Taking food from breakfast for lunch
 

In a previous message someone suggested that taking food from the breakfast meal for lunch was a good way to 'save money'. Is this a good idea. Once I tried this & the hotel manager or breakfast room manager came over & told us that if we took food out of the room we had to pay extra for it. I pointed out that we had paid for the breakfast meal & that I don't eat very much at breakfast but he wasn't moved by my story.

Egads. If you are that desperate, stay home. Or, just cram your mouth full before you leave the table, and don't swallow it for an hour. <BR><BR>Or just stuff yourself like a prize porker so that you can get by until evening. <BR><BR>

Paul, I have done this many times and I think that it id not worth the trouble of sneaking it out then carrying it arounf until lunch time when you open your bag to find a smelly, smooshed hard roll with a piece of mystery meat on a slice of stinky cheese on it. Lunch can be very cheap if you don't go to a fancy restaurant. Grab a slice of pizza, a sandwich or potato pancake and then have a nice dinner. The above poster is kind of right, if you need to save money that badly maybe you should save the trip unitl you can enjoy it more.Eating in Europe is half the fun of the trip.

I am sure people who consider doing this on their European vacations must be tacky enough to do this all the time in the States too. Or why would they even bother to ask? Breakfast, Europe, Sizzler's, Souplantation, vacation or not, doesn't matter to them. These types of porkers consider buffets to be an open invitation to a feeding frenzy, one in which they hope that the cost of today's meal ticket will last them for the rest of the day or will cover expeneses for tomorrow's meals too. Their embarrassing conduct is, where ever and when ever, just tacky. <BR><BR>If you are inclined to be so tacky, please stay home and confine your lack of manners to within your own borders. Don't fight with breakfast staff at European hotels because you can't afford your next meal. If that's the case you shouldn't be in Europe in the first place. Please--for the sake of the rest of us who use discretion and display proper manners and attitudes at buffets--stay home until you get some manners.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Of course, it's wrong. You paid for breakfast with your room, not breakfast and lunch.

Indeed it's wrong. Do you also help yourself to the lightbulbs and linen from your room?

I did this in Cairo, and got caught, the truth was the food wasn't for me it was for some stray dogs (one was missing a leg) that I had noticed on the perimeter of the hotel. When I told the waiter what I was doing with the food, he came back with a big bag of stale rolls, etc. to feed the dogs. Would I do this to save a buck? no, but the Egyptians do not make dog food, at least I couldn't find any, so people food was the only alternative. The dogs were most appreciative and I took to carrying rolls and small snacks with me so I could feed the dogs as I encountered them in my travels.. I am a sucker for a stray. I even married one hahahahh a little marriage humor.

Come on guys, lighten up. The hotel won't miss a couple of cellophane packages of those cardboard-like "fette biscotti." Especially if your hotel has those individual serving packets of Nutella, it's a great little treat while your hiking, or late at night in the room if nothing is open.

Obviously soemone has been listening to Rick Steves. He makes references to making lunch from your breakfast. If I have to be that cheap I'm going to stay home.He also says to do your wash in the hotel sink. Most if not all hotels frown upon this. I often wonder where he dries out. Does he hang it out the hotel window?? He has some good travel tips but those are way off.

I have noticed that peaople here are usually very careful – to the point of sounding funny – in "how to dress and behave in Europe". Now this breakfast thing is a totally different thing than a baseball cap. That is just not done! That is bad manners.<BR><BR>I have seen that happen once, and I am afraid they were Americans. It was in Athens, and those people actually packed food into their bags. Everybody looked at them sort of sideways and it was written on peoples´ faces that they did not believe what they saw. Obviously that happens also in other places, because I have seen signs on breakfast tables that say: "If you want to have some snack with you, please inform the personnel. They will be happy to pack it for you in the kitchen."

