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.