on our recent trip to Italy, meal costs were
about 50 percent more than I had figured. We
did however have sit down meals, 3 or so pretty "fancy". The euro to dollar ratio didn't help either. So I am attempting to better estimate my costs for a possible trip to Germany next year. We had estimated for Italy $50 US per person per day, actual was about $78-ish. Okay, $75 plus our daily gelato! , with breakfast included at our hotels. How does Germany compare??? Any money saving tips?? Thanks!

Much depends on where you are going and what you like. My wife and I visited Germany this spring and spent less on food than you budgeted for Italy.

We always had a big breakfast gratis with the room. With the help of a cafe desert and a bit of fruit from the grocer, we would easily make it to supper. We like the basic schnitzels, fries or noodles, and salad. That usually ran us 30 to 35 euros for supper (drinks included). We routinely made it on 50 euros per day as a couple.

If you are into saving, buy your Italian Eis (ice cream) or pastry from a steh (standing only) cafe rather than a sit down place. Grocery stores or grocery sections in department stores are a bargain and fun - a chance to really mix with the culture.

Regards, Gary

ttt---thanks Gary!

Look for snack corners "Imbissecke" (Imbiss is a snack or incomplete meal) and such, often at the back of department stores, and "food halls" in shopping centers etc.

Also Turkish food stalls ("Doner&quot and other such establishments (in bigger towns).

Buying in stores and munching on park benches is the way to go. Sit-down restaurants, even non-fancy ones, add up quickly.

WK

Daisy, I can't give statistics, nor talk about anywhere but Berlin, but Berlin is definitely cheaper than the "big three" in Italy. I second the recommendation to look at Turkish restaurants.

I don't know if this will help in your case, but I had a very nice and cheap meal at an Italian (I think southern Italian) restaurant in Berlin near Rosa-Luxembourgplatz. It was as good as in Italy, but cheaper! So keep an eye out for Italian places too.

As with any country, there's a huge range in prices at German restaurants. A lot depends on where you are going - tourist trap vs. "off the beaten path." On the plus side, note that German breakfasts, including the buffet usually included with your hotel room, are more substantial than you traditionally get in France or Italy. You will almost always find meat and cheese (and probably some strange marinated fish and vegetables that you may or may not care for!) - i.e. more protein to get you through the day. (And I have yet to stay in a hotel in Germany that did not include breakfast.) You may find that you just need a snack mid-day or in the afternoon. There's an enormous variety of snack foods here, as mentioned in the other posts.

For dinner, you can definitely get a reasonably-priced meal at a biergarten in just about any town. By that I mean 10-15 Euro per person for a hearty main course.