if you don't know the language you can learn a lot from a quick stop in the McD's, and you don't have to eat anything. Look at the trash can and learn how to say thank you, look at the price of a Big Mac, and you get a good idea of the exchange rate, listen to the counter person and learn how to say hello, etc... only takes a minute. Some brits I was hanging out with in monte carlo actually told me about this when I backpacked/eurorailed around Europe. was actually helpful a couple of times!