The world is incredible, so much to do, so many breathtaking sights to see, so many cultures to observe or absorb yourself in, and so many delicious cuisines to try. But that last one can be stressful if you’re a vegan, and even worse if you have allergies or more serious health reasons for eating a certain way. Travel can suddenly seem quite daunting, but these vegan travel tips can help you make the most of your trip with a little bit of advance prep.
VEGAN TRAVEL TIPS
RESEARCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING
I know this sounds so incredibly obvious, but you need to research the cuisine where you’re going. Before booking the trip, you’ve probably thought of all the attractions you’re dying to see, and maybe ticking a thing or two off the bucket list, but research what the locals eat. This very early stage prep will help you figure out how difficult it will be to find something to cater for your needs. If you’re off to Italy and there’s a huge selection of pastas, risotto and cheese-less pizza to be ordered, things could be easy for you. If the local cuisine centres around red meat, life could be harder.
But it’s important to keep in mind that harder does not have to mean impossible. We just have a little more prep to do.
ADVANCE SCREEN SOME RESTAURANTS
We’ve all been somewhere and turned a corner and found some idyllic setting with locals enjoying their meals on outdoor tables and wanted to join. The zero plan stumbled across restaurants are sometimes the best. But depending on how vegan friendly the area is, this could be a struggle. I prefer to wander my area and find somewhere, but always do the following steps before I fly to make sure I have backup options in case my whimsical wandering doesn’t yield the best results.
Depending on how much of a planner you are, this could sound extremely dull, but I (foodie that loves a travel itinerary/ plan) really enjoy this stage.
There are so many different places that you can look for restaurants, and honestly, for a solid list, it’s best to use them all. Google vegan restaurants in X location, search Happy Cow for the same place, then search vegan/ gluten free/ whatever your allergy is in X location on Instagram and TikTok too. I’ve found TikTok extremely helpful in planning where to eat on my last few trips, don’t skip this one.
In doing this, you’ll probably find some places that crop up on every list. This is good, it means those places are a firm favourite, but you’ll find some places that maybe only pop up once or twice and they could be hidden gems. Then check out some menus online, Google translating the page for you in the comfort of your own home is less stressful than trying to figure it out when a waiter is impatiently hovering in an attempt to seat you.
If you’re a travel itinerary geek like me, then map some of these places next to your hotel or some attractions that are on your list so you can save a list of some options where you want to be. Your hotel could be in a beautiful spot right next to the Colosseum, but if all your starred restaurants are by the Vatican, you’ve got a bit of a problem and it’s best to know that in advance.
LEARN THE LANGUAGE
No, I’m not expecting you to become fluent in Turkish in the next 6 weeks, but start learning Turkish by looking up certain words and phrases, try to remember them, and save them in a note on your phone.
Depending on how bad your allergies are, this could save your life, or at the very least stop your trip from being ruined because you’re stuck in the bathroom for the next three days.
Learn the words for ‘vegan’, ‘do you have vegan options?’ and words like eggs, milk, gluten, and whatever allergies you have, and save it in your notes app. You may not have data, so save it in your notes so you have access whenever you need it.
PACK PROTEIN
I don’t necessarily mean protein powder, but before any trip, I always pack some protein sources. Whether that is protein powder sachets, some bars or some sort of nut snack/ protein crisps, pack protein. Even if you can find delicious vegan food, finding balanced vegan food can often be tricky. If you’re travelling to somewhere like London or New York, you probably won’t have this issue. But whether it’s delicious vegetable kebabs in Istanbul, a simple pomodoro pasta in Naples or some vegetable paella in Granada, getting some sort of starch and vegetable as your main is quite a common theme. And if you’re only away for a few days, that might be fine. But if it’s an extended trip or you want to keep your nutrition balanced regardless of how long you’re away, packing protein will help. In some places in the world, that will be the only protein you’re getting. If you do so by packing snacks, you can still enjoy your stay and eat with the locals for your mains and give yourself a little extra fuel for on-the-go.
And that’s an easy fix. It’s understandable to get caught up on how easy or difficult it is to find vegan/ allergy friendly food in certain places and have that maybe put you off, or at least slide somewhere down a few places on the travel bucket list. But the world is worth seeing, and even if some adjustments make it harder in certain places, there are always ways around it, even if that does require extra prep. And if you do have serious allergies, self catering is always an option too if the place is worth it, but the food maybe isn’t.
