Gluten-Free Vacation Tips

Schools here let out for summer last week and for many families, that means summer vacation is around the corner. If you’ve read much of my work before, you know I love traveling and eating out. Gone are the days when those activities came to an end when someone found out they could not eat gluten. Even though I love fabulous salads, don’t think I’m going around settling for salads when I’m dining out. We now eat better than we ever did in our gluten-eating days and that includes when we dine out. Like anyone, in a pinch, I’ll order a boring salad (or maybe even a fancy gourmet one), but those times are exceptions for me – not the rule.

It always kind of saddens me to read listserv posts from people who are super anxious about having to travel for work or play. Oftentimes, people are looking for information on where to buy gluten-free foods in the areas they are traveling to. Though that is good information to have – so is info about where the best options for gluten-free dining are. Far more people are now asking where others have had success eating out than those who just ask about buying gluten-free food. And that is excellent progress from four years ago, in my opinion.

Below are my personal gluten-free travel tips. Many people have told me they work for them too so I thought I’d list them here for those who might be taking their first gluten-free summer vacation soon. First off, know you can do it successfully if you set your mind to it. That would be true about almost anything, of course.

1. Google the city/area you’re going to with ‘gluten-free dining’ to find restaurants with gluten-free menus, shopping info, and other helpful information.
2. Search online for the local gluten-free or celiac support groups in the area. Such groups often maintain a gluten-free restaurant (and shopping) guide right on the websites. For instance, the Alamo Celiac group even posts helpful restaurant reviews on their site.
3. Look for gluten-free blogs in the area you’re going to. Some might offer nothing but recipes and won’t be helpful in terms of gluten-free dining options. Others might offer extensive restaurant reviews, noting the signature dishes of the places reviewed.
4. Look for accommodations that offer a complete kitchen if possible. You can save a lot of money by eating at least breakfast in the room. Plus, most places are not going to offer you gluten-free pancakes or toast and it gets old eating meat and eggs every morning.
5. If your budget allows, order the Restaurant Guide and dining cards. For international travel, I love Let’s Eat Out with Celiac/Food Allergies. When traveling to places where your language is not the native tongue, you really need some type of translation dining card. Even if you have to make your own – don’t leave home without something to help explain your dining needs.

Obvious tips include packing at least some shelf-stable food for any trip. Having plenty to eat on airline flights is key for me. Don’t overdo the food packing for the actual vacation though. We went to London and Paris with a backpack full of food. It was 3/4 full when we returned home and my husband ate as much of the snacks I’d packed as I did. In NYC where gluten-free options abound, we took much less of our own food. Generally, forums on Trip Advisor can offer help with information on destinations. I like to look for gluten-free restaurant options that support groups suggest and compare them to Trip Advisor ratings. It doesn’t really matter to us if “XYZ cafe” has a gluten-free menu if the locals think it’s by far the worst place to dine in the area.

Last but not least, if you want to sit back, relax and let someone else do all the research for your trip, consider taking a gluten-free adventure with Bob & Ruth’s Travel Club. They do all the work – guests just show up and enjoy the incredible gluten-free offerings – and scenery and culture as well!