Top tips for a travelling vegan
People always assume being vegan must be so difficult. In reality, it really isn’t. Once you’ve revamped your cupboards and completed a little 'where can I eat where' research, it just feels like life.
That is, until you book a trip!
As a travelling vegan it really pays to be prepared for every possibility (I learnt this the hard way), so here come some tips to make travelling easier on a vegan diet.
Fly with snacks. Buy food in the airport if you’re lucky to fly out of an airport with options. But always carry some bars or something you can easily have on the go for those times when you’re flight gets delayed.
Book vegan meals with airlines ahead of times. It varies by airlines but I think it’s around 4 days in advance that they need to know. I missed a connection on a flight to Bali last year so the last minute flight I had to take didn’t have anything for me to eat, I landed late at night and the restaurant in my hotel was already closed. I became so hangry! I can’t say it enough, ALWAYS carry snacks.
Research in advance some nice restaurants to try. If you find a really good one, make sure to book ahead, I’ve often missed out because lots of places get full. Take a look at my 'Vegan Guides to…’ for some top picks where I have been to.
Find out about local foods that might be vegan. I was in Greece this summer and although there were a grand total of 0 vegan restaurants, they have lots of traditional dishes that just happen to be vegan; stuffed tomatoes, grilled aubergine, hummus, fava beans. It was also super easy to swap the feta for avocado in a Greek salad and then I could eat pretty much anywhere.
Let hotels know ahead of time. Hotels are generally happy to arrange plant based milks for cereals, but just make sure to send them an email to let them know ahead of time. They can normally change any down bedding for more animal friendly options too if you politely request it.
The more you travel, the easier it gets. Plus I have found that I explore different areas of cities on my hunt for the best vegan eats, getting to know neighbourhoods that I never would if I weren’t vegan.
