I hate to see American fast food restaurants, KFC, Pizza Hut, Dominoes and Starbucks invading Europe and the world.

I hate the look of any glut be it high rises or fast food and prefer authentic.

The food is terribly unhealthy, bad fats, over salted, too much sugar etc etc.

We prefer slow travel and healthy slow food! We lean towards vegan, non processed food, so that leaves mickey dees out ...except in rare emergencies.

Even at that we try to make the best choices available there like the salads with lemon instead of fatty dressings.

I hate to see European foods invading the US...all that olive oil, wine, unhealthy pasta, chocolate bars, as well as those horrible European-manufactured cars, airplanes, clothing items.

I think it is very bad business for US companies to go looking for profits in other markets, too. We really don't need to be anywhere else making money except in the US do we.

And all our airline companies should stop flying overseas, too.

When we put up that fence we should just put it all the way around the US.

Dukey: Funny...

The last thing I want is for Europe to turn into some sort of museum. And there are plenty of European countries where the local culinary scene could use a little outside influence.

travelgourmet wrote: "And there are plenty of European countries where the local culinary scene could use a little outside influence."

There are more attractive outside influences that factory-prepared foods.

"than"

<i>There are more attractive outside influences that factory-prepared foods.</i>

Sure. And some of those outside influences make their way to Europe, as well. But, there is also a place in the world for fast food - if you don't believe, look at the crowds or the financial results. And, since I think Europe would have fast food whether McD's was there or not, they might as well have a full range of choices.

I never said that everyone had to eat there. But I don't see any reason other than nostalgia to think that having McDonald's in Europe is a bad thing.

McDonalds is certainly a safe haven for someone in need of a clean restroom and a McRib while in some countries. Especially considering the number of squat toilets I have seen in places like Southeast Asia(not so much in Europe of course). I would certainly not blame them for the gross eating habits of the majority of the American public. People simply have no control over themselves. I see it every day. I have been involved in fitness my entire life and watched 9 out of 10 people fail in controlling their diets. I have been approached time and time again by coworkers and friends that tell me &quot;I want to get in better shape&quot;. I always help them out but they never seem to stick with it. It's always just talk. In all but a handful of occasions, it has been a complete waste of my time. I almost never eat fast food, only for what I would consider a cheat meal and I have hit a McDonalds in both Paris and Munich as I only really stray from my regular food while on vacation. The fact is, it is a business and if people were more health conscience, they may not have expanded as they have. Since most children nowadays are being raised by telivision rather than their parents, I think they should be slipping more nutritional education in their cartoons. Like how many calories are packed in a crabby patty. i.e Spongebob.

I have noticed that in Switzerland and in Germany, McDonalds is often times a gathering place for local teens and young adults.

I guess those people have not gotten the word that McDonalds is a place of evil Corporate American greed at it's very worst. &lt;&lt;Tounge firmly planted in cheeck&gt;&gt;

Now playing: Pink Floyd: Money

I don't think the issue is the quality or cleanliness of McD's or Starbuck's. I received equally horrified comments when I mentioned in a trip report that I grabbed a Subway sub in Kauai to take to the beach.


As Edward2005 stated, I think the issue is that many Fodorites feel strongly that a big part of the reason to travel is to sample all aspects of the culture and locale we're visiting--and that includes the food. Going to the same places we'd visit at home sort of defeats the point.

That said ... I love eating local foods, and I don't frequent McD's at home or anywhere else -- but there are times when the healthiest, quickest alternative is indeed at Subway.

&gt;The food is terribly unhealthy, bad fats, over salted, too much sugar etc etc&lt;

I am laughing my ass off here because I was born in England and that American &quot;fast food&quot; you are describing sounds an awful lot like traditional British food like fish/chips; bangers/mash; pasties; English breakfast of eggs, beans, sausage, and fried tomato; bacon bunties, etc.

There are also European &quot;fast food&quot; chains like Little Chef and Pret a Manger.

So stop blaming fatty, unhealthy food on America.

You are full of nonsense.

Thingorjus from Stepney

I'n not much of a DcD eater BUT I cannot walk past the McD's on St Germain without getting some &quot;french fries&quot;....
Funny thing is I don't do that here in the US.....

If there is a course taught somewhere on the fine detailed p0ints of American culture bashing, McDonalds must be THE textbook point of the course.

Not to mention the tired rant of &quot;You Americans this and you Americans that&quot; LOL

Now playing:

U2: Elvis Presly and America

Their burgers are terrible. If you want fast food in the UK its the last place you would go.
The also have an an unfortunate habit of suing anyone called McDonald who tries to conduct business under their own name.

Well, you know what you get at Mc D´s. Burger King ist´n that bad either. But don´t think, it is cheap.

In Germany, you will look for a D&ouml;ner parlour. Or a sausage stall, or just a butchers´s shop, if possible, with a baker´s nearby.

There is a scene of regulars meeting at IKEA houses in the restaurants there. Same thing as Mc D´s you know what you get, and its not that expensive. As these shops are locatend near autobahn exits, this might be a hint for the savy road traveller. Other big furniture chains as Hoeffner also have their coffee restaurants.

I eat at McDonalds once in a blue moon, sometimes you have to have some fries from there.

I actually took a picture of the McD's in Lugano the other day. I was passing by and saw a beautiful vase of orchids in the window, and looked for a sign to see what the name of the store was. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw it was McDonalds.

Johanna

&quot;American fast food restaurants&quot;

Please stop calling them restaurants, they are the equivalent of immobile hot-dog stands.

I use their toilets. They are OK. But they are not for &quot;free&quot;. Need to buy something (I buy water) to have access to them in Europe.

RE: &quot;I am laughing my ass off here because I was born in England and that American &quot;fast food&quot; you are describing sounds an awful lot like traditional British food like fish/chips; bangers/mash; pasties; English breakfast of eggs, beans, sausage, and fried tomato; bacon bunties, etc.&quot;

I was not talking about the food being &quot;American&quot; nor saying the English food that you mentioned is healthy.

The question was why do Fodorites abhor McDonalds and that was my truthful answer.

Anyone with any knowledge about nutrition knows that is is very low nutrition,very low in vitamins and minerals, highly processed, heart clogging high fat food.

I prefer my family eats nutrient dense plant foods and not highly processed food from factory plants.

Each to his own.

Children of this generation eat so much junk food that some scientist believe they will be the first to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. It is really hard to deter a child from all the junk and temptation out there and McDonalds everywhere do not help.

I do not care if it is American, English, French or Russian etc....junk food is junk food.

There is plenty of junk food in Europe from every nationality, we do our best to eat the healthiest food. Not perfect, but a conscious choice towards best choices.

We are not on a 2 week vacation, our travel is a lifestyle, so it would not be smart to be eating McDonalds everyday or any other poor nutrition, heart attack food.

I don't abhor McDonald's and we occasionally go there ( primarily for my daughter), but I would be perfectly happy if there was not one in Europe. ( BTW, I do not find them the best, cleanest or only free toilets in Europe...although the wifi is often a reason we stop).

I laugh at the Fodorites' love of &quot;Paul,&quot; a French bakery and sandwich chain. Those who stay in Saint Germain des Pr&eacute;s talk about the Paul there as though it were an astounding find, even though you can find the very same Paul in every shopping mall and quite a few autoroute rest stops.

Well, at least the food at Paul tastes better than a McD McMuffin.