Eurailing across Europe can be an exhilarating experience. You may be traveling with a group of friends or on a solo trip across Europe. New places, new people and interesting cuisines can all be part of a fun-filled Europe trip. Sustenance is a very important part of life. Whether you’re at home, at work or hitchhiking across a continent or country, you need healthy food to keep your energy levels at peak.

Here are some food tips for the time that you’re in Europe.

• If you’re a strict vegetarian, make things clear while ordering food at a restaurant. Write the appropriate phrase, keep it handy, and show it to each waiter before ordering your meal.
• For inexpensive Italian eateries, look for the term osteria, tavola calda, rosticceria, trattoria, pizzeria, or "self-service." For a stand-up super bargain meal, look for a Pizza Rustica shop, which sells pizza by weight.
• University cafeterias (often closed during summer holidays) offer a surefire way to meet educated English-speaking young locals with open and stimulating minds.
• In France, many cafes offer fixed-price meals such as a plat du jour or menu touristique. You'll get your choice of an appetizer, entre, and dessert at a set price.
• In Scandinavia, look around for lunch specials called ‘dagens ratt’. Many pizzerias offer amazing all-you-can-eat deals and tempting salad bars.
• In European groceries and open-air markets, most food is priced by the kilo (about two pounds). Watch the scales while your food is being weighed.
• In open-air markets throughout Europe, only shop at stalls that post prices. Find places that print the prices. Assume any market with no printed prices has a double price standard: one for locals and a more expensive one for tourists.

Editor’s note: Compare rail pass prices at the cheapest source of rail passes online: Rail Pass and Rail Europe