I was very amused at the indignation of so many posters. I,myself, will always take a yogurt and fruit for my room fridge. Usually, I wave it to the M'aitre D as I leave the dining room. I always get a wave and a smile back.<BR><BR>As for your anti-American criticisms..a few years ago, we stayed at a deluxe hotel in Portugal. Most of the guests were German..and I saw the women stuffing their beachbags...it is a universal practice...cool it!<BR><BR>You want cheap or tacky...one year we took our sons to a very expensive hotel. The breakfast buffet, then, was over $20 p.p. For the boys, it was$12...so the boys had the buffet. My husband and I had continental(which is all I can manage in the morning,anyway). But my husband kept eating the kids' food. (We were at this hotel for 2 and 1/2 weeks.)The hotel staff consisted mostly of adorable Irish "kids" in their twenties. One day, our waitress simply brought my husband his own plate. We all had a good laugh.<BR><BR>Lighten up. Don't be so self-conscious. A sense of humour goes a long way.<BR><BR>Same for dressing. Be yourself. If you're very young, nobody expects you to dress like a sophisticated European (who, by the way, is probably in office clothes, and not on vacation)

Actually, this is the very reason I wear a baseball cap and wear a fanny pack at all times, especially in the breakfast room. I can use the cap to block the vision of the other people as I stuff my fanny pack full of hard boiled eggs, rolls, cheeses, and other assorted goodies. Then I can have my nice free lunch while I stroll around in my blue jeans (or on a really good day my purple track suit)and my white sneakers. I calculate that on an average 2 week trip I save about $140 in food costs this way by stealing from the breakfast room. Thank God for baseball caps and fanny packs.

Rodney; Great answer! But seriously, folks...seems tacky to me.

Isn't this called...THEFT!<BR><BR>If you have to steal, then stay home and do it, don't embarrass yourself or Uncle Sam!

Hey, I stole millions and millions of dollars from the investors and employees so why can't I steal a stinkin' old roll and a hunk of cheese?

Jane, you are right on target!! Couldn't have said it better myself.<BR><BR>MH, did it ever occur to you that the hotel didn't want dogs hanging around the perimeter of their hotel?

I do think it is a little tacky to pack up a full lunch - but I will admit to taking a piece of fruit with me from breakfast to eat while I am out. I have never tried to hide it and have never had anyone say anything to me about it.<BR><BR>And if the hotel includes a breakfast buffet, you bet I eat a large breakfast. I often find on vacation that I don't want to take the time (or money) to eat lunch. I usually have a granola bars to tide me over to dinner.<BR><BR>

I have seen so many people do this, I just can't believe it. It is so tacky, not to mention I consider it stealing. On the past 2 trips I have taken the tour leader actually encouraged it and he along with the ones who did it pooled their food at lunch and had a picnic. I got to thinking maybe I was the wrong one but I couldn't do it. Seeing it just really ticks me off.

I always thought Rick Steves meant you to eat a hearty breakfast (more than you might at home) which would keep you filled up through lunch - I missed the part where he said to TAKE breakfast food with you...<BR><BR>I think the issue requires judgement - I might get up from the breakfast table and take a small pack of biscuits or an orange to eat on the way (in other words, it's breakfast, but I don't want to waste time in the breakfast room eating it) but to pack up enough food to supply lunch in 4 hours is .... cheezy. And many b&bs WILL pack a lunch for you, at less cost than a comparable amount of food at a restaurant. Many of us are very economical in our lives - which helps pay for our trips! - but I think most of us aren't "cheap". I have a rule: if I have to justify an action with "oh they won't miss it" or "oh they can afford it", I'm probably doing something wrong....

No, Arlene, it is not universal practise. I know there are Germans who stuff their bags in breakfast buffet, but they are frowned upon even by their own countrymen. There are also Germans who wake up 5 in the morning to reserve a pool or beach chair. They are Germans who don´t know how to behave. Why ape people whose behaviour is not acceptable? And sfuffing your bag in breakfast table is loutish.

Arlene,<BR><BR>are you form New Jersey?<BR><BR>US

Ok how about this, ole wise ones? I eat a very small breakfast because I can't seem to get the taste for food until late morning. I eat what I can and take what is left on my plate. It is no more than the normal person would eat at one sitting. I take maybe a piece of cheese, small roll and an apple, but I have only had coffee and a very small cereal at the table. Is this all right? <BR>My theory is that some people eat alot at the table and some take it with them. It all evens out.

Actually, this is an advise you will find on Rick Steves website on how to tarvel cheap and live the European way...at least that he believes. What happen to that posting about him being a jackass or Mesiah, where dit it go? I was ready to vote him a jackass and now I cant find it.

