this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2025
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I was talking to a friend and complaining that the nearest grocery store is 3km from me, he says that Europeans consider that a reasonable distance to the store and I'm just being lazy.

I don't have a car, I don't have a bike, and the bus only comes by every four hours. Am I being unreasonable for not wanting to carry groceries 3km in 30C weather, or is my friend full of shit? Neither of us have been to Europe.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I'm in the glorious position that I have to cross the road once to get to the baker that is a supermarket too, another road crossing and I'm at the butcher. From my door to the bakery, to the butcher and back home... 200m.

The next Aldi, Tedi and REWE is about a kilometer away.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

The nearest store is about 200 m away, or about 30–40 seconds away by bike. 🤷‍♂️

3 km is quite the distance to carry a big load of groceries in 30°C weather, yes indeed. That's not being lazy.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

From Serbia, I have a supermarket about 200m from my apartment and a mall with a huge supermarket about 20 mins away on foot. In my city at least, you're rarely more than 15 mins away by foot from a supermarket, they're everywhere.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 3 days ago

That's cycling distance. A nice bike ride to pickup shopping.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Usually walk once a week to a grocery store 2.25 km away to stock up, but I'll supplement that with a trip every other day to the smaller grocery store 0.5 km away. I don't own a car and walk/scooter most places and I'd say that's a decent trek. I mostly walk it instead of taking my scooter because I go with my girlfriend and we'll talk, also can carry more back, and it gets us our steps which we like to track.

If it was just me and it was 30C I'd probably just take my scooter or the bus which is decent for getting there most times.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Depends how many you're shopping for. My nearest supermarket is about a kilometre away and if I'm going there I'll always walk. That's a grand distance even with a heavy shop.

I'd do 3 if I was just buying for myself but it's at the upper limit depending on weight, especially in 30C (I presume dry heat because fuck that shit otherwise).

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago

I bike (more carrying capacity) about 9km each direction. (Belgium to Germany, funnily enough.) That being said, not wanting to do so under the burning sun is absolutely valid.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

My nearest store is about 3km away and I will usually walk there unless I'm picking up anything especially heavy or bulky.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

I live in Los Angeles and just happen to have a grocery store within easy walking distance. Like 0.5 km. But I don't, because the old nice little convenience store got turned into stupid Whole Foods. Or Mold Foods, as we started calling it after trying some of their groceries. Now I drive a mile to where I can get fresher produce and dairy, and paper towels that don't disintegrate with the first touch of liquid. Or we get our groceries delivered.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

I have a neighbourhood small shop at 5 min from me. But I usually go to bigger ones 30 min or a bit more so I can get some exercise and enjoy nature and fresh air.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago

Eastern part of Germany here. The closest grocery stores are about 2,5km away from my home, but we live a little more rural than most of the people in the thread. I don't walk that distance for groceries, because they don't allow dogs in, but one of the supermarkets has a DIY store right next to it, and I do walk there to get smaller items and have a nice walk with my doggo.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

Not European, but most people in my city would say "3 minutes" as they'd live directly above a mall. I live somewhere quieter, so it's about 12 minutes for me to the closest supermarket, and 4 more if I want to go for cheaper groceries, hella restaurants and food stalls, and boba.

When I was staying in Berlin, the closest Lidl was a 15-minute walk away.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

Got four different shops within ~500m.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

I don't have to walk more that 10 minutes to a "grocery store" where I live (which is kind of in between rural and urban) but occasionally I might walk 3+ km and back to somewhere with a better selection, take a backpack, that's not an unreasonable walk to me. If I had to do it every day I might complain.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

In your situation I would probably order my weekly groceries online, if that was an option. I would still visit the grocery store occasionally, in which case I would walk and/or go by bus. Well, in reality I would probably own a bike, but that also depends on your infrastructure over there. I’ve never lived that far from the nearest grocery store, though. There are many options here within that radius, the nearest ones being basically next door.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The closest small one is about 1 km, a reasonably sized one for stocking up is 5 km or so. I have never walked to either in 5+ years of living here. Even the closer one is like a 10 minute walk (ish), and then I would have to carry back what I bought, which also means I can barely buy anything. 5 km is more like an hour by foot one way, so that's just not happening, ever.

I usually take my bike to the closer one, or the cargo bike to the bigger one. I also pass by the smaller one on the way home from work (I commute by bike). The fact that I own bikes is why there's never any rain to walk anywhere, basically. Additionally, there is very little sense in taking a (relatively small capacity) bike to a big store when a cargo bike is available. I also don't own a car. I don't know a single person who would regularly walk 1 km+ for shopping, but I also don't know anyone who doesn't own any form of personal transport. Most would usually take a bike, and take a car for bigger or heavier trips.

Taking a bus or tram/train for grocery shopping does happen for some, but highly depends on the local situation and town or city layout if that can bring useful time savings. Unless you live is the middle of nowhere, bus and train schedules are anywhere from every 10 to 30 minutes or so, more frequent in dense areas where there's multiple lines.

Edit: for context, I live on the outskirts of a medium sized city (250k inhabitants), but my town only has 3500 or so. The small supermarket is on the literal other side of that town, the bigger one is one town over (opposite direction of city). Distance to the city is also only only 10 km or so (to the center), but there happen to be no "attractive" supermarkets in that direction for me.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago

I live out in the countryside. The nearest store is about 2.8km away. Put on some good music, get an ice cream for the second half of the trip, it's a lovely walk. I could catch a bus back, there's a stop right by the shop, but my timing is generally shite. If I'd be halfway home by the time the bus comes, I'd rather just walk.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

When I was in a similar situation, I wish I thought of “one way”. I realized after the fact that many people were walking one way to the store but taking a taxi back with their load of groceries. However I have no idea whether it was actually affordable or if that was their only choice.

