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.
Another benefit is that in many cities, McDonald’s has some of the best WiFi. I have gone to McDonald’s before specifically to use the WiFi.
I will have to admit that once in a while it is nice to grad some McD’s fast food from time to time because it is pretty good
1. I have never gotten food poisoning from a McDonald’s
2. My dog likes the hamburgers a lot
Travel the world…go through all the hassle of flying and dealing with other logistics in order to have the chance to try other flavors and dishes. But instead eat at McDonalds?
What an extraordinarily terrible choice
Another advantage is that McDonald’s will have air conditioning — a local cafe may be a better experience, but if it’s not air conditioned and its 40C outside with no breeze, it’s nice to have a place to sit with air con and no one forcing you to leave.
It’s rare, and I’m more likely to opt for a Burger King, but when traveling for extended periods of time it’s nice to grab something that reminds me of home. Though I’ll also go for local chains (SuperMacs in Ireland, thank you very much). Living abroad several weeks to months at a time seems not to be the case for most readers here, but if I have a cheap fast food dinner once out of 20 or 30 dinners and 20 or 30 lunches, I don’t exactly feel I’ve wasted my opportunity.
Except if you are traveling with children who are picky about eating, I really don’t understand who, instead of eating local specialties, prefers to go to a global fast food chain.
People like this better stay at home..
Ha Ha. I just saw this after stopping at a McD’s just to use the bathroom while traveling. Otherwise, I loathe McDonald’s food except the sodas are cheap and the fries are usually okay.
It’s interesting to eat a meal at a McD’s when visiting other countries. Some are better than others; they’re excellent in Central America, Belgium, the UK, Japan and Switzerland; not too good in France (for some reason). But either way, you know what you’re basically getting and the cost is reasonable.
Not being a snooty elitist, I disagree with the “gee you travel to a foreign country then eat at McDonald’s? How gauche.” No, I actually do agree with eating local – but McD’s makes for a nice break and the regional offerings are interesting. As is beer for 16 year olds in Europe, or different regional sandwiches. For example, I had a lot of British food when in the UK last month (and loved it all), but also fondly recall the limited time-only “triple stack” burger they were promoting at McD’s. May have been the best thing I’ve ever eaten at a McDonalds. And it’s nowhere else. So yes, there’s a place and time for a McDonalds stop when traveling. Just don’t limit yourself to that.
I would never travel to another country to experience McDonalds
That seems counterintuitive to experiencing other countries culture and cuisine
If you want to see an amazing example of speed and efficiency Mickey D in DEN terminal C at lunch time. With long lines but with multiple registers it’s a very short wait to order. The at the pickup counter an associate hands out meals every few seconds along with prepositioned drinks.
The shrimp burger in Japan is worth stopping by to try.
There also a special reason to seek out McDonald’s when doing long distance road trips across the US. I rarely eat at McDonald’s. However, I know that most other businesses want to set up shop in proximity of a McDonald’s.
When I’m driving in unfamiliar rural locations, I know if there is a McDonald’s coming up, the quality of other businesses (restaurants, hotels, gas stations) will be better on average then if no McDonald’s was near by.
About 20 years ago my wife and I stopped eating what she called “near food.” And the couple of times I’ve tried McD’s or BK since then I’ve literally gotten sick to my stomach. This stuff is loaded with fat, full of salt, and designed for taste over nutrition. Sure it’s fun to treat yourself once in a while–I enjoyed a pizza last night–but too much is not healthy at all. To me, and I think Gary, eating it is a last ditch measure. I’m just sorry junk food in general has been exported throughout the world, it really has done a lot of harm. Treating obesity, diabetes, etc. starts with lifestyle changes, and part of that means eating right.
I hate it when there is no McDonalds in an airport terminal. Screw you Brioche Doree! I also very much so enjoy the McD breakfast menu and so when I am sad/burned out/wanting to go home from some demoralizing business trip I just want something familiar/easy.
Last time I ate at Micky Dee’s, the chicken nuggets tasted like saw dust warmed over in a microwave oven. Haven’t been back since.
Now I know why a Chick-fil-A franchise goes for a fortune compared to McDonalds.
