Ordering bottled water - will there be enough?
 

When ordering bottled water in a cafe or restaurant, is there a variety of sizes? I have sinus problems, and I usually need to drink more than a 12oz bottle of water - can anyone tell me how to ask for a larger bottle of water? I'm guessing if you ask for a large, it will be bigger than 12oz.

The areas we are traveling to are Vienna, Paris, Rome, and London... can anyone help me out with the german/french/italian way of asking for a large?

The sizes differ by country and restaurant, so it's hard to give a general answer, but most large bottles I've seen are 1.5 liters. An easy way to ask for a big bottle is to mime a big bottle with your hands. You will also need to know whether you want still or fizzy (with gas) water, as it is often the first question you are asked.

I always had a bottle of water with me in my purse. I would sometimes fill it from the tap in the bathroom in the morning before leaving the hotel and refill from time to time and also would buy bottled water from little markets. I also drank it in the restaurants, cafes etc but would order un (une?) carafe d'eau...just a bottle of tap water. nothing wrong with ordering a bottle of water at the restaurant but I needed more water than just at meal times and the bottled water is pretty expensive...just my choice.

I don't remember the exact size, but I know we got good-sized bottles of water for 17 Euro cents at Ed's Epicerie in Paris. So if you don't mind doing a bit of shopping, just take one or two of those around with you. Ed's is a budget grocery store chain.

I noticed that in both Paris and Berlin, you could order very large bottles of water - I think 1.5 liters (about 50 ounces). I think those tended to cost about 5 Euros. So there's a rather significant markup to buy water in a restaurant, but sometimes it's just necessary.

As for how to order a bottle, just point to the size you want on the menu, if your waiter doesn't speak English. It's quite straightforward.

In Italy most of the restaurants where our family dined served large bottles of water...not sure of the ounces but 3 of these large bottles of water was enough for our family of 5 thirsty people. The waiter assumed we wanted water and asked "how many" (how many bottles) and something like "naturalmente or frizzante"...natural or frizzy. Or sometimes they said "Gas" or "no gas".

Generally in France & Italy a restaurant will have 50cl & 1 litre bottles, sometimes 33cl as well. Just ask for a litre, or 'une grande bouteille' in France or 'una bottglia grande' in Italy. Although I expect everywhere understands 'large' too.

Write these on a piece of paper:

German:

Darf ich bitte eine Literflasche Trinkwasser haben? ..... Vielen Dank.

French:

Voulez-vous m'apporter un litre d'eau fraiche? ..... merci beaucoup.

I can't help with Italian.

Harzer

Sorry, 'bottiglia'.

Hi Anna,

>The areas we are traveling to are Vienna, Paris, Rome, and London... can anyone help me out with the german/french/italian way of asking for a large?<

In Vienna - grosse
In Paris - grand
In Rome - grande
In London - large

Ummm...am I the only one finding this post kind of pointless? If you order a bottle and it's not enough, order another. End of.

Gee, Talu, isn't it less expensive to buy a large rather than 2 small?

Yes of course it is but I'm just a little puzzled that this would be concern prior to travelling.... Or, in fact, why not just ask how to say 'large'? I'm not really interested in someone's sinus problems, I'm afraid! It'll be on to bowel movements before we know it!

Everywhere I've been in Europe, when ordering water for 2 people, they will bring a liter bottle. If you order tap water, they will bring it in a liter carafe.

If you want still water, it seems like a universal language to say "no gas." ((b))

Try this.May I have an extra large bottle of water please.

Tallulah, you beat me to it. It amazes me sometimes the things people worry about before they go on holiday. Surely it's just common sense, and certainly not worth the effort of worrying. It's a holiday folks, just relax! What would you do at home? You'd ask! Europe's not so alien, you know.

Bit like the other post about ordering coffee WITH dessert. If that's what you want, just ask for it! If they never maage to bring it with your dessert, what does it matter? Nobody died!

