Like many things in Switzerland, food is expensive, you could spend $80 a day per person without ever having an alcoholic drink. Here’s a few things we learned and some great tips we got from a friend.
Grocery Stores Are Your Friend
There are two major grocery stores you’ll find around Switzerland, Coop and Migros, both stores also have a To-Go type variant. If you’re looking to save money then check these places out first, they typically have an assortment of pastries, hot foods, individual cans of soda and alcohol as well as plenty of chocolate.
Consider Splitting a Dish
The meals we ordered and saw others order in Switzerland were very expensive but also surprisingly large and could be shared between two adults, beer was on-par with what we expect to see in the states but wine was usually cheaper. If you’re still a little hungry after dinner, don’t forget to stop for dessert on your way back to where you are staying.
Don’t Throw Those Bottles Away
Lucerne and Zurich both have lots of public fountains that dispense cold water, if you get a bottle from the hotel room or buy one along the way, keep it! Like many places in Europe, if you don’t ask for tap water, then you’ll get bottle water and you’ll be paying for it. The wait staff will usually give you a funny look but it’s worth it to save 2-3 euros at a time.
There are a number of food courts to get a quick bite, if you can find them. Train stations are a great place to look but there are also small indoor-facing shopping areas that have them, similar to a mall.