McDonald’s in some parts of Europe don’t have free bathrooms, and you have to pay to enter the restroom — or wait for the door to open after someone else has used the restroom following from a paid user of the restroom. They do have free WiFi internet.
Having been using McDonalds in India since they first opened up, they are not generally the cheaper option for food — most Indians can’t afford it — nor are the bathrooms always reliably clean even as they have a pretty good handle of having a cleaner for them and a cleaning schedule routine. When needing a clean restroom in India and not near where I am staying, I head to the closest “fancy” hotel and use the restroom and maybe the cafe/restaurant. The privilege of coming across as an American means such hotels don’t fuss over my use of the toilets.
If your travels take you through MSP, a premium hub for Delta Airlines, please consider grabbing a meal or even a quick bite at the McDonald’s restaurant near the entry to Concourse D in Terminal 1.
While traveling in Europe you will rarely encounter even a single ice cube in a beverage but a quick visit to a McDonalds will quickly satisfy that urge.
I haven’t had a McDonald’s hamburger in probably 10 years and don’t miss it. Fast food is horrible for you and boring
One of the first items — if not the first — that I had ordered in person at a McDonalds in India was the so-called “Mexican chicken wrap” or something like that. At the time (and probably still), most Indians didn’t seem to be able to identify Mexico as much as Switzerland (or Sweden, depending on the level of confusion).
I remember walking out with a few “Mexican chicken wraps) from the McDonalds (at Khan Market) in Delhi and ran into Tony Blair just around the block as he stopped by (but not for the food from McDonalds). [A few years later and after he was no longer PM, I considered Blair to have been bought by an old acquaintance of mine.]
One of my most treasured memories of traveling involved a McDonalds in Venice. A buddy of mine and I wondered away from our wives and ended up in a shop that was siphoning wine into containers for locals. We had no container for our now empty Xlg DC from McDonalds saved the day. For about a buck each we enjoyed drinking thru a straw about a quart of some of the finest cheap wine on the planet. In spite of some heavy consumption, we were somehow reunited with our wives. Finally the look on there faces when they ripped from our hands and slurped the remains of what they thought was MCD DC was priceless.
Spending on sit down restaurants at airports is usually disappointing waste of money. The food is not good, there is too much noise. If I am not able to eat something at a club, better to get a bag of McDonald’s and go sit at a quiet gate.
I just did it once in Europe to say I ordered a beer with my mcd burger.
Whenever I’m in NYC, I hit up McDowell’s at 8507 Queens Blvd. Nothing like a Big Mick, no seeds on the buns.
Restrooms, free wifi, a quick ice cream for a snack – a place to get off your feet in air conditioned comfort after walking a lot in hot weather. I don’t seek out McDonald’s when traveling, but there are times that one comes in handy.
Anytime I’m in a foreign country, and dine at an American franchise restaurant, it’s usually a disappointment. The quality is not as good.
If I eat at McDonalds it’s because I’m tired of rolling the dice with ordering local food and want something tasty and predictable. Once I ordered a sundae at a McDonalds in the Philippines and was presented with half full plastic cup that I did not accept. Another time I ordered a lamb burger at a McDonalds in Australia and it was a delicious treat.
My clean (and free) bathroom alternative in Europe is Starbucks. You need a code to access, but you may retrieve it from a discarded ticket or stand in line, and whomever leaves the restroom is opening the door for you.
Before the days of internet by phone, I would stop at McDonalds to use the internet. They are handy when I need to use a bathroom. Starbucks is good for the bathroom as well.
My wife and dog both like the fries.
As referenced by others, it’s great to have comfort food in one form or another when you need it. I’ve never been partial to McD’s, but I’ve stopped by a crazy looking KFC on a dirt road in Agra for funsies, and had Pizza Hut in Beijing when I was bordering on a panic attack.
It’s useful for more reasons than you’re imagining, Gary.
I have to admit that if I’m traveling and need to go, the first place I look for is a McDonald’s. They are clean and relatively ubiquitous. Certainly better than gas stations, and no one is monitoring it in my experience. I really appreciate this. And I will have a quarter pounder while I’m at it sometimes.
