Supermarkets in Europe: Save Money on Food While Traveling

European supermarkets are one of the best ways to save money on food while traveling. Every meal in a restaurant eats into your budget fast, whereas breakfast, a snack or picnic supplies from a local supermarket cost several times less. This guide tells you which chains are cheap, what the opening hours are and what to buy for a tasty, affordable picnic.

🛒 Why a supermarket beats a restaurant

A morning coffee and croissant at a café in a European tourist center costs $8-14; the same from a supermarket — $2-3. If you replace even one meal a day with the supermarket, you'll save a hundred dollars over a week.

This is especially useful on a family or long trip. Food is one of the biggest parts of any budget — and controlling it is the easiest way to save. See travel budget planning.

🏬 Cheap chains in Europe

• Lidl and Aldi: German discounters across almost all of Europe — the lowest prices, good quality
• Penny, Netto, Dia: even more budget chains in Central and Eastern Europe
• Mercadona (Spain), Biedronka (Poland), Albert Heijn (Netherlands): local leaders
• Carrefour, Auchan, Tesco: large hypermarkets — wide choice, often out of town
• Small "express" shops in tourist centers (e.g. Carrefour City) are convenient but slightly pricier

🕐 Opening hours and Sundays

In many European countries supermarkets are closed on Sundays — this especially applies to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where Sunday is a legal day of rest. In France and Italy many shops work until noon on Sunday or close entirely.

So stock up on Saturday. In Southern Europe (Spain, Italy) the midday break (siesta) still exists at smaller shops. On public holidays everything is closed — see Europe public holidays.

🥪 What to buy for a picnic

• Bread, local cheese and cold cuts — a simple and tasty lunch in the park
• Seasonal fruit and vegetables — cheap and fresh; see Europe tap water safety
• Bottled water in a large pack — far cheaper than from a separate tourist kiosk
• Local snacks and sweets — cheap and an original souvenir too
• Keep cash handy for small shops — see ATM cash withdrawal in Europe

💡 Practical tips

Bring a foldable bag — in Europe a plastic bag costs extra. Self-checkouts are fast if you pay by card. Prices are shown per kilogram, and you often weigh fruit yourself and stick on the label.

Saving on other trip costs is helped by the tipping rules in Europe, and you'll find a cheap ticket with Travel365's flight search. That way your whole budget goes further.