6 top tips for vegan holiday planning
You deserve a break! Maybe you’re dreaming of a far flung 2-week holiday, or maybe a long weekend closer to home. All holidays and city breaks require a certain amount of pre-trip planning. However for vegans, a little extra pre-trip planning and research will help you have a hassle free vacation.
Here, There and Everywhere - Vegan holiday destinations
Assumably you already know whether you’re looking for an exotic vacation or a quick city break. There are plenty of vegan friendly destinations. For example here in the UK, London, Brighton, Bristol and Edinburgh are well known for their vegan scene, in fact most of our cities have fantastic vegan offerings now.
A search on Google, Pinterest or Instagram, for the best places for vegans will have you spoilt for choice!
Alternatively you may already know where you want to go, so what happens then?
Ticket to Ride - vegan holiday travel
If you are flying long haul, book a vegan meal with your airline as early as you can. You may be able to order at the time of booking your flight or sometimes from 90 days before. Airlines only carry a few spare vegan meals. Therefore I still take some vegan snacks with me on the flight “just in case”. We have been bumped onto different flights before now and our ordered meal has taken off on the original flight without us! As long as everything goes to plan another bonus of ordering a vegan meal is you will usually get your food first!
For short haul flights and trains, generally meals aren’t included. You can check ahead of time if the companies’ menu includes anything suitable. Alternatively pack your own food or snacks. We often do this as it’s cheaper and usually tastier! It also means we can splash out more at our destination!
Golden Slumbers - Vegan accomodation
More and more Vegan hotels and Bed & Breakfasts are popping up in some surprising places. The next trip I hope to book involves two Vegan B&Bs! A search on Google or on VeggieHotels will let you know if your chosen destination has anything suitable. A little more research and a question or two on Tripadvisor or local facebook groups may prove beneficial. Alternatively contact your hotel well in advance of your stay, to see if they can or do cater for vegans.
Self catering is a great shout for vegans, even if you don’t want to do any cooking! Picking up a few supplies such as oats, or bread and jam for instance can sort out your breakfasts. You can decide whether to eat out, get a takeaway or cook later in the day, knowing that you have the facilities to do so.
If you are on a city break, it’s worthwhile researching if there is a specific vegan friendly neighbourhood and where any health shops are situated. Again Trip Advisor and local facebook groups will give you lots of invaluable information. Staying in a vegan friendly neighbourhood takes a lot of stress out of where to eat as there will likely be something on your doorstep!
We Can Work It Out - where can we eat
No more walking for hours to find a place to eat. Happy Cow is an amazing app for finding places to eat. It’s a permanent fixture on my phone! It is great for researching ahead of your visit. Also providing you have internet access it is invaluable for finding vegan places close to you when you are travelling. Again the internet will also help with finding places that cater for vegans. A vegan food tour is a great way to start a holiday. You get to orientate yourself while trying some of the best vegan food and get insider tips on where else to visit!
I Want To Tell You - key vegan phrases
If you are travelling to a country whose language is unfamiliar to you, it is advisable to learn a few phrases! Eating will be a lot more pleasurable if you can explain that you are vegan and what you can’t eat. In countries where the language is particularly difficult, prompt cards maybe a better option. The Vegan Passport published by The Vegan Society includes words and phrases in 79 languages and can also be downloaded to your phone, so that you don’t have to carry the book around!
With a Little Help From My Friends - Vegan Tour Companies
There are several companies that run 100% vegan tours. Where all your food, accommodation and travel are taken care of. It is an amazing feeling to go to a buffet and know you can eat anything you like on a cruise ship or to be taken to a restaurant and not have to explain what vegan means! Vegan Travel run both ocean and river cruises and VegVoyages organise tours in many Asian countries. If you are a single traveller definitely check out Veg Jaunts and Journeys.
Bon Voyage! wherever your travels take you! Don’t forget if you are visiting Liverpool to book on one of our tours. Or alternatively check out our self guided tours including A walk in the footsteps of The Beatles or St Georges Quarter.
