"When You're Hungry, Catch a Kungry..."

- quote adapted from Richard Wright

Budget minded veg*ns should not go hungry in their globe-trotting quests.  My general tips are:

• Look for accommodations with kitchens, for example, youth hostels, YMCA/YMCA, short-term rentals or apartments with kitchens
• Grocery store packaged foods often come with veg*n options and are less expensive than restaurants
• Check Happy Cow, Trip Advisor, Yelp, and similar websites for veg*n restaurants in your budget range and location
• Bring food as long as it is not restricted by customs and airport rules (e.g. liquids, gels, and pastes like peanut butter are generally forbidden from carry on; fresh fruits and vegetables cannot be exported to other countries)
• Granola bars fed me for many a breakfast, snack, and lunch
• Nuts and dried fruit provided fiber and sated my sweet tooth
• Dried peas provided protein and fiber
• Toasted seaweed went well with ramen noodles

Here is how I sated my appetite, by location:

Paris, France

• Baguettes and vegan pate
• Find a good boulangerie.  I regretted the over-priced and hard baguette from Paul's (bakery chain).  I found a good boulangerie on the street corner near my hotel in the 17eme arrondissement that sold baguettes for under under 2 Euro each.  They were fresh, hot, and way better than Paul's, in my opinion.
• I loaded up on Tartex vegan pate from a small deli/grocery near the national library
• Note on vegan pate: I have had no trouble so far with customs in the US regarding bringing cans of vegan pate in my check in luggage back into the US.  If it was real pate, it would be forbidden (mad cow disease and such).  Advantages of being veg*n!

Germany

• Prenzlauer Berg district in Berlin has numerous vegan dining options for <10-15 Euros for take-out dinner
• Veganz grocery chain has several locations, including in Berlin and Leipzig.  The latter locale had a huge selection of vegan pate.  See Paris entry above- bread and pate, yum.  It also had a little counter that sold drinks and take out items.  

Switzerland

• Migros has Quorn brand veggie faux meats in the refrigerated section
• Baguettes at Migros and Coop were between 2 to 3 CHF each.  Sandwich bread was cheaper at just above 1 CHF for a very small pack.

Vienna, Austria

• Veganz grocery chain has one location in Wien that had a selection of vegan pate smaller than those I found in Paris and Leipzig.  Still, combined with 3-packs of vegan bread rolls for just under 1 Euro for a pack, I was back on my bread and pate diet.
• Interspar had baguettes and other bread, though I would stay away from the bread covered with rock salt.  I do not know how one keeps from being hypertensive after eating one of those breads.  

Italy

• Universo Vegano is a vegan restaurant chain with very affordable dinner take out options.  I visited the Milano and Firenze locations.   I indulged a bit and splurged on vegan Sachertorte, tiramisu, and blueberry cheesecake.  The dessert selection varies by location, and I was very disappointed to not find cannoli at any location I visited, despite it being on the menu.  
• Multiple gelaterias have vegan options- check on Happy Cow, Trip Advisor, Yelp, etc.

Canada

• Vancouver- as the home of Daiya cheese, one cannot go wrong.  The Naam is a 24 hour vegetarian restaurant here which I thoroughly enjoyed.
• Montreal- 
• Vegan poutine is available at a couple locations
• Metro plus market had Gardein and many other faux meat options, plus pre-made wraps (hummus, baba ghanoush, eggplant/veggie) in the refrigerator section; again, varies per location. One location even had microwaves ostensibly for customer use.
• Petit Marche Vege is a Vietnamese take out restaurant and mini grocery at which I found:
• Veganized versions of traditional Vietnamese food, including pho noodle soup and desserts
• Vegan pate (made in Romania)
• Gardein
• Dehydrated faux veggie 'beef' slices
• Banh mi sandwiches with veggie mayo and mock meat for under 5 Canadian dollars each

Souvenirs

Don't fall for the tourist traps!

Examples of tourist traps:

• Airport gift shops
• Boutiques at the exit or entrance of a museum or similar attraction
• Train station shop

Once in a blue moon, I have found a good deal at a tourist trap.  For example, a duty free gift shop in a Munich airport once had a sale on gifts from neighboring countries and parts of Germany not included in my trip.  Thus it was nice to be able to buy souvenirs I would not have otherwise encountered during my travel.

More often than not, though, I have had buyers' remorse after spending money at a tourist trap.

How much does a postcard cost?

If the cost of a postcard is a reliable metric of souvenir costs (I have yet to study this theory), the cheapest postcard I have ever bought was in 2005 in New York City.  I paid 5 US cents.  Granted, the printing qualitty was sub-par, and it was the standard small size.   The most expensive standard size and print postcard I have ever encountered was in Switzerland in 2016.  I paid 1.20 CHF and even saw some tourist traps selling the same ones for 1.50 CHF.   However, I found a couple gems in Zermatt and Geneve selling postcards for 0.50 CHF.  Yes, you can get cheap postcards in Switzerland!  You might have to search the racks in the back of the store (as was my experience in Zermatt; the storefront ones were already decently priced at 1 CHF), or you might have to walk a little further away from the main tourist drags (as in Geneve).  Do not be hoodwinked into paying 1.50 CHF!

Where have I found good deals for souvenirs?

• Grocery stores
• Discount stores (e.g. dollar store or equivalent)
• Specialty stores

Here are examples by location:

Florence, Italy

• Several "dollar" stores in the city that charge 1+ Euro per item.  I found:
• Lip gloss and nail polish made in Venice, Italy.  
• Household items (cheap imports from China)
• Some marzipan, chocolate, and goodies from Austria

Montreal, Canada

• Multiple chains of "dollar" stores, with Dollarama being the most ubiquitous.  They charge 1+ Canadian dollars.  I found:
• Canadian flags, keychains, hats, plastic sunglasses, etc.
• Excellent selection of greeting cards in French.  Beats paying $4 per card at the pharmacy.
• Sketchy selection of food.  The bread looked ok...I would stay away from the unrefrigerated hummus.
• Nail polish made in USA for a Revlon subsidiary
• Selection varies per location as some stores are larger.

Berlin, Germany

• Fassbender & Rausch chocolate store- example of 'specialty' store whereby going to the source and buying directly from the manufacturer is better for selection and perhaps price vs. going through a middleman.  I found: 
• Chocolate bars for under 3-4 Euros
• Sculpted chocolates- ladybugs, motorcycles, bears, and more!

Switzerland

• Coop and Migros grocery stores.  I found:
• Chocolate bars labeled 'budget' for as little as 0.50 CHF
• Nicer bars in the 2-5 CHF range
• Wine, liquers, pastries of wide variety
• The one Migros I visited did not sell alcohol
• Coop tended to be in more convenient locations to train stations
• Prices varied by location even within the same chain
• Cailler chocolate factory
• Huge selection, including customizable boxes if you want only certain kinds of chocolates in a box, sold by weight
• Discounts for large purchases of select chocolates
• Prices same or less than Coop or Migros prices for many bars, and much wider selection

Austria

• Interspar grocery stores.  I found:
• Same chocolates as at the tourist traps (Sisi, Mozart chocolates) for less! Alas, it was too late of a discovery for me as I had fallen for the tourist trap, but don't be like me!!!
• Wine, liquers, pastries