How to travel while vegan: 11 vegan travel tips

August 1, 2022Tiffany

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Heading on vacation soon and want to stay on your plant based diet. Staying vegan while traveling can be a bit tricky sometimes, especially in certain destinations. However, after traveling to 3 continents and over 13 countries, I’ve found that vegan travel is 100% possible and non restrictive.

I’ve had fellow veg friends say that that traveled to certain countries where they had to eat fish because there were simply no other options for them to eat.

Concerns about Vegan Travel

Almost every vegan has food concerns on their mind before the plan a trip to travel in worries of not being able to find something to eat. I certainly know I’ve been there before.

Despite the concerns and fear of happily traveling as a vegan, I’ve been able to stay true to my plant based diet while enjoying each new place I visit. The key to success when traveling while vegan is preparation. The same way that you do research for fun things to do in a new country is the same amount of research that should be put Ito determining whether or not a travel destination is vegan friendly.

Grab more tips and experience about traveling while vegan

Here are my personal tips that I have used to enjoy vacations all over the world and successfully travel while vegan.

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1. Pack food for long trips

Road Trips are some of the easiest trips to plan for traveling vegans, especially domestic. When I have a couple hours road trip ahead of me, I make sure to pack lots (and I mean lots) of vegan snacks. If you’re traveling in a car as opposed to a bus, its even better. Consider filling up a cooler with ice and stocking up on fresh juices, vegan sandwiches, vegan yogurts, anything to stay full while driving. If traveling via bus, dry snacks are also life savers.

2. Download happy cow

Happy cow was a literal life saver on my most recent trip to Europe while traveling as a vegan. Its an app (but also has a website) that find vegan restraints as well as places with vegan options nearby you.

I love the app because vegans from all over the world are able to rate veg restaurants and veg friendly places as well as sure pictures. Its helped me in so many ways because there have been instances where a vegan restaurant was 2 miles away but another restaurant with vegan options was much closer by (and delicious).

3. Research nearby veg restaurants

This next tip is kind of similar to Happy Cow, but less advanced. When I get to a new place and I’m starving, I pull up google maps and like to type in “vegan restaurants” and see what is nearby.

I also like to pull up google and search “vegan restaurants in _____” to see all the options I have to eat in a given city. I typically like to do this before arriving to my destination because I like to book accommodation close to restaurants that have options for me.

Book accomdoationg with a kitchen during vegan travel — Cooking a vegan meal in Tanzania Africa

4. Book accommodation with a kitchen

I always make sure to book accommodation with a fully functional kitchen regardless of vegan restaurants nearby. I’m able to save money and travel on a budget but I can control exactly what it put into the meal so I know for sure it is fully vegan. Even when I stay in hostels, I make sure to book hostels that have big kitchens so I can cook healthy and nourishing meals. If you don’t know what a hostel is, they’re a great way to save money on accommodation while traveling by staying in bunk beds. Check out this article of the best things to pack when staying in a hostel.

Learn more about budget travel

Grocery shopping and cooking during vegan travel

5. Go to a market/grocery shop and cook

When all else fails and there are no good vegan options anywhere around, I head to the grocery store or local market and get ready to cook. I even like to bring my favorite seasonings with me because I know that I’ll be cooking while I’m traveling either to save money or to stay veg.

I always grab the basics when grocery shopping on vacation such as bread (check for milk), hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pasta, marinara sauce, mushrooms, apples, and many other ingredients to whip up. quick yet delicious meal.

Its also a plus if there is a local market as these tend to be very cheap and they usually have delicious fresh and organic fruit.

Search from simple and healthy quick vegan recipes to cook while on vacation

6. Research the country’s food before visiting

This is key preparation for any vegan planning to travel! It may not be best to travel to a country where majority of the locals have never heard of the term vegan or are not familiar with not eating meat.

While traveling as a vegan is possible, there is a responsibility on the individual to do small research to see if their diet is capable of being met while abroad. And as always, grocery shopping and cooking comes as a lifesaver when traveling as a vegan and on a budget.

There also may be instances of coming across a street vendor and seeing something that may be vegan but you’re not sure. Always be sure to look up popular local dishes to see their typical ingredients so you don’t miss out on a delicious treat!

Eat more fruit and veg during vegan travel

7. Eat more Raw fruit/veggies

When I’m traveling to a foreign country, especially one that has a tropical climate, I always stock up on fruit. My diet consists of between 30-40% raw fruit and veggies so it is always a dream when I go to tropical countries.

Even if there are no good restaurants with vegan options around, I’m happy with eating mostly fresh fruit for a few days. They make the perfect snack to cool down on a refreshing day and give my stomach the chance to detox from cooked food.

8. Bring food on the go

When I’m going on a day adventure while traveling I always make sure to pack vegan food or snacks. whether I’m out for only 2 hours or 10, I try to pack fresh fruit, veggie sandwiches, nuts, vegan chips, anything that will keep me feeling full and nourished during vegan travel.

Its best to anticipate when you’ll get hungry. For example, if you’re going on a seven mile hike and know there aren’t any good Vegan options restaurants nearby, it would be smart to pack some high protein vegan granola bars as well as fruit and water. Everyone know what snacks they like best, the important part is being prepared and bringing them.

I also like to travel with fresh juices if I’m going somewhere early in the morning as I love to break my fast with a liquified fruit or vegetable drink. I simply pour in a mason jar and I’m out the door.

Check out all of the delicious and nourishing juice recipes on the Ital Eats and Treats food blog here

Vegan special meal requests on long haul flights — Vegan tofu meal with Qatar Airways

9. Input Special meal requests for long flights

As a person who crosses continents to travel every few months, I often times find myself on long haul flights over 8 hours. Many if not almost all airlines actually serve meals when traveling long distances. However, vegan meals are not served unless a request is put in at least 24 hours before.

There have been times when I have a 10 hour flight and I forgot to do my vegan special meal request and didn’t get a chance to eat anything at all. Special meal requests end after 24 hours before the flight so being prepared to put it a vegan request is key to being fed on long haul plane rides.

Finding vegan restaurants while traveling — Vegan Kebabs with plant based tzatziki in Athens Greece

10. Create vegan meals at restaurants

Sometimes there may not be a fully vegan/vegetarian restaurant for miles. When I find myself in this situation, I always try to create a special vegan meal at a restaurant. I’ll simply talk to the waitress about my diet and they tell me they can create a stir fry or curry vegetable dish and it ends up being absolutely delicious.

When talking to restaurants about vegan options, it is important to specify that no dairy products, animal broths, or fish sauces should be used in dishes. If they are found present in meals, ask if they can be replaced by water, coconut milk, or something else. Just have open communication with non vegan restaurants.

11. Learn veg options in foreign languages

When traveling to a country where a different language is spoken, learning the names of vegetables and animal products is key. For example, when I was traveling throughout Tanzania, a country in East Africa, There were dishes that could be veganized but the street vendors spoke no English. I learned how to say no in the local language as well as practiced other phrases such as no meat, no eggs, vegetables only, and fruit.

Knowing simple food vocabulary in the destinations language will help to make more of an authentic travel experience as well as get the opportunity to try delicious foods while abroad.