Different things make us leave the safety of our homes and go on trips. Some of us want to take a break from work to relax, while others want to learn about and experience other countries. Food is an important part of any journey or trip. No matter why you are traveling or how much money you have, it can be hard to find good food in other places. Check out our trip tips to learn how to find the best food.
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Here Are 7 Tips to Find the Best Food While Travelling
1- Do your research Before You Go
Our ways of eating and the kinds of food we like are pretty standard, but they can be very different in other places. Read up on the food and society of the place you’re going to before you leave.
You might find that the foods served and the times and places to eat are different from what you’re used to at home.
In Australia, for example, people often eat lunch in a café, but many bars close at 4 p.m., so it’s hard to find a kitchen that’s still open and serving food or coffee after 4 p.m.
In Spain, most restaurants don’t open until late, so you won’t eat dinner before 8 p.m. When eating out in the United States, keep in mind that a 15–25% tip is expected on top of the bill.
2- Ask a Local for a Recommendation
Asking a local is one of the best ways to find great neighborhood food wherever you go. Just ask your cab driver or the person at the front desk for a suggestion.
If you want to eat like a local, ask them where they would eat. A receptionist might suggest a fancy restaurant instead of a simple room where they eat lunch.
3- Don’t Be Afraid of a Choice in a Different Language
Not able to talk the language? No problem. Many places have English menus or waiters who can help you understand. Google Translate can help if this is not the case. You can download the app to your phone at home, then choose the language pack for the country you’re going to (for example, Italian) and download it so you can use it without an internet connection.
When you’re in a restaurant, you can just type “Can I please order the most popular dish?” and it will be translated. or “What do you suggest?”
You can also move the camera over a menu and it will translate it on your screen, which is pretty cool.
4- Go to the Local Market, Where You Can Buy Fresh Food and Often Find Cheap, Good Meals Nearby
Going to the market is one of the best things you can do. Not only is it a great way to meet locals, but it’s also a great way to see what fresh, in-season food you should be eating.
Fresh tomatoes and porcini mushrooms in Italy, tropical fruits in Thailand, the best tuna in the world in Japan, and fresh fish in Greece, among other great foods.
Most of the time, you can find neighborhood food sellers near markets… Hello, deep-fried langos or chicken kebab in Hungary or Turkey.
5- If There is a Queue for Food – Join It Fast!
If you see people waiting in line for food, join them. It’s always good. There’s a reason why restaurants are always full. So, if people in the area like it, you can know that it’s good.
6- Research Food Bloggers Online
Ask an expert where to find the best food when you are traveling. Bloggers and people who have a lot of impact in the food world write about where to get the best coffee, sandwiches, or drinks in many different places. It’s a good place to learn things.
Getting hot tips online is a great thing to do in the new world of the Internet. There are blogs about food all over the place. There are food writers in every place who love to eat and write about their adventures.
Most blogs are written in English, but if you don’t speak it well, you can just use Google Translate to translate them and write down the names and addresses. This is always the first thing we do when we want to find the best food while traveling. Most of the time, it always works great.
7- Mark Food Places on Google Maps That Are Near the Places You Want to See So You Can Avoid Tourist Traps
I like to use my google maps for orientation when in a foreign city. You can also save places on your map (you need to have a Gmail account to log in) which is very helpful.
Let’s say you are visiting Bratislava for the first time, I’d research the places and dishes online as mentioned above and then search for them on my google maps. You can then click on the name of the bistro or restaurant and hit the save button – you can add it to your favorites or places you go.
I usually add some places for lunch, dinner, or coffee and might even look for a supermarket. This means that if I then visit the old town I won’t just walk into the first restaurant on the main square to have an overpriced, average meal. If you see a restaurant with signs or menus with the words ‘traditional’ or ‘original’ cuisine, then my advice is to skip it.
The meal will likely be average and you’ll be paying tourist prices of up to four times the price. Many restaurants that do this are only catering to hordes of tourists who they can bet will never be visiting again. Not worth it at all.
I’ll follow directions to the place I’ve already saved on my map to find great food in a local place that is likely to be full of locals eating great food. Win! Google Maps is an amazing tool for showing you how to find the best food when traveling the world. ( Source: veryhungrynomads )
Conclusion
When we travel, we often have to leave our comfort zones for reasons like relaxing or learning about other cultures. The search for good food is an important part of any trip. No matter where you are going or how much money you have, it can be hard to find good places to eat. We’ve talked about some good ways to find the best food. Recommended to bookmark our website.