European supermarkets are uneven. Self-catering saves real money in some cities; less in others.
Tier 1 — excellent supermarket experience
- Italy (Esselunga, Coop): Fresh pasta, parma, mozzarella + great wine for €5-8.
- Spain (Mercadona, Carrefour): Fresh fish, jamón ibérico, olives at half restaurant prices.
- France (Carrefour, Monoprix): Bread + cheese + wine = world-class meal at supermarket prices.
- Germany (Aldi, Lidl, Rewe): Quality bread, sausages, cheese.
- Portugal (Pingo Doce, Continente): Fresh fish + Portuguese wine €4-7.
Tier 2 — strong supermarket experience
- Netherlands (Albert Heijn): High-quality.
- Austria (Spar, Billa): Excellent.
- Greece (Sklavenitis, AB Vassilopoulos): Mediterranean quality.
- UK (Marks & Spencer Food, Waitrose): Premium.
Tier 3 — workable but limited
- Eastern Europe (Tesco, Lidl): Limited fresh selection but very cheap.
- Croatia, Montenegro coast: Tourist markup at coastal Konzum.
- Iceland (Bónus, Krónan): Limited produce; long-shelf-life dominates.
What works for self-catering
- Rotisserie chicken or roast meat: Most supermarkets have prepared sections.
- Bread + cheese + olives + tomato + wine: Mediterranean basic dinner.
- Fresh pasta + jar sauce: Italian self-catering basic.
- Jamón + queso + bread: Spanish basic.
Strategy
Self-catering 1-2 meals/day saves €15-25/day. Apartments with kitchens enable this. Pre-buy ingredients for breakfast (yogurt, fruit, bread) and lunch; eat dinner out for the cultural meal.