh? Isn't beef a red meat?