Hi All,

I remember my brother told me that beverage is very expensive to refill more water. So I cannot afford to pay to refill the water at all. So I have to save water when I eating at the restaurant. I remember that I came into EU again. In American is much better that mean there is no charge to refill the beverage, am I correct? So I have a good memorable while I was in EU for 2 weeks.

Regards

I typically just ask for a karafe of water in european restaurants, even then some of them bring a tiny little thing that has maybe .5 a liter of water.
I have never gotten charged extra for karafe refills however. My sampling is not really large in this sampling.

I do like that my water was not polluted with ice as well.

With very few exceptions, you pay per glass/bottle in the EU.

That said, if you just want still water, then ask for tap water. Everywhere does this. Mineral water is mostly a wasteful rip-off anyway.

Not 100% sure but I think by law tap water must be given free if requested in England now.

Very few places in Europe offer free refills of any beverage. The one exception is US franchise places like burger king or in England the Little Chef chain offer free refills of tea and coffee. The Strada chain offer free chilled filtered water if you eat with them and will replace it.

Always ask for plain tap water if you want a free drink but be prepared to push for it as they will of course want to sell you bottled mineral water...

I don't know of any place that charges for tap water in America. I do know of many places where I would not drink the tap water in America, it just tastes weird to me compared to what I'm use to.

There are places you have to ask for tap water, where they will not bring it to the table when you sit down.

Soda is sometimes refilled and sometimes not. Iced tea is usually refilled for free, but you of course have to pay for the first one.

Many places will refill a cup of coffee for free.

Anything else is probably pay for refill.

Washington, DC, the capital of the world, ooops, I mean the USA, has water mains that date to pre-war days. I'm not talking about WWI or WWII. No... the pipes were laid just before the U.S. Civil War. The local water company does try very hard to update the system, but digging and putting down new 3-foot pipes around the entire city taks time. They do use extra chemicals to treat the water.... but I would never drink the tap water in restaurants/hotel/home in DC.

Yup. And following some intensive pressure from consumers pretty much everywhere will oblige with good grace.

next step for UK consumer: intensive pressure to force pubs to provide free unlimited refills of beer.^

I suppose that puts you at odds with most of those who live there (and hundreds of thousands of visitors, business, political and touristic).

Actually, on the record, DC water has been judged to taste pretty good, better than in many US cities (certainly including my own). Chemically treated? The list of jurisdictions which don't chlorinate water is very short (and much of the bottled water for which you have such an unrealistic obsession comes from the tap in locales which "treat" the water. Bottlers simply let the product "sit' and filter it).

Old pipes? I thought the water in Segovia, Spain tasted OK, and the acqueuct which carries it into town has 2000+/- years of "seasoning". I can make a good case that the very common "Concrete/asbestos" water lines, widely used, may be a greater hazard than DC water in its old pipes. Certainly, the internal plumbing of many old houses around the country, literally dripping with lead, puts you at greater risk than few glasses of DC drinking water.

Bottled water is but a chic affectation of those whose insecurity drives them to demonstrate their levels of culture and sophistication.

"We are not peons, not of the hoi polloi. We drink from bottles, not boobishly swilling from the tap!"

Various international tap waters can give you some intestinal distress because one isn't used to the local flora/fauna in the water. (This includes people traveling to the US from other lands.) When traveling, I try and drink my "hydration" water by buying bottles at a market shortly after arrival. I'm not keen on drinking local tap in other countries, but also not keen on spending a few $ on a 30 cl or 50cl bottle while dining. I clearly remember my first trip to the "continent" in the early 90s, and after ordering our coke and water, we noticed that the tap beer and house wine was cheaper.

More specifically to the OP, plan on paying for every service item in Europe, and be pleasantly surprised if you aren't charged. This may include every jam that may be on the table (that you open yourself) for your croissant.

Those of us who live in the hinterlands/flyover country will be quick to assure you that any intestinal problems may be far less often due to flora/fauna than the disoolved and suspended minerals in the water.

I can think of a couple of towns in West Texas where the water is "gypy' enough to give you the "Green Apple Quick Step" or the dreaded "Spring Calf Scours".

Why I can't have a free of charge to refill the water at the restaurant but, is that very expensive to refill the water again. I didn't realize knows its against EU laws to have to pay refill the water. So I can't do that at all. I wasn't aware of EU laws. So I remember my brother told me when I was in EU for 2 weeks by last couple months ago. I know it was too expensive to get more water. Oh, I remember where we went out a nice lunch at Chinese restaurant in Germany right across to Switzerland borders. It was just short distance from Switzerland.

N830MH

You will be able to get a glass or jug of tap water at no charge (and refills) with your meal in all the EU countries.

If you want to have bottled water you will have to pay, although there are some places where they DO offer free refills of tea/ coffee/ soft drinks.

Eastbay - In all my travels in Europe - I have never been charged for jam/ butter etc - most hotels these days offer buffet breakfasts where you simply help yourself. The rip off is in posh restaurants where you do need to order vegetables and / or salads with your main dish and sometimes even a sauce.

If you put jam on a croissant you deserve to be charged for it!

Why waste good bread by putting anything on it?