I read a book called “fast Food Nation”. I have not crossed their doors since and that was at least 20 years ago.
On my first backpacking trip to Europe, I was sometimes caught off-guard by one of the many Catholic holidays that aren’t celebrated in the US. McDonald’s was the only restaurant open on those days within my lowly french fry budget.
When I travel internationally, I’m usually gone for 3-4 weeks. After eating adventurously for a couple of weeks, sometimes I just want some comfort food, and I don’t need to be lectured as if there’s something wrong with that. I rarely eat fast food at home, so I’d say I eat at McD more often internationally than at home.
I spend 3 to 6 months a year in Japan. I love the McDonald’s there before the popular burger chains there (MOS Burger, Lotteria, etc) all have burgers that are more like steamed pork burgers. These days the McDonald’s in Japan also have a promotion where all burgers double up after 5pm for the same price (double cheeseburger becomes a quadruple cheeseburger, Big Mac has four patties, etc). Very useful since I spent a lot of time in Japan during the pandemic.
The restrooms in Japanese stores and restaurants are all extremely clean with Toto washlets everywhere so it’s not like a third world country where I can finally find a toilet that’s not a literal hole in the ground. The quality of McDonald’s is just really good in Japan.
McDonald’s is a mandatory stop when out of the US because you can usually get a proper “deep fried in oil” apple pie. Warning..FILLING IS HOT!
Those who eat at McDonald’s overseas are also more likely to be the same people who eat the food on the flight over. Of course, the quality is about the same.
Sorry “The Economist,” my classmates and I developed and were using the McDonalds Big Mac comparison index in 1970 long before you supposedly developed it. It was not your idea. You were merely describing something that was already around. You didn’t invent it or develop it.
A hospital I used to work for had (and still has) a McDonalds in the lobby. Last year the doctors on staff tried to have it shut down. The visitors said “Please leave it”. The individuals who wanted McDonalds to stay open said they wanted something familiar when they were experiencing a traumatic event (loved one in ICU, ER trauma patient, etc.). I think some of the hospital staff wanted it to stay open too. You get tired of the hospital cafeteria food & you could also have forgotten the lunch you packed. The McDonalds is still open. Rare event that the doctors’ request did not prevail.
I don’t advocate this, but if you’re English speaking and an inexperienced traveler and are starving or don’t want to chance getting lost looking for something else, the fact that the fast food places generally train the folks so you can order in English is a useful thing to have.
I had a 3 hour wait in Brussels as you can’t take an earlier train if you booked outside Belgium. The big MickyD’s with menus in English was the perfect place to regroup as the weather was cold, wet and windy.
I don’t advocate this, but if you’re English speaking and an inexperienced traveler and are starving or don’t want to chance getting lost looking for something else, the fact that the fast food places generally train the folks so you can order in English is a useful thing to have.
I had a 3 hour wait in Brussels as you can’t take an earlier train if you booked outside Belgium. The big MickyD’s with menus in English was the perfect place to regroup as the weather was cold, wet and windy.
McDonald’s has been jacking up prices in California for years so I finally said enough is enough and I quit buying from them. If I am in Bangkok at an airport, I may actually get a meal from them but the prices of their meals are close to those in California without the cost of labor being anywhere near as much. McDonald’s doesn’t have any franchises in Cambodia so I cannot get a Big Mac there. Fortunately in both Thailand and in Cambodia there are alternatives that are more reasonably priced. When I get back to the USA, I usually get a pizza (using a coupon) for my first meal back. I can home make hamburgers better than McDonald’s and make them medium rare.
As for using a Big Mac comparison index in 1970, I find the claim dubious. Maybe by the mid 1970s. The Big Mac was first in a McDonald’s restaurant in 1967 and rolled out countrywide in the USA in 1968. By 1970, there was slim data to map a trend.
A nice thing about McDonald’s is that a lot of people don’t agree with the food and don’t go there. McDonald’s could be a lot more crowded but it isn’t and that is great. When I am in a foreign country and end up at a McDonald’s it is usually at an airport and I have been eating local food for months, so it is a break, not a trend.