Many people with celiac disease wonder “Is it safe to travel with celiac disease?”
Let me tell you – you can safely travel with celiac disease!
And if you plan trips based on celiac-friendly destinations I promise you you will have some of the best food you’ve ever had!
There are SO many destinations you can travel to both locally and internationally that are celiac-friendly.
The key component of traveling with celiac disease is knowing how to plan ahead.
In this guide, I will share all the steps I take when planning every trip to make sure it’s celiac-friendly for me!
Step 1: Research, Research, Research
This is the most important part of traveling safely with celiac disease. There are a few key ways to research where you are traveling and I’ll show you how to do all of them.
Start With Google
If you do not have a particular destination in mind, but you know you want a “beach vacation” you can start by Googling….
If you know you want a ski or snowboarding vacation then you can Google…
- Gluten-free ski towns in the USA
- Best winter destinations for gluten-free
If you have don’t have a particular destination in mind for where you want to travel to I have two great posts to help you decide where to travel to!
By reading blogs and doing research on the safest places to travel to rather than looking at specific “hot” destinations it will allow you to find some of the safest cities to travel to with celiac disease.
I always recommend putting celiac safety above going to the “hottest destinations” when deciding where to vacation to.
So you may have to abandon your dream of visiting that remote island you saw on TikTok. But by doing thorough Googling I’m sure you’ll be able to find a similar destination that is gluten-free friendly.
But fortunately, you’ll find that most popular vacation destinations are gluten-free friendly.
Find Me Gluten Free
To help you figure out if a city has gluten-free friendly restaurants you’ll want to download the app “Find Me Gluten Free.” It’s completely free!
I don’t know where I would be without this app! This app is similar to Google Reviews and Yelp, but for us gluten-free peeps.
Type in the city that you are traveling to, and then it will list all the places that others have eaten at with their reviews.
It also lists restaurants that are dedicated gluten-free with a green check mark!
What’s also great about FMGF is next to each username it will list if the user is “Celiac.”
I highly recommend you look at reviews from others with celiac disease to see if a restaurant is “celiac safe.”
I only eat at restaurants listed on Find Me Gluten Free that have a safety rating of at least 4 stars.
Step 2: Always Book an Accommodation With a Kitchen
When I am traveling for more than a night or two I always book an Airbnb.
Why?
I want to have a full kitchen as backup!
I hate cooking on vacation, but it’s always good to have a kitchen as a backup in case you are somewhere that doesn’t have a lot of gluten-free food close by.
I also tend to use the kitchen one night a trip to try to save money since eating out with celiac disease is expensive!
Having the ability to pop a gluten-free pizza in the oven when you’re hungry will take a lot of stress away from traveling gluten-free. (It can also prevent potentially unsafe decision-making when you’re hungry and decide to risk eating somewhere that is close by but may not be safe)
You don’t have to use Airbnb. I will admit Airbnb does not have the best customer service and it has gotten a bit of a bad reputation.
I have been consistently using Airbnb for over 7 years now. Out of the 50+ Airbnbs I’ve stayed in I’ve only had an issue with one stay. So I will continue to use it regularly because I love it!
But there are other websites such as Vrbo and Booking.com that will allow you to book a stay with a kitchen if you don’t trust Airbnb. There are also a number of apart-hotels (hotels that have kitchens) popping up around the world!
But no matter what website you use always look at the reviews!
I never book a stay that has less than a 4.7 rating on Airbnb and has at least 15 reviews.
While accommodation with less than a 4.7 rating may be fine I don’t want to take that chance.
Step 3: Look for Accommodation Close to Gluten-Free Food
While booking the fanciest place on Airbnb may sound appealing it is smarter to book accommodation closer to restaurants that are gluten-free friendly and grocery stores.
You can always Uber or rent a car to help you get to gluten-free food. However, taking an Uber to every place you eat does add up!
Don’t do the research on your own! Use gluten-free travel blogs to help you decide where is the most convenient place to stay in town.
In my Guide to London, I give the best area to stay in London for walking to gluten-free food.
In my Guide to Cape Canaveral, I found a hotel that is within walking distance of TWO different gluten-free friendly restaurants and a grocery store!
Step 3: Be Prepared with Snacks!
I also always travel with a few high-protein snack bars on hand to help me when I’m feeling hangry and there are no gluten-free friendly options nearby!
One of my favorite high-protein breakfast items is this protein bar from Cliff!
I always travel with a few of these in my purse in case I get hungry on the flight or for breakfast in the morning to keep me full for a good portion of the day.
I also try to pack some gluten-free snacks – like nuts – that are high in protein and small enough to fit in my purse. That way whenever I am out and about walking around I am able to have something to munch on in between meals!
I always recommend eating a healthy snack….but Snickers is also gluten-free – just saying!
Step 3: Be Prepared for the Worst
Unfortunately, no matter how much research you do there is a chance you may be exposed to gluten accidentally while on vacation.
If you are very sensitive to gluten try to only go to dedicated gluten-free restaurants and cook while traveling.
There is always a risk when you dine out at restaurants that are not dedicated gluten-free. However, many restaurants have learned more about cross-contamination over the past few years and many places work hard to ensure the risk is low.
That’s why doing your research (especially on Find Me Gluten Free) is key!
You can also read our post on “Safety Tips for Eating Out With Celiac Disease.”
My Advice:
I promise you that you can still travel the world even with celiac disease! In fact, traveling the world is probably much safer for you than going out to eat at some random restaurant in your hometown.
That’s because countries like Italy and Ireland have their own national celiac organizations that go in and train restaurants on cross-contamination and celiac safety!
Fortunately, even in the U.S., many popular vacation destinations are gluten-free friendly. Some areas will even have at least one dedicated gluten-free restaurant nearby.
No matter how challenging celiac disease can be, never let it stop you from doing what you love!
If you want advice about traveling gluten-free, don’t be afraid to reach out in the comments below! I’ll gladly give suggestions and advice!