We are travelling to Europe and spending one week with one set of friends and the second with another couple. We are middle of the road, leaning towards budget-type people. We like decent restaurants, decent wines but nothing that will break the bank. I have two dilemnas..couple #1 doesn't drink...couple #2 has extremely expensive taste in wine. How do we "split" the checks? Couple # 1 seems the easiest - perhaps we could split the food portion and we pay for the wine? But couple #2?? we don't want to look like cheapskates but having 6-7 dinners with very expensive wines is going to seriously dent our travel budget. But we can hardly say "why don't you two have the $50 bottle of wine and we'll have the $2 glass house wine?? Any suggestions?

Honesty and full disclosure up front is always the best policy, and will make for a better time overall, with less hard feelings and tension. If you're friends enough with these people to travel together, why don't you just sit down with them and set up a restaurant "game plan." I'm sure they don't want to split their $50 bottle of wine with people who won't appreciate it anyway : ) When the bill comes, mentally take their $50 and your $4 off the top, split the rest, and each pay your share. Have a great trip!

I believe you may be able to get separate checks.

We have always traveled Europe alone so it might be different then the States but here, (States) when dining with another couple we always ask for seperate checks.

to x - believe me we would really appreciate the good wine (we love good wine!) but can't afford the restaurant prices in Europe for 6-7 nights straight ! As for splitting the bill, it's kind of tough when you've shared a bottle of wine.

Sorry, I meant it's hard to ask for separate checks when you've shared a bottle of wine.

Separate checks are a pain for the server who's busy enough and most restaurants I've eaten at won't do it.<BR><BR>Agree completely on full disclosure upfront and suggestion that just take the booze off the bill, split and then each pay for own alcohol. Less traumatic than trying to itemize out the whole bill. We do the same with friends if one of us orders something significantly more expensive like a steak and the other couple has burgers. <BR><BR>Might also be a nice gesture to bring this up to Couple #1 that you intend to pay for your wine. It would probably be a load off their mind. I quit drinking for two years and most friends were great about paying for their own alcohol. The ones who didn't are the same who would order an expensive bottle for the table to split and proceed to somehow drink 90% themselves (needless to say, no longer friends).

If you don't want to pay so much for the bottle of wine, don't drink from their bottle. Order you own bottle or by the glass. If you drink their expensive wine you should pay for half of it. <BR>I was the person ordering the expensive wine bottles at dinner in Tuscany last year and the other couple would buy their own cheaper one. We would deduct the difference from their part of the bill. The waiters in Europe aren't as willing to give out separate checks to two couples in general. <BR>Don't make a big deal out of it, just agree with the couple beforehand to order two separate bottles.

Can you just have dinner and later go to a bar?

xxx above has I think the best suggestion. Agreement first leads to ongoing friendship later.

I also agree with xxx's approach for Couple 1 and 2. Deal with it upfront or one or all of you will be posting to the Nightmare Travelling Companion thread.<BR><BR>I think you're going to have to fess up to being budget minded. No crime there and it doesn't make you look like cheapies. How about something like: "We really admire your taste and expertise in wine but we're going to have to stick to the house wine. Let's split the cost of food and pay drinks separately?" And unless they order $500 bottles of wine, don't quibble about the tip...just split it.<BR><BR>

I'd have a dinner party or trip planning meeting ahead of time with all 6 people. Just ask the question, in the kindest but most straight-forward way, as to how you will deal with paying for shared meals in a way that's fair to all.<BR><BR>(Personally, being an ex-waitress, I can do the math for approx. what my drinks, wine, entrees was, add tip, and put the proper amount into the "kitty".)<BR><BR>Do NOT try to get 3 seperate checks. I guarantee it will NOT make you the favorite table of your serving-person.

Here in the states we have a couple we go out with all the time and they too have a fine wine fixation. They like a 1992 Opus One about 200 a bottle , as i don;t drink and my husbnad is a scotch man , they ask to have the Opus put on a seperate check. This works fine and not really a problem anywhere we've ever been.

<BR>Mature adults should be willing to pay for what they order, including expensive wines, and not expect other people to split the bill.

xxx: You are right - except that europe says they fully intend to drink the expensive wine. In that case they should split the bill (unless the Up-Market couple VOLUNTEERS to pay the whole thing.)<BR><BR>europe: If you are sure you can't afford the expensive wines then don't drink it, and as the others said, just deduct the amount from the bill and then split it. <BR><BR>But if you share in the wine you should share in the cost.<BR>

<BR>If the europe couple shares the expensive wine, they should share the cost. If they don't want to spend the money, order a less expensive wine and drink it.

Of course, don't drink their wine if you don't want to split the cost, what is the matter with you europe? Buy your own wine separately, is that so hard?<BR>Just let it all out in the open BEFORE you get to any restaurants or there will be hard feelings, especially if you start dipping into their wine.

How do you derive europe saying he/she fully intends to drink the expensive wine but somehow not pay for it? I think europe is struggling with the idea that splitting the bill is the preferred option but he/she doesn't want to have tell Couple 2 that they can't afford the pricey vino.

<BR>I don't get it. Why can't you say "why don't you two have the $50 bottle of wine and we'll have the $2 glass house wine"?

Maybe you could include the other couple in the cheap wine buying by making a little game out of it--ie, "sure the $50 wine is good, but what could we discover on $20?" Not every night, but half (or whatever suits your budget) <BR>Over the course of a meal my BF and I drink a bottle of wine, so it seems like you might be ordering two bottles anyway. Just order your own, they order theirs, everyone will be happy. You can do it quite easily by deciding you want different wine than they--"oh, you're having a chianti classico? I was set on a Montalpuciano" or whatever. Just don't make a big deal out of it.