UncleSam

KenCT,<BR><BR>There's nothing wrong with Rick Steves. He gives pretty good advice for travelers looking to travel Europe economocally. We've used a lot of his tips and his guide books are easy to read and use.<BR><BR>Too many on this board deem themselves to be above the travelers Rick trhies to reach. <BR><BR>I think it might be a bit of arrogance as they think Rick is for the unwashed masses, and they of course are above all that !

chris

the idea sucks

lurker

Just had to add another thought to this thread...it seems to me that many of the people on Fodors are "foodies" and that eating is one of the big pleasures of a trip, so of course they are horrified at the thought of cadging food. But, for many people and for many on a strict budget (fixed incomes) free food means the dif between a trip or not. They are more interested in the sights than the food. Personally, I am not the type that lives to eat but vice versa. Food is fuel and as long as its edible and not too unhealthy, I eat it and go. If I can get it free, so much the better.

UpUp

deserves a bumpski

Louise

I always take a little bun from my breakfast and eat it later with some cheese, that way I don't have to stop my touring and eat until dinner. Try it.

Egads

No Lurker, the reason people on this thread are horrified by people taking food from a buffet for a meal other than for breakfast is that its STEALING - anyone trying to convinve themselves otherwise to justify their cheap & tacky behaviour is very deluded. Breakfast is the only meal you've paid the hotel for - not lunch! The hotels have to pay for this stolen food soemhow & that is of course by raising prices for everyone!!

Egads

No Lurker, the reason people on this thread are horrified by people taking food from a buffet for a meal other than for breakfast is that its STEALING - anyone trying to convince themselves otherwise to justify their cheap & tacky behaviour is very deluded. Breakfast is the only meal you've paid the hotel for - not lunch! The hotels have to pay for this stolen food soemhow & that is of course by raising prices for everyone!!

Tori

It isnt stealing if you take what you didnt eat in the morning, what is the difference what time you eat the stuff? If you take extra that is stealing. Don't worry you are not paying for my banana.

anita

I had to laugh as I read this thread. Many of the posts refer to Germans doing this. My mother-in-law is German. When I first met her (pre-marriage) we went to a nice plantation restaurant for dinner. She took some of the rolls home in her purse. I was blown away!! Since then she has done it while traveling & thinks it is perfectly fine. On her recent trip to Europe she took yogurt & fruit with her from the hotel to eat later in her room.<BR>I was so glad we weren't traveling with her.

dorfmouse

Maybe your mother in law is embarrassed to travel with you since you leave all that good food to rot and go to waste!! She's a good German hausfrau and you are a wasteful American.

Georgina

Back to the point. <BR><BR>If it's a buffet style breakfast it would be inappropriate to scarf up lunch stuff as you depart. <BR><BR>If it's a sit down style and you want to take a croissant or the like, I don't see any issue with that. (Hopefully they don't "recycle" the croissants!)<BR><BR>Occasionally I'll grab a tea bag or two and/or a packet of sugar for a midday break...but I do it after checking with the maitre d' because I'm a bit of a chicken when doing things like that.

Jen

I agree wtih you completely, Georgina -- it depends entirely on whether it's OK to take food that you have already paid for, that's been served to you, that wouldotherwise be wasted. Like the dinner rolls in Amita's post (about 3 posts up, here): Presumably they were already on the table, and would be discarded if nobody took them. My mom (who isn't even German) keeps ziplock baggies in her purse for such occasions.<BR><BR>But taking food from a buffet to eat later is cheating, IMHO.<BR><BR>The OP didn'tclarify which type of situation she was talking about, but it seems to be a buffet type ("I don't eat very much at breakfast"), in which case my sympathies like with the Maitre d' who challenged her.

Georgina

I forgot one detail.<BR><BR>"Doggy Bags" are not "done" as a normal rule in Europe. Jen's suggestion of a baggie or two is a good idea.

Jen

True, the doggie bag concept isn't commonplave in Europe. Iwonder why that is. Probably several reasons, what do you think? First of all, the portions aren't as enormous as typical American restaurant meals, so there's less likely to be food left over in the first place. Are Europeans less willing to take leftovers, to swallow their pride about making a second meal out of it (after all, even the American nickname pretends they're not going to eat it, but give it to the dog)? Or is it an esthetic issue -- not considering leftovers palatable, being perhaps more oriented towards fresh food than Americans? Are restaurants less willing to provde packaging service?

Elonse

Enough of this Rick Steeves bashing by the 5 star hotel crowd.<BR>You pay for the breakfast. The breakfast is built into the charge for your room. The hotel loses nothing as there are breakfast skippers and those guests who eat like a bird at breakfast that more than compensate for a banana, roll, or yogurt being carted out of the dining room.<BR>However there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. First and foremost is must be done in a discreet manner.<BR>Take up the gauntlet and march on my dear breakfast a go travlers!<BR><BR>Lunch will be here before we know it.

Henry

I have relatives who work in restaurants at the casino's in Atlantic City.They tell me that "buffet bandits"are a major problem.Although they have money to gamble they still bring plastic bags to sneak out buffet offerings.When confronted by the casino staff they are argumentative and totally shameless.Some of the buffets have had to substitute fruit cocktail for fresh fruit since its such a prized itm.

Maria

If it's strictly "lunch" one wants to pack from the breakfast buffet, it should not be that big a deal. A few slices of bread and cold cuts and a piece of fruit should do it.<BR><BR>A hotel offering a breakfast should have no problem with such minor pickin's, IMHO.<BR><BR>Now...carting off enough to feed an army, that's another subject.