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Glite Dictionary
European plan

European plan

5.4
A hotel price that covers only the room and not meals
  • noun
: plan europeo
  • The hotel's European plan does not include breakfast or any other meals.

Examples

  • You will be charged extra for meals since you booked the European plan.

  • Many travelers prefer the European plan because it gives them the freedom to explore local restaurants.

  • I booked a European plan room at the hotel.

  • The European plan is cheaper than the all-inclusive option.

  • Many travelers prefer the European plan at hotels because it allows them to dine at local restaurants instead of eating on-site.

  • If you choose the European plan, remember that meals are not included in the room rate.

  • With the European plan, guests can enjoy more flexibility since they can explore various dining options outside the hotel.

How Inclusive

all-inclusive
13 3.5
board
31 4.2
European plan
5.4

Surface Forms

European plan singular
European plans plural

Morphology

European + plan

The parts 'European' (connected with Europe) and 'plan' (a scheme or arrangement) do not transparently yield the sense 'a hotel room rate that excludes meals.' This is an industry-specific pricing term (hotel jargon) whose meaning is lexicalized rather than compositionally predictable, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely not infer it.

Etymology

European plan comes from how hotels in European cities used to work: they offered a plan that gave you a room but not meals. One popular story says guests ate in local cafes instead, so today European plan means a hotel rate with 'no meals' included.