LtKernelPanic

Within the US I'll weigh the options just like at home. When traveling internationally I try to avoid it as much as possible but sometimes it's the best or only option. When in Europe last spring I always tried to eat breakfast and dinner at local places but for a quick lunch or drink when doing the tourist thing fast food was somtimes the best option. Have to admit the McDonald's right across from my hotel in Lisbon was handy a couple nights when I was out way past midnight and wanted a quick bite before turning in.

lhrsfo

When in the USA I do sometimes go for a Pret. Convenient and not overloaded with fat.

darthbimmer

While I eat fast food when traveling for the same reasons I eat it at home (fast, convenient, inexpensive) where I go for fast food varies with the locale. I try to pick local flavor instead of the big name brands I can get back home-- though even back home I don't eat at the big name brands that often. On many trips overseas I do try an American chain restaurant like McDonald's once to see how it's different from in the US.

lost_perspicacity

I loved that site. archive.org has most of it saved.

HomerJ

On a vacation...rarely for work lots.
In a small town your choices are usually pretty limited.
My go to is Wendy's Chilli and their almond apple salad (1/2 size)...combo which is about $7.00

OskiBear

I eat fast food on a trip generally for the same reason I do in the US - I'm starving, I'm on the go, and I don't really need a particularly fancy or time-consuming meal at the moment. Outside of the US, McDonald's is usually the only chain I'll be curious to try (or even to look at the menu if I don't eat there) because I find amusement in their localized offerings that are different than in the US. I do find eating at local fast food places an interesting experience and I also like the fact that they often have free wifi and bathrooms.

pinniped

I stopped at a Pret in Manhattan this past week - around 8th and 48th. I was kind of disappointed. The store wasn't very clean, most of the sandwiches were sold out, and nobody seemed to be restocking them. I am pretty sure the store was going to be open for a few more hours - wasn't like I walked in while they were getting ready to close.

My first experiences with Pret were in London in about '07 or so and they were great. We had one in our office building...it was perfect for when I had like 15 minutes between meetings. And I've had them in NYC for years as well and never had a problem with them. Maybe this is a one-off bad location, but it left me wondering if the brand is sliding back towards the median for fast-food cleanliness and attentiveness to detail.

Redhead

CDTraveler

Sounds like the Pret in Union Station in DC. Several times I've tried to buy lunch there before a train & found mostly empty shelves and completely uninterested employees. Even in the UK I thought their service was poor.

moondog

I'm pretty sure that if you had to travel to some of the places on my usual circuit, you'd either fast or change your tune.

Redhead

Oh, I've eaten it when I've had to. I just try to avoid it if I can. I know when I've been on the road, sometimes it is the only choice. I still hate it. McD's is like a giant salt lick. I try to go for Salsa Fresh or Subway if I have to eat it

pinniped

Are international Subways pretty similar to American ones? Or do they try to add in local ingredients and flavors?

I occasionally see one during travel but have never tried one. I'm not a Subway regular in the U.S. but like you, will sometimes pick one if I'm in a fast-food wasteland somewhere and want something semi-nutritious.

moondog

I don't eat Subway in the US enough (i.e. almost never) to compare with the China version, but there is nothing "local" at their Chinese stores, and I'm guessing that the US stores have specials that don't make it to other markets. When I go to subways in China, it's because I'm starving. I typically get either an Italian or a tuna salad sub. Really boring, I know, but I've never left feeling hungry or sick.

Redhead

I have no clue. I think I've eaten int'l fast food (meaning a global chain) outside the US about 3 times. I had Xmas dinner at the BK on Las Ramblas in BCN back in 1992 because I was dirt poor and it was the only thing open. I've had McDs at GRU twice because the food options are terrible and I was starving. I've never had Subway outside the US. - it is a food wasteland option.

kipper

I'll try local "fast food" but not chains that I can find at home.