"How Should I Handle Travelling?"

This article is part of my FAQs series.

For well over a decade, I have been answering anonymously submitted questions on my Tumblr blog. Over that time, I have noticed many recurring themes, concerns, and misunderstandings.

This series brings together concise, practical responses to the questions I am asked most often, based on real conversations with people at every stage of thinking about veganism.

If you’d like to see more entries in this series, you can find them here.

The Short Answer

Travelling while vegan usually requires some planning, but it is rarely as difficult as you may be fearing that it is. Most places will have at least some plant based foods, even if they are not labelled as vegan – particularly in cities.

Preparing in advance, learning a few useful phrases, and knowing where to look for food can make travelling much easier. With a little preparation, most vegan travellers find that they can eat well while still enjoying local food and culture.

The Detail

Planning Ahead

Preparation makes the biggest difference. Before travelling, it is helpful to research the places you plan to visit and identify vegan friendly restaurants, cafes, or grocery stores.

Travel websites and apps can make this easier. HappyCow is widely used by vegan travellers and lists vegan and vegetarian options around the world. Even in places where fully vegan restaurants are rare, it often highlights venues that offer plant-based dishes.

Travel blogs and social media can also provide useful suggestions. Searching for vegan travel guides or reading accounts from other travellers may reveal options that are not immediately obvious to you.

It is also worth remembering that vegetarian, or even full meat dishes can sometimes be adapted. Asking whether a dish can be prepared without dairy, eggs, or other animal ingredients may expand your options considerably, and a lot of chefs are happy to adapt if you are polite about it and don’t mind waiting a little bit longer for your food.

Navigating Language Barriers

Language differences can be one of the most challenging aspects of travelling while vegan.

Learning a few basic phrases in the local language can help. Questions such as “Does this contain eggs or dairy?” or “Do you have any vegetarian food?” are often enough to start a conversation. Even a small effort to speak the local language is usually appreciated, and will make it more likely that waiting staff will go the extra mile to try to support you.

It would be helpful to learn the local words for common animal ingredients such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. Recognising these words on menus can save time and prevent confusion.

Some travellers carry a written explanation of their dietary requirements to show restaurant staff. Another option is the Vegan Passport published by The Vegan Society, which provides short explanations of vegan dietary requirements in many languages. They now have an app as well.

Accommodation and Self-Catering

Where you stay will make a big difference in how easy it is to find suitable food.

Hotels that are part of international chains often provide vegan breakfast options, though it is still sensible to check in advance. Smaller hotels and hostels may offer fewer options, but staff are sometimes willing to accommodate requests if they are informed ahead of time.

Accommodation with access to a kitchen can make travelling much easier. Renting an apartment or staying somewhere with cooking facilities allows you to buy local produce and prepare simple meals yourself. This can also be one of the most affordable ways to travel.

Simple and Flexible Food Choices

Even in places where veganism is not widely understood, simple plant foods are usually available.

Rice, beans, potatoes, bread, vegetables, and fruit are staples in many cuisines. Restaurants may be willing to prepare a simple meal using ingredients they already have available, even if there is nothing explicitly vegan on the menu.

These meals may not always be elaborate, but they can be reliable. Some travellers also discover that chefs are happy to create something off menu when the situation is explained clearly.

Carrying Snacks

Having a small supply of snacks can help when suitable meals are difficult to find.

Items such as nuts, trail mix, cereal bars, flapjaks or protein bars travel well and provide a convenient backup. They can be particularly useful during long journeys, airport transfers, or visits to remote areas.

This should not replace proper meals, but it can prevent unnecessary stress if food options are limited for a short period.

Maintaining Your Ethical Commitments

Travel sometimes introduces situations where vegan food is less accessible than at home. Planning helps reduce these situations, but they can still occur.

For many vegans, the goal is to maintain the same ethical commitments while travelling as they would elsewhere. Veganism is generally understood as an ethical position rather than a temporary diet.

If options are limited, simpler meals may be necessary for a time, and there may be times that you have to just do the best you can with what is available.

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“How Should I Handle Travelling?”