Look, let's establish a basic rule for the holidays: counting calories in another country is not a crime, it's just an unforgivable waste of time.
If you're going on a trip to order a mixed salad and sparkling water, you might as well stay home. The real trips are known by the stomach. Culture shock isn't only felt in museums; it's felt in the first bite of some questionable but absolutely divine street food.
If you're the type whose tourist itinerary is built around the restaurants you want to visit, Martin has hand-picked the 4 European capitals of gluttony for your next getaway:
1. Naples, Italy: The Birthplace of Real Pizza 🍕
Forget pineapple pizza (seriously, forget it, or they won't let you into the country). Naples is chaos in city form, but it's heaven on earth for anyone who likes to eat.
This is where the real Pizza Margherita was born. The dough is so light you can eat a whole one without feeling like you swallowed a brick. Add to that the street food sold in paper cones (Cuoppo) and the espressos pulled at full pressure, and you've got the perfect trip for fans of carbohydrates.
2. San Sebastián, Spain: The Extreme Sport of Pintxos 🍢
The Basque Country takes food very seriously. In San Sebastián, dinner is not eaten sitting down in one place. The local sport is hopping from bar to bar, drinking a glass of Txakoli (their white wine) and eating Pintxos – small slices of bread with proper culinary works of art on top (from Iberian ham to octopus).
And at the end? You head to the famous La Viña to eat the best slice of Basque cheesecake in the world.
3. Lyon, France: Forget Paris, the Real Food is Here 🧀
Paris has the glamour, but Lyon has the crown of French gastronomy. If you want to eat like a true king (without paying palace prices), you have to go to the Bouchons, the traditional taverns of Lyon.
Get ready for hearty dishes, cheeses that stink from kilometres away but taste like heaven, lots of butter and litres of Côtes du Rhône wine to wash it all down. The diet will cry, but the soul will smile.
4. Brussels, Belgium: Fries, Waffles and Beer (The Holy Trinity) 🍟
You can go see the Manneken Pis (the statue of the boy peeing), but the real attraction in Brussels is the Friteries. Belgian fries are double-fried in animal fat and served in paper cones with unbelievable sauces.
After that, sweeten your mouth with a waffle smothered in hot chocolate and end the night at a bar trying to choose one out of more than 2,000 craft beers they produce.
You're Going to Come Back Heavier... Don't Drag Bags on the Metro!
You've got the idea: you're going to any of these cities and you're guaranteed to come back 2 or 3 kilos heavier. It's proof that the holiday was a good one!
Now picture this scenario: you land back in Portugal, stuffed (and probably with your suitcase full of Belgian chocolates or French cheeses). You're wrecked and feeling heavy.
Are you really going to do the gymnastics of squeezing into public transport with the bags banging around? Or stand in the cold waiting for an Uber to see if the surge price has dropped?
Spare yourself the physical effort.
Take your own car when you head to the airport. Drive comfortably and hand the keys at the Departures door to the Multipark driver. Our Valet Parking service keeps your car in a secure, monitored lot.
When you come back (with your trousers button undone, we know!), your car is waiting for you at the terminal door. Just get in, sit in your seat, put your music on and digest on the way home.
Save your energy for chewing! Run the simulation and book your spot at the Multipark site and bon appétit!