>Bit like the other post about ordering coffee WITH dessert. If that's what you want, just ask for it! If they never manage to bring it with your dessert, what does it matter? Nobody died!<

I have a picture of the mummified body of an American tourist sitting at a table, a dried out creme brulee in front of it, and still no coffee.

Ira...LOL!!!! Cobwebs too?

It seems (although I haven't paid much attention) when 2 people order house wine and bottled water in a restaurant a large size of each is what is typically assumed & brought.

If you are eating alone you might need to ask. Learn "large water please" in the 3 languages. The flat/fizzy distinction is important too. As mentioned above, hand gestures work (signing a large size) as does pointing to the menu if water by type & price is listed.

Pick up bottled water of your own from stores (will be cheaper than restaurants & I don't mean to drink it in the restaurant but for the rest of your day) to tote around.

Yes, buying your own water at a grocery store is your best bet. We paid the equivalent of 50 cents for 1 & 1/2 liter bottles. That should help in keeping down the costs for your sinus problem. ((b))

but the question was about ordering water in restaurants or cafes where you don't byob.

In your cities, most waiters in most cafes will speak enough English (even in London) to understand a 'big bottle'. Or ask for a carafe of ordinary water and then ask for more.

I always saw the water and the sizes listed on the menu, and it's pretty easy to figure out even if you don't speak the language. This won't be a problem.

But you could even write this out if you are really unsure:

1,5 Liter Eau, Wasser, Acqua

(I put a comma because commas are used as the decimal separator in Europe.)

later i have seen ot more dispensing water machines in europe, like coke machines..wherever you go... bottle water is in, so there is plenty.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I know if might have sounded like a silly question, but I was curious about this issue.

To people like tallulah and kate... if these kinds of posts bother you so much, why don't you just ignore it? Why take the time to actually write a post if you're so irratated?

If been on this board for years, while most people offer great advice, others don't get the fact that some travelers have very specific questions that they want real questions to - ok, I'm off the soapbox now :)

Whoa - totally need to redo that post -I meant that most people have questions that they want real answers to! Sorry for the mistakes.

I've never seen or rather perhaps never noticed bottled water sizes on a menu. I just ask for water, I'm usually asked if I want it still or with gas then a big bottle comes....very rarely a small one.

In France, ask for "une grande bouteille", in Italy "una grande bottiglia"....Dependent on the restaurant, you should receive an almost-liter size carafe/bottle of water in most cases. That is the size I usually order for the 2 of us, as the smaller bottles are just too small with an entire meal.

In Paris, they do often list the size of the bottle on the menu for ordering purposes, so you can order small or large as you wish. Even if they don't, if they have two prices listed, the greater price will be the larger size. If they only list one price, you won't have a choice, anyway.

What a ridiculous fuss you're making, order a large bottle, and if you find yourself needing more then order more. You really didn't need to waste your time asking the obvious.

Here's an idea; if you drink it all, ask for another bottle.

Anna1013, some people don't get it. When we travel we're leaving home and all its comforts behind. Sometimes we just need a little reassurance that we will find a home-away-from-home while we're travelling.

That means we're looking for our favorite little comforts...one poster wants to know where the best bathrooms are; you are looking for a large enough bottle of water; another person wanted to know how to find a heart-healthy diet in Italy...

Let them laugh...tomorrow you can laugh when THEY want to know something YOU think is funny!

Thanks Melissajoy - most of the posters are like you, and are always gracious with their replies.

Melissajoy:

"When we travel we're leaving home and all its comforts behind. Sometimes we just need a little reassurance that we will find a home-away-from-home while we're travelling"

So what's the point in leaving home? Surely the whole point is to discover something new, experience a different way of life and have an adventure?

We're only talking about the size of bottles of water in restaurants here. It's hardly a life or death matter that needs to be planned 9 months in advance with military precision...

>...It's hardly a life or death matter that needs to be planned 9 months in advance with military precision...<

Some of us prefer to know what to expect when we hit the ground in a foreign country, others prefer to be surprised. Chacun a son gout.