Guest Author - Jill Browne

One of the pleasures of travelling is stopping to enjoy the ambience. The cafes of Paris are legendary for this - but the reality is, a cup of coffee at one of those charming little places can easily set you back five dollars or more. Multiply that by ten days and your coffee break has eaten up between fifty and a hundred dollars - and for that amount, you could have taken a boat trip, or stayed another night, perhaps.

It isn't only Paris where coffee is expensive, and it isn't just about the coffee. The impulse to stop, sit down and buy a drink and a snack comes across when a traveller is tired and ready for a break. Being human, people need to stop and rest sometimes. It's predictable and therefore it can be planned for. With a little planning, not only can the cost be much less but the coffee break experience can actually be much nicer.

Consider which is more pleasant: jostling for a tiny table in a crowded coffee shop filled with other tourists and their shopping bags, overpaying for the snack, and eating something that is perhaps more fattening and less nutritious than the food at home while someone hovers over you, waiting for your table, or sitting quietly in a quiet park, feeling the sun and breeze on your face, eating and drinking exactly what you want, at your own pace, and paying considerably less for it.

Most hotels, B&Bs and hostels offer some kind of coffee or tea-making arrangement. There are grocery stores wherever people live - after all, everyone has to eat. Think like a local and use the local shops to buy food you like. Even when packing light, there are a few basic utensils that will suit almost any picnic occasion. This list is humble, modest and functional.

1. An unbreakable bottle to keep your drinks hot or cold. The familiar "Thermos" brand used to be easy to break, since the liner was made of glass. Now there are more options on the market. The metal models are durable and reliable.

2. A plastic bowl or large cup. A two-cup sized measuring cup works well for eating almost anything.

3. Resealable plastic bags hold sandwiches, biscuits, cheese, any dry or slightly moist foods.

4. Plastic utensils or metal ones - fork, spoon.

5. A Swiss army knife with a corkscrew, can opener, bottle opener and knife. (Pack this in checked luggage, as knives are not allowed in airplane carry-on baggage).

That's the whole list.

Set out in the morning with lunch and your snack in your daypack, and you will have the flexibility of being able to stop and enjoy the beautiful places along your way without the pressure of having to find an appealing restaurant to stop in.

The cost of purchasing food like this is typically less than half of the cost of buying it pre-made.

It's fine to enjoy dining out and eating in restaurants, and that can be a very enjoyable part of a trip. However, when the purpose of the stop is really just to rest and take light refreshment, carrying your own snack gives you more value for your travelling dollar.

About this ad: I have two of this type of "Thermos" in different sizes. They are all metal and keep the drinks hot or cold. Unbreakable.