When traveling, shopping for your food is not only a great way to get to know a place, it’s also a smart way to save some crowns. Here’s a quick guide to food shopping in Prague.

Let’s start with the big boys

The three main supermarkets in Prague are Albert, Billa and Tesco. In my personal experience, Albert caters more to the Czech Republic market, Billa has a bit more quality and Tesco offers the most options for foreign shoppers.

All of them have locations throughout the city. Once inside, shop with a basket or have a 5 or 10 crown on you to insert into the top part of a shopping cart (to unlock the chain holding it to the other carts) if you plan to pick up a lot of items.

Don’t expect aisles and aisles of packaged goods or frozen meals. Do expect lots of interesting yogurts, beer and chocolate! Try new stuff even if you don’t know what it is. It’s fun!

Just a quick pick up

The potraviny, something equivalent to a smaller market or convenience store, can be found on nearly every corner of the city. Here you’ll find more of the essentials. There great places to go if you just need to pick up a few items. They usually stock a small selection of bread, sometimes cheeses and a handful of fruits and vegetables.

If it’s a bit late in the day, look out for something called Vecerka. These are potraviny that stay open later or in some cases, non-stop.

Ovoce a Zelenina (Fruits and Vegetables)

The fruit and vegetable markets are the place to go for the best selection and highest quality of produce. Again, ovoce a zelenina are found throughout the city. Some are just tiny little shops, while others spill out into the streets, with a few even being housed in small huts on the street.

Inside, you usually just select and bag your own goods (small clear plastic baggies are found hanging or in a roll within the fruit and vegetable box). There are still a handful of places where the clerk does it for you; just point, nod and smile.

Enter the land of meat

If you’re a fan of meat, there’s lots of in the Czech Republic. You can’t miss the butcher shop because the meats are prominently displayed in the window. (People stop by and stare as if gazing into a clothing shop window.) And you can’t miss the smell–it starts before you even enter the shop.

I don’t eat much of the stuff, so I’m not a great guide for this one. Just go inside and see what’s on offer.

Farmers’ markets

Although the fall brings an end to the farmers’ market season, they’re definitely worth noting. As I mentioned in a previous post, they just started last year and continue to be packed with shoppers eager for fresh, local goods.

Go early, buy one of the beautiful weaved baskets on offer and start shopping for some delicious Czech specialties.

Of the health food and organic variety

During the past few years, a noticeable number of of bio-portraviny (“bio” is basically the same as organic) have been popping up around the city. To be sure the items are indeed organic, look out for the Czech biozebra mark or the EU organic logo.

There are also a few fair-trade offerings as well as food shops selling Czech-made goods. Founded in 1991, Country Life stores offer organic, fair-trade and a variety of health food options. Many of the products are from the shop’s own eco-farm and organic bakery. In a few locations they have a restaurant or a take-away counter.

The post Prague: A guide to grocery stores and food markets appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Whether you’re navigating the stalls of the outdoor organic market at Boulevard Raspail or elbowing your way through the international clientele at the market in Belleville, there are a few things to know before braving a marché in Paris.

Each market is unique and offers a local and intimate peek into daily life. Regardless of which market you explore, the following suggestions should help you make the most out of your visit. (Check here for the days and times of all of Paris’ outdoor produce markets.)

Hope you’re hungry, because it’s time to stock up on some fruits and veggies… à la cheapo!

1. Look for the plastic bag

Not all markets allow you to choose your own produce, and some vendors may frown upon you touching their goods. If you see colored plastic bags (usually within easy reach) or if the seller hands you a bag, go ahead and serve yourself. If you hear the merchants shouting, “servez-vous,” start grabbing some eggplants. Otherwise, hands off!

2. Check your goods

When vendors insist on choosing the produce for you, beware. Check your bag before walking away to ensure they didn’t slip in a couple of spoiled fruits to get rid of their bad produce. Should this happens, don’t hesitate to return it and demand a better selection. After all, it only takes one moldy apple to spoil the whole bunch!

3. Keep things moving!

Lines build up quickly at many markets and there’s no time for waiting around. Have your money ready to avoid wasting time, and once you make your purchase, move on or risk getting trampled. Ironically, in a culture known for two-hour lunches and disruptive transportation strikes, the market is one place where Parisians show their impatience.

4. Buying bulk is better

Gauging quantities of food is difficult, especially when you’re living alone in Paris. Do I need two kilograms of carrots? (How much is two kilos, anyway?) But buying in bulk is always preferable and often cheaper in the end than buying just a few pieces. For items that keep (like carrots and onions), I buy in a kilo or two. But for tomatoes, strawberries or peaches, I scale down to a quarter or a half kilo to avoid waste.

5. Be polite

Aside from the whole pushy thing (see #3 above), the market is still about the French codes of politesse. Use your “bonjours” and “mercis” to facilitate any transaction whether you’re in the pristine stalls of Passy or the crushes of the Barbès market. Vendors are usually very polite, and are known to sometimes toss extra strawberries in your bag. Be a little extra nice–can’t hurt, right?

6. Go later for the deals

If you can wait until the markets wind down in the early afternoon, you can usually take advantage of vendors selling off their perishables at discounted rates. Look for baskets or trays called “panier,” often loaded with ripened avocados or overstocked radishes for a fraction of their regular price (usually just one or two euros). The selection may not be the best, but the prices are downright unbeatable.

7. Go with local produce

All markets clearly label the origins of their produce–at least the country. There’s nothing wrong with Spanish strawberries (some even prefer them to the French ones). Still, if I see that produce is coming from really far away, it usually means that it’s out of season, and I should wait to buy it until the local, fresher, and usually cheaper version comes to market. (Of course, if it’s produce that doesn’t grow in France to begin with, don’t fret it.)

8. Consider your caddy

Far be it from me to tell people not to bring their little rolling caddies to the market. All those vegetables and fruits can get heavy and I don’t expect everyone to sling their bags over their shoulders. But if using a caddy, remember to be considerate. Markets, especially ones at Belleville and Aligre, get crowded. Don’t leave your caddy in the middle of traffic or cross others’ paths without realizing that the caddy you’re pulling will cut them off. Be considerate and you’ll greatly reduce the amount of grumbling coming from behind you.

9. Price check

As soon as I arrive at the market, I always make one complete round to check out all the offerings. In addition to being a fun experience, this is the only way to make sure you don’t pay too much for certain items. If, for example, I purchase red peppers right off the bat and later find them for half the price per kilogram at the other end of the market, I kick myself. No one said being a budget shopper was always going to be easy!

10. Be prepared for anything

Take all of these rules with a grain of fleur de sel. I’m not a regular at every single market, so I’m still learning something with each visit. Anything can–and will–come up at the market. With common sense and a polite disposition, you’ll be ready for anything!

Your market tips

Do you have some tips for navigating Paris’ outdoor markets? Tell us about your market experience in the comments section. Also, check out Theadora Brack’s earlier piece for more tips on shopping at Paris’ outdoor markets.

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