Do and Do Not of Traveling Gluten Free Internationally

Since being diagnosed with Celiac sprue I have taken tours in Greece, Spain, Israel and Egypt and spent time in Germany and Switzerland. All of my travels taught me an immense amount about what works and what doesn't. My family has always loved to travel and as a child I spent almost a month of every summer either in Europe or travellng around the United States. Five years ago (I am 23 now) I was put on a gluten-free diet which later grew into egg-free with limited lactose. Since that diagnosis I have taken tours in Greece, Spain, Israel, and Egypt. I revisited Germany several times as well as visiting France and Switzerland. Here are some tips I wish I had known before beginning vacations gluten-free!

A Little Advice From Me

Food allergies should never be an excuse for not taking your dream vacation. As of right now I am gluten-free, yeast-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free (unless using Lactaid). Yes, my diet is limited but I will not let it stop me from living my life. With the right preparation, a little know-how, and a positive outlook we can live a limit-free life. So read on and get ready to plan your gluten-free vacation!

~Kalafina

The experience depends on you!

Do: Call the airline after booking your ticket to find out about Gluten-Free options. Major airlines, like Lufthansa, are accommodating as long as you order ahead of time. Remember to call a few days before the flight to ensure you are not overlooked.

Don't: Rely on the airline to provide food. On one flight, the food service had gone on strike the day before so everyone received a cold sandwich basket (no Gluten Free options!).

My family has seen me vomit so many times they are no longer affected but not every passenger is the same. Keep your food in your stomach where it belongs and have a happy flight.

Try it but be careful!

Do: Check out local grocery stores if you see them. In Israel, I found some amazing GF bread in a ramshackle store close to the restaurant our tour group was eating lunch at. Also, you can check out department stores. We found some awesome gluten-free food at a department store in Grenada, Spain.

Don't: Count on this. The only reason we were able to walk away with gluten-free bread is because our clerk knew the meaning of 'gluten-free.' If you do not know how to read the language (like me) you are better off leaving grocery store products alone.

Don't pack it away!

Do: Pack a carry-on filled with food. No matter what country the airport was in, I was always a walking buffet. Not only was this great in the airport but also on our tour bus. I could always keep my carry-on within reach which meant being able to eat whenever I wanted.

Don't: Pack all of your food in your suitcase. Suitcases can get lost and may take a few days to be recovered. If you are traveling without a translator or do not speak the language this puts you in a precarious place as you do not have any back-up food. Plus, it's not fair to other people traveling with you if you are going to be complaining about not having food. You are an adult. Take charge of your food situation and be prepared before leaving the country.

Do: Expect many European countries (like Germany, Switzerland, France etc) to find most people know or have a good grasp of English. This can be a complete life saver when it comes to deciphering your menu for a 'safe' meal.

Don't: Forget language differences! Just because it looks like the word you know does not mean you will get what you know. For example: If you order pepperoni on a pizza in Germany, you will end up with hot peppers and not meaty pepperoni.

It depends entirely on their definition

Do: Ask the chef for help when faced with the terrors of a breakfast (or any) buffet. In Israel, the chefs were kind enough to explain each item. Most of the time, they asked what I could eat and then prepared a gourmet mini meal for me.

Don't: Rely on the chef to understand gluten free. In Egypt, the chef pointed to all the pastries, rolls, doughnuts, etc at breakfast and declared everything gluten free. Luckily, our tour guide swooped in and saved the day but I stuck to GF breakfast bars and rice soup to be safe.

Do: Stock up on GF goodies. In Greece, I discovered sesame seed candies (they consist of honey, sesame seed, corn syrup and sugar). I bought up as much as I could and happily ate through them all throughout our tour.

Don't: Fall into a "chocolate" trap. I bought a variety of chocolate in Germany, only to find a melted mess after a hot day in the car driving to Switzerland. Make sure what you purchase is easy to transport and you do not have to depend on certain factors like temperature to keep enjoying it over and over.

Learn to Like It

Do: Expect to eat a lot of fruit (so learn to like it!). While others enjoy a gluten dessert restaurants will often serve you fruit in its place. While in Spain, my desserts varied from fruits plates of fresh cut melon, grapes, and watermelon to a lone apple on a plate.

Don't: Eat fruit in places where you can not drink the water. In Egypt, I had to longingly eye the fresh-cut fruit at breakfast each morning. Looked delicious but not worth a day-long trip to the bathroom.

Microwave & Fridge...Don't Rely on it!

Do: Bring food which is packaged and easily able to be eaten. I usually bring breakfast bars, pretzels, and boxed cookies. Sealed bread is another great idea (like the Schar brand) but must be eaten soon after being opened. On flights I have taken along Asian noodle bowls which can easily made by simply requesting a little hot water and can be a delicious experience.

Don't: Bring food requiring a microwave or fridge. Depending upon the country you may not see a fridge or a microwave the entire vacation. If anything a mini bar fridge is the most likely as microwaves are usually not found in newer hotels. I say avoid the worry all together and stick with food which does not require extra work.

When I travel I typically carry sealed bread in my suitcase. I do not take it in the carry-on because it's bulky and it takes me a few days to actually miss eating bread. One of the great things about Schar is the sealed bread does not need to be frozen or refrigerated like my other breads. However, once opened you do need to eat it within several days to avoid it spoiling.

Don't be 'that' person on your tour!

Do: Carry at least several GF items with you whenever leaving your hotel. Being prepared makes life easier for everyone and travel a happy experience. Trust me. Nothing is worse than having a person on the tour constantly complaining how hungry they are when they expected to have specific dietary food and didn't receive it. Things go wrong, language barriers inhibit meals, the restaurant suddenly does not have what they claim....there are a thousand reasons why things go wrong. So rely on yourself and take food with!

Don't: Bring easily crushable items with you in a bag or purse. While shopping in Seville, Spain I made this big mistake. I had decided to take gluten-free pretzels with me as a snack and completely forgot about them being in my purse. So once I started buying things I piled them into my purse to avoid carrying a variety of bags. I opened my bag back at the hotel and discovered a bag of crushed pretzels which left behind a mess of crumbs for me to clean up.

Stay Safe but Be Open to New Experiences (like taking a camel ride to your dinner)

Do: Go with your instincts. There are times when food just seems to suspicious for it to be gluten-free. For instance if there are obvious places in the restaurant where contamination is likely or the person offering it to you does not seem to be knowledgeable on what gluten-free means. If you suspect it could be contaminated or not completely gluten free then listen to your gut and back away.

Don't: Stop yourself from trying food that is safely gluten-free. In Greece, I was often given salads with fresh tuna on them. My experiences with tuna were generally accompanied by mayo with crackers. I finally braved the tuna and found nothing tastes better than a beautiful salad with fresh tuna.

Let me know what you have to say!