Well I looked all over Rick's web site and the only reference I found that he made himself to breakfast was the following:<BR>"Eat hearty in Scandinavia, Europe's most expensive corner. Fill up at the breakfast smorgasbord (usually included in your hotel cost)."<BR>I don't see any thing there about stuffing your backpack.<BR><BR>Now, on the postings by other people on his "Graffiti Board" their may be reference to this practice but that is not Rick speaking. So give it a rest.

Why don't we just collect all of the uneaten breakfast food and attach human troughs over our necks so we can eat and enjoy the sights of Europe?<BR>By the way Ms. Patsy, it doesn't even out. Eat what you want at the breakfast table and leave it alone.<BR>A street vendor can provide a bite to eat for pennies if you're that hard up.

What is the difference of eating alot at the table or taking a modest amount for later and eating light at the table?All evens up. and while I am here, why blame all your faults on R. Steves? He writes books, follow them or don't, and he doesn't say take alot breakfast food <BR>in your pack.<BR>"Oh I am taking a shopping bag full of food from the buffet because I think Rick Steves wrote somewhere sometime that I could"<BR>

Hi Everyone -<BR><BR>Well if I'm not THE one who mentioned this lately, I'm at least one of the "ones".... I mentioned it on the thread titled something like "How does everyone afford to take theses trips to Europe?"<BR><BR>Maybe I should clarify since some folks seem so “touchy” on the issue.... on "traveling days", when we are leaving one hotel to go to the next city by car or train, we put a "little extra" in the way of cold cuts, cheese and hard rolls on our plates and an extra apple or orange. When we finish we ask one of the dining room staff if they would mind bringing us something to wrap our "leftovers" in, telling them we are going to catch the train, and they all know what a rip off train food is! We have never failed to have anyone be anything but helpful and polite to us! The first train day of this past trip we paid $5 for 2 small bottles of water and said NOPE! This ain't it!<BR><BR>Now, I could sit in the breakfast room half the morning and eat till I couldn't eat the rest of the day... or I can take it with me and enjoy it on the train with a bottle of wine (yes, that we buy at the supermarket)... we had a good bottle of local wine in Budapest at a restaurant and it was 3200 forint... we saw it on the street at a sidewalk shop the next day for 880 forint... when I had the girl at the lobby bar open it for me that night to take to the room she said it was her favorite... I asked her what she paid at her market and she said 600 forint! Now, like I said on that other thread "you can't spend the same money but once"!<BR><BR>I'm sure some people find it tacky that we take beer, wine and liquor to our room for drinks at night (our grown kids!) and they find it more "tasteful" to use the exorbitant mini-bar! Know what, my own mother thinks I'm tacky because I clip coupons for the grocery store…( well, I saved $48.75 on a $109 grocery bill yesterday! That's $48.75 towards my next trip the way I figure it!) And my friends with new Lincoln Navigators think I should trade in my paid for 7 year old GMC Jimmy! Guess what, their $750 a month vehicle payment is my $750 a month saved toward my next trip!<BR><BR>Now, at the Renaissance Hotel in Salzburg the other week there was a busload of oriental tourists and a busload of Milka Chocolate people from Praha there for a meeting.... talk about hauling food out of the breakfast buffet by the armload!!!<BR><BR>So, put everything in perspective and don't get your "panties in a wad" ;&gt;)<BR><BR>By being polite and friendly to the hotel staff we got upgraded to a "Junior Suite" (or in one case a REAL suite) at each of the 4 hotels we stayed at on this trip... just by asking and telling them sincerely what it would mean to us and how much better it would make our stay with them ... and nobody anywhere has every even looked sideways at us for making a couple of sandwiches at breakfast (after politely asking).<BR><BR>I asked the taxi driver in Budapest how much to the Mercure Korona hotel and he said 5500 forint... I said how about 2500 and he said okay! A) It never hurts to ask, B) once again, you can't spend the same money but once!<BR><BR>I was a residential general contractor for 25 years, and I never had anyone I built a house for "bat an eye" when asking me to "throw in" hardwood floors in the Dining room, marble around the fireplace, etc... it never hurts to ask!!! I learned a long time ago that if people could seriously ask me for thousands of dollars of extras for free... I could ask for what I wanted as well! All somebody can say is no (like I did 95% of the time!)<BR><BR>The difference is the way one goes about it! After visiting 56 countries we find that there are courteous folks everywhere and folks with no manners everywhere! There are ways to maximize your money and there are ways you can blow it! It’s all in the way one goes about doing things.<BR><BR>Best wishes to all,<BR><BR>Barry<BR>

Let me guess. You think it's o.k to go somewhere like Hmmm.. Old Country Buffet (by the way - never been to one)and eat what you can and then pocket the rest? C'mon. <BR>It doesn't even out. Don't horde the food like a little squirrel saving a nut.

