The Big Mac is so ubiquitous The Economist developed a price index for the burger as a way to measure purchasing power parity across economies.
McDonald’s changes its offerings to meet local demand. For instance there’s no beef in Mumbai McDonald’s but they do offer several different fry dips.
In Bangkok Ronald McDonald greets you, sawadee krap:
Johnny Jet offers 5 reasons people eat at McDonald’s when they travel. And I’m not buying it. The arguments here are largely about some foreign McDonald’s being better than you’d think. But they’re still rarely as well as you can do. I’d argue that the case for eating at McDonald’s is limited to:
- When there’s nothing else available
- When there’s nothing else fast available and you’re pressed for time
- When there’s nothing else cheap available and your cash-constrained
McDonald’s is quick and cheap. I’m not sure it’s the best thing that’s quick and cheap, but it’s also efficient in terms of not needing to invest in learning about options. So I do understand why people go in there when they travel.
United Airlines even served McDonald’s on Orlando flights years ago, modifying their galley carts to keep the cold items cold and the patties hot.
There’s a case for McDonald’s, though, that goes largely overlooked: as a source of clean(-ish) restrooms.
When I go to McDonald’s when I travel, it’s not to eat. If I’m out in Mumbai all day, not everywhere I go is going to have a restroom. Or toilet paper. Toilet paper is getting more common in China than it was when I first visited years ago, especially in major cities. (Although it can be a good idea still to carry your own in some places.)
McDonald’s are easy places to walk in, relatively unnoticed, and use the restrooms. Now in many parts of South Asia McDonalds delivers. But since they do not deliver clean restrooms I don’t really see the point.
I don’t find the McDonald’s restroom tip especially valuable in Europe, because of the prevalence of first world amenities you’ll find most everywhere you go. And yet on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, one of the most touristy of tourist areas, you have pretty much every fast food to choose from.
There’s plenty of Spanish food there, too. But if you’re going to eat tapas, try to do it somewhere other than Las Ramblas. The food will be both better and less expensive, because of the rents.
Since there are clean restrooms all over Barcelona I cannot offer a justification for Western fast food. But I’m grateful that it’s popular in many of the places I travel where I couldn’t otherwise find a place to go.
” I’d argue that the case for eating at McDonald’s is limited to:…”
add
After three days of nonstop Michelin * meals. You are begging to come down to earth.
Good point- but you have your continents wrong. Many Asian countries, such as China and Japan, have ample free public bathrooms. It’s mostly Europe and N. America where there is no provision of this bare minimum public service for tourists and residents. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stuck in Italy or France or cities in the US where I end up ducking into an alley to take a piss because there are simply no public bathrooms and every business tells you to FOAD. I’ve never had that experience anywhere in China. Okay China haters can rant now but their parks, streets and public services are so far superior to the West there’s no comparison.
Abroad? At-home, too!
Was kinda ‘fun’ when #45 did the photo-op at that McD’s in 2024. See! Both candidates ‘worked’ there… pft.
@L3 — LOL. *chef’s kiss*
When traveling we use Mcd’s for restroom but also for coffee. The coffee is very close to what we have in the US.
I haven’t eaten at a McD in over 20 years. I was out walking around looking for dinner near my hotel on New Year’s Day in London. I didn’t want to eat in the hotel. I didn’t want to head across town just to get a bite. Everything was closed except I saw those golden arches. Fine, chicken nuggets it is. Just before the McD was an open Wagamama. The chicken bowl was OK and with brown rice and a few vegetables even seemed slightly healthy. McD will have to wait.
While I’d agree that when going abroad there are far better options than McDonald’s and I would recommend that people try the local options, when I was first getting used to traveling and living abroad there was something comforting to me about being able to get food from there, since it was familiar to me in an unknown world. These days I’m never tempted to go to McDonald’s while abroad and would agree with your 3 points, but I would say for many people who don’t have a lot of experience abroad, McDonald’s is the “safe” option for them. Gary, you’ve traveled to so many countries and been doing this for so long that of course you feel no need to go there unless there isn’t really another viable option, but that’s not true for someone on their first trip abroad.
Another reason: if you have kids that want nothing more than some chicken nuggets.
Egg McMuffin and a hash brown is a pretty solid yum-yum.
In most of Europe, McDonald’s bathrooms are locked and you have to purchase something to get the code to unlock the door. Or wait for someone to come out and catch the door to go in. In old town Vienna, you have to pay (coin operated door) to go into the bathrooms.
Familiar and reliable food to calm an upset digestive system, if required.
Good wifi and an outlet if you need that. Solid AC too.
Tap beer in Spain to do The Simpsons gag.
If you go to Cambodia, your search for a McDonald’s is going to be a long one since there are none in the country. If you stop at a roadside restaurant in the country, you will usually be able to use the toilet. Small restaurants in the city may not have toilet facilities (a fancier place may but the rent is higher and probably the food is higher.) Next door in Thailand there are many McDonald’s, however the local cuisine is so good that you might give up on Mikey D’s.
@jns — Speaking of Cambodia and Thailand, how they doing these days? Things finally ‘cool down’ over there??
Gary what exactly on is Spanish cuisine if not western food?
Japan McD’s was great when the heat was 90+ with high humidity and the Shake was a quick cool down drink.
Fries and a soda are a quick snack rather a full lunch then have a good late meal.
Just can NOT eat a burger from any of these places any where in the world.
I seek out 5 star hotels esp in third world countries to find a bathroom to use. Glad to buy some food or something from the hotel while at it so am not just barging in.
If you’re out and about in Europe (France mostly for me), Australia, or New Zealand, there may be ample public restrooms near you when you need one. But, you may not know where they are. But, look, you see the golden arches. You walk in, buy a beverage. The bathroom code is on the receipt.
Kleenex makes two to go packs. One is shaped like a coffin. The other is more notebook shaped and is always in a back pocket. I don’t have describe further why this is a game changer in some countries or you forget o check the supply. I learned quickly in a 1992 trip to Moscow.
@This comes to mind — Interesting time to be in Russia… no wonder you’ve adopted some interesting ‘talking points’ on here and elsewhere… do they have a ‘pee tape’ on you too? No, no, just a tourist, family, business, etc.
The other nice thing about McDonald’s is that their restaurants (including the bathroom) are usually on one level floor with no stairs to climb, which is very useful for those of us who don’t do stairs anymore.
Never tried McDonald’s restrooms. I always have luck with Starbucks anywhere in Europe . Get the code from any discarded ticket or wait by the door for someone to exit.