Are you looking for some vegan travel tips? I’ve got your back!
Vegan travel can be a tricky subject for many vegans. Veganism has become increasingly popular over the last few years and many people have newly converted to a vegan diet. Even if you are a seasoned traveler, traveling as a vegan may be a brand new concept for you and it can be pretty tricky to get your head around at first.
The thought of struggling to decipher a foreign menu in a place where you have no idea what you can and can’t eat is enough to cause some serious travel anxiety!
You may have found yourself worrying about…
- Where are the best places for vegan travel?
- How you can communicate your dietary preferences to local waiters?
- And even how to not annoy your travel companions by dragging them around endless restaurants, looking for somewhere that caters to vegans, all the while getting more and more hangry!
It’s enough to make you want to cancel your trip altogether right?!
Traveling as a vegan doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it’s actually super easy once you learn a few simple tricks and know what to expect.
That’s why I have created this vegan travel guide for you. I’ve been traveling as a vegan for 8 years now and have learned a bunch of great vegan travel tips to make life easier. And now I’m going to share them with you!
Let’s get started!
Is it hard to travel as a vegan?
No, it doesn’t have to be hard to travel as a vegan. With the right techniques and knowledge, vegan travel can actually be quite easy!
Many restaurants now offer vegan options, and it is getting easier to find suitable food in many places around the world.
With some research ahead of time and preparation while traveling, navigating a new destination as a vegan can be an eye-opening and satisfying experience.
How to plan for travel as a vegan – 10 best vegan travel tips
Traveling as a vegan may take a tiny bit more pre-planning than you are used to but it’s really not too difficult. You just need to consider a few key things.
Do your research
Before you leave for your trip take some time to do a quick bit of research on your destination. Google ‘vegan restaurants in [destination name]’ and see what comes up.
This can be a great starting point but I don’t recommend that you eat exclusively in vegan restaurants only. For one, that’s a great way to make your expenses skyrocket! But you could also be missing out on some amazing authentic cuisine and street food, and of course, if you are traveling with non-vegans they may not be too happy at the thought of only eating in specialist vegan restaurants.
So what else can you do?
I like to research must-eat local cuisines for my destination and see if there are any that are ‘accidentally vegan’ or can be easily adapted.
For example, if traveling in Central or South America there are many options such as tacos and burritos that can be made vegan by simply ordering the veggie versions and asking for “sin queso” meaning ‘without the cheese’.
In Italy you can find marinara pizza on almost every menu, it won’t be advertised as vegan but it most certainly is, and it’s hella delicious too!
And in Asia, there are many traditional veggie dishes such as Avial, that are both authentic and vegan.
Once you know what you are looking for it makes it a lot easier to navigate the menus.
You can also check out Food guides by your favorite travel bloggers for inspiration. For example, I have a food guide for Vilnius, Lithuania. It isn’t exclusively about vegan restaurants, every restaurant I mention in the post offers at least one vegan option!
Ignore the negativity
Have you ever noticed that some people love giving opinions about things they themselves have never experienced? I found this to be true when I was planning my month-long trip to Italy. So many people told me that I would starve, that there are no vegan options in Italy and that I would have to resort to at least eating seafood 🙄
The thing is most of these people weren’t actually veggie or vegan themselves, meaning they had no first-hand experience of trying to find vegan food in Italy and even worse some of them had never even set foot in the country! In the end, I found it extremely easy to eat vegan in Italy and I didn’t even have to seek out any vegan restaurants, I just ate wherever I felt like it and never had an issue.
So it just goes to show that you really shouldn’t pay much attention to other people’s negativity. Just smile and nod and let it all go in one ear and out the other.
Do not waste any of your precious energy getting anxious because someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about has decided to give you their ‘advice’.
Traveling as a vegan is actually a lot easier than most people would think!
Practice your vegan phrases
It’s a good idea to take some time to learn a few key vegan phrases in the local language before you go. Learn how to say things such as “I am a vegan/vegetarian” “no meat please” or “no cheese”. Just knowing a few key phrases can go a long way toward making vegan travel a lot easier.
It’s always a good idea to learn a few key phrases before you leave for any trip. Even if you don’t nail the pronunciation perfectly. I find that locals always appreciate the effort and are happy to help you if they see you have made an attempt to communicate in their language.
The V Cards app is super helpful or you can also rely on good ol’ google translate. I would definitely recommend downloading at least one of these apps prior to your trip. Or if you prefer old-school physical books then I love Lonely Planet’s range of phrasebooks.
Order a vegan in-flight meal
In the chaos of planning a trip, it can be really easy to forget about what you are going to eat during the flight. Try to remember to order a vegan-friendly in-flight meal when you book your ticket. Many airlines now provide vegan options and they can be really good.
Book vegan-friendly hotels
If you are looking for a bit of luxury then you can rest assured that there are now many vegan-friendly hotels where you can stay. Before you book, I would advise doing some research to see if the hotel is vegan-friendly and what type of food they offer. It’s also worth checking out online reviews from other vegans who have stayed there before.
If you are on a tight budget then I would recommend Airbnb as they usually offer more vegan-friendly options than hotels, and you can often find places that offer cooking facilities that give you the freedom to make your own meals.
Finally, if all else fails then don’t forget about hostels, there are now some really cool ones in many places around the world that cater to vegans.