What is wrong with Old Country Buffet????? A co-worker of mine has a sister who is the manager of one and we go there for lunch from time to time. I think the food is very good for what you pay. It is especially nice because there are many people who can't afford to spend $25 going to lunch on their break from work 5 days a week.<BR><BR>My co-worker's sister told me that those people who clear your plates away make fantastic money. Some walk with $150 in tips working just 5 hours. That is good money for just taking away someone's plate and smiling at them.

Dear John G.<BR>Please don't get your panties bunched in a ruffle. You obviously misconstrued the point made about O.C.B.<BR>It is certainly not a knock about any establishment but to point out that not many people would eat at a buffet and then cart off the uneaten portions or go up for more and pocket the goods.

Wow, Deb, you gave an idea, instead of stuffing food in my purse, I will stuff it in my cheeks like a squirrel, no one will notice and it will be easy to carry. Oh, I love this board.<BR>

Read Rick’s 50 tips of saving money in Europe and if you don’t fell like vomiting you must be just as cheap as he is. <BR><BR>http://ricksteves.com/news/0202/thrifty50.htm<BR>

did anyone bother to read barry's post above or are you just busy being critical of each other?

For those that are compelled to bag some cold cuts and fruit for later consumption, why not leave 2 or 3 dollars for the food you are taking?<BR>Call in an honor system of sorts.<BR>I still think it's a tacky way of taking food.<BR>Better yet, why not fill a suitcase full of food from home and never eat out?<BR>It seems that many people like getting that "free grub"

Simple answer - wear jeans - that way<BR>No-one will be surprised WHAT you do !<BR><BR> Happy to help.<BR><BR> Fodors Apparel Request Team ( F.A.R.T )

Yes, I read Barry's post. If he doesn't want to be charged a fortune for food and drink on the train, there is an alternative that does not involve taking food from the hotel. It is called shopping. Here's how you do it. You just stop at a grocery store, a market, a snack bar, or a train station refreshment stand and (gasp!) buy an inexpensive sandwich or bottle of water.<BR><BR>I'm also amused by the "I'm not hungry now, but I will be hungry later" rationale. How far does it go? If I'm not hungry today, can I put food away for tomorrow? How about for next week?<BR><BR>I travel on a very tight budget, and even I wouldn't do this hoarding thing.

I disagree with a bunch of you. I have paid for breakfast--usually in France a croissant and a roll--and if I choose to eat the croissant and butter the roll, discretely stick it in a plastic bag and eat it later, that's my choice. If I had the meal in my room, I could do it; why not at the table? That way I can add protein (cheese or ham) to a mid-morning snack (or lunch) without having to buy bread and a spread of some sort.<BR><BR>What is astonishing, however, is to see people at a breakfast buffet making sandwiches for the whole family for later--I witnessed this at a Sofitel--after having completed their full breakfast! Basically, I think it comes down to what you take and how you take it.

Well, I read the Rick Steves tips, and the only one that struck me as vomitous was the idea of packing four people into a hotel room.

what a tempest in a teapot! other than maybe peggy and sue (where are the everly brothers when you need them) the only one who has made a clean and concise point is the person who obviously started it in the first place! the rest of you seem to be just throwing food at each other!

after many years of travelling, I have the food thing down to a science. I am cheap and always take free meal when its in front of me. At breakfast, I bring along a tote bag that I can sit under the table and tuck goodies into surreptitously as I eat. I always get enough for lunch and sometimes dinner depending on the food items and the weather. Another thing I do is visit the nice hotels in the big cities and scout out receptions, conferences, parties, etc. I have gotten a lot of very good free food this way. I look so average and innocuous, everyone thinks I'm part of the company. I smile and nod even when I don't speak the language. Also, many food shops offer free samples if you ask. I do this in cheese shops a lot. My estimate is that I spend an average of $10 a day on food most places. That goes a long ways towards making a vacation happen.