You should look into that. How affordable is a taxi if you only take it one direction?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago
  • 180m to the nearest small supermarket which has a satisfactory selection

  • 450m-650m to three normal-sized supermarkets which have everything I need in daily life

  • 1km to a mall which has everything I could ever ask for in life

Yes, I live in the city.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I'd ask your friend if they walk 3k to the market, and if the answer is no, tell them to STFU.

the walk is good for your though. You can feel like a badass for doing it, but complaining kind of weakens that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I live in a city center in Norway. Grocery stores surround me. Several within a few blocks. Maybe moving soon to a rural area where the closest will probably be 10 minutes via bus. But still not too shabby.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

I have a grocery store in the first floor of the building, so just an elevator down and up. One supermarket in each direction 550 and 650 meters. But I live in the city centre, so that is a privilege most people do not have.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nearest grocery store is 100m away. Nearest supermarket is 850m (just cheched). I walked to the supermarket moments ago, bought grocery and brought it back all in less than 1 hour. I wouldn't do it with 30 degrees in the middle of the day though. If there were no sidewalks and I had to make a 6km round trip to get groceries, I would invest in the cheapest electric bike possible.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (2 children)

American here. My nearest grocery store is 68x that far.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

Move 100m in the opposite direction.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago

We have two supermarkets within five minutes walking distance, if you make it ten minutes, it's four.

Also within ten minutes walking distance are two middle schools, a primary school, and two kindergardens, several doctors and apothecaries, several shops, and the central bus station.

The latter is a bit of an disappointment, as not only the bus service is low frequency, and it takes an hour+ to the city.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

American here... 3km is just under 2 miles, so you're looking at a 4 mile walk just to get to the grocery store and back?

I wouldn't walk that, mostly because bringing the groceries back is the problem. Maybe if you had a wagon or a cart or something.

Closest grocery to me is 1.77km, I wouldn't walk that either. No sidewalks all the way so you'd be feet away from vehicle traffic, and coming home with groceries would be up-hill. No thank you.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

I have 5 supermarkets to choose from within a 10 min walking distance

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If you cover 12.5 m/s you can walk 3 km in 4 minutes. Should be doable walking if you take 2 strides a second and are about 1500 cm tall.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Sorry, are you saying 1 stride = 6.25 m? That seems absurd to me. But I'm a short lady, not Mr. Fantastic.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

1500cm is close to 50 feet tall, so only if you were a giant would those long strides be possible. 😀

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

The nearest to me is super run down and gross with people doing drugs in the parking lot, and its 2.7km from me. Instead I end up going to a nice one in a different part of town just over 9km away. Obviously driving is the only option for either.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Nearest store 8 min walk. The one i perfer, 20 min biking and 10km away. Living on the countryside

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As a european, it takes me 8 minutes to walk to a supermarket, though i use a bicycle

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

You could probably walk faster if you didn't have the bike with you.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

Not european but 2km to the nearest grocery store with fewer selection, 3.8km to the nearest town with better selection. The caveat here is i moved into a rather new residential area and it's in the middle of nowhere. Before this the grocery store is 3min walk, and the furthest part of the residential area is still 1km away from the nearest grocery store.

I wouldn't walk 3km though, that is still 30min to 40min walk one way. Cycling is better.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago

I live in a very small town, the closest one is 300m, it's a rather small grocery store good enough for daily stuff. Once a week or two I take the car to a bigger store 10km away for stuff that I can't find in the small store or is cheaper there.

I draw the line of the unladen (not for leisure) walking distance at 25 minutes. That can be reevaluated in case of necessity.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago

One more opinion: 3km is definitely too far for groceries, that's driving distance. It's half an hour walking each way, the return loaded with bags? Forget about it.

I live on the edge of a small-ish town and it takes me 15 min to the nearest supermarket, and that's quite a lot, everyone on this streets bikes there, in about 5 min. From there towards the center you don't need to walk more than 5 min to get groceries.

I'd say having to walk more than a 10 minutes for groceries already affects the apartment value.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

500m to the cheap one and 750m to the one with the bigger selection. I walk or bike there. 3km would be too much for me i think. I would take the bus or train as i don’t have a car either, but doesn’t sound like fun.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

My nearest grocery store is 0.4km away point to point on gmaps, it's an 8 min walk in one direction, entirely via pedestrian only areas with no road crossings on flat road. I consider this to actually be a bit far, as in the previous city I lived in I had a convenience store 3 min walk away.

I think your friend is messing with you.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I’m in the US (and in FL no less so it’s routinely 30-38C/80-100F). I moved to my specific house, among other reasons, because it’s about 250M/a quarter mile from a grocery store. I walk there 2x/week and carry back on average about 10kg/20-25 lbs of groceries. Lots of others in my neighborhood do the same, but most of Florida is not built for walking which is incredibly disappointing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Yeah, the walking infrastructure around here is incredibly weird. Like, my town converted an old rail right-of-way to a gravel trail, which is great, but... There's this warehouse that used to connect to the rail line, so now the trail goes right through the middle of their parking lot/ shipping lanes. You have to cross a truck route to get to it from the residential area anyways, so it doesn't get a lot of use.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 days ago

If I walked 3km in any direction I would pass probably 8-10 grocery stores on the way. But I live in the middle of a small European city. I walk probably 300meters to the nearest one though.

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