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.

Research and development

Although down-to-the-minute planning can be limiting, doing some research on the best hotels and hostels, and the best modes of transportation, is the key to saving your money later. If you can do research about your intended destination before you even get on the plane, all the better.

For me, the preparation began the day I realized I wanted to get the heck outta dodge and head back to Europe.

Through some crafty internet research and a few phone calls, I was fortunate to get hooked up with an artist residency that paid for my room and board while I was there. But I was expected to work an eight-hour day on a farm. (In my next post, I’ll explore ways that the average Cheapo can find similar kinds of set-ups.)

Here are my most important tips for a budget-friendly European experience, Wandering Cheapo-style:

1. One big meal a day is plenty.

Budget for cheap breakfasts (unless you’re in Ireland, and then that can be your big meal), grocery-store lunches (I love the sandwiches at Tesco in London), and then wolf down a bigger dinner if you like. This is especially important if you are going on a longer trip. Your money will drain fast, especially if you’re stopping here and there for bottled water, snacks, and aperitifs.

2. Make a budget for yourself that is weekly on a longer trip, daily on a shorter one.

Sometimes, you arrive in a city and find that there are great tours and museums that cannot be missed (Please don’t leave Paris without visiting the Louvre). Admission charges will quickly eat into your budget. But don’t fret. On a longer trip, think about your budget in terms of weekly caps. That way, if you go over your budget on one day, you can compensate on another day. Have fun, but keep disciplined at the same time.

3. Always have a notebook and pen handy.

Sometimes you’ll want to take notes on a place, or you’ll want to jot down the location of a cheap restaurant that you come across and want to check out later. You may need to get the e-mail of your new best friend in, say, Latvia, or the phone number of a good hostel that doesn’t offer on-line booking. Try to find a notebook with a pocket so you can collect train tickets, pamphlets and brochures, and other helpful info easily.

4. Talk to everyone.

I know that this may not seem like a budget tip, but it definitely can be. When you talk to other travelers, you find out where to go and when to go, what to spend time and money on. And when you talk to locals, you find out all sorts of money-saving insider tips about a place. You might even snag a free meal or a night’s lodging just by engaging someone’s interest. (It goes without saying, use your gut and follow your instincts along the way. If you feel uncomfortable around someone, think twice about accepting their hospitality.)

5. Everywhere you go, ask about discounts.

There are thousands of discounts to be had in Europe. If you’re a student, you’re pretty much set. Those of us who are late-blooming travelers need not worry either. Some museums and sights are cheaper – or FREE – on certain days of the week. Restaurants offer fixed-price menus at certain times of the day, often including a free beverage. Sometimes by picking up the right piece of paper in a city, or maybe a magazine or flyer, you can snag discounts on stuff. Ask, ask, and ask again. “Do you offer discounts of any kind?” You will often be happily surprised.

For more about Reinhardt’s travels, visit his blog: The Pork Chop Express.

The post Wandering Cheapo: Five tips for stretching your budget abroad appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.