Book accommodation with a kitchen
It’s always a good idea to book a hotel room that has a minifridge or if you are staying in a hostel or Airbnb then make sure you have access to self-catering facilities.
This way you can stock up on fresh fruits and veggies at the local markets and make your own vegan-friendly dishes rather than relying on restaurants for your entire trip.
This can save you loads of money too!
Shop in local markets
Visiting local markets and shopping for fresh fruits, vegetables and other vegan groceries is a great way to experience the local culture.
You can find some really interesting things at these markets that you may not be able to get in your home town. Plus it’s a lot cheaper than eating out all the time.
This is also a great way to get your hands on ingredients to make some vegan dishes of your own.
Pack a vegan travel kit
Bringing a few bits and bobs with you on your trip can save you a load of hassle and make it easier to always have food on hand. Put together a little vegan travel kit so that you are always prepared in advance. What to include in your vegan travel kit:
A lunchbox or snack bag
Bringing a lunchbox with you can be super handy. You can use it to bring sandwiches or snacks with you if you are going somewhere where you are unlikely to find any suitable lunch options or you can use it for saving your leftovers. I personally use one that is made out of bamboo (‘cus I’m all about sustainability 😉) and is leakproof so there won’t be any nasty surprises in my backpack!
I also really love to use reusable snack bags they are super practical as they take up hardly any space in my bag.
A reusable water bottle
ok so this isn’t going to help you to not starve, but since you are vegan I’m gonna guess that you also care about the environment. And we all know how bad plastic bottles are for our planet. That’s why you should always carry a reusable water bottle with you. I absolutely love my Kleen Kanteen bottle and never go on a trip without it. You can even clip it to your backpack or bag to make it easier to carry around with you.
A thermos for your dairy-free milk alternative
If the local coffee shops are unlikely to supply any dairy-free milk then I suggest finding a local supermarket or health food store that stocks some and keeping it in the fridge in your hotel room or hostel. You can then use a small thermos to take some milk out and about with you to add to any coffee you purchase throughout the day.
I use this thermos, it is small and lightweight and works a treat.
And while we are speaking of coffee, don’t forget to bring a reusable coffee mug for on-the-go. This collapsible coffee mug is great for traveling as it takes up very little room when you’re not using it.
The vegan travel handbook
Lonely planet’s vegan travel handbook is an absolute goldmine of information. I gave a copy to each of my vegan friends for Christmas last year and everyone loved it. Use it to research your trip before you go or tuck a copy into your backpack if you need some quick info on the go.
Use Apps For Vegans
There are a ton of apps out there that are dedicated to helping vegans eat out while traveling. They include restaurant listings, reviews and even maps so you can easily find vegan-friendly places in whatever city you’re in. These apps can be really helpful if you’re having trouble finding somewhere to eat but just remember to check them out in advance as some reviews can be quite outdated.
Some of my favorite vegan travel apps are:
Happy cow – This super useful app helps you to locate vegan-friendly restaurants in any city.
Maps.me – Like google maps but can be used offline. Handy if you are traveling somewhere without phone coverage. You can mark your favorite vegan restaurants on the map ahead of time.
V cards – Select a language to find out how to say you’re vegan and order food in over 100 languages!
Vanilla bean – Similar to the happy cow app.
10. Check out vegan travel blogs
As a blogger myself I always rely heavily on other people’s blogs when it comes to planning an upcoming trip. There are now so many amazing vegan travel bloggers out there so make sure to check out a few before you go. Travel blogs are great resources because they often contain information and tips on vegan-friendly restaurants and products that you can use during your trip.
On my own blog, Travel Across The Borderline, I write vegan food guides for various cities around the world.
Best vegan-friendly countries
You might be wondering ‘which country is easiest to visit as a vegan?’ Well, the answer is that it depends on the particular situation of each country. Veganism is becoming more and more popular throughout the world, so if you’re looking for a trip with lots of vegan-friendly options then look no further than European countries like Germany, The UK, Italy, France or Poland. These countries have great vegan restaurants and supermarkets everywhere. Amsterdam is fast becoming one of the most vegan-friendly cities in Europe and I also found that Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has a fantastic vegan scene too.
In Asia, Indonesia is a great choice for vegan travelers. The country has an amazing variety of plant-based dishes and many restaurants serve up delicious vegan options. Thailand is also very vegan-friendly – the Thai version of a stir-fry dish called Pad Thai can easily be prepared vegan with tofu or mushrooms in place of meat.
In the Middle East, Israel is a fantastic destination for vegans and actually has the highest number of vegans per capita in the world! Tel Aviv is one of the best cities for vegan travel.
In the Americas, Canada and the USA both have a great variety of vegan-friendly options. Mexico is also becoming more vegan-friendly with its delicious tacos and tortillas!
These are just a few of the vegan-friendly countries around the world, so why not get out there and explore them for yourself?
Final Thoughts: Vegan Travel Tips
Vegan travel is becoming easier and more accessible than ever before. With a little bit of research, you can find vegan-friendly restaurants, supermarkets, and accommodations all over the world.
From Europe to Asia to North America and beyond, there are plenty of amazing destinations for vegans to explore.
By taking advantage of resources like HappyCow or V cards as well as using helpful websites and vegan travel blogs, you’ll be able to make your next trip even better! So don’t hesitate – start planning your vegan adventure today!
Good luck and happy travels!
