Later this week I'll be going to: Netherlands, Belgium, France and Portugal (maybe Germany too).

Is it frowned up to ask for 'tap water' in restaurants? I generally don't even like wine/beer as my tolerance for alcohol is not that high. Since I'll be eating out 2-3 x per day, I want to save some money from buying fancy bottled water if possible. Besides, I drink from tap as soon as I'm back at the hotel anyway.

What's the correct way / phrases to ask for tap water in French and Portuguese?

TIA

It's perfectly appropriate to order tap water. But do realize that it won;t come with ice and will be cold tap temperature. Also you will need to ask each time you want the glass refilleed. As for taste, a in the US that varies widely based on the minerals in the local water. It's perfectly safe but my not be very saitsfying.

We always order bottled water since we like fizze and prefer that the water be chilled. At lunch we will usually fo a large bottle of water and have a small beer or share ahalf of wine. At dinner we do a large bottle of water and usually a bottle of wine.

Any menu reader can provide the correct local term for tap water.

Thanks. Strangely I actually prefer water at room temp/ not ice cold and don't use ice. Even at home in US, I ask for no ice (which is unusual to most wait-staff).

Definitely not a problem requesting tapwater in France.

To ask for a carafe of water (which in my experience is always tapwater):

Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plait. (Oon carafe doh, si voo play)

Yep, what FemmeFrancophile said...you'll have no problem in France ans save money on the bottled water that can add to your tab!

FemmeFrancophile hit the nail on the head.

in Portugal ask for "agua da torneira". (pronounced like tornado but with a duh sound at the end instead) Also refuse the couvert unless you want to pay for it. (cheese and olives)It won't be free... simply wave it off or say "no obrigado"

<i>Une carafe d´eau</i> will indeed get you tab water but occasionally I have received it chilled. If there is any confusion about tap water, the term in French is <i>de l´eau du robinet</i> which will completely clarify your intentions.

Thanks guys, Got these in my cheap sheet!!

I meant Cheat sheet, but cheap sheet is probably appropriate too here.

In Germany ask for 'Leitungswasser' (tap water).

Lavandula

I guess it's a bit unusual to ask for tap water in Germany. Few people drink it even at home for lunch or dinner if you were invited to a private home, your hosts would probably rather drive to the next supermarket to buy you a bottle of Evian than "let you" have water from the tap.
Even though it's perfectly drinkable. There is no real rational explanation for it.

..and the only place we have gotten continuous grief, bad looks and at one point a loud lecture in German refusal to give us tap water was in Germany.

LOL.. I can imagine.. it has the image of cheapskating if you do it in a restaurant. Like sneaking in to use the toilets.
Just as a reminder for those folks who want to "blend in" desperately and pay a fortune for "European clothes and shoes" just to throw a fit in a restaurant when they don't get their gallon of tap water for free.
NOT thinking about lin in this context, obviously

But even in the most upscale restaurants it is perfectly acceptable and common to ask for a big bottle of water to share it with others in your party.

Actually, the upscale restaurants brought water with no problem, didn't bat an eye and even were peasant, bringing ,in fact, a very nice jug of it.

But at a small place in the guy really let us have it and it was quite embarrassing. Wish Id'd never asked for it. It ruined the entire meal. (We did order bottled water then but it just wasn't nice to be there).

We were even charged for tap water in France at a ski resort on the hill, ( purchasing a sandwich to go along) add also somewhere else, but I can't recall.

The German thing is odd, I've stayed posh and had tap water. Still one thing a German likes is a good shout.

My in-laws are German and I've watched them listen to a good piece on nonsense from the German waitering staff "this beef is a better cut than you have ordered why is this a problem?".

They then slowly stood and went from a steady roll of thunder "I want the cut I ordered because that is what i like and I don't need a stupid man to tell me which cut is which and to bring it to the table before it is cooked, I don't care what it costs" to a very firm "Idiot" before leaving the retaurant (without paying). It seems to satisfy them all.

It does.

We don't see restaurant owners, chefs or waitstaff as heaven-sent deities that have to be pampered so in their allmighty grace they will allow us to donate a few hundred euro bills in return for a plate of food. No one forced them at gun point to run a restaurant, and if they can't get things right you are very welcome to let them know. Competition is usually stiff, and besides the Michelin-starred restaurants most can't rely on customers unless they keep up a certain quality of service level. Though the locals don't put too much emphasis on the all smiles hello I am Debby and I have the privilege to get on your nerves by reciting the 52 specials we have tonite stuff. Most prefer to have moderately friendly waitstaff and to get the food they ordered in reasonable time. But otherwise not be bothered unless they need a refill on their beer.

But I would only try the aforementioned "idiot stunt" and shouting after decades of practice! That variation of complaining is not exactly the norm!

I have never been to Germany or Portugal, so the above posters know better than I.

In Netherlands, Belgium, France, there has never ever been a problem with our getting tap water.

For some reason, we drink gallons of water in Europe, perhaps because we have been walking all day touring, so we do have to ask the waiter for refills. Easy-peasy for Belgium and France--just point to the carafe and say, "Encore une autre, monsieur (or madame, mademoiselle), s'il vous plait."

Sidenote: I am always amazed that people will order pricey bottled water in New York when their tap water is so darn good.

In France it is perfectly acceptable to order tap water, and frankly , many locals do.

It does vary by country, my limited experience with Italy and Germany is that it is not really acceptable there.

You are never expected to order alcohol if you don't want to, so don't feel bad about that.

Thanks guys, very helpful info from everyone.

On previous trips to Europe, I remember getting tap was not easy. I was in Vienna and vicinity and remember a good # of restaurants that we encountered charged for tap or didn't provide it when asked.

Also in Prague many yrs ago, I remember the waitress really got rude and refused to provide it as well. I think in general she was rude anyway... kind of the norm in the fresh out of Communism type of society, I guess.

Well in Switzerland it's the opposite... People think you a bit unusual if you buy bottled un-fizzy water, because they all drink it clear, clean, and cold out of the fountains. So if you get a half-choked smile upon buying bottled water in Switzerland, you will know why...

Apparently EVERYONE just fills their bottles with the water from the local street fountains. I learnt this on a walking tour around Lucerne's old town area